by Jeff Meszaros In many ways, wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu are total opposites. The core concepts of the two sports run against each other, and what's a great idea in one art is often a terrible idea in the other. In wrestling, you do anything you can to avoid having your back put on the mat. But in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, people will often fall to their backs immediately to "pull guard" … [Read more...]
Jeff Meszaros
How to Coach at BJJ Tournaments
by Jeff Meszaros I’ve played all the big roles at Brazilian jiu jitsu tournaments: The stressed-out competitor sweating in the bullpen, the furiously screaming coach who is in obvious need of anger management counselling and the referee who seems to be daydreaming rather than watching the match. I’ve done it all, and quite badly. I’m just kidding, of course. I actually was never stressed-out … [Read more...]
Grappling Styles of the Pacific
by Jeff Meszaros Our around-the-world trip is nearly at an end. First, we took a spin through Asia. Then we hit the grappling styles of Europe. Then we did a tour of the various U.K. wrestling systems. After that, we headed south for a look at Africa and South America, and then back north up through North America, where we left off with trying hockey in Canada. (Sure, you could make the … [Read more...]
Four de la Riva Guard Grips You Need to Know
The de la Riva guard is very powerful and effective form of guard, often used in modern BJJ. It can be an intimidatingly complex position though, with a large number of grips, variations, sweeps, attacks and other techniques available for you to use. The point of today's article is to simplify the de la Riva guard for you. The way we're going to do that is by breaking it down on the … [Read more...]
BJJ, Judo, MMA and Brazil – a Black Belt Podcast Chat with Jeff Meszaros
This is a fun conversation on my Grapplearts Radio Podcast about BJJ, Judo and MMA with Jeff Meszaros. Jeff is one of the guys that I first started training in BJJ with 23 years ago. The conversation goes off the rails a number of times, but here's some of what we covered... Self defense applications of BJJ Russian team MMA events Judo, BJJ and the early days of the Uncle Willy's … [Read more...]
How to Get Kicked Out of Your BJJ Club
by Jeff Meszaros So, you've been training at the same jiu-jitsu club for a while now and you've decided it's not for you. You've given it very careful consideration and concluded that it's time to move on to another club or quit altogether. But you don't want anyone to call you "a quitter" so instead of quitting, you've decided to take the high road and get kicked out. But how can you do … [Read more...]
Grappling Styles of Africa, South and North America
by Jeff Meszaros On our worldwide survey of different grappling systems started by doing the grappling tour of Asia, training and competing in every country along the way. We started with Japanese judo and ended with Turkish oil wrestling. Then, we covered indigenous grappling systems in Europe, going from Greek pankration to Icelandic glima. Then we moved on to the U.K, trying out the … [Read more...]
UK Grappling Styles
by Jeff Meszaros So we've finished the first two legs of your around-the-world adventure to try out all the grappling arts (click here for Asian Grappling Styles and/or click here for European Grappling Styles). While you've been wrestling up a storm I've been beside you the whole way to cheer you on and run up your credit card bill at expensive restaurants. Also, I've done a bit of research … [Read more...]
European Grappling Styles
by Jeff Meszaros So, we’ve finished the first leg of your around-the-world grappling tour and it’s been a blast (click here to read Asian Grappling Styles, the previous article). In the previous part of the journey we started in Japan, where you got thrown flat on your back by judo champions and slapped around by sumo wrestlers. Then, in Korea, you did ssireum, which was kind of like sumo but … [Read more...]
Asian Grappling Styles
by Jeff Meszaros Do you like traveling? Of course you do! There’s the food, the music, the culture, the art, and if you’re a martial artist, you can bring along your mouthguard and try the local style of fighting, whatever it may be. Depending on the place, you might also need your shorts, pants, jacket, belt or jug of oil. Because each country has its own distinct style. Wouldn’t it be fun … [Read more...]
How to Avoid BJJ Injuries (and Other Dumb Ways to Die)
There’s a smartphone game out there called Dumb Ways to Die. Well, many BJJ guys are playing a similar game every time they step on the mats. It’s called Dumb Ways to Get Injured. To fight this trend here’s an important new article written by my friend (and training partner from long ago) Jeff Meszaros. In this article you get some of Jeff’s crazy stories about some of the dumbest things … [Read more...]
10 Habits of Successful BJJ Competitors
by Jeff Meszaros, photo copyright James Sizemore For people who want to win at grappling tournaments, there's a ton of material available regarding what to do once a match has begun. But what should someone do on tournament day before their fights begin? What do the top BJJ players do to help themselves to perform at their very best? Here are a few ideas to consider... Have a "Competition … [Read more...]
Who’s Who in EBI 6?
by Jeff Meszaros Brazilian jiu jitsu has always been an art for creative people who like to experiment and find newways to reach their goals, whether it's new ways to make an opponent tap, or brand new events to promote the sport. And Eddie Bravo is certainly one creative guy. Known for his innovative system of 10th Planet jiu-jitsu, he has branched out again to start his own tournament. His … [Read more...]
17 IBJJF BJJ Competition Rules to Remember
by Jeff Meszaros There are a lot of things to consider when you sign up to compete in a tournament. You need to make weight, you need to be physically fit enough to win, and you need to have fairly sharp technique. At least, sharper than everyone else. That’s the idea, anyway. But you also have to understand the rules. Otherwise, you may get penalized or even disqualified for doing something … [Read more...]
Action vs. Reaction in Grappling (or why Yogi Berra was right)
An article by Jeff 'Wombat' Meszaros When Yogi Berra said, “half of this game is ninety percent mental”, he was talking about hitting a ball with a stick and running around an empty field. He wasn’t talking about rolling around with some sweaty dude who’s trying to tear your arms off. … [Read more...]