It' s not easy to tap out a high level grappler with a joint lock. First of all their submission prevention is tight. They do everything they can to stop you from getting the submission in the first place. Next, their defense and escape techniques are also top notch. If you give them even an inch of slack they'll use that space to wiggle out of the submission. Finally elite grapplers are … [Read more...]
The 6 Steps of a Good Submission
Did you know that there's an actual physics and biomechanics-based procedure that'll definitely help you tap out many more people in BJJ? At a high level there's so much more more to getting a choke or an armlock than simply seeing an opportunity and jumping on it. That approach rarely works against good people. Instead it's about gradually manoeuvring your opponent into worse and worse … [Read more...]
The Step-by-Step Armbar from Mount
The armbar from mount is often taught as the 'CPR' armbar where you're mounted on your opponent, he sticks his arms straight up, you put both your hands on his chest and swing around into the armbar. It's slick, it's smooth, and it looks great. But the only reason the CPR armbar works is because your opponent has broken his own structure by pushing on your chest. Good opponents will almost … [Read more...]
How To Do The Crab Ride in BJJ and No Gi Grappling
The Crab Ride is one of the hottest new positions in BJJ used by competitors like Rafa Mendes, Gianni Grippo, the Miyao brothers, Mikey Musumeci and more. It looks kind of like you're doing the butterfly guard on the back of your opponent's legs with your insteps behind his knees... except that you're upside down while doing it! The cool thing is that from that strange position there are a … [Read more...]
A Three Step Open Guard Strategy
Are you flailing around in your guard, trying to react to your opponent, without a clear plan of what to do? If so then this video and podcast episode is for you! When you're using the open guard there's a definite series of steps and strategies you should be using. Here Rob Biernacki of No Gi de la Riva Formula fame, taking you through the 3 stages of open guard and shows you specific … [Read more...]
The Butterfly Sweep from Half Guard
The half butterfly guard is a variation of half guard where you entangle one of your opponent's legs with your inside leg and then insert a single butterfly hook under his thigh with your outside leg. As such this position combines aspects of both the traditional half guard AND the butterfly guard. Two of the most popular attacks in the half butterfly position are Sweeping your opponent … [Read more...]
Getting Back to Your Feet in BJJ
If you boil down the thousands of guard techniques in BJJ they really fall into one of five categories... Sweeps that allow you to reverse the position and get to the top Submissions where you choke or jointlock your opponent Strikes with your hands, elbows, knees and feet Survival where you maintain your guard and keep yourself against your opponent's attacks, and Standing back … [Read more...]
Podcast Episode 47 – Prison for 15+ Years for a Knock-Out?
In every story about every streetfight the centrepiece is the big haymaker that landed and knocked somebody out cold. It's a compelling story, but the reality is that whenever you do this you automatically run a very serious risk of killing the other guy. Your punch to the head may be powerful, but usually it's not nearly as dangerous as the second impact when his falling head lands on the … [Read more...]
BJJ Wristlocks Everywhere!
For some reasons wristlocks in BJJ just don't get no respect. Many grapplers consider it OK to tap out to armlocks, triangle chokes, shoulder locks or lapel chokes, but for some reason wristlocks are considered super cheesy. However the wrist is just as legitimate a joint to attack as the elbow, shoulder or knee. In fact there's a meme going around the online BJJ community right now. I … [Read more...]
A Surprise Triangle Choke from Butterfly Guard
This transition from butterfly guard to triangle choke is one of my new favourite techniques. I learned it from BJJ black belt Rob Biernacki and it starts sitting up in the butterfly guard, and fighting for the powerful two-on-one grip. In the two-on-one I use both of my own hands to control one of my opponents arms which then isolates that side of his body. The next step is to kick out one … [Read more...]
My New Free App – The Grapplearts BJJ Master App!
After 6 months of crazy intensive work, I'm releasing something new for you today... It's the BRAND NEW 'Grapplearts BJJ Master App'! And it's free! Yup, grab it for your phone or tablet and pay nothing. Plus it has a CRAZY amount of free grappling content for you!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxTN9sVby4Q The app includes... 457 minutes (7 1/2 hours) of free video … [Read more...]
The 5 Steps to Training A New Technique
Most of the videos I post online are from my main Youtube channel which focusses quite heavily on BJJ, no gi jiu-jitsu, MMA and other forms of grappling. But what a lot of people don't know is that I also have a second youtube channel called 'Self Defense Tutorials' which - as the title might imply - focuses more on self defense and martial arts training. Here is one of the videos from that … [Read more...]
How To Do The ‘Imanari Roll’
The Imanari roll is absolutely one of the coolest submission attacks out there. It's unorthodox, it's fancy, but unlike many other flashy moves it's it's also quite high percentage. If you do it correctly you get straight into the 411 leglock position, which is the most powerful leglocking position we have. So there's definitely a huge upside if you land it. This move has been used … [Read more...]
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...]
Three Powerful Neck Crank Defenses
Neck cranks are undeniably powerful submissions often used in submission grappling. Rather than constricting the trachea and arteries at the front and sides of the neck like most chokes, a neck crank typically attacks the cervical spine itself. The trouble is, if you're on the receiving end of one of these attacks and don't tap out fast enough then you can sustain a long-lasting or even … [Read more...]
Escape the Heel Hook!
Even if you don't like leglocks you still have to know how to defend them! And this is ESPECIALLY true when it comes to the heel hook. (I've been suddenly and powerfully heel hooked by an enthusiastic moron in BJJ class where it's illegal and when we were both wearing the gi. Believe me, it didn't feel good at all!) If there's just one joint lock you should learn to defend it's the heel … [Read more...]
The Modern Leglock Formula is Out!
The Modern Leglock Formula is finally out and it's the best leglock instructional that I've ever seen. Rob Biernacki, the star of The BJJ Formula, has outdone himself. In this 10 volume set he has created a step-by-step guide to the submissions, positions, transitions and strategies that are make up the lower body submission game that has become so popular and so powerful in modern … [Read more...]
The Most Powerful No Gi Leglock
If you've been following the no gi grappling scene at all you've surely noticed how many matches are finished with leglocks, specifically the heel hook. The regular heel hook is bad enough, but the 'reverse' or 'inside' heel hook is even worse. It is the most powerful submission in the entire leglock arsenal. Just like the regular heel hook, the reverse heel hook can be applied from a … [Read more...]
The Styles of X Guard
I'm a huge fan of the family of guards known as the X Guard. This type of guard has saved my butt so many times it's not even funny, and has allowed me to sweep opponents that were otherwise almost entirely unsweepable. But there are still some people out there who haven't heard about the X Guard position. And there are other people who might not know that there are actually different styles … [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...]