Adam Wardzinski is one of the most exciting prospects to hit the jiu jitsu scene as a heavyweight coming from Europe.  He is also specifically the first high level black belt on the competition scene from his native Poland.  What also sets him...

The rear naked choke is easily one of the most effective techniques in the entire BJJ lexicon.  Applied from the back position, it fully compromises the exposed arteries of the neck and with relatively little energy cuts off the necessary blood flow to...

BJJ competition can be a great way to test your skills against practitioners of similar skills, ages, and physical sizes as you.  You've already distinguished yourself and set your self apart from the average person by choosing a hobby or sport where you...

Side control is one of the best places to set up shop, maintain control of your opponent and work a variety of arm attacks or chokes.  When you're in control of your opponent in side control, they are usually working to secure some...

The over/under pass is a favorite among many of the world’s greatest competitors, and for good reason. It’s a fundamental pass, and, when done correctly, can be almost impossible to stop. Like any pass, new variations are surfacing almost daily. The grip sets...

How many times have you watched your coaches or instructors demonstrating a move and thought to yourself, "No way.  I'll never pull that off."  Or after you repped a move 2-3 times and decided your legs are too short, too long, or you're...

When we achieve the mount, especially as a BJJ beginner, we hunt for the basics, such as the cross choke, Americana, and, of course, the armbar. Because of the commonality and knowledge of these basic mount submissions, the defenses are plentiful and widely...

We all take our BJJ journey very seriously. Whether you’re an avid competitor, hobbyist, or just a fan of the art, your progress is undoubtedly very important to you.  Day in and day out we give our craft the attention it commands for...

I always get excited when I meet someone out in public who wants to talk about BJJ with me. From their perspective, I probably seem like a kid about to eat their favorite ice cream. I enjoy talking about it, of course, and...

I took my children to their swimming lesson a few days ago. We were all sitting on the bench waiting for their class to begin. One of the more experienced swim instructors was an older gentleman. It seemed he’d been a life guard...

You may be familiar with the half guard, but have you been acquainted with its close relative the butterfly half guard? If you haven’t been exposed to it yet, it’s definitely worth a look. A well-placed butterfly hook in the bottom half guard...

The omoplata is a shoulder submission in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that, like many moves in the BJJ lexicon, has it's roots in other arts like judo and catch wrestling.  Named after the scapula or "blade bone" in Portuguese, the use of the technique...

Passing the guard is one of the most challenging aspects of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, especially when you're relatively new and treading the deep waters as a white belt.  Let's look at some very common guard passing mistakes that even higher belts can make...

Now that I'm in my mid-40's and been training BJJ consistently for almost 10 full years, I've come to accept the daily aches and pains associated with training.  There's an old joke that if you train BJJ and wake up one day and...

How can one instructional video series be so good?  People always wonder how John Danaher can be such a sought after instructor, they want to know what segregates him from the norm?  Well, John is simply put, is the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu...