I know I've been lucky, but most of my martial arts instructors have encouraged questions. For example, my BJJ coach, Marcus Soares, is known for his killer conditioning sessions ('warmups,' he calls them...). But right after putting his class through hell he always starts the technical part of class by asking, "Are there any questions." He then takes time to answer each and every question, … [Read more...]
The Answer is Out There!
Let's say that you want to add a new technique - any technique - to your game. With new techniques there's always a ton of trial and error, struggle and effort, discouragement and tough times before it starts working reliably for you. But here's the thing: no matter what area of jiu-jitsu or submission grappling you're working on, I guarantee you that there's someone out there who has … [Read more...]
24 Skills That’ll Save Your Butt on the Mat
It's easy to get sidetracked in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Whether it's the Worm Guard, the Berimbolo attack or some crazy submission, there's always the temptation to train the latest, greatest technique to the exclusion of all other moves. I'm actually OK with some degree of shiny object syndrome. … [Read more...]
The Subjectivity of Pain (and Why BJJ Beginners Feel Like Wimps)
When people start grappling they often feel like wimps. Warmups are difficult, it's hard to breath on the bottom, submissions are everywhere, your face gets smushed by your opponents, etc. At times this sport is just plain uncomfortable! … [Read more...]
Some Principles and Concepts for an Effective Closed Guard
Too often people forget about the bread-and-butter strategies that have been effective for decades and get seduced by the latest shiny technique. Maybe there's not a better example of something that has stood the test of time like the closed guard. The closed guard has been controlling and submitting opponents with the gi, in no gi submission grappling, in MMA and self defense for a very … [Read more...]
How to Train with Beginners so that Nobody Gets Hurt and You Both Get Better
The most dangerous situation in BJJ is training with an absolute novice. I'm serious! Someone who has never trained before is often unpredictable, jerky, and just doesn't know the rules of the game yet. All that thrashing around, lack of control, as well as potential ego issues means that there's a pretty high likelihood of something going wrong. Either that dude planting an elbow in your … [Read more...]
Five Great Followups to a Failed Triangle Choke
The Triangle Choke is definitely another one of those Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu signature moves. It's a super-powerful submission and it is responsible for ending a LOT of BJJ, MMA and submission grappling matches. But the sad fact is that no submission works for everyone, or on every opponent all the time... For example, sometimes your legs can be too short to apply an effective triangle … [Read more...]
The Easiest Way to Teach (and Learn) the Armbar from Guard
The armbar from guard is one of those bread-and-butter techniques in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A signature move, if you will. Unfortunately it can also be difficult for some people execute the mechanics of the armbar from the guard correctly. It's easy to get confused with all that gripping, shifting, adjusting and swivelling, and then completely botch the whole technique. But I've found a way to … [Read more...]
A Closed Guard Pass Direct From Brazil
I’m in the middle of trying something new at Grapplearts.com… The lion’s share of the BJJ videos in the article and technique section of this site have been produced by yours truly (Stephan Kesting). But recently one of my very first BJJ training partners also wanted to contribute some cool footage to the video vault. … [Read more...]
The Biggest Gi Choke Mistake (And How to Fix It)
How a single 'quick fix' can triple the power of your gi choke attacks Gi chokes are a fundamental and effective strategy in BJJ. Maybe the two best known gi choke are the cross collar choke from guard and the cross collar choke from mount. We'll explore that choke in more detail below, but rest assured that it has been used to submit world class competitors at the highest levels of … [Read more...]
The Best Way to Tie Your Belt
It's funny: in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu both people start a match looking so neat and tidy in their designer gi's. But less than a minute later it's usually a complete yard-sale: the lapels have come undone, the gi is pulled over someone's head, and the loose belt is wrapped around someone's ankles. Well, here's a 4 minute breakdown on how to tie your BJJ or Judo belt so it stays in place and hardly … [Read more...]
New to Jiu Jitsu? You’ll need a lot of this…
The following guest post is written by Laurie Berenson. She comes to BJJ from a background of training in Muay Thai. I really like her attitude so I invited her to put pen to paper and share her perspective with us. She is currently studying under black belts William Stevens and Casey Van Brookhoven at Stevens Martial Arts in New Jersey, USA. When Stephan Kesting asked if I’d consider … [Read more...]
What Do White Belts Need to Learn in Their 1st Year of BJJ?
by guest author Mark Mullen I'm currently in Rio de Janeiro doing a little training in BJJ. While here I have met a number of white belts at the Connection Rio BJJ hostel. Sitting around the pool or over acai after training, inevitably the topic of conversation turns to BJJ and the struggles of the white belts trying to find their way in the art suave. … [Read more...]
Question: My Mind Goes Blank During Sparring…
------------------------------ QUESTION ------------------------------ Hi Stephan, First of all, I want to thank you for creating your instructional apps and having these frequent tips/newsletters. They have really helped me to get started in BJJ. Even though I have been signed up to receive your emails for a while now I have only just begun my training. … [Read more...]
A Easy Way to Stay Out of Trouble in the Guard
Posture, posture, posture... Everyone talks about posture as THE solution to staying out of trouble in the guard. Every guard pass ever taught starts out with, "First, make posture in the guard." But the trouble is that your opponent knows this too. If you're in his closed guard, and if posture is good for you, then posture is bad for him. So guess what? He'll work like crazy to disrupt, destroy, … [Read more...]
How to Maintain Rear Mount, Improve Guillotines, and Thwart ‘Combatives’ Experts
Rear mount seems like such a simple position: I mean, you're basically just piggybacking on your opponent, right? Well, success in jiu-jitsu usually means doing simple, fundamental things with a high degree of sophistication and attention to detail. And rear mount is no different - switch your grip by a couple of inches, have your hand open instead of closed, do the wrong thing for even a … [Read more...]
Tap Out Less Often! The ‘Submission Defense’ App for Android…
After a ton of planning and working with video editors and Android app programers, I'm thrilled to announce that Submission Defense - the latest Grapplearts app for the Android platform - is finally ready!! This app was designed with one single-minded purpose: to help you tap out much less often. This app takes you through my very favorite escapes for many of the most common and most … [Read more...]
How to Counter the Stupidest Closed Guard Break Ever – The Elbow Grind on the Inner Thighs
Grinding away on your inner thighs is the favourite (and often only) closed guard breaking strategy of meathead grapplers everywhere. I don't know who originally came up with this bush league, Dim Mak wanna be, pressure point bull**** strategy, but for some reason you run into 'grinders' at almost every club. Like most pain compliance techniques the elbow grind is something that works … [Read more...]
What is the Spider Guard?
What is the Spider Guard? The Spider Guard is a form of Open Guard where you grip your opponent's wrists or sleeves and have at least one foot controlling at least one of his arms. Typically the sole of your foot will be placed against his biceps, or your leg will spiral around his elbow with your toes hiding underneath his upper arm. Your other leg can go on his hip, hook behind his knee, … [Read more...]
What is the X Guard?
Depending on how you look at it, the X Guard can be be classified as either a form of Open Guard or a form of Half Guard. Maybe that's why the BOTH those positions transition so well into the X Guard. But how about an alternative perspective... I sometimes say that the X Guard isn't a type of guard at all. That's because once you get here you've already done about 80% of the hard work and … [Read more...]