Wrestling is a fantastic background for anyone who wants to train BJJ. The powerful takedowns, the determined scrambling, the level of conditioning and a tough mindset are a winning combination that work in any combat sport. But transitioning from wrestling to BJJ and combining the best of both arts isn't necessarily an easy process... In fact it can be downright difficult and … [Read more...]
A Simple Adjustment That Shuts Down the Kimura from Guard
When it comes to attacks from the guard, the Kimura armlock is one of the heavy hitter submissions used by a huge percentage of grapplers. And so if you're on top you need to have ways to prevent, defend and escape the Kimura or you're going to be tapping out a whole lot! Fortunately I have a very simple tweak, learned years ago from BJJ pioneer Roy Harris, that can save you a TON of grief … [Read more...]
Kimura Armlock from North-South Position
The first time I saw this Kimura variation from the north-south position I said to myself, "Yeah right, that'll never work in a million, billion years!" And that's because it looked like you had no control over his body, But the funny thing was that when I actually started training it then it felt pretty good... And then I started catching people in it and tapping them out... And now, … [Read more...]
Jiu-Jitsu for the Zombie Apocalypse
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...]
Weak Side Rear Mount – The Ultimate Free Guide
In the Rear Mount you can end up on either the ‘strong side’ (your overhook side) or on the ‘weak side’ (your underhook side) (In fact here's a link to an article on Grapplearts.com about the strong side vs weak side debate) Ultimately though, the bottom line is that you can’t always be in charge of where you end up; your opponent gets a vote too! So sometimes you’re going to end up on the … [Read more...]
A Strategy for Getting 15 Points in a BJJ Tournament Fast
The ultimate goal of BJJ competition is to tap your opponent out, not to win by points. That being said, the point system is still a very important part of the game and you have to understand how to use it! Here's why... First of all, the point system in BJJ tournaments generally reflects what would work in a real fight. For example, its better to be on top than on bottom in a fight, … [Read more...]
Three BJJ Guard Posture Mistakes That’ll Get You KILLED on the Mats
Using the Power of Posture and Positioning to Prevent Problems (Note to the reader: this lesson #5 from of the Beginning BJJ Course. To receive the other lessons by email please sign up for the free email-based course) Whenever I've got someone in my guard I watch them very carefully for mistakes. If they make a mistake (and if I can capitalize on it quickly) then - boom - they're gonna get … [Read more...]
Weak vs Strong Side of Rearmount; the Debate Continues
It turns out that the rearmount is a controversial position. On the one hand it's widely acknowledged as a position of total domination. If you get to the rearmount then your opponent should be in deep trouble. In the last 10 years it's become widely accepted that the over-under arm position (aka the 'harness grip' and/or the 'lasso') is probably the most powerful way of controlling your … [Read more...]
A Surprising Kimura Setup from Kesa Gatame
I don't know what exactly went wrong with the settings on the camera the night we filmed this. The colour in this video is far from perfect: things are weirdly washed out and at the same time it looks like I've got a horrible sunburn. But it really doesn't matter, because the teaching is really solid. In this video, under the guise of teaching a fancy and surprising setup for the Kimura, my … [Read more...]
Kimura Armlock Grips Explained!
The Kimura, much like any other technique, is usually taught as a series of steps. First do this... Then move your hand here... Then adjust your body this way... Then finish by doing this other thing. It can be a lot to remember, but it's always easier to remember all the steps and adjustments if you understand WHY you're doing them. When I first learned about the Kimura armlock attack … [Read more...]
World Championship Guard Passing with Leandro Lo
In BJJ it's what you don't know that hurts you. If you get caught in a position that you don't have an answer to, that you don't understand, then life on the mat just got exponentially more difficult. This problem is most pronounced for the guard. It can be really difficult to keep up with the changing technology. One year it's the X Guard, taking the world by storm, then it's the 50/50 guard, … [Read more...]
Keenan Cornelius’s Inverted Spinning Armbar Explained…
In the No Gi super fight at the 2013 BJJ Expo between Keenan Cornelius and Lucas Leite there was an absolutely spectacular submission. Keenan hit an inverted spinning armbar from half guard that impressed the hell out of everyone who saw it. First, here's the match itself. The armbar sequence starts at about 8:01. I interviewed Keenan earlier this year and thought he shared a lot of … [Read more...]
Three Keys to Escaping Any Submission
Some people might not be the greatest grapplers but are still notoriously hard to submit. Obviously technique is important, but there's more to slipping out of submission than just knowing the escape techniques. In fact the most important thing is knowing WHEN to apply your techniques. If you use the right technique at the wrong time then it won't work. For example I remember rolling with a … [Read more...]
Tap Out Less Often! The ‘Submission Defense’ App for Android…
After a ton of planning and working with video editors and Android app programers, I'm thrilled to announce that Submission Defense - the latest Grapplearts app for the Android platform - is finally ready!! This app was designed with one single-minded purpose: to help you tap out much less often. This app takes you through my very favorite escapes for many of the most common and most … [Read more...]
How to Defend and Escape the Kimura from Side Control
Defending and escaping the Kimura when you're on the bottom of side control is always difficult. There are several different reason for this... First of all, the figure four grip used in the Kimura is very powerful control. It's a natural handle that your opponent can use to manipulate your entire body, both in gi or no gi. And once your opponent has secured this grip it's a real pain to get … [Read more...]
Fifty Ways to Improve Your Grappling Almost Immediately
Sometimes the best way to get better is simply to stop doing things wrong. Over the years I've shot quite a few guerilla-style videos breaking down many of the most common mistakes that I see for different positions and submissions. I get a lot of positive feedback on these videos, because apparently I'm not the only person to have made all these mistakes on the mat! Here, all in one post, are … [Read more...]
How to Attack Super-Defensive Opponents
It's a fact: big guys don't like losing to smaller guys. That's why sometimes, when a bigger guy realizes he's not going to be able to actually win a match, he changes gears and uses all his strength and size for only one thing... ... to stall, stall, stall and hope for a draw! It can be super-frustrating when an opponent absolutely refuses to engage with you. Especially when the damn guy … [Read more...]
The Sakuraba-Style Standing Kimura
The first time someone showed me the standing Kimura attack I was pretty skeptical... I was like, "yeah, that would never work, not in a million years!" Whoops, was I ever wrong. You see, shortly after I was introduced to that supposedly 'useless' technique, a Japanese fighter named Kazushi Sakuraba started used the standing Kimura to tear a bloody swath through MMA world, besting a … [Read more...]
Technique 2: Reverse Shoulder Lock
Marcus and Denis demonstrate the reverse shoulder lock. (1) Marcus starts out with Denis in his guard using a basic sleeve and lapel grip (2) He puts his left foot on the hip and his right foot on his opponent's bicep (3) He steps over Denis's head with his right foot (4) Putting a lot of pressure on his opponent's shoulder he hooks his instep under Denis's right … [Read more...]
Marcus Soares – Kimura from Open Guard
Marcus Soares demonstrates the Kimura from the Open Guard Photo 1 - This time your opponent is standing in your open guard and trying to pass it. Start with a sleeve and lapel grip, with one foot pushing your opponent's hip and the other hooking behind his knee. Keep your opponent bent over to limit his ability to move or mount an offence. Photo 2 - If your opponent grips your knee then you … [Read more...]