I've previously written about why you probably shouldn’t use the top-scoring judo throw - Seio Otoshi - in your BJJ practice. (To recap, this throw requires a TON of reps, potentially exposes you to back takes, is gi-dependent, and there’s a high chance you'll roll over your opponent to end up on the bottom.) But don't throw the Judo baby out with the bathwater!! There IS a heck of a lot … [Read more...]
Takedowns
DON’T Use This Top Judo Throw in BJJ!
I came across something really neat recently. Someone called DrSeioNage did a TON of data analysis and looked at 5850 elite judo matches to identify the top-scoring techniques. The highest-scoring technique of them all during the time period studied was a throw called Seio Otoshi. This throw involves turning your back to your opponent and is often performed dropping one or both knees … [Read more...]
The Most Successful Gracie Family Fighter of All Time
Not only is Robert Drysdale a BJJ and ADCC World Champion, he has also conducted extensive research into the history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In this interview, he reveals some of what he's discovered, including... 01:54 - The first wave of jiu-jitsu in Brazil - Helio Gracie and Carlos Gracie 04:35 - Exhibition and carnival fighting in Brazil 06:55 - Traditional jiu-jitsu style vs modified … [Read more...]
Seven Reasons Carlson Gracie Was the First Modern MMA Coach and Fighter
Carlson Gracie fought 18 Vale Tudo in the 1950's and 60's. His 17 wins make him the most successful Gracie fighter to this day. In the course of his long fighting and coaching career, he innovated many of the MMA training practices that we now take for granted. Here are seven ways in which he was the first modern MMA coach and fighter... Carlson's radical-for-the-time ideas included … [Read more...]
How to do the Low Single for No Gi Grappling
The low single is a variation of the single leg takedown, which is one of the staple techniques of wrestling. Probably the most famous low single in history belonged to John Smith, who used this move to win multiple world championships and multiple Olympic gold medals. Not only is the low single is good for winning Olympic medals, it's also a great technique for submission … [Read more...]
Top 10 Wrestling Moves for BJJ
by Jeff Meszaros In many ways, wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu are total opposites. The core concepts of the two sports run against each other, and what's a great idea in one art is often a terrible idea in the other. In wrestling, you do anything you can to avoid having your back put on the mat. But in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, people will often fall to their backs immediately to "pull guard" … [Read more...]
Fake Low, Go High; How to Use Level Change Fakes to Set Up Takedowns and Submissions
There's a universal combative principle known as 'fake east, go west.' This idea has been valid since forever. It has been used effectively in small-scale fights between individuals and also at the grand strategic level in huge wars. That's because it only always works. The idea is to distract your opponent by doing one thing over here and then hit them hard somewhere else. One … [Read more...]
The Single Leg X Guard – A Surprising Way to Pull Guard…
Should you pull guard in competition? And if you decide to pull guard, then how do you do it correctly? In a certain sense, I am uniquely unqualified to answer these questions... You see, much of my BJJ comes from 8th degree black belt Marcus Soares, and Marcus is very much from the old-school Carlson Gracie way of doing things. The Carlson approach to jiu-jitsu is definitely focused on … [Read more...]
5 Leglock Entries From Standup
Let's take a look at 5 leglock entries from a standing position. By combining your takedowns with these submissions you'll greatly magnify the power of both! It's always easier to apply a technique when your opponent doesn't expect it. And nothing is more surprising than thinking you're in a takedown battle but suddenly find yourself on the defensive, frantically defending a leglock … [Read more...]
Jumping Guillotine Choke
A lot of jiu-jitsu guys struggle on their feet, especially when they're facing a superior wrestler. Fortunately there's a way to use a wrestler's own reactions against him, and that's by jumping into a guillotine choke In this technique you first fake low and threaten a double leg takedown or a low single takedown. When he does the right thing and level changes to defend against the shot … [Read more...]
NEW INSTRUCTIONAL!! 30 Second Fight Finishes
Elliott Bayev is one of the most detail-oriented instructors I've ever met. His first instructional with Grapplearts was The Spider Guard Masterclass, which many people called the best BJJ instructional they've ever seen. Elliott is now back with 30 Second Fight Finishes. In this instructional you'll learn the absolute fastest ways to end your match, regardless of whether you’re on … [Read more...]
Top 10 Throws and Takedowns for BJJ
I'll go ahead and say it: every practitioner should have at least a couple of throws and takedowns for BJJ. Yes, it's true that pulling guard is an option in sport BJJ competition, but ultimately this is a martial art, which means we have to at least occasionally consider the self defense aspects of what we're doing. Are you going to pull guard in a streetfight? Not bloody likely. In this … [Read more...]
Interview with Yuri Simoes, 2 x ADCC World Champion
Yuri Simoes is a two time ADCC World Championship, a two-time IBJJF black belt Absolute No-Gi World Champion, and a two-time Pan American Champion. In our chat we go deep into developing the motivation required to train at such a high level, recovering from 2 horrific knee injuries and winning ADCC, the importance of self defense training, how he took down a Olympic Judo champion in … [Read more...]
Back Attacks 6: How to Transition to the Crucifix from Rear Mount
The crucifix is an absolutely terrible position to be caught in when you're doing BJJ, No Gi or MMA. Here's Rob Biernacki of BJJ Formula fame showing exactly how to apply the crucifix on your opponent!! This is part 6 in a series on the so-called 'weak side' of the back we're releasing on Youtube and is a small part of the Back Control module of the BJJ Formula instructional. You can get … [Read more...]
Single and Double Leg Takedowns for Beginners
My friend Rob Biernacki and I recently shot a video about two of the most important takedowns for grappling: the single and the double leg takedowns. These are deeply complex techniques that can be explored and elaborated on endlessly, but for beginners it's sometimes good to keep things simple. However we let our inner smartasses run wild when we were filming this material, so the … [Read more...]
Monty Collier, Keanu Reeve’s Judo Instructor for John Wick 3, Parabellum
Today's guest on The Strenuous Life Podcast is Monty Collier, a black belt Judoka who worked with Keanu Reeves to get him ready for the amazing fight sequences in the movie John Wick 3, Parabellum. This conversation was fun and we really went detail about stuntwork and gun fu movie fighting including how he taught Keanu highly technical Judo throws that have bedevilled me for years. We … [Read more...]
Will Grappling Dummy Drills Really Help Your BJJ?
I often get emails from people wanting to know whether drilling with a grappling dummy will help their jiu-jitsu. Dummies are expensive items, and people want to make sure the investment will be worth it. The short answer is no. WATCH AND/OR LISTEN TO MY RANT ON THIS TOPIC Here's a video and podcast with my views on the subject, or if you prefer to read on you can scroll down the page a … [Read more...]
The 3 Steps to a Takedown
Many grapplers lack even a basic knowledge of takedowns, and this is a HUGE mistake. As far as I'm concerned if you're a submission grappler or a jiu-jitsu player who pulls guard in every competition then you need to have at least a few ways to get the fight to the ground from the feet. In having takedowns is just part of being a well rounded grappler, but it's also for self defense: you'll … [Read more...]
An Easy Armdrag Defense
OK, this is a quick post because it's only a short video that I filmed right before training today... If someone tries to armdrag you they're usually gripping your triceps area with their cross hand and pulling you hard, trying to either get behind you or elicit a pulling reaction. And it's a legit threat, because a good armdrag can set you up for a number of things, including... The rear … [Read more...]
The Standing Sakuraba-Style Kimura Armlock
The first time someone showed me the standing Kimura attack I was pretty skeptical... I was like, "yeah, that would never work, not in a million years!" Whoops, was I ever wrong. You see, shortly after I was introduced to that supposedly 'useless' technique, a Japanese fighter named Kazushi Sakuraba started used the standing Kimura to tear a bloody swath through MMA world, besting a … [Read more...]