Jiu-Jitsu started as a small man's game.
If you've been training for more than a day, you've probably had about a dozen people tell you jiu-jitsu was made by smaller people, for smaller people. If you happen to be smaller yourself, you might feel some pressure. You're expected to be...
If you’ve ever rolled with a brand-new athletic guy in BJJ, you likely had the ‘spazzy white belt’ experience. People of all belt levels, in particular, more experienced white belts and blue belts, often complain about ‘spazzy white belts.’ ...
Smart Thinking or Poor Sportsmanship?
Legend has it that while backstage at UFC 1, Rorion Gracie was explaining the tournament format to the fighters one last time. Someone asked him if they were permitted to bite each other. Rorion spread his arms magnanimously and said, "Gentlemen! We're not animals."
In jiu-jitsu,...
When it comes to BJJ fundamentals and ‘basic’ positions, the old school masters have it down. The rise of flashy new techniques and social media highlights often leads to new practitioners overlooking basic BJJ.
Don’t get us wrong, we are...
If you keep up with the BJJ metagame, you know that BJJ leg locks are ‘in’ and here to stay. Particularly in no gi BJJ, leg locks are a prominent technique in both points rules, submission only, and MMA. Originally, leglocks were frowned upon in mainstream BJJ competition. However,...
So, you’ve tried BJJ and you’re sold on it. Regardless of whatever sparked you to start training, you are likely wondering what it takes to learn and level up in BJJ to earn your blue belt.
Most people aren’t training to be stuck at a BJJ white...
If you have trained BJJ for any length of time, you are probably familiar with the fact that people quit BJJ constantly. There are many reasons for people quitting BJJ. Realistically, all of us grapplers will face one or...
There's a certain satisfaction you get from a hard night of training. Maybe you got tapped out a bunch of times, or maybe you ran through people.
Either way, you did it. You took part in something that 90% of the population is unwilling or unable to do.
Something...
By Professor Henry Akins
The training is all in your mind! For a long time in my training, like most people, I always thought I had to train with the best and the toughest guys to improve and get better. Then one day after talking with Rickson I realized my...
Guard Passing: The Art Within the Art
Passing the guard is probably the most complex aspect of jiu jitsu. Basically an entire martial art in and of itself. Being in someone's guard is a very dangerous place. You have to focus on passing while also avoiding a litany of attacks...
