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Tips
for your Grappling Game NEW TIPS ALL THE TIME!!
Too short
to be articles, too important to ignore. Read our grappling tips, updated
weekly.
Ryan Hall Speaks Out NEW November 2011!!
Noted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, über-competitor and teacher Ryan Hall talks about training, technique and competition
Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Sixty Years of Age NEW July 2011!!
Guest author Ormond Morford tells his story about starting BJJ at sixty (plus gives some advice applicable to young whelps too)!
How to Survive Training Layoffs NEW July 2011!!
What happens to your game when life gets so busy you can't train. And some very specific advice on what to do about it!
Judo for BJJ
Daniel McCormick, US National Judo Champion and BJJ student talks throws, training and the Olympics!
A Woman's Journey to Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Emily Kwok talks about her journey in BJJ (including lots of great training tips for female and/or smaller grapplers)
John Hackleman on How to Train MMA
Chuck Liddell's main MMA trainer answers reader's questions about training and conditioning for MMA
How Marcelo Garcia Destroyed My Turtle and Choked Me Out (VIDEO LINKS)
I wanted to decipher Marcelo Garcia's rear mount and crucifix attacks against the turtle position. So I went to NYC and let him choke me out repeatedly. Find out exactly what happened in this article with video links
Four Reasons You Might Be Getting Tired in BJJ
Cardio is great, but why do you often see someone with crappy cardio and good technique run a highly conditioned fighter into the ground? Find out how to do exactly that in this great guest-authored article.
How Self-Imposed Challenges (including Martial Arts) Make you a Better Person \
Get Up, Stand Up
How to get back to your feet in an MMA fight or a street self-defense sitaution
How to get more Women in to Grappling
Another article by Krista Scott-Dixon on how grappling schools can attract more women
Tips for Female Grapplers
Krista Scott-Dixon shares her best techniques, tips and strategies for dealing with (and defeating) larger opponents!
BJJ Training in Brazil
A guest author shares his experience training BJJ at the legendary Carlson Gracie Academy in Rio
Inside de la Riva's Guard
A feature on BJJ legend Ricardo de la Riva, as well as five fundamental attacks from the de la Riva guard.
From Fluke To Trusted Technique: the 'Logsplitter' Attack
The story of how I accidentally stumbled upon a technique that then became one of my favorite moves
Video Tips for BJJ Newbies
Readers share their best BJJ tips on video!
Michael Jen Interview
BJJ black belt Michael Jen on BJJ, training methods and avoiding injuries.
Unorthodox BJJ Positions
The inside scoop on three specific positions from other arts that can be used in BJJ to tap your opponents out!
Secrets of Using BJJ in MMA
Ricardo Liborio, head coach of American Top Team, answers questions from the Grapplearts Readership on modifying BJJ to work in the cage.
18 Tips for BJJ and Grappling Competition
Tips To Help You In BJJ & Submission Grappling Competition (and Why Competitions Are a Good Idea), by Jason Scully
The Unpassable Guard
Stephan Kesting and the Grapplearts Readership collaborate to bring you tips, tricks, techniques and concepts to stop your opponent from passing your guard.
Ancient Vale Tudo
Maybe you've heard of Catch Wrestling from England, or Pankration from Greece, but have you heard of Vajramushti from India?
An Introduction to the Deep Half Guard
This style of Half Guard is showing up more and more in advanced BJJ and submission grappling competition...
The Way to Train - Jiu-jitsu Idealism
Tal Williams shares the 3 secrets of making progress in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Balancing Mat Time with Conditioning
Some tips on how to divide your training time into mat time and conditioning time.
How to Become a Great Training Partner
Jason Scully talks about how to become that guy that everyone wants to train with
A Glossary of the Closed Guard
A Glossary of the Open Guard
A Glossary of the Half Guard
Descriptions and names of the most common and effective guard position variations. Co-written with Elliott Bayev and originally published in abbreviated form as a trilogy of articles in Ultimate Grappling Magazine.
Cauliflower Ears in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Information about preventing, curing and draining cauliflower ears that can result from training on the ground
17 Tips for an Active Half Guard
Jason Scully shares some ways to turbocharge your half guard game
Train Hard, Recover Smarter
Two simple things you can do to cut your workout recovery time in half
No Gi Guard Passing
Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell, authors of "Passing the Guard", share some strategies for passing the guard in MMA and self defence situations (PDF format)
Confidence in Grappling
Jason Scully talks about the importance of just going for it technique-wise
Keeping the Will to Fight
Some common ways your fighting spirit gets crushed and what to do about it
16 Tips For Your Closed Guard
Jason Scully shares some important concepts and 'secrets' to make your closed guard a strong offensive weapon
Grappling With Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is quite a common anxiety disorder, and it affects far more grapplers and BJJ practitioners than you might expect. Find out what to do if you feel anxiety when you are on the bottom.
Why Women Should Grapple
The Grapplearts readership speaks out about why grappling is relevant to women too.
A Girl's Guide to Grappling
Martial art instructor and MMA competitor Liz Posener explains what a woman should know before she steps on the mat for the first time.
Chris Brennan's Ten Finger Guillotine
The 'Ten Finger' guillotine is the Loch Ness monster of grappling: find out how to apply it properly from three different positions
Conditioning for the BJJ Fighter
A bodyweight conditioning routine designed for the BJJ Fighter. Originally published in Grappling Magazine.
How to Cut Weight
Martin Rooney, conditioning coach for Renzo Gracie's fighters, explains how to cut weight safely
A Guide to Grappling Gear
An overview of gear that might make your time on the mats safer, more enjoyable and more productive.
Rhadi Ferguson Interview
Find out how an Olympian trains, and how he made the transition to submission grappling
Grappling Breakthroughs
Grapplearts.com readers share some of the revalations that propelled them to new levels of skill on the mat
The Myth of Relaxation
Andreh Anderson discusses how it is possible to be too relaxed while training jiu-jitsu
Passing the Guard in MMA
Denis Kang takes you through adapting Brazilian jiu-jitsu guard passes to work in the wild and slippery world of mixed martial arts (originally published in Grappling Magazine, October 2005)
Mark Laimon, the Bad Boy of BJJ
Mark Laimon talks about his jiu-jitsu, coaching on The Ultimate Fighter, his match with Ryron Gracie and how he continues to develop as a fighter (Originally published in Grappling Magazine)
Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
What to expect in your first BJJ class - by Matt Kirtley of Tampa BJJ
Gracie Magazine's Jiu-Jitsu
Manual
20 great tips to accelerate your Jiu-jitsu game to a new level (By Raphael
Nogueira and Marcelo Dunlop, originally published in Gracie Magazine)
Kneebar Mastery: Fixing the Most
Common Mistakes
Having difficulty suceeding with the kneebar? This article takes a look
at the most common mistakes and how to fix them (originally published
in Grappling Magazine).
Breaking Down the Ankle Lock
An analysis of the different components required to develop
killer footlocks. Originally
published in Grappling
Magazine (August 2005)
Accelerate your path to
a BJJ Black Belt
Advice to bring that elusive BJJ black belt a little bit
more within reach. By Eddie Edmunds of Fusion BJJ.
Shaolin's Jiu-jitsu Drills
Renowned jiu-jitsu and MMA fighter Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro
shows four of his favorite drills to develop speed, coordination and endurance.
Originally published in Grappling
Magazine (July 2005).
Marcio Feitosa Talks Teams, Training
and Techniques
Marcio Feitosa is the head instructor Gracie Barra. In
this interview he discusses his ideas on training methods, old vs new
jiu-jitsu, and the importance of loyalty.
Originally
published in Black Belt (July 2004).
Submission Grappling
Vs. Classical Jujutsu
There
are both similarities and profound differences between these martial arts.
This article examines the techniques, strategies and training methods
of both arts. Originally published in Black Belt (May 2005).
Combat Grip
The
killer grip and how to get it, by Rick Walker of Dieselcrew
Getting
Big And Strong On A Vegan Diet
Mike Mahler discusses the ABC's of a strict vegetarian
diet for strength and combat athletes.
The
Care and Treatment of Ringworm
Ringworm is a fungal infection that grapplers are particularly
prone to. Learn how to prevent and treat this itchy, irritating and unsightly
condition.
After the Takedown, Now What?
Brad Parker takes you through basic BJJ strategy on the ground
10 BJJ Moves Every Cop Should Know
Brad Parker discusses the relevance of BJJ for law enforcement
Kettlebell Training for
MMA
Mike Mahler presents an alternate perspective on functional strength
training for MMA
Yoga for Grappling
My thoughts on why and how yoga can help your grappling.
Beginning Grappling
What you need to know if you are starting to grapple.
An article by Nathan Leverton of totalgrappling.com
ACL
Injury FAQ
A comprehensive guide to ACL injury and treatment for grapplers by 'the
Stewed Owl'
Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro
on Top of the BJJ World
A BJJ, submission
grappling and NHB star talks about his training, his goals and his nickname.
Originally published in Black Belt (August 2004).
Action vs. Reaction in
Grappling (or why Yogi Berra was right)
Thoughts by guest author Jeff 'Wombat' Meszaros on whether it
is better to anticipate or to initiate in sparring.
Butterfly Guard and X Guard
Q & A
Suggestions and ideas to deal with common problems encountered in these
positions
The
'X Guard'
The 'X guard
is a position that I've been using a lot recently. It is either a form
of the open guard or the half guard, depending on your point of view...
Rickson
Gracie - Exploring Genius
Eddie Edmunds
analyzes what makes Rickson Gracie great.
Mixed
Martial Arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately Illegal?
Don Walter's
paper on the history of MMA and the legal controversies surrounding it
in the USA.
The
'Basic' Butterfly Guard Sweep
The 'basic' butterfly guard sweep is anything but basic. It is an extremely
powerful and sophisticated attack that is difficult for your opponent
to resist. Here we show you two important variations of this sweep.
Sensory
Learning Styles - Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic Learning
Discover what your learning style is and how you best absorb information.
An article by Charles Smith (whitebelt.org)
When
Training Partners are Hard to Find...
Almost everyone finds themselves without access to training partners once
in a while. Here is how I've managed to keep my grappling skills alive
when I've found myself without a regular school or training partners.
Sport
Specific Training for MMA
A great article by Ryan Pratt from the Harris academy on why training
for MMA requires a whole new strategy.
Kneebar
Q & A
Answers to some common problems with the kneebar leg lock.
The
MMA Formula: Striking + Takedowns + Groundwork
In modern
MMA competition striking complements grappling, and grappling complements
striking.
The
Mind of a Champion: What Grapplears can learn from Sports Superstars:
What
do Rickson Gracie, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan have in common? It
may be a question of perception..
Jiu-Jitsu
Cross Training for NHB: A Denis Kang Profile
A rising
NHB star discusses the need for cross training for success in NHB competition.
Originally published in Grappling magazine.
Basic
Weight Lifting for Martial Arts and Grappling
What I wish
someone had told me when I started lifting weights in order to improve
my martial arts ability.
Perfect
Peaking Part 2: Tapering and Peaking for MMA and BJJ competition
How to ensure that you are ready to give 110% on competition
day! Originally published in Ultimate Athlete Magazine
Perfect
Peaking Part 1: Overtraining in Mixed Martial Arts
How to recognize and prevent overtraining, one of the
most insidious dangers of intense training. Originally published in Ultimate
Athlete Magazine
Yoga
for Jiu-jitsu: A Personal Challenge
A well-written article by Rolando Garcia, a student of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
under Royler Gracie and a Yoga practitioner
Revolutionary
Omo Plata
The history
and principles of this cutting edge submission, illustrated with techniques.
Originally published in Grappling Magazine
Making
Weight
The
Effects of Dehydration on Physiological Functioning, an article by researcher,
and Judo/Ju-jitsu champion Dave Coles
Marcus
Soares Interview
A
revealing interview with a 6th degree black belt instructor from the Carlson
Gracie Team. Originally published in Grappling Magazine, August
2001.
"Cardio"
for the Martial Arts
Cardiovascular
training can be a confusing topic and there are many different and divergent
views on the subject. Here are the basics of what you need to know.
The
Kimura
A
detailed description of the technique and history behind this fight-finishing
submission hold. Originally published in Grappling Magazine, May
2002.
All materials & images Copyright 2002 to 2011, Stephan Kesting
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