Some of my most treasured life experiences have been a result of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu travel. Having a gi in your bag gives your adventure a certain sort quest-like aesthetic. You’re not just on a vacation. You are on an adventure that has purpose—to train, to learn, to come back with new ideas and insights that you didn’t have before you visited a strange mat in a far off land.That thinking might be a result of a childhood defined by Dungeons & Dragons, fantasy literature, and Karate Kid movies.Regardless, I believe that every jiu-jiteiro owes it to themselves to take a jiu-jitsu road trip, even if it’s just for the weekend. You might discover that it’s something of a new hobby...

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Without fail, every Olympic year the topic of getting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into the games comes up. I remember being a white belt in 2008 and hearing that conversation during the Beijing Olympic games—Same thing during London Olympics in 2012, and now again in 2016 with the games being held in Brazil. We get excited seeing judo and wrestling on the world stage, and we wish our beautiful art could be on it too. But after all this time, we are no closer than we were in 2008. BJJ still hasn't crossed any of the major hurdles required to become an Olympic sport. To even be considered for the Olympics, a sport needs to meet specific requirements, such as: 1) having an international...

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The only thing BJJ guys like to talk about more than acai bowls recipes and black belt Twitter feuds is how messed up their bodies are. If someone complains about a popped elbow or tweaked knee, it become show-and-tell for everyone in the room to share their lingering pains and biggest, baddest battle scars. Being in shambles is almost a matter of pride. You must not be training hard enough if you’re not limping around with blown out ACLs or unable to lift your arms high enough to pull your own rashguard off.Let’s change that. You don’t need to destroy your body to do BJJ. But you do need to figure out what to do to keep yourself whole. This...

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Every gym I’ve ever been to has an enforcer. This isn’t an official title. It’s a role that goes mostly unspoken and when it is talked about, it’s communicated in code between instructor and student—half-statements that seem to echo the doublespeak of 1984.“Look out for the new guy, he’s really tough!” said with a laugh.“Meet so-and-so. They have some previous experience,” said with a little extra direct eye contact.And then, other times, it’s a discreet nod done from across the room.The message: Take this guy through the paces. Show him what jiu-jitsu can do, and if he’s rolling really rough, shut that down with some noticeable authority.The challenge with the enforcer role is that it feels inherently violent. A new...

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We're proud to announce Tap Cancer Out's special edition grey gi is now available! Buy the Tap Cancer Out x Inverted Gear collab gi from TapCancerOut.com. Below we're republishing one of our most well-received and meaningful blog posts, the story of Nelson's mother's battle with cancer. Go hug the people you love today! Cancer, Jiu-Jitsu, and a Lesson in Persistence  “Tienes que ser persistente,” my mom always said. “You have to be persistent.” She drilled this phrase into my head while I was growing up. Little Nelson having trouble tying his shoes? Keep trying. Math is hard? Keep working. Can’t beat dad in chess? Don’t give up. I heard this phrase repeated to myself and my sister millions of times over the years,...

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Brazilian jiu-jitsu is frustrating and humbling. I’ve got five pieces of advice if you want to make it a lifelong pursuit. Aim for the top of the mountain, but keep your feet on the trail. The path to black belt takes many years, and when you finally reach it, you realize the path toward mastery continues on for decades and then lifetimes (I’ll leave it to the Buddhists to figure out how to be reincarnated with all our jiu-jitsu skills still intact). Setting your sights on a distant goal will help you stay on the path toward it. The mountain path metaphor is a particularly good illustration, if you imagine it accurately. You don’t simply starting at the bottom and...

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A secret part of me gets giddy when a new student joins my class because I get to re-tell one of my favorite jokes. When we are working on a submission or some sort of positional control—usually involving a cross face or a good bit of pressure—I saunter over and explain how exactly the technique works and all of the little ways it painfully exploits the biomechanics of your opponent’s body.So I finish the explanation, and I say, “You know how they call jiu-jitsu the gentle art? Well, it’s only the gentle art for the person that’s winning.”Cue the big laugh, and my students, who have heard it before, politely humor this small bit of joy in my life.Lately though,...

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Chess is typically the default analogy when you discuss strategy (and I’m just as guilty as anyone else). We often hear jiu-jitsu called human chess, but chess has one major shortcoming when you compare it to BJJ: It’s turn based. In chess, when my opponent goes for a move there is nothing I can do to stop him. I can only react after the damage has been done. In jiu-jitsu if I recognize what my opponent is doing, I can move and stop him. This is where another strategy analogy might be better. There is a whole genre of “real time strategy” or “RTS” games. Amongst the most popular RTS are StarCraft and Warcraft. In an RTS you control units,...

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When looking for what drives success--in BJJ or elsewhere--many traits are important: perseverance, grit, intelligence, talent, determination, and more. But which is most important? Over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that the biggest difference between the wannabes and the experts is self-discipline and focus. So what are these traits and how can you develop them? Self-discipline is defined as “the ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses” and “the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.” To have focus is to be “able to direct your attention and efforts.” Examples of self-discipline and focus: Showing up to practice when it would be easier to take a night off. Pushing yourself...

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In the digital age of jiu-jitsu, there is no shortage of training aids. You can supplement your training with private lessons, seminars, YouTube videos, instructional DVDs, books, magazines, podcasts, GIFs, and internet discussions. You can even take the premium route and subscribe to one of the many technique databases headed up by the likes of Marcelo Garcia or Saulo Ribeiro. Even with this myriad of resources at your disposal, you should take time to do your own research. You should analyze competition footage because it will help you to: Inject new ideas and techniques into your regular training routine. Reverse engineer how techniques work through thought and experimentation, which will help you learn new techniques from instructors as well as...

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