Tag Archives: Guard Passes
Standing guard pass to reverse omoplata
Thanks to Matt Kirtley for submitting this technique. For more information, or to contact Matt, please visit Gracie Barra Clearwater - Stephan Kesting.
This and the other reverse omo plata setups work well with normal guard passes because common defences often help you get them (more…)
Straight From Brazil: A BJJ Half Guard Sweep Using A Belt Grip
This technique is being demonstrated by Oscar Daniotti, a BJJ black belt under Ricardo de la Riva in Brazil. He is the chief editor Faixa Preta Digital, an online BJJ magazine available in both English and Portuguese. (more…)
Straight From Brazil: A Deep Half Guard Sweep
This technique is being demonstrated by Oscar Daniotti, a BJJ black belt under Ricardo de la Riva in Brazil. He is the chief editor Faixa Preta Digital, an online BJJ magazine available in both English and Portugese. (more…)
The X Guard Position
The ‘X guard’ is a position that I’ve been using a lot recently. Depending on your point of view, it’s either a form of the open guard or the half guard, but whatever you call it, it’s effective as hell! You end up in X Guard a lot when you use the Butterfly Guard, especially when your opponent posts his foot to stop your sweeps. (more…)
The Three Most Common Butterfly Guard Mistakes
When most people start using the Butterfly Guard in BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and/or submission grappling, they make one or all of these three following mistakes. (more…)
The half guard can be a powerful attacking position so long as you stay on your side and maintain your mobility.
However if your opponent gets his grips, flattens you out and drives all his weight onto you it really sucks. (more…)
Double Threat Attacks from the Bottom Position
In grappling, sometimes a submission can be more than just a submission.
Let me explain…
There is no shortage of different submission attacks from the bottom position. (more…)
Pulling Guard in MMA
Q: Hello Stephan,
I’m a big fan of your website – I’ve been following it since 2009. I compete in BJJ and No-Gi submission wrestling.
I’ve also been training MMA with hopes of having my first amateur fight within the year. (more…)
How to Defeat the Bigger Stronger Opponent NOW AVAILABLE
It’s here! The How to Defeat the Bigger, Stronger Opponent DVD set is in stock, and ready to ship right now.
Emily Kwok and I have been crafting this 5 DVD set for a long time, and it’s one of the best instructional sets I have ever seen. (more…)
How To Stop Someone From Passing Your Guard
A reader writes: Hi Stephan,
Thank you for the newsletters! I started training BJJ and MMA about 5 months ago – it’s been life changing for me. (more…)
The Cheapest Grappling Mat
I’ve trained on a lot of different types of mat in my day: wrestling mats, foam core mats, puzzle mats, and rock hard old school Judo straw tatami, just to name a few. (more…)
How Many Guard Passes Do You Need in BJJ?
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-style audio in the video below (it was shot at the last minute) then Vitor Shaolin’s answer might surprise you… (more…)
When the Closed Guard Fails...
A reader writes:
Q: Hi Stephan,
I recently received and read your email with the video link about the closed guard in the Beginning BJJ newsletter.
However my instructor is quite thick and muscular, (more…)
Fancy Yet Effective: The 'Shaolin' Half Guard Sweep
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… (more…)
How Marcelo Garcia Defeats Larger, Stronger Opponents
There’s nothing quite like watching a smaller, lighter, weaker person use their technique to defeat a bigger, heavier, stronger opponent.
And when it comes to tapping out bigger, stronger, heavier opponents there’s nobody quite like Marcelo Garcia. (more…)
I shot a new video about a concept that makes it so much harder for someone to pass your guard. Figuring this one out was was a major “aha!” moment for me.
And it works in the closed guard AND the open guard, both with the gi AND without the gi.
How to Defend Strikes on the Ground
You’re walking down the street, someone bumps you, words are exchanged, you get pushed to the ground, and now some big gorilla is trying to knock your teeth down your throat. No matter how focused you are on the sportive aspects of grappling you’ve still GOTTA know how to defend strikes on the ground!!! (more…)
An MMA Mount Escape and a New-To-Me Sweep
The last time I hung out with Denis Kang we shot a series of short videos on MMA techniques.
It’s rare to get an MMA fighter who wants to show you all his best techniques, but Denis is an awesome teacher as well as a great fighter. (more…)
Detailed, Advanced Omoplata
In the past few years I’ve made some big changes to my omoplata armlock attacks. The omoplata has always been one of my bread and butter moves, but these racent changes have doubled my success rate, especially when going against bigger and/or skilled opponents. (more…)
Robot Legs Drill (video)
Today I want to show you a fun and effective way to improve your guard passes that I call the ‘robot legs’ drill. (more…)
Passing the Guard with the 'Twitch Pass'
Let me share the ‘Twitch Guard Pass’ with you today – it’s one of my highest percentage, bread and butter, go-to moves, so I’m sure you’ll like it!
How To Sweep A Larger Opponent
I’ve recently featured a fair bit of content from various guest authors. And that’s a good thing, because different perspectives are critical to your improvement; after all, no single person can show you everything you need to know about grappling. (more…)
Countering the Double Leg with a Sitout & Switch
I respect most grappling arts, not just BJJ. Freestyle and collegiate wrestling, in particular, have a lot to offer to submission grapplers and BJJ practitioners. Obviously we can get a lot of good throws and takedowns from wrestling, but we can also ‘steal’ some very powerful moves on the ground as well. (more…)
I Only Got Tapped Out Twice!!
A few weeks ago I went to a training session with the goal of working on and experimenting with the so-called “Sao Paulo Guard Pass.” My plan for sparring this day was to start in my partner’s closed guard, and then only use this one guard pass. (more…)
A Video Tutorial on the X Guard
The X Guard is a really powerful open guard position that creates a whole world of trouble for your opponents. Here’s an excerpt from my DVD “13 Techniques You Can Use On The Mat Today” which takes you through the most important points of the X Guard… (more…)
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