Reverse lapeloplatas and inside-out upside-down berimbolos might be fun to train and effective for some guys in high level competition, but at its core Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a martial art. So once in a while we need to regroup, refocus, and give some thought to what parts of the art we would use in a real self defense situation. … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Close the Distance in a Streetfight
BJJ is a great fitness activity and a wonderful sport. But at it's core Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is still a martial art. The word 'martial' is defined as "being related to fighting or war". And that means you have to be ready throw down should the s**t hit the fan out there in the cold, cruel world. Sometimes in a street confrontation you should run away, sometimes you should look for improvised … [Read more...]
Five Reasons to Grapple in a Streetfight
A lot of self proclaimed self defence experts will emphatically and categorically tell you to "never, ever go to the ground in a streetfight." But no single strategy works in every situation, and anyone telling you to always do something, or never do something, is automatically wrong. The truth is that you may well be forced to use your grappling skills in a self defense context. I've added … [Read more...]
Kangaroo MMA with Rear Naked Choke!!
This might just be the coolest thing I have ever seen. A Kangaroo MMA match complete with kicks, clinching, takedowns and a bona fide chokeout for the submission of the night! From my vantage point it looks like Joey actually used the 'short choke', rather than the classic Rear Naked Choke, but in this situation it was just as effective. And the next time we're all arguing about whether a … [Read more...]
The Most Important Concept for No Gi Takedowns
Takedowns can seem difficult, tricky and confusing. Especially if you're not gifted with a surplus of fast-twitch muscle and innately awesome timing. But my friend and BJJ world champion Emily Kwok has a concept that makes the whole takedowns game a LOT easier. … [Read more...]
What is the Closed Guard?
Here's a short 1:30 minute video breakdown of me explaining the basics of the closed guard. And just to keep things interesting I also throw in my single best tip about how to maintain the closed guard, shut down your opponent's guard pass attempts and put you in a position to successfully launch your own attacks. … [Read more...]
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! … [Read more...]
The Ten Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Moves Every Cop Should Know
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. … [Read 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. … [Read more...]
Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-jutsu; when cultures and concepts collide
Introduction 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. … [Read 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. In the … [Read 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. … [Read 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! … [Read more...]
More on Self Defense, MMA and the UFC
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. … [Read 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 … [Read more...]
Get Off the Ground!!!
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... … [Read 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. That's why I've received some great feedback about these mini-MMA-instructionals. Today's video is about a mount escape that's gaining popularity in MMA. The … [Read more...]
MMA Ground and Pound
Here's a short MMA video I recently shot with my friend Denis Kang. He's a very knowledgeable fighter, and I wanted him to share some insights on the ground and pound aspect of MMA. Like it or not, striking people inside their closed guard is part of the game. Hitting someone in the head repeatedly is probably the best way to get them to open up their guard, and you can even finish the fight … [Read 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! … [Read 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). … [Read more...]