Updated: April 07, 2013 There are affiliate links on the site. It’s mentioned elsewhere, but I’ve realized that I can’t expect everyone to see those pages. So I’m going to highlight the fact and offer a choice in the matter. First of all, let’s do a quick overview of what affiliation is. Basically if you …
Sep 09
Aiming to be in a Constant State of Evolution
Updated: April 07, 2013 There is a wealth of knowledge out there. The difficulty lies in finding what’s relevant to you. What I want to do here is help you out in that process to some degree. This is my personal reading list. It includes books I’ve read, the book I’m reading, and books that …
Jun 11
What Are The True Basics of the Half Guard?
Think about that question for a moment because there is room for debate. Right this minute, you can look around and you’ll find many different examples of how the position should be played. Like with almost everything in Jiu-jitsu, half guard is an expression of a person’s own unique insight and focus. So often there …
Jun 06
My Thoughts on the Double Guard Pull Game
The double guard pull is a relatively development. Its use has been expanding with the popularity of berimbolo and 50/50. It’s becoming a game unto itself. Those who play it have become extremely adept at it. It almost seems ritualized when you watch the transition from the pull into their attacks. If you play that …
Apr 07
The Indiana Jones Half Guard Sweep
This is a very loose translation of an article I found on a Brazilian website. It will be the first of many, and it’s a part of a specific project that I’m working on. Oh, and If you’re interested in checking out the original version, head over to Aprenda Jiu-jitsu. Organic Translation If you play …
Apr 07
Organic Translations of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Articles
I’m going to start a new project here. For some time, I’ve been trying to teach myself Brazilian Portuguese, and I’m a fan of killing many birds with one stone. So I’m going to go out there and find interesting articles that are written about Brazilian JIu-jitsu in Portuguese and I’m going to translate them …
Apr 07
Focus on the Seeds that You Plant
Recently, something significant happened in my life that will require me to make certain adjustments. It was unexpected and undesired, but I’ve been able to take a step back and really analyze the situation. I realized that there were specific choices that I made that heavily influenced the outcome. So I’ve decided to take the …
Feb 12
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2013 Trials – Second Attempt
Right out the gate, let me give you a warning. A lot of time will be spent focusing on the travel portion of the story. Consider yourself warned. Let’s begin. I booked my flight two weeks before the Montreal trials, and at that late date, the options were quite slim. So I ended up picking …
Feb 12
Why I Love Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
I recently read a book called Start with Why by Simon Sinek. It made me think about why I love BJJ, and the answer I came up with surprised me because the reason has existed before I even knew what BJJ was. Through the Wormhole Before I just spell it out, let’s go back in …
Feb 01
Troubleshooting the Half Guard I
One of my ongoing projects is related to half guard, and today I want to look at one of the questions that I’ve received as a result of that project. The question was: My Half Guard question is about the cross face. I have gotten very comfortable with being able to control the bicep of …
Jan 29
Walk Away from the 97 Percent (The Truth about the Concept)
Are you a 3%er or a 97%er? Which side would you prefer to claim? What if I told you that there was information that you might not be aware of? Many who have chosen a side in this little false dispute have no idea what the concept actually means. I want to clear that up …
Jan 09
What Are Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Gyms Really Selling
One thing that I really enjoy is taking ideas from diverse sources and applying them to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. If you read enough posts here, you probably already noticed that trend. This post will be another example of that because I was recently exposed to a very interesting concept about business. It’s all about a simple …
Jan 03
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Teaching Experiment III
After I finished that last post on training acceleration, I couldn’t wait to apply the idea. The first opportunity I had to do so was a No-Gi Advanced class I taught at Crazy 88. Beforehand, I decided that I was going to give them one of the most developed tools in my arsenal. It was …
Jan 02
Training Acceleration: A Different Way to Think about the Learning Process
I just had a revelation, and I want to share it with you. Others have probably had it as well, but I want to outline it in a way that can be clearly understood and applied. Let’s start off with a question. What are the components of an effective technique? As you think about that …
Dec 22
Crowdsourced: Half Guard Pass Counter Options
Given a very specific situation, this is a series of counter options based on the progression of a technique. Before you watch it, you should check out the original half guard pass. After that, look at the counters and study them. Do you perceive any issues or vulnerabilities? If you do, highlight them. It’s not …
Dec 17
A Quick and Simple Mount Escape Counter
There was a question on Sherdog about what to do when your opponent turns tries to elbow escape mount. In that situation, I have a little simple thing that I do, and I’ve had a lot of success with it. So I tried to explain it there, but I felt that it wouldn’t be easy …
Dec 16
Alternative Triangle Finish from Mount
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m in the process of analyzing the way I teach, and I’m making an effort to improve the process and delivery. So I give you these unedited videos because I like to kill two birds with one stone. I have some good knowledge to share, and I …
Dec 16
Can Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Instruction be Crowdsourced
Today, I had an awesome idea, and I want to share it before it slips away. Before I explain though, let’s start off with a question. What if you could crowdsource Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instruction? If you’ve never heard that term before, it can be summed up as simply the distribution of tasks to an undefined …
Dec 14
The Problem with Most BJJ Instructionals
You look around and you will see many BJJ instructionals put out by renowned Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioners. Often, they have high production values and they’re filled with content. Most of the content is even great. However, there’s generally a focus on quantity over depth and enjoyment. This has led to hours and hours of content, …
Dec 09
Observations After a Judo and Sambo Clinic
Today, I had the opportunity to participate in a grappling seminar, or clinic as they call it, and it was run by Nina Cutro-Kelly. Her background is in Sambo, Judo, and Wrestling. So obviously she has a different source of knowledge than I do when it comes to grappling. This was quite apparent when she …
Dec 05
Are You Willing to Look Like a Fool
That’s a question that you should ask yourself if you’re serious about mastering anything But who wants to look like a fool? We all want to look good. We want to impress. It’s hard to let go of vanity. It’s also hard to let go of habits that you’ve already formed. There’s a parable highlighted …
Dec 04
What Lies Just Beyond the Horizon
Take a moment and look at this picture. Do you see how the sun’s light just breaks through the clouds? Or maybe the contrast between light and shadow reflected off of hundreds upon hundreds of hills? Perhaps you even see something that I simply can’t. That’s quite likely actually. The key thing is that you …
Dec 02
A Conceptual Blueprint for Preparing to Teach
If you teach or you want to teach, you have to do more than just regurgitate information. The best instructors create experiences that are rarely forgotten. You might’ve even had such experiences yourself, especially if you’ve been training for a good amount of time. It’s in those moments when you pay absolute attention because you …
Nov 30
Transitions between Half Guard and Closed Guard
Hey, I decided to share some more unedited technique. There are actually three in the video, but they’re all interconnected. Half Guard Transition to Closed Guard Details: There are two different grip combinations that you can use for this transition. The one I showed is cross collar/far sleeve. The other one that you can use …
Nov 28
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Teaching Experiment II
Recently, I taught a class at Evolve Academy. I had a simple vision. I wanted to create a focused lesson that reinforced the technique in different ways. What we’re going to do here is go back and try to highlight what was good and bad about that approach. Class Structure Free Form Drilling – 10 …
Nov 22
Informal Technique: Triangle Entry from Half Guard
Some time ago, I put a little informal technical lesson on video and shared it only with those who have signed up for the BJJ Canvas Newsletter. Generally, I prefer to do that over posting technique, but I’m making an exception here. Half Guard Triangle Entry The technique is a transition from half guard into …
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