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Techniques, Tutorials and Gear for BJJ, MMA and Submission Grappling

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Armbar

Gold Medal Judo Techniques that Work in BJJ

August 3, 2024 by Stephan Kesting

I've previously written about why you probably shouldn’t use the top-scoring judo throw - Seio Otoshi - in your BJJ practice. (To recap, this throw requires a TON of reps, potentially exposes you to back takes, is gi-dependent, and there’s a high chance you'll roll over your opponent to end up on the bottom.) But don't throw the Judo baby out with the bathwater!! There IS a heck of a lot … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Competition, Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Armbar, BJJ, Gripfighting, Judo, North-South, Sidemount, Takedowns, Techniques

The Armbar Control Drill

December 18, 2023 by Stephan Kesting

The armbar control drill from the BJJ Games instructional

The armbar is one of the 'heavy hitters' in jiu-jitsu because this submission ends a TON of matches, both in training and in competition. But it's a mistake to think of the armbar as a move or an attack; instead you should think of it as a position, almost like the mount, side control or the back. That's because if you want to submit skilled grapplers with the armbar you first need to be … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Training Tagged With: Armbar, BJJ Games, Drills, Video

The Fastest Armbar Escape

October 14, 2023 by Stephan Kesting

Hitchhiker escape vs armbar from closed guard

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...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Armbar, Closed Guard, Escapes, Techniques, Video

BJJ Trigger Positions

May 28, 2023 by Stephan Kesting

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...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Armbar, Omoplata, Submission, Techniques, Training, Triangle Choke, Video

The Jiu-Jitsu Drills of of Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro

September 29, 2022 by Stephan Kesting

Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro BJJ Drills

When Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro started talking about the drills he uses I paid attention! Shaolin has won the World BJJ Championships 4 times, held the 140 to 155 lb belt in Shooto, and has a long list of other titles. He is an outstanding competitor in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, submission grappling and mixed martial arts, so he knows how to train effectively and efficiently! Shaolin uses a variety … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Conditioning, Training Tagged With: Armbar, Conditioning, Drills, Guard Passes, Knee Mount, Toreando, Training, Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro

The 16 Most Important Techniques for the BJJ Beginner

June 24, 2021 by Stephan Kesting

16 BJJ Beginner Techniques

What's the most common problem (aside from getting caught under side control) facing the BJJ beginner? It's probably feeling overwhelmed by the staggering number of techniques that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu contains! There are a thousand variations of sweeps and locks and chokes and pins and escapes and guard passes.  It's enough to make your head spin! So where then do you start?  Which … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Beginners, Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Americana, Armbar, BJJ, Collar Chokes, Fundamentals, Guard Passes, Guard Sweeps, Guillotine Choke, Mark Mullen, MMA, Rear Naked Choke, Submission, Techniques, Triangle Choke, Video

A Powerful Side Mount Escape That Leads Directly into an Armbar Finish

June 1, 2021 by Stephan Kesting

Armbar from bottom side mount escape technique

Going directly into the armbar from the bottom side mount has to be one of the most surprising escapes for the guy on top.  One moment he's crushing you with his crossface, and the next he's tapping out to a match-ending submission. The first time I saw this technique I didn't think it was very realistic.  It looked like a power move that required tremendous upper body strength. But when I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Armbar, Brandon Mullins, Escapes, Sidemount, Techniques, Video

The Step-by-Step Armbar from Mount

December 11, 2020 by Stephan Kesting

the armbar from mount

The armbar from mount is often taught as the 'CPR' armbar where you're mounted on your opponent, he sticks his arms straight up, you put both your hands on his chest and swing around into the armbar. It's slick, it's smooth, and it looks great. But the only reason the CPR armbar works is because your opponent has broken his own structure by pushing on your chest.  Good opponents will almost … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Armbar, BJJ, Concepts, Mount, No Gi, Rob Biernacki, Submission, Submission Grappling, Techniques, Video

Near and Far Arm Ambar Attacks from Side Control

July 4, 2020 by Stephan Kesting

How to do the near and far side armbar from side control

When it comes to BJJ the straight armbar is one of the highest percentage submissions, and side control (aka sidemount, cross side, and 100 kilos) is probably the most common pinning position. So you absolutely NEED to have some reliable armbar attacks from side control or you're missing out on some huge opportunities. Fundamentally when you're in side control you can attack the near arm … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Armbar, Kimura, Ritchie Yip, Sidemount, Techniques, Video

Making the Armbar from Guard Harder to Escape

November 20, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

armbar from guard

How many times have you gone for an armbar from the guard only to have your opponent escape your attack, pass your guard, and then smash you from a dominant position? This is an incredibly common scenario, but it really doesn't need to happen nearly as often! The truth is that by making some simple tweaks to your technique and the sequence in which you apply that technique you'll make the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Armbar, Closed Guard, Concepts, Rob Biernacki, Techniques, Video

3 Tips to Tighten Any Joint Lock Technique

October 13, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

tightening submission techniques

It' s not easy to tap out a high level grappler with a joint lock. First of all their submission prevention is tight. They do everything they can to stop you from getting the submission in the first place. Next, their defense and escape techniques are also top notch.  If you give them even an inch of slack they'll use that space to wiggle out of the submission. Finally elite grapplers are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Competition, Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: Armbar, Bicep Lock, BJJ, Concepts, Kimura, Rob Biernacki, Submission, Submission Grappling, Techniques, Video

The 6 Steps of a Good Submission

October 11, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

Heel Hook Submission

Did you know that there's an actual physics and biomechanics-based procedure that'll definitely help you tap out many more people in BJJ? At a high level there's so much more more to getting a choke or an armlock than simply seeing an opportunity and jumping on it. That approach rarely works against good people. Instead it's about gradually manoeuvring your opponent into worse and worse … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Podcasts, Training Tagged With: Anaconda Choke, Armbar, Baseball Choke, BJJ, Bow and Arrow Choke, Brabo choke, Chokes, Collar Chokes, Cutting Armbar, D'Arce Choke, Guillotine Choke, Head and Arm Choke, Interviews, Kimura, North-South Choke, Rear Naked Choke, Reverse Armbar, Rob Biernacki, Sleeve Choke, Submission, Submission Grappling, The Mental Aspect, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, Triangle Choke

Back Attacks 5: How to Switch to an Armbar Submission When You’re on the Back!

August 11, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

Many people are surprised to learn that the straight armbar is a reliable, high-percentage, and super-powerful submission, from the back when you're grappling in BJJ, No Gi or MMA. Here's Rob Biernacki of BJJ Formula fame showing exactly how to do that. This is part 5 in a series on the so-called 'weak side' of the back we're releasing on Youtube and is a small part of the Back Control module … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Armbar, Chokes, Grapplearts, Submission, Techniques

How to Defend and Escape the Armbar from Guard

October 7, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

If you've been grappling for any length of time then you know that anytime you're in the closed guard you've got to watch out for the armbar from guard. It's one of the most common and highest percentage submissions in all of BJJ, submission grappling and MMA. So if we're going to be running into a technique like the armbar from guard this frequently then we HAVE to have some good answers for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: Armbar, Closed Guard, Escapes, iPhone, Submission, Techniques, Video

How Vinny Magalhães Survived Fabrício Werdum’s Armbar to Win ADCC

March 11, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

Armbar Defense Vinny Magalhaes vs Fabricio Werdum

In the heaviest weight class of the 2011 ADCC submission fighting championships there was a fascinating matchup between accomplished grappler and MMA fighter Vinny Magalhães and the two time ADCC champion, Fabrício Werdum. After an initial exchange on the feet Vinny caught Fabrício in an omoplata sweep and got ahead on points. Fabrício escapes, they get back to the feet, there's another … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques Tagged With: ADCC, Armbar, BJJ, Competition, Escapes, Fabricio Werdum, Marcus Buchecha Almeida, No Gi, Physical Attributes, Rob Biernacki, Roger Gracie, Submission, Techniques, Video, Vinny Magalhaes

Jiu-Jitsu for the Zombie Apocalypse

October 25, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

As we get closer and closer to Halloween it's important to shift your priorities from training jiu-jitsu to surviving the impending zombie apocalypse. (After all, it's tough to train jiu-jitsu when you're dead.  Or undead, as the case may be.) That's why you've got to check out the most important video I've ever put onto Youtube: Jiu-Jitsu for the Zombie Apocalypse. A lot of people will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, For Beginners, Miscellaneous Tagged With: Armbar, Chokes, Kimura, Kneebars, Self Defense, Strategy, Submission, Unorthodox Strategies, Weapons, X Guard, Zombies

3 Spider Guard Drills to Improve Your Sweeping and Submissions

September 25, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

spider guard drill

The last time I had a filming session with my friend and training partner Ritchie Yip who runs a BJJ school in Vancouver, BC, he showed me something really cool... It was a series of 3 drills to improve your spider guard sweeps and submissions. The first drill is a relatively easy one to that develops hip mobility and leg dexterity.  Spider guard is NOT a static position; as your opponent … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: Armbar, BJJ, Drills, Gi, Guard Sweeps, Omoplata, Open Guard, Spider Guard, Submission, Video

Is Really Position vs Submission? Sometimes You Can Have Both…

April 19, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

Position vs Submission

One of the fundamental rules of BJJ is that you should value 'Position over Submission.' This means is that you shouldn't abandon a good position - like the mount for example -  to go for a dubious submission and lose the position. This is even more important in MMA and self defense: imagine going for an armbar from mount, your opponent escaping it, and you now ending up on the bottom … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Training Tagged With: 411 Position, Armbar, Guard Passes, Heel Hook, Leglocks, No Gi, Rob Biernacki, S Mount, Submission, Submission Grappling, Techniques, Video

10 Key Techniques and Tactics of Marcelo Garcia

November 17, 2016 by Stephan Kesting

The techniques and tactics of Marcelo Garcia

Marcelo Garcia is probably the most dominant jiu-jitsu athlete of the last 15 years. When he was competing he owned both the gi and the no gi divisions (4 x ADCC champion, 5 x Mundial World Champion).  As if that wasn't enough, his amazing performances in the absolute division against giants like Ricco Rodriguez have ensured his place in grappling history. It’s always a good idea to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Competition, Featured, Miscellaneous Tagged With: Arm Drag, Armbar, Butterfly Guard, Gameplan, Guillotine Choke, Inspiration, Marcelo Garcia, Marceloplata, North-South, North-South Choke, Rear Mount, Rear Naked Choke, Reverse Armbar, Single Leg X Guard, Strategy, Submission, Video, X Guard

How to do the Armbar Without Crushing Your Balls

September 5, 2016 by Stephan Kesting

How to prevent your balls from getting crushed during the armbar

It's a question that I get from BJJ beginners all the time, "How do I do the armbar without crushing my balls in the process?" And it's a legitimate problem for people starting out their BJJ career.  In fact, it's a simple equation... Elbow + Groin = OUCH!! Now you could wear a cup, but most intermediate and advanced players don't do that unless they're training for MMA. Instead of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Beginners, Self Defense, Training Tagged With: Armbar, Guard Passes, Injuries, Open Guard, Rob Biernacki, Self Defense, Submission, Techniques, Video

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