How many guard passes do you think a four time world champion and an 18 year veteran of BJJ uses?
If you can put up with rough guerrilla-audio in the video below (it was shot at the last minute) then Vitor Shaolin’s answer might surprise you…
Archive for the ‘Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro’ Category
How Many Guard Passes Do You Need in BJJ?
Monday, June 13th, 2011Fancy Yet Effective: The ‘Shaolin’ Half Guard Sweep
Monday, May 2nd, 2011If you’re already semi-competent from the half guard position then the Shaolin Sweep might be something you want to add to your game.
Normally I advise against flashy techniques. Generally speaking it’s rock solid basics and non-fancy fundamentals that win sparring sessions, tournament matches and MMA fights.
But I have to make an exception for this technique…
First of all, the Shaolin Sweep really does work. It’s worked for Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro in the World Championships. It’s becoming more popular because it’s working for other grapplers both with and without the gi. And if you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll even admit that Denis Kang caught me with it in an MMA sparring session many years ago.
Secondly, when your opponent gives you the correct energy and you get the timing just right then the Shaolin Sweep feels effortless. Your opponent will float and spin above you, you’ll pop up on top, and he’ll be left wondering what the hell happened.
It’s a wonderful feeling!
Best Type of BJJ Guard for Beginners
Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro is a four time World BJJ Champion. In MMA he held the welterweight title in Japanese Shooto. And he has the Cage Rage lightweight championship belt proudly mounted on the wall.
So I’d say he’s got some pretty solid credentials…
On a recent trip to the Big Apple I crawled out of bed at 5:00 am. This was pretty brutal, especially because I was still partially on West Coast time, which meant that biologically I was getting up at 2 am.
Why was I getting up this early?
You see, before heading to the airport I wanted to take Shaolin’s 7:30 am BJJ class. So after showering, eating and packing I dragged my butt to class. But despite the early hour it was totally worth it!
First of all it was a great class. We worked some cool guard passes and guard pass counters, and the sparring was fun too.
And then after training Shaolin talked about what kind of guard a BJJ newbie should work on first. He also shared some very interesting drills, concepts and details that are important for ALL skill levels, from brand-new beginner to seasoned black belt.
This was super-cool stuff, and I thought it would be great material for you! I grabbed my video camera and started filming.
Here’s a unique 10:36 video in which this World Champion shares his approach to teaching the guard to beginners:
And while we’re on this topic, here’s a different article I published in Grappling Magazine a few years ago. It breaks down four killer drills Shaolin uses to get ready for competition
