Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Eddie Bravo Rubber Guard

Eddie Bravo Rubber Guard videos. No need to say anything else.

Part 1 of 3:





Part 2 of 3



Part 3 of 3

Friday, December 7, 2007

Side Mount bottom position

Positioning is very important in Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), but we see very few videos about it and a lot about submissions... Go figure.

The following video gives a lot of tips on the proper position on the bottom of the side mount:

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

BJJ Techniques: Sweep from the half guard

Some good techniques to sweep your opponent from the half guard.


  1. Half Guard Lapel Sweep:



  2. Half Guard Under sweep:



  3. Jeff Monson - Half guard sweep (going under):



  4. JJ Machado - No-Gi Half Guard Sweep:



  5. Half (Quarter) Guard Turnover:



  6. Half Guard Under Sweep (holding leg):



  7. Half Guard Under Sweep (holding leg 2):




  8. Half Guard Sweep:



  9. Additional variations:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHFDezFkbbg
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlFwfzl8EfE
    Half Guard Driving Sweep
    Half Guard Rolling Sweep
    Half Guard "Shoulder of Justice" Counter Counter
    Half Guard Cross Body Counter Counter
    Half Guard Leg Position Drill
    Half-guard sweep
    Marcelo's half guard sweep

Friday, November 9, 2007

Functional Half Guard

This video (more than 1h long) covers most aspects of the half guard (very detailed).



*by Aliveness Gym Estonia

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

BJJ Techniques: Sweep from the closed guard

The guard is a ground position where one combatant has his or her back on the ground, while holding the opponent using the legs. To change from the closed guard to a more dominant position, you generally sweep your opponent.


To sweep from the closed guard, you have the following options:



  1. Standing Sweep from closed Guard (when your opponent tries to stand):



  2. Pendulum Sweep From The Guard With GI:




  3. Scissors Sweep from the Guard:




  4. Kimura Sweep (in Brazilian Portuguese):



  5. Balance Sweep (in Brazilian Portuguese):



  6. Tradional Sweep (in Brazilian Portuguese):





Additional techniques:


  1. BJ Penn - Sweep from Closed Guard While the Opponent Is Standing - Variation 1

  2. BJ Penn - Sweep from Closed Guard While the Opponent Is Standing - Variation 2

  3. BJ Penn - Sit-Up Sweep



Good reads:


  1. http://www.grapplearts.com/Andreh-Knee-Grip-Guard-Sweep.htm

  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_(grappling)

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Jiu-Jitsu movie with Carlos and Helio Gracie

What can I say? This movie is just awesome! From the 50's, showing the beginning of BJJ in Brazil with Helio, Carlos and other members of the Gracie family... BJJ history in 7 minutes!

Friday, October 26, 2007

BJ Penn's NO-GI BJJ 101 Instructionals

BJ Penn is an incredible MMA and BBJ fighter and with a great teaching style. His website contains lots of videos that everyone interested in learning more about BJJ should check out.

If that's not all, the guys from sherdog organized all the videos for easy browse... Great stuff!!

No-Gi BJJ 101 Basics

Guard Techniques:
Basic Movements in the Open Guard
Open Guard Techniques While Opponent is Standing
De La Riva Guard
Goes Guard to De La Riva Guard Transition While the Opponent is Standing
Goes Guard to De La Riva Guard to Standing Up Transition
Stand Up Technique
Closed Guard Tips
Tips on Controlling Opponent's Head While the Opponent Is in Closed Guard
Breaking Opponent's Posture While the Opponent Is in Closed Guard
Breaking Opponent's Standing Posture While the Opponent Is in Closed Guard
Standing Up Out of the Closed Guard
Basic Open Guard Control
Recovering to Basic Open Guard When Opponent's Arms Are Over Knees

Mount Techniques:
Half Guard Pass to Side Mount
Tips to Holding the Side Mount
Side Mount to Knee on Top of Opponent's Belly
Side Mount to Knee on Top of Opponent's Belly to Full Mount
Side Mount with Arm Over Opponent's Head to Full Mount
Full Mount While Knee Is on Opponent's Belly
Half Guard Pass to Full Mount
Tips to Holding the Full Mount
Controlling the Full Mount with Head
Side Mount with Arm Over Opponent's Head to Back Mount
Back Mount Control Basics
Setting Hooks from the Back Mount

Techniques While Being Mounted:
Tips While in the Opponent's Side Mount
Getting Back to Closed Guard from Opponent's Side Mount
Escaping Opponent's Side Mount
Defending by Bumping and Holding While in Opponent's Full Mount
Snake/Shrimp Technique
Turning Hips and Using the Snake/Shrimp Technique to Transition from Opponent's Full Mount to Opponent's Closed Guard
Bumping and Using the Snake/Shrimp Technique to Transition from Opponent's Full Mount to Opponent's Closed Guard
Escaping Opponent's Full Mount to Closed Guard by Bumping Up and Shaking Legs Out

Bottom to Top Transitions:
Sit-Up Sweep
Sweep from Basic Open Guard - Variation 1
Sweep from Basic Open Guard - Variation 2
Sweep from Closed Guard While the Opponent Is Standing - Variation 1
Sweep from Closed Guard While the Opponent Is Standing - Variation 2
De La Riva Guard Sweep While Opponent's One Knee Is in the Middle
Closed Guard Armbar Sweep
Closed Guard Armbar Sweep to Full Mount Transition
Escaping Opponent's Full Mount by Turning
Bridging and Rolling from Opponent's Full Mount to Opponent's Closed Guard
Bridging and Rolling from Opponent's Full Mount Choke to Opponent's Closed Guard

Passing the Opponent's Guard:
Open Guard Pass to Side Mount
Open Guard Pass to Side Mount - Other Variations
Open Guard Pass by Pushing to Half Guard then Pushing to Full Mount
Open Guard Pass by Pushing to Half Guard then Pushing to Full Mount to Side Mount
Opening Opponent's Closed Guard and Standing Up
Standing Position Pass to Side Mount
Stacking Opponent's De La Riva Guard While Standing Up to Side Mount

Submission Defense:
Armbar Defense
Escaping a Kimura While in Opponent's Half Guard
Guillotine Escape from Opponent's Closed Guard
Omoplata Defense

General Submission Techniques:
Armbar Submission from the Full Mount
Armbar While Knee Is on Opponent's Belly
Triangle Choke Submission
Omoplata from Basic Open Guard
Rear Naked Choke
Rear Naked Choke (Similar)

Submissions from the Closed Guard:
Armbar in Closed Guard While the Opponent Is Standing
Closed Guard Sweep While the Opponent Is Standing to Armbar Transition
Armbar in Closed Guard to Triangle to Omoplata Sequence
Sit-Up Sweep to Kimura Sequence
Guillotine from Closed Guard
Kimura from Closed Guard
Kimura to Guillotine Sequence While the Opponent Is in Closed Guard
Omoplata from Closed Guard

Submissions from the Back Mount:
Trapping an Arm to Smothering to Rear Naked Choke Sequence
Armbar from the Back Mount - Variation 1
Armbar from the Back Mount - Variation 2
Armbar from the Back Mount - Variation 3

Submissions from the Side Mount:
Armbar from Side Mount - Variation 1
Armbar from Side Mount - Variation 2
Kimura from Side Mount
Kimura Variation Tips from Side Mount
Side Mount to Armbar to Kimura Sequence
Americana from Side Mount

Submissions from the Full Mount:
Armbar from Full Mount
Kimura from Full Mount
Full Mount to Triangle to Kimura Sequence
Full Mount to Side Choke
Full Mount to Back Mount While the Opponent Gives Back to Rear Naked Choke
Double Attack Armbar While the Opponent Defends
Triangle Submission from the Double Attack
Submissions from the Double Attack

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Body Surf Drill - Using stability ball

Lately, I have been unable to train every day because of work requirements and other conflicts in my schedule. Because of that I am trying to do at least some drills when I can not go to the gym.

I found the following using the stability ball very useful, hope you enjoy!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

BJJ Drills - Arte Suave from Andre Galvao

Andre Galvao is an amazing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and at this video he shows lots of useful drills and exercises to improve your BJJ game.

Monday, October 22, 2007

100 tips you should do before reaching black belt

For anyone interested in reaching "black belt status" in BJJ, this article is a must read. More than a 100 tips from top BJJ experts with things they did wrong and right...

"Regret is not one of the most pleasant things in life. Overall, we suffer a ton when we think of the past and regret having done or not done something or the other at a determined point in our lives. That is how, in a philosophic manner, GRACIE Magazine went after 40 Jiu-Jitsu instructors and asked: If you could go back in time, what would you do differently in your career before reaching black belt?

Breaking down in detail each instructor’s response, GRACIE Magazine made a list of 100 things you should do before reaching black belt (and 20 more you shouldn’t do). If you are already a black belt, the list still counts as a review of your career and even as stimulus to create your own list of goals to complete before receiving your red belt. At no time did we have the pretext of creating a universal decree, a recipe book. Each athlete will take the path he/she wishes to, but with a script based on the experiences of established fighters at hand. We believe that, as the path comes to an end, you will have a greater chance of looking back and feeling satisfied..."


Read this great article in FULL at Gracie Magazine.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

BJJ Techniques: Passing the closed guard


The guard is a ground position where one combatant has his or her back on the ground, while holding the opponent using the legs. In BJJ the guard is a advantageous position, even being on the back.

Since being on someone's guard is not a good place to be (you always want side-control or mount), the priority of the guy on the top is to transition to a better position, or passing the guard.

To pass the closed guard, you have the following options:

  1. Stand, while pulling your opponent legs down:



  2. Using a double under hook (very detailed):



  3. Using a double Under Hook:



Additional techniques:


  1. Standing and holding the opponent's arm:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqEcKADdLko



Good reads:


  1. http://onthemat.com/articles/Analysis_of_Brazilian_Jiu_Jitsu_Part_4_Passing_the_Guard_10_13_2005.html

  2. http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Stonewall/7886/gaurdpass.html

  3. http://www.grapplingarts.net/article1/article1.pdf

  4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_(grappling)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

BBJ Belt system and its minimum times


BLUE TO PURPLE – 2 YEARS
PURPLE TO BROWN – 1 AND A HALF YEAR
BROWN TO BLACK – 1 YEAR
The minimum required times shown above are to be considered starting from the day the athlete is registered at the IBJJF in each belt. It is up to each instructor to decide how long it takes for a student to be graded, as long as the minimum times required for each belt are fulfilled.

*WHITE TO BLUE – 1/2 YEAR(s)
There is no official guideline for going from White to Blue, but generally it takes 1/2 years (at the discretion of the instructor).

For the official information about belts in BBJ, check http://www.ibjjf.org/graduation.htm


Tuesday, October 16, 2007

BJJ History

"Some historians of Jiu-Jitsu say that the origins of "the gentle art" can be traced back to India, where it was practiced by Buddhist Monks. Concerned with self-defense, these monks created techniques based upon principles of balance and leverage, and a system of manipulating the body in a manner where one could avoid relying upon strength or weapons. With the expansion of Buddhism, Jiu-Jitsu spread from Southeast Asia to China, finally arriving in Japan where it developed and gained further popularity.

In the last days of the 19th century, some Jiu-Jitsu masters emigrated from Japan to other continents, teaching the martial arts as well as taking part in fights and competitions.

Esai Maeda Koma, also known as "Conde Koma," was one such master. After traveling with a troupe which fought in various countries in Europe and the Americas, Koma arrived in Brazil in 1915, and settled in Belem do Para the next year, where he met a man named Gastao Gracie.

The father of eight children, among them five boys and three girls, Gastao became a Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and brought his oldest son, Carlos, to learn from the Japanese master.

For a naturally frail fifteen-year old Carlos Gracie, Jiu-Jitsu became a method not simply for fighting, but for personal improvement. At nineteen, he moved to Rio de Janeiro with his family and began teaching and fighting. In his travels, Carlos would teach classes, and also proved the efficiency of the art by beating opponents who were physically stronger. In 1925, he returned to Rio and opened the first school, known as the "Academia Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu."

Since then, Carlos started to share his knowledge with his brothers, adapting and refining the techniques to the naturally weaker characteristics of his family. Carlos also taught them his philosophies of life and his concepts of natural nutrition. Eventually, Carlos became a pioneer in creating a special diet for athletes, "the Gracie diet," which transformed Jiu-Jitsu into a term synonymous with health.

Having created an efficient self defense system, Carlos Gracie saw in the art a way to become a man who was more tolerant, respectful, and self-confident. With a goal of proving Jiu-Jitsu’s superiority over other martial arts, Carlos challenged the greatest fighters of his time. He also managed the fighting careers of his brothers. Because they were fighting and defeating opponents fifty or sixty pounds heavier, the Gracies quickly gained recognition and prestige.

Attracted to the new market which was opened around Jiu-Jitsu, many Japanese practitioners came to Rio, but none were able to establish schools as successful as the Gracies. This was due to the fact that the Japanese stylists were more focused on takedowns and throws, and the Jiu-Jitsu the Gracies practiced had more sophisticated ground fighting and submission techniques. Carlos and his brothers changed and adapted the techniques in such a way that it completely altered the complexion of the international Jiu-Jitsu principles. These techniques were so distinctive to Carlos and his brothers that the sport became attached to a national identity, and is now commonly known as "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu," practiced by martial artists all over the world, including Japan.

With the creation of an official governing body to oversee the administration of the sport, including competition rules and the grading system, the era of sport Jiu-Jitsu competitions was started. Today, Jiu-Jitsu is a highly-organized sport, with an International Federation as well as a Brazilian National Confederation, both founded by Master Carlos Gracie Jr. Through his work with the Confederation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Carlos Gracie Jr. contributed to the growth of the sport by holding some of the first organized competitions. Currently, the IBJJF and CBJJ holds competitions in Brazil, the United States, Europe, and Asia, realizing Carlos' original dream of spreading Jiu-Jitsu around the world."

Taken directly from (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation): http://www.ibjjf.org/jjh.htm

What is Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ)?

From Wikipedia:


Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting with the goal of gaining a dominant position and using joint-locks and choke holds to force an opponent to submit.


It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper technique can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger assailant. BJJ can be trained for self defense, sport grappling tournaments and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Sparring (commonly referred to as 'rolling') and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition.

Monday, October 15, 2007

New BJJ blog

Why? Because it is so hard to find organized information about BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) that I decided to put it all in one place... Hope you enjoy!

Monday, October 1, 2007

About me

I am a Canadian BJJ enthusiast, willing to learn more and share my experiences about this art.