Tag Archives: History
Draculino talks about the Evolution of BJJ (Interview)
by Stephan KestingRecently I managed to catch up with Vinicius ‘Draculino’ Magalhães and pick his brain about the ongoing evolution of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
Draculino started training in Rio in the 1980′s, back in the days when many of the big names in BJJ were just young kids with blue and purple belts around their waists. (more…)
The Sakuraba-Style Standing Kimura
by Stephan KestingThe first time someone showed me the standing Kimura attack I was pretty skeptical…
I was like, “yeah, that would never work, not in a million years!” (more…)
Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-jutsu; when cultures and concepts collide
by Stephan KestingIntroduction
There are many similarities between the sport of Submission Grappling and the classical Japanese Ju-jutsu systems. Both arts emphasize grappling over striking. Both arts recognize the importance and efficiency of ground-fighting. (more…)
The Ancient Vale Tudo of India: Vajramushti
by Stephan Kestingby John Will
Prior to his training in Brazil in the late 80’s, author and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt, John Will, travelled to and trained in some of the most exotic places in Asia and the sub-continent.
The Evolution of the 'Logsplitter' from Fluke to Trusted BJJ Technique
by Stephan KestingToday I want to tell you a story about how I stumbled across a technique by fluke at a tournament, and how it became one of my bread and butter moves from Butterly Guard, X Guard and Half Guard. (more…)
The de la Riva Guard
by Stephan KestingBy Don Whitefield and Stephan Kesting
We asked BJJ legend Ricardo de la Riva to show us the Five Most Imporant Techniques from the ‘de la Riva Guard! Here’s what he showed us, and we’ll go through each one of them! (more…)
Top Article Number Seven: One of my Favorites!
by Stephan KestingKnowing what your roots are may not translate to kicking butt more effectively on the mats right away, but it’s still important!
Submission grappling is basically a fusion of wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu… (more…)
The Heyday of Carlson Gracie in Rio (podcast)
by Stephan KestingThe Carlson Gracie Team in Brazil was one of the original powerhouses of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I recently had the opportunity to interview 7th degree Carlson Gracie black belt Marcus Soares, and he took me to Rio in the 70′s and 80′s on a narrated stroll through BJJ history. (more…)
Erik Paulson; an MMA Master Coach Shares His Secrets
by Stephan KestingErik Paulson is an MMA Master Coach. He’s trained tons of fighters competing at the highest levels of Mixed Martial Arts. And he held the Shooto light-heavyweight title in Japan for 5 years.
He’s also my friend and a mentor. (more…)
I’ve received lots of email recently, so today I thought I’d dip into the mailbag and share a few emails. I’ve also quickly jotted down some quick comments, and some links to a few relevant articles. (more…)
Submission Grappling Choke
by Stephan KestingHere is a modern way of applying the Rear Naked Choke, which had it’s origins in Classical Japanese Ju-Jutsu.
(This technique is from the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com) (more…)
Submission Grappling Armlock
by Stephan KestingThis armlock has been part of the Japanese Ju-Jutsu arsenal for hundreds of years; here’s how it’s applied in a modern-day submission grappling context…
(This technique is from the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com)
Classical Ju-jutsu Leglock
by Stephan KestingClassical Japanese Ju-Jutsu included leglocks as well as armlocks and chokes. The details of how the technique were applied were a little different however…
(This technique is from the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com)
(more…)
Submission Grappling Leglock
by Stephan KestingLeglocks have been around for a long time, but modern grapplers use them in slightly different contexts than classical grapplers. Here’s how a submission grappler might link a takedown and a match-ending ankle-lock…
(This technique is from the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com)
(more…)
Classical Ju-jutsu Choke
by Stephan KestingMost of the techniques used in modern grappling were used in some other form in some other grappling art first. Here’s how the Rear Naked Choke might have looked back in the day…
(This technique is from the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com)
Classical Ju-jutsu Armlock
by Stephan KestingHere’s one classical approach to applying the armlock that has morphed into the ‘Americana’ or Figure 4 Armlock in modern submission grappling). As you can see, it’s similar but different…
(This technique is part of the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com)
Old Time Grapplin'
by Stephan KestingI’m a big fan of old Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and Catch Wrestling books. I have lots and lots of martial arts books, but some of the real jewels of my library are the Judo and wrestling books published in the 1920′s to the 1960′s. (more…)
One of the tenets of JKD is that one should keep an open mind with regard to other styles. After all, “absorb what is useful, reject what is useless” is a classic Bruce Lee quote.
In general, I find that most BJJ practitioners are relatively open minded when it comes to learning from other styles. (more…)
Condolences
by Stephan KestingOn January 29th, 2009, Helio Gracie passed away at the age of 95. Without him and his sons this sport would not be where it is today.
By: Donald F. Walter, Jr.
12/8/03
Part 2: An Overview of the Conflict between the States’ Police Power and Personal Liberties
Mixed Martial Arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately Illegal? Part 1 of 3.
by Stephan KestingBy guest author Donald F. Walter, Jr.
Published 12/8/03
Part 1: A Brief History of MMA
(more…)
Last week I discussed some of the connections between traditional Japanese Ju-jutsu and modern submission grappling. These connections shouldn’t be too surprising, given the direct lineage from one to the other. (more…)
From Traditional Ju-jutsu to Modern Grappling
by Stephan KestingBrazilian jiu-jitsu, submission grappling and mixed martial arts are relatively new phenomena, but they are rooted in martial traditions hundreds, and even thousands of years old. Although I choose to train and compete in a modern setting I still believe that there is value in examining the origins of one’s art. (more…)
Search Our Articles
Free BJJ Book !

To receive this free report and receive the Grappling Tips Newsletter enter your email below
Categories
- Articles (508)
- Competition (49)
- Conditioning (59)
- Female Grapplers (36)
- For Beginners (66)
- Health & Nutrition (85)
- Miscellaneous (138)
- Mixed Martial Arts (67)
- Self Defense (26)
- Training (200)
- Featured (19)
- Grappling Techniques (262)
- Instructional Videos (46)
- Interviews (29)
Recent Articles
- How to Counter the Stupidest Closed Guard Break Ever – The Elbow Grind on the Inner Thighs
- BJJ Lessons from a Sushi Master
- My Favorite One-Two Sweeping Combo from X Guard
- 6 steps for an effective Sleeve Choke
- Keenan Cornelius on Training, BJJ Competition, MMA Goals and More
- The 3 Fanciest Leglocks That Actually Work
