One week ago, the jiu jitsu community was treated to the 2016 world championship in which some new champions were crowned, some old champions came back.  It was a remarkable event that showcased the very best that jiu jitsu has to offer… In the men’s divisions: Bruno Malfacine brought home his sixth IBJJF World title […]

The act of rolling (or sparring in BJJ for you newbies) is one of the most important aspects of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It is one of the reasons why Jiu Jitsu works. Unlike most traditional arts (such as Aikido, TKD, ect) that focus on theories and doing techniques on compliant partners with no resistance, there […]

There is one man who has dominated the lightweight division in the grand stages of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition. That man is Lucas Lepri. Lepri is a dynamic grappler who has absolutely taken control of his weight division in the last five years. This champion shows no sign of slowing down. Keep on reading to […]

What’s the most important skill set to develop as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner?  What separates people who know moves from people who know how to execute them?  There is one simple yet extremely difficult notion that determines the quality of a jiujiteiro and that notion is timing. This is best developed through live rolling and […]

In the world of gi Jiu Jitsu, there is one guard that works for a variety of different situations. That guard happens to be guarda aranha, known in English as spider guard. The always applicable spider guard works as both an offensive and defensive guard, and also works as a sweeping or submitting guard. This […]

When people think of “Dirty tricks” in jiu jitsu, they are often referring to moves that are much easier than the effect they accomplish would imply. Moves that are simply beyond the pale of what we expect to actually have effect on an opponent. When people think of “dirty trick” moves, they often are thinking […]

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, just as in Judo, gi chokes are great ways of attacking an opponent. They provide a painful and effective way of choking opponent, using an opponent’s collar or lapel to cut off blood to the brain. Out of all the gi chokes, the first one I learned is still my favorite. […]

There is one takedown in grappling that everyone knows. In Judo, it is outright banned. In most BJJ tournaments, it is banned up until black belt/expert. And in Sambo, it is seen as a completely essential takedown. The takedown in discussion is the flying scissor takedown. While it is flashy in nature, it is also […]

When it comes to the modern elite of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world, the one man that you cannot ignore is Leandro Lo. Lo is a dominant force in some of the biggest tournaments in the world, including the Pan Am’s, Copa Podio, the Mundial’s and the World Championships. In addition to all the titles […]

Everyone who is into competition jiu jitsu knows that Bernardo Faria has taken his seat as the king of IBJJF competition, winning several absolute titles over the past few years and truly cementing himself as an all time great.  He is known for his pressure as well as his effective guard game, an all around menace […]

For the tutorial, I am going over the oft forgotten wrist lock. Wrist locks are passed over quite a bit for a couple of reasons. The first is the stigma that wrist locks don’t “work”, which comes from the impractical use of them from most TMA’s (traditional martial arts).  The second being that they are […]

Do not let the smile and the friendly demeanor fool you… If one were to do a poll throughout the jiu jitsu community about whom the all time pound for pound king of competition jiu jitsu is, chances are Marcelo Garcia would be in the rankings.  The humble, intelligent Alliance black belt has become one […]

When first starting BJJ, you could find yourself pulling guard a lot during rolling. It is completely understandable. Pulling guard takes less energy and puts yourself in an advantageous position with less chance of a counter. But…it is of the utmost importance to get good at handful of jiu jitsu takedowns so you can work […]

Leg locks are all the rage these days. While the heel hook gets most of the glory, the straight ankle lock tends to be forgotten or passed over for other leg locks. The straight ankle lock when done effectively is a strong, debilitating technique that can secure a victory in no time.

There is a whole new generation of Jiu Jitsu champs right here from the good ole US of A. One of those champs happens to be JT Torres, from Atos Academy in California. Known for his crowd pleasing and active style, JT has become a fan favorite over the years and has brought home many […]