In Jiu Jitsu, chokes are still very much the king of techniques. There are some tough people that can power out of certain submissions, but with chokes, it is harder to power out, due to the fact that a good choke only takes a matter of seconds to put someone into unconsciousness. Some of the […]

When it comes to open guards in Jiu Jitsu, one of the most versatile and dynamic has to be the butterfly guard. The butterfly guard has been a favorite of some legendary black belts and has proven its effectiveness in BJJ, submission wrestling and MMA. High percentage sweeps and submissions are available from the guard, […]

Rafael Lovato Jr is one of the best American champions to ever step on the mat and compete in Jiu Jitsu. Starting BJJ at the age of 13, he would soar through the ranks and become known as one of the toughest competitors, becoming quite well known when he was a brown belt. Working with […]

Every jiu jitsu gym has outliers when it comes to size and strength. I have seen places where most of the population weighs less than 170 pounds, and in those I was the outlier. I have seen places where most of the population was above 220 pounds. It is important to know how to roll […]

Attacking the turtle can be a difficult thing for those who are not familiar with the position. The opponent will seem tight, hard to attack and can usually roll away from any attack that does come his way. But if you know some proper ways of attacking the turtle, then it is no different than […]

Being able to pass the guard in Jiu Jitsu is absolutely necessary to become truly good within the art. Once you get to the guard, if you do not know how to properly pass, your game will get shut down and that is no good. To be good at guard passing, you have to have […]

Those who are new to the no gi sector of Jiu Jitsu tend to wear t-shirts on the mats. But t-shirts are not optimal for Jiu Jitsu training. Once they absorb sweat, they sag and training partners can get their fingers and toes stuck in the shirt and that causes injuries. I’ve seen it happen […]

One of my favorite half guard styles to play, whether it is gi or no gi is the deep half guard. The deep half guard is what I would call an advanced position. Meaning, you must learn how to play standard half guard before you can play in the deep half. It is a position […]

Luiz Panza is a name that you might not know. People who just casually follow the sport do not usually know this very talented black belt. But he is a competitor that will blow up soon. Panza is a black belt from the infamous Checkmat team. He is a master of the botinha, known in […]

As a Jiu Jitsu fighter that has fought in MMA, I’ve experienced firsthand how the game changes once you get locked in that cage where strikes are allowed. While being on your back in Jiu Jitsu can be a good thing, in MMA it is a little more tricky. Your guards effectiveness can go down […]

This past Saturday, Jiu Jitsu fans were treated to an excellent no gi black belt match between two of the best in the world, Danaher Death Squad competitor, Gordon Ryan and Andre Galvao black belt, Keenan Cornelius. Hosted by Grappling Industries in New York, the two highly decorated champions fought each other in a sub […]

The year of 2016 has been very good to Claudio Calasans thus far. The BJJ and Judo black belt has competed at some of the more illustrious tournaments in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world and done very well, showing the fans some incredible matches. This rising star is going nowhere but up! Here are Claudio’s […]

With submission wrestling, it is up to the wrestler to choose what gear to wear. In any session, you will see some wrestlers wearing shorts, while others wear spats. Some wear spats under shorts. What’s the right gear to wear? Both have their advantages and disadvantages to better serve certain style of players. It all […]

As the former champions of the world Jiu Jitsu scene start to step down and retire, there has been an influx of great Jiu Jitsu fighters competing in various tournaments around the country and the world. The World Championships, the Pan Am’s and submission only events such as EBI have been wonderful platforms to show […]

Bernardo Faria is one of the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors in the world. A constant force in some of the most prestigious competitions, Bernardo has proven that he has a heavily perfected game for Jiu Jitsu. Faria’s game can work for anyone, but can especially work for older grapplers. The concepts and positions that […]