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...]
Collar Chokes
The Step-by-Step Clock Choke
The Clock Choke Heard Round the World We're going to go through my favorite step-by-step method for how to do the clock choke, but first let's talk about a the first time I saw the clock choke and a match that changed jiujitsu... It was in 1998 when Royce Gracie squared off against the Carlson Gracie Wallid Ismael. At the time Royce was undefeated in 5 UFC events and, in my eyes at least, … [Read more...]
How to Build a Closed Guard System
Too many people end up in closed guard and try singular attacks. Armbar attack! Damn, that didn't work. Sweep attack!! Damn, that didn't work either. Take the back!!!! My opponent shut that down too... what am I doing wrong? The thing is that singular attacks (or, even worse, waiting for your opponent to make a mistake) might work at white belt level, but this sort of strategy just … [Read more...]
A Secret That Makes Passing the Guard MUCH Easier!
Passing the guard is one of the most difficult things to do in all of grappling. Against anyone who is even close to your own skill level it can be a real battle! But there's one simple thing you can do to make it MUCH easier. Ready? Here's the secret... Begin your guard pass IMMEDIATELY after you sweep or throw your opponent! Don't sweep and then back out to reset your grips - it'll … [Read more...]
The 6 Steps of a Good 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...]
Can You Use a Collar Choke in a Streetfight?
BJJ has a ton of gi-based techniques, and while not all of them are very street relevant, some people tend to throw out the baby with the bath water. The bottom line is that many people wear either coats or jackets, especially in the winter or at night. And if your attacker is wearing a potential noose around his neck you'd be a fool not to take advantage of it. You want to take advantage … [Read more...]
The 10 Second Rule for Effective Choking
How many times have you been trying to choke out a training partner, straining and straining, then give up in disgust only to have him say, "Man, I was SO close to tapping out!!" Or what about those times when you've been caught in a choke, see no way out, and your only defense is to hunker down and hope that your opponent will give up before you run out of air or blood to the brain? The … [Read more...]
Christmas Office Party Jiu-Jitsu
Tis the season, and there's a very good chance that you'll be going to one or more Christmas parties in the next few weeks. I hope those parties stay friendly, but you can never be too careful. Let's just say that things can go sideways QUICKLY! A little bit too much rum in the eggnog... The wrong person under the mistletoe... Accidentally giving your girlfriend an oversized piece of … [Read more...]
A Bow and Arrow Choke Escape
The bow and arrow choke is one of the most powerful chokes from the back in the entire BJJ repertoire. Many matches in the black belt division of the Mundials have ended with this choke, so you know it works! This attack is called the 'Bow and Arrow' choke because when you apply it your opponent gets bent sideways into a bow shape, while you stay straight (i.e. an arrow). Bending your … [Read more...]
The 10 Second Choke Fix (or How to Tap Out More People)
How many times has a sparring partner told you "Man, I was SO close to tapping" after you'd been squeezing their neck like crazy in a desperate attempt to choke them, but then decided that it wasn't working and gave up on the submission? Frustrating, isn't it? Or have you ever held a choke for so long that you completely burn out your grips and have to fight the rest of the match with jello … [Read more...]
The Miyao Brothers’ 5 Step BJJ Competition Strategy
by Jeff Meszaros Every now and then, someone comes along who takes a sport by storm and revolutionizes the game by playing it differently... The Gracies famously changed the world of martial arts by showing the importance of ground work. Wayne Gretzky changed hockey with his "go around the net" trick. Mike Tyson dominated boxing by using a "peekaboo" style that hadn't been used like that … [Read more...]
A Powerful Choke from Knee on Belly
Knee on belly (also known as Kneemount) is a super-dominant position in jiu-jitsu. If you're using this position correctly then you're driving down into your opponent with all your weight, making it hard for him to breathe, and forcing him to give you openings for submissions (click here to read 3 Ways to Get a Really Heavy Kneemount on Grapplearts). Most typically the guy on the bottom of … [Read more...]
How to Make Your Chokes Tighter
Psst, wanna tap out more people with chokes, including that super-tough guy with the giant neck? Success in choking is all about the details and getting the underlying mechanics correct. Yes, you can get chokes to work with bad technique - people do it all the time. But it's difficult, wastes a lot of energy, and isn't very high percentage. But on the other hand as soon as you get the … [Read more...]
How To Do the Cross Collar Choke from Mount
The cross collar choke from mount is one of the very first chokes that you learn in BJJ. And it works well against beginners who have no idea how to defend with their hands... But as soon as people start getting all defensive and defending their collars it starts getting hard to get your own hands in deep enough. And a shallow grip makes it hard to generate enough power against the neck to … [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...]
How to Counter the Cross-Collar Grip
When you're in your opponent's guard one of the most annoying things he can do is secure a really good cross-collar grip on you. True, this grip doesn't have much utility for MMA or no-gi training (in fact being too reliant on it can create some really bad habits for when the gi comes off), but in BJJ the cross-collar grip is a serious problem. When your opponent snags a cross collar grip on you … [Read more...]
Sneaky Lapel Choke from Guard, by Andreh Anderson
Andreh Anderson demonstrates a technique where your opponent will think he's passing your guard, but this only sets him up for a sneaky lapel choke. The opponent tries to pass your guard by underhooking your legs. Maintain a deep cross grip on his lapel and keep your legs heavy in order to make it difficult for him to put your back on the mat and pass. If you can hook inside his leg with … [Read more...]
“Brabo” Choke with Gi from Top Half Guard
You can attack with this version of the Brabo Choke anytime your opponent is using his half guard from the bottom and is wearing a gi... Marcio (dark gi) is caught in Marco’s (white gi) half guard. Marco is on his side with his left arm under Marcio’s armpit. Marcio free’s Marco’s left lapel, stretching it behind his body… and passes it to his right hand, under Marco’s … [Read more...]
Rolling Crucifix Choke
Thanks to Eduardo de Lima for demonstrating this technique, and to Matt Kirtley for taking the photos and writing the descriptions. For more information, or to contact either person, please visit the Gracie Barra Tampa - Stephan Kesting. The crucifix is an often overlooked or neglected position that has the potential to be very effective if known and practiced. Eduardo encourages his students … [Read more...]
Critical Submission Details
Are there any submissions out there that you just can't finish? You can set it up, lock it on, and strain for all you're worth, but your opponent just won't tap out? It happens all the time. In fact, I'm not immune either. There have been lots of submissions where I initially thought, "oh man, this will never work for me!" But take heart! Usually there are just one or two critical … [Read more...]