The art of jiu-jitsu includes LOTS of techniques. There are so many different armlocks, chokes, leglocks, sweeps, guard passes, throws, transitions and escapes. So the question then becomes, what's the best way to learn these moves and to incorporate them into your game? Back when I started jiu-jitsu, there was a very standard class format: a long warmup, then you'd be shown two or three new … [Read more...]
Knee Mount Escape to Backside 50/50
If you can do the basic backward somersault, then I've got a pretty spectacular and highly effective kneemount escape for you. The Wu Tang escape takes you from the receiving end of eating pressure under a terrible position to one of the strongest positions in leglocking - the backside 50/50. Here's a detailed video about how to add this escape to your game, even if you're NOT … [Read more...]
What is Elbow-Knee Connection
One of the most important skills in jiu-jitsu is guard retention. Think of guard retention as a toolbox containing a whole bunch of tools to solve the problem of your opponent passing your guard. Of all the many guard retention tools in that toolbox possibly the most universally useful one is something known as 'elbow-knee connection. Most guard passes end in side control, and side … [Read more...]
Countering The Standing Kimura Armlock
The standing Kimura armlock is now an established and respected submission, but it wasn't always like this. In fact, when someone showed me this submission in the early 1990's I thought they were kidding and had run out of legitimate material to share. But then in 1999 and 2000, a Japanese pro-wrestler called Kazushi Sakuraba did something that many thought was impossible. In just over a … [Read more...]
How to Do the Rolling Backtake the Easiest Way
In this article, you'll get a step-by-step system that anyone can use for hitting your first rolling backtake. The mechanics, details, and steps are all here, so scroll down and check them out! How to Do the Rolling Backtake (Video) Here's a video I shot breaking down the three essential steps for doing your first rolling backtake. Watch the video below, practice the steps, hit it in … [Read more...]
Rolling Backtake from Mount
The back is the most dominant position in jiu-jitsu, with chokes from the back accounting for nearly half of all finishes at the black belt level in gi competition. Same for no gi competition. The Rear Naked Choke from the back has been the top submission at ADCC multiple years in a row, surpassing both the heel hook and the armbar in frequency. Given the effectiveness of being … [Read more...]
The Fastest Armbar Escape
One of the most powerful late-stage armbar defenses is the Hitchhiker escape. You see this escape being used all the time, typically by someone who is flat on their back and being attacked by an armbar that is almost completed. But how many times have you been attacked by the armbar from guard in your jiu-jitsu career? If you're like most people, I bet it's quite frequently, like every … [Read more...]
Step by Step D’Arce Choke vs the Half Guard
If someone has you in their half guard and they have a strong underhook you're in trouble; they're DEFINITELY thinking about taking your back, sweeping your, or setting up a submission like a triangle choke. A great weapon to shut all that nonsense down is the D'Arce Choke (also known as the no gi Brabo choke). This choke is an absolute staple of modern no gi grappling, and you have to know … [Read more...]
How to Attack the Half Guard with the Kimura Armlock
If you're caught in your opponent's half guard then you have to be careful not to get swept, submitted, or have your back taken. That being said, you have attack options on top too! Here's how to use the Kimura, an amazingly versatile submission, to pass the guard and tap out your opponent when you're in the top half guard position... Let's break this technique down step by … [Read more...]
Not a Fair Fight At All!
The 50/50 is a leglock entanglement and guard position that’s pretty unavoidable in modern jiu-jitsu. With the gi it’s a powerful sweeping and backtaking position, and in no gi matches it leads to a TON of leglock submissions. The 50/50 is a seemingly symmetrical position where, superficially at least, it looks like both people have the same set of options. People mistakenly think of it … [Read more...]
A Simple Hack to Double Your Guard Passing Percentage
Let’s do a quick mental experiment. Think about your favourite guard pass; your go-to passing technique you use when you want to pass the guard of a tough opponent. Visualise the steps one by one. Now tell me, did you a) Pass to your left and end up on your opponent’s right side, or b) Pass to your right and end up on your opponent’s left side? If you’re like 70% of people, you … [Read more...]
Rob Biernacki Double Gold!
Rob Biernacki has been on a tear recently. In 2023 he's competed 4 times. In April, he got a Silver at the ADCC Open... in March, he won Gold at Grappling Industries... in June, he won Gold at the Portland Open... and just a few days ago, he won Double Gold at Grappling Industries! That last victory is particularly impressive because one of those gold medals was in the Masters Open division. … [Read more...]
Taking the Back from Half Guard Using the Kimura Grip
Learning the swinging Kimura backtake is important for at least two reasons... First, it's a legitimate way of defending side control and taking the back that sets up lots of other upper and lower body attacks as well. Secondly, it teaches you that the Kimura is a giant handle you can use to move your opponent around as well as move yourself around your opponent. This is especially important … [Read more...]
The SOS Position, The Rosetta Stone of the Omoplata
The omoplata is a very deep position. There are so many different entries, transitions, defences, escapes, and recounters; it can get a little overwhelming. To bring sense to a scramble it helps to recognize intermediary positions. Positions that repeatedly and reliably occur, often fleetingly, as people engage in what appears to be a chaotic series of transitions. For the omoplata one of … [Read more...]
A Quickstart Guide to the Omoplata in Jiu-Jitsu
This step-by-step guide is designed for you to quickly incorporate the omoplata into your game and build a solid foundation for more advanced omoplata techniques. The omoplata is an incredibly versatile technique in jiu-jitsu that serves as a submission, a sweep, and a setup for other sweeps and submissions. Fundamentally it uses your legs to force your opponent's arm behind his back into a … [Read more...]
How to Do the Shotgun Ankle Lock
Rob Biernacki wanted to show me something. It was an ankle lock variation that he'd recently successfully used to win a match at the ADCC Open. Now I've seen a lot of ankle locks in my day. I've even done highly specific training of the muscles on the front of my shin in order to better resist getting ankle locked. But NOTHING could prepare me for this. He applied the footlock, and … [Read more...]
BJJ Trigger Positions
A trigger position is an alignment of your body and your opponent’s body that immediately invites a specific technique, be it a sweep, submission or guard pass.. Once you're there, all you need to do is pull the metaphorical trigger and - BOOM - you're deep into the attack. This concept makes it easy for you to know when it's time to attack in jiu-jitsu. Knowing the Trigger Position for a … [Read more...]
How To Do The ‘Imanari Roll’
The Imanari roll is absolutely one of the coolest submission attacks out there. It's unorthodox, it's fancy, but unlike many other flashy moves it's it's also quite high percentage. If you do it correctly you get straight into the 411 leglock position, which is the most powerful leglocking position we have. So there's definitely a huge upside if you land it. This move has been used … [Read more...]
Three Critical Control Points You Must Have to Apply a Good Leglock
It's a terrible thing to do all that work to get into a good leglock position only to have your opponent find enough space to slip out and escape. Or worse, have him laugh at your submission attempt because it's not tight enough to cause him any concern. The key to a good leglock is having 3 points of control, namely, The three ingredients of every good leglock are Control of the hip, … [Read more...]
Wristlocks in BJJ; What Makes Them Work?
Wristlocks are submissions that bend the wrist by bending, flexing, extending or rotating the hand relative to the bones of the forearm. Some martial arts like aikido, hapkido, and traditional Japanese jujutsu specialise in wristlocks, making them a major part of their curriculum. Most of the common BJJ jointlocks target the elbow (e.g. straight armbars), shoulder (e.g. Kimura and … [Read more...]