Tag Archives: Self Defense
20,000 lbs of snow and the true meaning of self defense...
This is a rather rambling post; in the words of Mark Twain, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”
First, and most importantly, I really hope that you had a great Christmas (or alternate celebration of your choice). And that you got to spend time with friends, family and loved ones.
Next, congratulations on surviving the Mayan Calendar Apocalypse! (more…)
Draculino talks about the Evolution of BJJ (Interview)
Recently 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…)
BJJ Self Defense: After the Takedown, Now What?
An Article by Brad Parker
Brad Parker runs Defend University (www.defendu.com), a research and development group dedicated to the exploration of leading edge techniques and strategies for self-defense, security and defensive tactics. (more…)
Why Should Women Grapple?
Most Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling students are male, and in most grappling schools females are the exception, not the rule. My foundation in the martial arts was self-defense oriented, not competition oriented. (more…)
Get Up, Stand Up!
Why getting off the ground is a critical skills in grappling!
(originally published in Black Belt Magazine)
When mixed martial arts competition exploded in North America, martial artists quickly learned that most fights end up on the ground. And for years the prevailing wisdom was that groundfighting was inevitable, and if a fight went to the ground it would most likely stay there. (more…)
The 3 Most Common First-Time Competition Errors
I was recently asked “what are the most common mistakes that first-time competitors make?”
BJJ tournaments in general, and ESPECIALLY your first competition, are likely to be a little bit chaotic. (more…)
Tony Blauer on Fitness, Fear Management, and Combat Psychology
I just interviewed Tony Blauer. He’s the head of Blauer Tactical Systems which specializes in close quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military and professional self-defense instructors. (more…)
A Woman's Jiu-Jitsu Journey from White Belt to Black Belt
In this feature interview I talk with Emily Kwok who is a very smart, very talented jiu-jitsu practitioner.
She’s been involved in the woman’s competition circuit for a long time, having competed both with and without the gi, and in MMA overseas. (more…)
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…)
How To Escape the Headlock and Kesa-Gatame
The common headlock is often overlooked in BJJ – it’s just not considered to be a very technical pinning position.
But not training your headlock escapes is a HUGE mistake! (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…)
Is Grappling Still Relevant to Self Defense?
I’ve been wanting to get something off my chest, so I just put a new video up onto the Grapplearts Facebook page. In it I break down:
- why we’re seeing more knockouts and less submissions in modern MMA (more…)
Once you get good at Brazilian jiu-jitsu the ground will be your happy place. Rolling around and hunting for submissions will feel as natural as walking!
But there’s a time and a place for everything… (more…)
How to Stand Up From Guard And Get Back to Your Feet
Originally published by Stephan Kesting in Ultimate Grappling Magazine
Marc Laimon is one of the foremost grappling coaches for mixed martial arts fighters. Not only was he a coach for the hit Spike TV show “The Ultimate Fighter,” (more…)
The Two WORST Martial Arts Techniques of All Time!
Disclaimer: I’ve trained with some great teachers, getting tons of top-notch information from them. But my teachers are NOT AT ALL RESPONSIBLE for today’s video!
You see, I’ve just posted a video about the two absolute WORST techniques that I’ve ever seen in almost 30 years of martial arts training! (more…)
BJJ & Submission Grappling Competition: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know!
“Everything you ever wanted to know about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competition but were afraid to ask!”
That’s a strong statement, but it’s almost even true. In my latest podcast I talk extensively with David Meyer, author of Training for Competition: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Submission Grappling. (more…)
Combining the Thai Clinch With The Double Leg Takedown
Today’s goodie is a report written by my online friend John Will, discussing how to combine the deadly Muay Thai clinch position with the double leg takedown (arguably the highest percentage takedown in MMA). (more…)
Gi? No-Gi? Self Defense? MMA? No Problem!
There’s a long-standing debate in the grappling community whether training with the gi helps your no-gi skills.
My personal preference is to train both with and without the gi. (more…)
Getting Back to Your Feet From Guard
In the early days of MMA fighters who took someone down tried to keep the fight there. They’d stay on the ground even if they couldn’t pass their opponent’s guard or mount an effective ground-and-pound offense. (more…)
Here’s how the book Ninja, Clan of Death got me started on my martial arts journey. And how a crayon-written black mail note failed to get me into Judo class. And which teachers have been my biggest influences. And how I finally transitioned into the grappling arts. (more…)
On Keeping the Top Position
This is an excerpt on one of the most important sections from my book ” A Roadmap for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu” (more…)
An anonymous person contacted me recently and shared a story of how a female friend had used a few months of BJJ training to escape from an assault and/or attempted rape situation.
Grappling for Self Defense
It’s very easy to forget all about the self-defense aspects of what you are doing when you train grappling. There’s so much material to work on, and it’s so much fun to train, that self-defense considerations can get overlooked. (more…)
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