It’s no secret that earning a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu takes a serious investment of time, effort, and discipline. BJJ is a martial art with a seemingly endless number of techniques to learn, with sweeps, submissions, guards, and guard passes all taking years to learn and refine. Unlike many martial arts, jiu-jitsu can’t be
The omoplata is a fundamental jiu-jitsu submission that looks flashy, but will become relatively simple with time and practice. While the mechanics of this submission lead some BJJ athletes to claim that the omoplata is low-percentage, elite athletes like Clark Gracie have proven that it can actually be an effective technique at even the highest
Boosting T levels is a topic that arises for most athletes due to the incredible host of benefits that come with higher testosterone levels. This is especially so for men over 30 who may start to notice the effects of declining T levels. For those who practice BJJ, a sport that requires a lot of
For the most part, Conor McGregor is looked at as a pure striker. However Gilbert Burns seems to think that people forget how good the Irishman’s grappling actually is. As far as BJJ pedigrees are concerned, few in MMA have the resume that Burns has. He is a multiple time World Champion on the mats,
It is not uncommon to see Hollywood stars taking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or another form of martial arts. However Tom Hardy has exceeded many expectations, by earning his blue belt recently. There are a lot of roles that Hardy has been cast for over his successful Hollywood career, but the one that likely initiated his interest
The ‘arm-triangle choke’ is a core submission of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) that is simple to learn but is also incredibly effective and powerful. This technique is taught to white belts early on in their training but can take a long time to grasp all setups and variations fully. However, this choke carries a high submission
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, like many marital arts, is designed to protect you against attackers, even if they have a weapon. This was most evident recently, as a man was attacked in the back of a restaurant, but was able to use some BJJ to defeat the knife-wielding psycho. If you are lucky enough to have never
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the journey from white to black belt is a long one, typically taking at least a decade to achieve. Belt color isn’t just a symbol of your progress in BJJ, though — it’s also an indicator of the expectations and responsibilities that jiu-jitsu students take on after they get promoted. As much
At Chael Sonnen’s Submission Underground 19 event, UFC lightweights/welterweights Donald Cerrone and Rafael Dos Anjos took to the mats to face each other. What would follow was a bizarre ending that saw RDA getting tapped twice in a row. Cerrone and RDA have actually fought twice inside the UFC Octagon, with one of those being
The gi is synonymous with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), among other martial arts. Most commonly seen in white or blue, the uniform is one of the first things you will receive upon joining a dojo. To receive your gi and belt is a form of initiation and is regarded with great respect and honor. Purists and
The triangle choke is one of the most common and effective fundamental submissions in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA. Many students learn it within the first few weeks of starting BJJ, and both beginners and elite athletes alike often use the triangle to submit their opponents from a variety of positions. Whether you’ve never seen a
Khabib Nurmagomedov is undefeated inside the realm of combat sports up until this point. However BJJ standout turned MMA prospect, Garry Tonon feels that this would change if they were to go head to head in a grappling match. To be frank, Tonon is one of the greatest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu talents in the sport’s history.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most effective grappling martial arts and one of MMA’s most successful styles. In fact, the UFC wouldn’t be what it is today without the contributions of Hall of Famer Royce Gracie, one of the most influential figures in MMA history. BJJ is a grappling system based on takedowns, submissions,
New York City has become a hotbed for talent in the world of Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. Specifically, the Renzo Gracie Academy located in Manhattan, New York. Names such as Gordon Ryan and Gary Tonon made their names there. However, most of them are slowly making their way out of the city. John Danaher is the latest
Once a controversial submission subset in jiu-jitsu, leg locks are now becoming part of the norm in the grappling world. Though leg locks have been a part of BJJ and submission grappling for ages now, they’ve been popularized in recent years by the success of athletes like Eddie Cummings, Lachlan Giles, Garry Tonon, and Gordon
The armbar is one of the most ancient and powerful submissions known to man. Dating back thousands of years, this arm lock variation is one of the most used in the UFC and has a high submission success rate. Also known as a cross arm lock in Judo, or Ude Hishigi Gatame in Japanese, it