In the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world the word “fundamentals” is often said reverently, and for good reason. There are many benefits to having a crushing mount, excellent closed guard, or perfect bridges. The classic BJJ progression of attaining top position through a sweep or takedown, then passing the guard to a dominant position and then finding a submission is an effective game plan. While you should have an appropriate ability to play that basic game per your belt level, there is also a benefit in investing time toward techniques or positions not often considered traditional or fundamental. Wrestling coaches will talk about an addition to your core game as having a “bag of tricks” to reach into when there is only...

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The holidays are upon us! This time of year can often be stressful, and this is true for grapplers as well. The holidays often mean travel and thus a disruption of our favorite method of stress relief: training. While I look forward to seeing far-flung family members on Christmas, I often find myself dreading missing out on training. The solution to this problem is simple: Pack your gi and visit a local jiu jitsu school. Visiting other schools is a great experience that every jiu jitsu student should indulge in, but this can also be a stressful experience, so here are few tips to make visiting schools as smooth and enjoyable process as possible. Know the Rules of the Academy:...

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There is never a shortage of things to argue about in the grappling community. It seems like whenever we aren’t rolling on the mats, we’re taking sides on one debate or another. One of the most recent and heated discussions has been about rule sets, specifically pitting the concept of submission-only competition against rule sets that award points. Avoiding taking sides is difficult, but I am going to attempt to avoid feeding into the dichotomous nature of the larger argument. To put it plainly, I think both point and submission only rule sets are worth having.Submission-only events have gained a great deal of traction in recent years, largely for the action they provide and the finality a submission offers to...

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“Jiu-jitsu is what works.” These words, spoken to me by my first instructor Adem Redzovic, echo in my ears even today. It was an inclusive statement that to me captures the essence of jiu-jitsu. There is no static list of techniques but an ever-growing art that is constantly pressure tested in the crucibles of sparring and competition. Applying techniques against live resistance is one of the key traits that separates the effective martial arts from those that aren’t.So it is always surprising to me that it is the norm in jiu-jitsu schools to dead drill takedowns but then to rarely, if ever, start sparring sessions on the feet. It flies in the face of the central idea that you can’t...

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