The Fundamental Principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Matt goes back to basic basics in this week's blog post about the bedrock concepts of BJJ. This is a must-read for new white belts.
Find a Reality-Check Friend: How to Avoid the Trap of Believing Our Own Hype
There is a scene in the underrated film Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping in which beleaguered former boy bander and current solo star Conner4Real starts to question the motives of the people around him. He worries ...
Building a Healthy Jiu-Jitsu Team
In many sports, the idea of a team is a clean-cut concept of shared success and responsibility. If you are on a soccer team, every player has to work together to win a game. That means communication, support, an...
6 Years at Black Belt
Matt hit the six year milestone as a black belt this year. What has changed over that time?
Meet the Pandas – A Dark Horse in the Arms Race – Jon Calestine
Choo choo! The Jon Calestine hype train continues to run strong with this exclusive interview from Panda Nation’s Daniel Bertina.
How to Guest Instruct
As you climb the ranks of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, your chances of having to fill in for an instructor go up as well. Under the best circumstances, your temporary upgrade from student to teacher will be shared with you...
Prescience and OODA Loops: Navigating the Chaos of Grappling
In the sci-fi masterpiece Dune, the protagonist Paul Atreides gains the power of prescience, the supernatural ability to see the future. In his prescience, he does not see a single vision of one future, but many poten...
How to be a Better BJJ Student
New for the Panda Nation blog: Marshal explores the process of learning how to learn jiu-jitsu to accelerate your progress.
On the Problem of Sexual Harassment and Coercion in BJJ: Five Ways to Be Part of the Solution
This is a difficult topic, but for our sport to grow, we need to keep working to make our communities healthier and safer. Val has more.
Finger, Wrist, and Elbow Self-Care for Grip Fighters and Keyboard Warriors
They tell me jiu-jitsu is the gentle art, but the jiu-jiteiros I talk to are always complaining about something hurting. Perhaps the most common problems are grip-related issues, like jammed fingers, pinchy wrists, an...
When Your Wife Asks You to Quit BJJ
What happened when Marshal’s wife asked him to quit jiu-jitsu? Quite the story.
What to Do When Your Progress Stalls Out
As you advance in your study of jiu-jitsu, you can expect to hit a slump in those middle belts. Life as a white belt is tough in many ways, since you’re on the receiving end of so many beatings, but the path forward i...