What are we doing here? We are practicing people handling skills. The study of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (Bjj) can cover a wide range of subjects and uses. Most of the work takes place on the ground. We omit striking and focus on carefully controlled joint locks and chokes. Our curriculum covers 23 positions, each positionContinue reading “What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?”
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How to get better in the Information Age.
Not long ago, the martial arts underwent a change… We used to travel to find information, or be lucky enough to stumble across a traveler with some of this information. Now, this information is freely available at little to no cost worldwide. The job of the instructor went from passing on a little information toContinue reading “How to get better in the Information Age.”
Accelerating Beyond the Spazzy White Belt Phase
It’s ok to be a spazzy white belt, nobody is born knowing anything. But why stay there? The problem with the stereotypical spazzy white belt is that they depend on many instincts or thought processes that are detrimental to getting better. Sometimes our instincts can hurt ourselves and our training partners. The goal is toContinue reading “Accelerating Beyond the Spazzy White Belt Phase”
Pick a Position
Try these exercises to improve your game. I like to start with this rough list of positions. This is what I hand new people who show an interest in studying on their own time. You can play each position in countless ways, but need to have the ability to recognize where you are and respondContinue reading “Pick a Position”
Bjj Vocabulary: Gi Grips
Collar Grips You have two basic options when gripping the collar, the Mirror Grip and the Cross Collar Grip. These are often combined with complicated positions. Sleeve Grips and Hooks. I will simply grab the sleeve on the outside like the picture below. This option is fast and effective for specific purposes. You can alsoContinue reading “Bjj Vocabulary: Gi Grips”
Bjj Vocabulary: 3 Common Open Guards vs Standing Opponent
There are countless Open Guards to play vs a standing opponent. I like to look at them as based on root positions. Like branches on a tree. Most of the fancy Open Guards are based on simpler versions that came earlier with new details to optimize the preferences of the guard players. Our ability toContinue reading “Bjj Vocabulary: 3 Common Open Guards vs Standing Opponent”
Stages of Drilling
Most days, we drill for 45 minutes. I understand that sounds like a lot at first. We cover the same thing all week, but this is not mindless mass repetition. We cover three things giving us 15 minutes for each thing divide that by two because you were training partner that gives us 7 1/2Continue reading “Stages of Drilling”
What is the Master Division?
In the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), there’s a competitive division that holds a special place for practitioners over 30: the Masters Division. Master 2 begins at 35, and continues every five years up to Master 7 (60+). If you discovered Jiu Jitsu at 25 or older, this is an excellent place to developContinue reading “What is the Master Division?”
ADCC Rules vs IBJJF: How are they different?
ADCC rules are known for being different from IBJJF and pushing the action in unique ways. We looked at the IBJJF rules in How do the Points Work in Bjj? That is my best condensed take on the game. They have a detailed 52 page rule book that is in a state of constant yearlyContinue reading “ADCC Rules vs IBJJF: How are they different?”
Using the Timer in Bjj
Paying attention to the time is an important skill to develop for many reasons. In the absence of a submission, we have a limited amount of time to establish something significant. Different time frames have different strategies and levels of effort. This is my general approach. The amount of time we train impacts how muchContinue reading “Using the Timer in Bjj”