If you’re passing the guard then the very first thing you need to worry about is avoiding getting swept or submitted. After all, it’s pretty hard to use your killer guard passing techniques if your opponent hits a sweep on you and takes you to the bottom right away… That’s why in our recent instructional on passing the guard the first thing Rob Biernacki and I teach is how NOT to get swept or … [Read more...]
Rob Biernacki
New Instructional App: BJJ Guard Passing and Top Game Formula!
Hey, I've just released the latest Grapplearts instructional. It's called The BJJ Guard Passing and Top Game Formula (or 'Top Game Formula' for short). And it's available for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. And during the new release period it's half price (regular price $19.99 USD, this week only $9.99). Guard passing is without a doubt the most complex task in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. … [Read more...]
BJJ Rear Mount Master Class Q&A
When Rob Biernacki and I released the BJJ Back Attacks Formula instructional some of the readers of my email newsletter grabbed the app right away and asked some great questions related to the rear mount in BJJ. As it turns out, my partner in rear mount crime was coming back through town recently, so it seemed like a good idea to film videos answers to those questions. Here are the questions … [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...]
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...]
Weak and Strong Sides of Rearmount
At the bottom of this article is a new video talking about the correct and incorrect side of rearmount. But first a little background... Nowadays most grapplers are realising that their default grip in the rearmount should be the over-under grip (also known as the 'seatbelt' or the 'harness'). This arm position offers a ton of control over your opponent but also many different attacking … [Read more...]
Rearmount from A to Z
The newest Grapplearts instructional was officially released today, and it's called 'The Back Attacks Formula!' And it's one of the very best instructionals that I’ve ever been involved in or have seen on the market. Not surprisingly Back Attacks Formula about taking the back from every position, staying on the back no matter how your opponent tries to escape, and then submitting your … [Read more...]
The Reverse Armbar from Closed Guard
I was a white belt when I first saw the reverse armbar from closed guard (also known as the 'arm crush', the 'razor lock, and the 'cutting armbar'). At first I was pretty skeptical. I had all kinds of reasons why it probably wouldn't work. And then I started running into more and more people who had been submitted by it... And then I started getting caught in it too... And then I … [Read more...]
Can You Cross Your Ankles in Back Mount?
"Never cross your ankles when you're in back mount!" This rule is often taught as gospel to BJJ beginners. Truly, it's not a bad rule of thumb to start with. But there are exceptions to every rule, and that's what this article is all about... The back mount is one of the very best positions in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. From the back you can submit your opponent with some very powerful … [Read more...]
Podcast EP 34: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Principles with Rob Biernacki (plus Ninjas, Insane Martial Arts Instructors and Martial Arts Cults)
The latest episode of the Grapplearts Radio Podcast is out. In it I talk with Rob Biernacki, a friend, BJJ black belt, and contributor to Grapplearts (see the videos and articles he's been involved with here). Rob is known for his analytical style of teaching BJJ. He doesn't focus on being a 'technique collector, but rather specialises in sharing the underlying principles and concepts that … [Read more...]
A Trick to Set Up the Grips You Need to Pass Your Opponent’s Guard
One of the keys to passing the guard effectively and efficiently is controlling the grip battle. But a quality opponent always be trying to block your grips. Not only that: he wants to attack you with sweeps and submissions so at the same time he'll be trying to ensnare you with his own set of grips. As a result, when you're passing the guard you'll often end up in a pseudo-symmetrical … [Read more...]
How to Stop the Double Underhooks Guard Pass
The double underhooks guard pass is one of the low passes you see most in high level competition. It's favored by big, strong dudes who love to smash people. Once they get your hips hoisted up and your body bent in half you feel pretty vulnerable. At that point they can pass your guard, take your back, move to the crucifix, or any number of horrible, nasty finishes. So you've GOT to have an … [Read more...]
How to Tape Your Fingers for BJJ
Some BJJ players - including myself - train and compete with their hands au naturel. But BJJ can be rough on the hands and fingers, especially grip-dependent positions like Spider Guard and de la Riva, and some competitors have so much tape covering their fingers that they look like mummies shambling out from beneath an Egyptian pyramid. In the video below BJJ black belt Rob Biernacki and I … [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...]