One of the most powerful ways to defend against the guard pass is with a movement called 'the Frame and Hip Escape'. In fact it's fair to say that learning this concept and movement completely revolutionised my guard game, especially my ability to defend against the guard pass! In this article we'll break down this exact movement for you. Then we'll discuss how to train it on your own … [Read more...]
Rob Biernacki
How to Finish the Rear Naked Choke
This article is about the details you'll need to finish the Rear Naked Choke against quality opponents. This submission, also called the RNC or the Lion Killer, is one of the most dominant, powerful and important chokes in BJJ, MMA and No Gi Grappling. If you get on your opponent's back, especially in a no gi situation, the Rear Naked Choke should be your number one finisher. However your … [Read more...]
Is Really Position vs Submission? Sometimes You Can Have Both…
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...]
What Techniques Do You Need to Know for Your Blue Belt
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a relatively disorganised and highly variable sport. This is most evident when you start looking at belt promotion requirements. The belts in BJJ go white, blue, purple, brown and black, with the first four belts typically having 4 stripes each and the black belt having 10 degrees. However the number of degrees in a black belt is getting way ahead of ourselves, … [Read more...]
How to Pass Mission Control in the Rubber Guard and Lockdown Half Guard
The popular no gi grappling system 10th planet jiu-jitsu has many unique positions and strategies. Their closed rubber guard system, which emphasises and requires quite a bit of flexibility, starts with a position called 'Mission Control'. In Mission Control you get one foot on your opponent's hip and hook your leg behind his neck to keep his posture broken. From here there are numerous … [Read more...]
New Release: The BJJ Formula on DVD!
I wasn't sure I was going to do it, but the demand was overwhelming and so now it's finally out!!! The BJJ Formula 4 DVD set came from the Rob Biernacki BJJ Formula series of apps; they cover the same information. These apps got a great reception and a TON of 5 star reviews in the iTunes, Google Play and the Amazon App stores. I had thought that this might be the first series I would … [Read more...]
Guard Pass Prevention in BJJ
Maintaining your guard and defending the guard pass are incredibly critical skills in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is the guard that allows a smaller opponent to control and defeat a bigger attacker. And the guard allows you survive when you're on the bottom - if you're underneath your opponent in any other position then basically you're losing. Preventing the guard pass doesn't necessarily … [Read more...]
BJJ Competition Mindset Tips
Here's a video that I shot with Rob Biernacki and one of his visiting students in response to a question I'd received from an email newsletter subscriber about competing at your very best in BJJ tournaments. You can watch the video below or scroll down to see the main points that we covered... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0HTOI9qKkk I get a lot of questions asking for tips, tricks and … [Read more...]
Leg Lasso Spider Guard Pass
If you've ever been caught in the leg lasso position by someone with a good spider guard then you'll know exactly how a fly feels when it gets caught in the web of a big, old, nasty spider... Basically, in a correctly executed leg lasso spider guard you're in deep trouble! Your arms are both trapped so you won't be able to make effective grips. Because of the tremendous leverage of the … [Read more...]
BJJ Q&A Podcast with Rob Biernacki
There's a new Grapplearts Radio podcast out!! I recently brought Rob Biernacki - a BJJ black belt and the creator of the highly reviewed BJJ Formula apps - back into the studio for his second appearance on the Grapplearts Radio Podcast... We mostly did a Q&A format in which we answered reader questions about everything from passing the guard to organising your training, but we … [Read more...]
Movements and Transitions from Knee on Belly
When I first learned the knee on belly position I was told that you should use it for two reasons... Get two points in a tournment, and/or Put so much weight on your opponent and making him so uncomfortable that he would open up his defences and give you the chance to armbar or choke him. Now points and pressure are still totally valid uses of the knee mount. For example, I think using … [Read more...]
How to do the Armbar Without Crushing Your Balls
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...]
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...]
Base, Posture and Structure, the 3 Most Important Concepts in BJJ
The idea that overall body alignment in BJJ can be broken down into 3 components (base, posture and structure) was introduced to me by Rob Biernacki. And I have found these 3 concepts to have hugely practical applications on the mat. There is power in definitions and distinctions because it allows you to clarify your thinking and problem solving processes. So let's take a look at base, … [Read more...]
The Core Concepts of BJJ
Rob Biernacki and I have previously released three BJJ instructional apps (Back Attacks Formula, Top and Guard Passing Formula, and Guard and Bottom Game Formula) which have been very well received in the BJJ community. (Judging from the number of 5 star reviews in the app stores they've helped a lot of people kick ass and take names on the mats.) The big news is that the final app in the … [Read more...]
The Two Most Important Guard Retention Techniques
Retaining your guard and preventing guard passes can seem like a daunting task. There are so many techniques that your opponent might use to try and pass your guard. Do you need to learn a different technique to counter each combination and permutation of grips, movement and body positioning you might run into? Not at all. There may be many different guard passing techniques, but there are … [Read more...]
Here’s Why Your Guard Attacks Don’t Work
When you first learn an sweep or a submission from the guard you usually learn the steps in a 1, 2, 3 manner. "First grab the sleeve and lapel like this... Then open your legs and escape your hips... Now put your foot on the hip and pull him forward...." And so on Then you go ahead, learn all the steps, and get your repetitions in. You do all the prep work. But then, when you try to … [Read more...]
How to Counter the Bullfighter / Matador Pass
In the 'Bullfighter' (aka 'Matador' aka 'Toreando') guard pass, you grab your opponent's legs, push them to the ground, and then run around to the side. (There are some refinements to this technique, of course, but even the super basic version I just described can be super-difficult to stop if you're facing someone who is explosive, athletic, and determined.) If you're on the bottom using … [Read more...]
How to do the Windshield Wiper Guard Pass
The windshield wiper is a leg motion used by a TON of high level BJJ guys to pass the guard (and also to showboat sometimes). It allows you to cross from one side of your opponent's body to the other without him entangling you in either guard or half guard. For example, let's say that you're passing the guard to your right and your opponent counters by high-legging (i.e. stepping over your … [Read more...]
Butterfly Guard Sweep Counter
The Butterfly Sweep is one of those fundamental moves that you see everywhere. In every dojo and at every major tournament there's someone who specialises in the Butterfly Guard. And every Butterfly Guard specialist uses the basic Butterfly Sweep as one of their bread and butter moves. This sweep just plain works. It can be used in gi or no gi. It can be used against small, fast people or … [Read more...]