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...]
Sidemount
Five Tricks to Tighten Up Your Sidemount
There's nothing worse than weathering the storm in someone's guard, passing their guard by fighting your way past their legs, finally getting to sidemount, making one tiny mistake and then - boom - you're back in their guard. It's tiring, demoralising, and leaves you open to getting swept or tapped out. No! After doing all that work you want to stay in sidemount, make them pay for giving … [Read more...]
A Mean Option When Your Opponent is Stalling in BJJ Sidemount
Have you ever trained BJJ with anyone who’s so desperate not to tap out that all they do is stall? Someone who’s whole ego is wrapped up in the idea that such-and-such brown belt hasn’t managed to submit them out recently? It’s one of the biggest traps the ego can lead someone into on the mats… Back in the day I trained with one of these guys who’s entire sense of jiu-jitsu self-worth was … [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...]
A Powerful Surprise Choke Attack from Sidemount
This is one of my very favourite attacks from Sidemount. It works in a BJJ context (i.e. with the gi), in submission grappling, and even in MMA. It's a very powerful attack, but the best thing about is that if it doesn't work then you don't typically lose position. You stay on top and can easily switch to a followup attack. … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Safely Control an Opponent on the Ground for Self Defense.
Reverse lapeloplatas and inside-out upside-down berimbolos might be fun to train and effective for some guys in high level competition, but at its core Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a martial art. So once in a while we need to regroup, refocus, and give some thought to what parts of the art we would use in a real self defense situation. … [Read more...]
What Do White Belts Need to Learn in Their 1st Year of BJJ?
by guest author Mark Mullen I'm currently in Rio de Janeiro doing a little training in BJJ. While here I have met a number of white belts at the Connection Rio BJJ hostel. Sitting around the pool or over acai after training, inevitably the topic of conversation turns to BJJ and the struggles of the white belts trying to find their way in the art suave. … [Read more...]
The Highest Percentage Sidemount Escape in BJJ?
Sidemount is arguably the pinning position you're going to run into most often in BJJ. Most guard passes lead into sidemount, and from sidemount you can get to almost every other position (it's kind of like the Grand Central Station of BJJ pinning)! So it's not surprising that there are a ton of different sidemount escapes involving shrimping, bridging, spinning, reguarding, etc. But the … [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...]
Ambush Armbar from Modified Scarf Hold
I might not be 100% correct with the actual wording, but I'll always remember this fantastic quote from Karate legend Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace which I read in Black Belt magazine many years ago. It went something like this: "There's always going to be someone bigger, stronger or faster than you, but there never has to be anyone sneakier than you!" Ain't that the truth! Sneakiness … [Read more...]
How to Defeat a Smaller Opponent
Smaller opponents can become big nuisances, especially if they have legitimate skills. You would think that the very fact that you're bigger than your opponent means you should be able to go full-Conan on them every time... Mongol General: "Conan! What is best in life?" Conan: "To crush your enemies, see them driffen before you, and to hear the lamentation of their vimmen." … [Read more...]
Stabilizing and Attacking Larger Opponents from Sidemount
Many battles are lost by not sufficiently stabilizing sidemount, and/or choosing the wrong attacks to use from that otherwise dominant position. Let's say that you've done everything right and cut through the guard of a bigger stronger opponent. You've just arrived in sidemount. The first few seconds in sidemount are actually a rather dangerous time, especially if you're giving up a lot … [Read more...]
2 Good Reasons to Bail Out of the Mount
What? Abandon the Mount? The position you've worked so hard to achieve?!? Let me explain... BJJ is a position-based art. The positional system of BJJ is the central organizing theme of my 'Roadmap for BJJ' book (click here to be emailed instructions on how to download this free book). On page 5 of the book we talk about how the positions in BJJ definitely fall into a hierarchy. Some … [Read more...]
Escaping Side Mount for Smaller Grapplers
A reader writes... Q: Hi Stephan, I've got a question for you if you don't mind me asking. I often struggle when it comes to rolling with big guys. I weigh roughly 52 kilos and the guys at the gym obviously weigh a lot more than me. I often find myself being pinned down in one position and not being able to maneuver myself as the guy uses his weight/strength against me. This mainly happens … [Read more...]
Posture Under Side Mount
Recently we discussed the concept of ‘posture’ and how it applies when you’re pinned underneath someone. A few people have contacted me since then, asking for specific examples of posture while pinned. Let’s start with with just one pinning position: here are the three most common postures used to defend submissions and set up escapes while pinned in sidemount. … [Read more...]
The Shaolin Choke by Andreh Anderson
Andreh Anderson is a black belt under Rey Diego at (www.reydiogo.com). Andreh talks about this choke: "I call it that because Shaolin taught it to us when he visited our school. It wasn't until a year or so after first seeing it that I started using it. … [Read more...]
The Ninja Choke by Andreh Anderson
Andreh Anderson is a black belt under Rey Diego at (www.reydiogo.com). Here he demonstrates a choke from side control that he learned from Rey Diego. … [Read more...]
High Level Pin Escapes
How many times has someone almost gotten past your guard... ...You're just about pinned; it's just a matter of time... ...So you mentally relax, concede the position and prepare for the battle to get out of sidemount using your pin escape techniques. This approach can work, but it's very much the hard way of going about things. To make your life on the mats MUCH easier watch the video … [Read more...]
How to Defeat the Bigger Stronger Opponent NOW AVAILABLE
It's here! The How to Defeat the Bigger, Stronger Opponent DVD set is in stock, and ready to ship right now. Emily Kwok and I have been crafting this 5 DVD set for a long time, and it's one of the best instructional sets I have ever seen. … [Read more...]
Submission Grappling Armlock
This armlock has been part of the Japanese Ju-Jutsu arsenal for hundreds of years; here's how it's applied in a modern-day submission grappling context... (This technique is from the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com) … [Read more...]