Class 2015-11-24: Stack Pass Counter

Nobody likes having a stack pass done to them, but as with anything else, there’s a way to counter and turn the tables. You can prevent the stack pass from progressing and you can get in a good position for multiple attacks.

Ball Rolling

I’ve spent the last couple weeks sparring with only one hand because my left hand is injured. It’s presented a lot of frustration, but it also made me think a lot. It’s also been a while since I made up a game for the adults. Chocolate, meet peanut butter. So, for tonight’s fundamentals class, I […]

Class 2015-04-27: Closed Guard Control and Defense

The closed guard is a very important position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. By controlling your opponent’s body with your legs, you exert a tremendous amount of control over their actions. Unfortunately, it’s common for fundamentals students to use the closed guard inefficiently, making both offense and defense more difficult than it should be.

Class 2014-02-18: Mount Attack Combo – Armbar against Upa

Every attack should be performed with intent to finish, however your opponent is likely to use your attack against you. This is especially true for your mount attacks, where you are in a very dominant position and your opponent’s best chance of escape may be when you start an attack. Although fundamentals students are primarily […]

Class 2014-07-16: Armbar From Guard

The armbar from guard is a very important submission, but also easy to have trouble with.  This class covers both the offense and defense, and gives some targets to shoot for for positioning. 

Class Video Update

Note on class videos: From the end of summer up until now has been really busy for me.  I’m still doing the videos and I have a stack of them sitting on youtube waiting to be published.  I’ll be doing the writeups in a little more abbreviated fashion than usual in order to clear my […]

Class 2014-07-02: Attack Triggers

It appears common of late to include “trigger warnings” when you are about to talk about anything that might cause the reader mental or emotional discomfort.  This here is jiu-jitsu, kids, and we embrace discomfort around here.  Triggers are something we look for and embrace.  Jiu-jitsu triggers don’t come with any warning, and you have […]

Class 2014-06-23: Back Mount Transitions (Counters)

You never want to give up back control.  It’s the most dominant position, so there’s no good reason to transition to another less dominant position. . . unless you don’t have any choice.  When your opponent is escaping back control and you know you are going to be incapable of recovering back control, your only […]

Class 2014-06-18: Back Mount Defense and Control

Back Mount Defense It’s a sad sequence of events that landed you here, and now someone is riding your back.  You’re pretty sure they want to choke you unconscious.  Despite your opponent’s clear display of superiority, you still have some good options for establishing a defensive base to use as a launchpad for your escape.