I know I've been lucky, but most of my martial arts instructors have encouraged questions. For example, my BJJ coach, Marcus Soares, is known for his killer conditioning sessions ('warmups,' he calls them...). But right after putting his class through hell he always starts the technical part of class by asking, "Are there any questions." He then takes time to answer each and every question, … [Read more...]
The Answer is Out There!
Let's say that you want to add a new technique - any technique - to your game. With new techniques there's always a ton of trial and error, struggle and effort, discouragement and tough times before it starts working reliably for you. But here's the thing: no matter what area of jiu-jitsu or submission grappling you're working on, I guarantee you that there's someone out there who has … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Improve Your BJJ Coaching
by guest author Brendan Hufford Tournaments are inherently stressful environments. There is always a lot of commotion, and unfortunately, there is also often a lot of disorganization. Assisting our students in navigating such an environment is an essential skill that separates a teacher from a coach. … [Read more...]
Marcus Soares, the Encylopedia of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
By Stephan Kesting Originally published in Grappling Magazine, August 2001 … [Read more...]
Can You Actually Learn to Grapple from Youtube and Video Games?
Stephan's Note: This article is by Grapplearts correspondent Bryanna Fissori, who has previously contributed a piece about MMA training at John Hackleman's Pit, the home school of former UFC Champion Chuck Liddell. … [Read more...]
A ‘Stupid’ Armlock I Was Pretty Sure Would NEVER Work…
Sometimes you just gotta have faith... In the video below I'll share an armlock with you that I'd been shown multiple times early in my BJJ career. And I always thought it was hogwash; that any good opponent would simply twist out of it and I'd end up in a terrible position. Click here to view the same "Stupid" Armlock video on YouTube! The technique in question was the reverse or … [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...]
This impressed the hell out of me!
In my early days of martial arts training I ran into quite a few teachers who were so full of themselves that students asking questions was almost unheard of. At first I thought that this was normal. I thought that maybe things would change after I'd paid my dues for 10 or 20 years... … [Read more...]
Best Type of BJJ Guard for Beginners
Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro is a four time World BJJ Champion. In MMA he held the welterweight title in Japanese Shooto. And he has the Cage Rage lightweight championship belt proudly mounted on the wall too... … [Read more...]
Podcast EP3: Erik Paulson; an MMA Master Coach Shares His Secrets
Erik Paulson is an MMA Master Coach. He's trained tons of fighters competing at the highest levels of Mixed Martial Arts. And he held the Shooto light-heavyweight title in Japan for 5 years. He's also my friend and a mentor. Recently I asked my newsletter readers if there was something in particular you wanted to ask Erik. (Hey, if you were signed up for the FREE Grappling Tips newsletter … [Read more...]
Q & A: Should I tape my matches?
==> A QUESTION <== "Do you think there's much benefit to video taping myself in sparring sessions and then watching them later to try and pin point bad/good techniques, or stuff I need to work on? … [Read more...]
Teaching BJJ to Kids
Game Theory; How I Learned to Teach BJJ to Kids, A Guest article by John Connors and Jon Grayzel … [Read more...]
Teaching vs. Fighting Ability
Some people think that they can only learn from World Champions. And then, when they finally study with a competition legend, they're often disappointed that he won't (or can't) teach them very much. … [Read more...]
Killer Grip, and How To Get It!
Stephan's note: this post is one of over 50 lessons in the Beginning BJJ eCourse. Sign up here to get your hands on the rest of the lessons for free. My BJJ coach Marcus Soares believes that a really strong grip is one of the most important physical attributes for a BJJ fighter. … [Read more...]
The Reverse Mount; Another Unorthodox BJJ Position
The first time I saw the Reverse Mount I was at an Erik Paulson seminar. My reaction was something like "yeah, right...." I honestly thought that Erik had run out of high percentage things to teach and was now just making stuff up. … [Read more...]
Off to the Glue Factory? Jiu-Jitsu for Middle-Aged Adults
Here's a question I received recently: Q: "I'm 56 years old and in pretty good health except for a few old injuries. My question is whether it is it too late for me to start training in grappling without wrecking my body too badly? (I'm not interested in competition)." … [Read more...]
Tips for Having a Great BJJ Private
Preamble: I recently talked about BJJ private classes gone bad. This tip is about how to make sure that that doesn't happen. Training in a group setting under the watchful eye of your main instructor is a good thing. … [Read more...]
Condolences
On January 29th, 2009, Helio Gracie passed away at the age of 95. Without him and his sons this sport would not be where it is today. … [Read more...]
Private Lesson Horror Stories
I'm a believer in taking private lessons with instructors, especially those that you don't get to train with on a regular basis. And I've taken my share of privates; some were great, but others were real stinkers. … [Read more...]
Why I Started Martial Arts
Here's how the book Ninja, Clan of Death got me started on my martial arts journey. And how a crayon-written black mail note failed to get me into Judo class. And which teachers have been my biggest influences. And how I finally transitioned into the grappling arts. https://www.youtube.com/v/pj2R4YYq5CY Click here to see the same video about Why I Started Martial Arts on YouTube. … [Read more...]