Many Russian athletes have been banned from various sporting events as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This is starting to spread to our sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
After Russia’s attack against Ukraine or so-called “special operation”, Finland’s relations with its eastern neighbor have been altered. The Finnish BJJ federation has banned Russian BJJ athletes from their tournaments.
The Finnish BJJ Federation, FBJJF, has decided to follow the IOC’s and Finnish Olympic Committee’s recommendations regarding Russian and Belarus athletes and officials participating in foreign sports events.
“As a result of Russia’s hostilities against Ukraine, the Finnish Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee have published their own recommendations for sports communities in connection with international sporting events. In accordance with the recommendations of the Olympic Committees, the SBJJL Board of Directors has decided that Russian and Belarusian clubs as well as athletes from the above countries will not be able to participate in the 2022 Finnish Open (BJJ & NoGi & Senior NoGi) competitions.”
The Finnish Open competitions will be discontinued, as BJJ Russian and Belarusian athletes with permanent residency in Russia or Belarus won’t compete in the 2022 BJJ Finnish Open, NoGi Finnish Open, and Senior NoGi Finnish Open.
“This decision does not apply to clubs registered elsewhere or to athletes permanently residing outside Russia or Belarus (eg does not apply to athletes permanently residing in Finland and SBJJL member clubs).”
“Therefore academies from Russia and Belarus and Athletes with permanent residence in Russia or Belarus will no longer participate in the BJJ Finnish Open 2022, NoGi Finnish Open 2022 and Senior NoGi Finnish Open 2022 competitions. FBJJF’s Finnish Open 2022 competitions are welcoming all academies registered and Athletes having permanent Residency in other countries.”
“The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s Finnish Open 2022 tournaments are open to all academies registered in Finland and foreign residents.”
Do you think this is fair to Russian athletes who in BJJ are representing themselves and their club, and not their country?
The Chimaev-Burns bout, according to UFC president Dana White, generated the most buzz at the event, and these outstanding warriors certainly lived up to expectations. Fifteen minutes of superb fighting were seen in total, with Khamzat Chimaev receiving a unified decision (29-28 x3).
Gilbert Burns (20-5-0, 13-5 UFC) was a huge underdog heading into this bout, but he proved that the second-ranked contender should never be taken lightly. “Durinho” showed power, a full set of abilities, and threatened Chimaev more than any of his prior opponents in his career combined. Chimaev earned his 11th victory and remained undefeated in competitive bouts for the first time in his career.
Chimaev, on the other hand, has not avoided going to the ground floor. He immediately overreached Burns and began fights on the ground level. The fighters, however, quickly returned to their feet. Burns’ low kicks were accurate, but Chimaev outboxed him when it came to boxing combinations. Burns, who is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, won the bout in the first round. Burns scored well during the counterattack at one point. Chimaev briefly went to the ground after an exchange of blows, but he rose up immediately. Khamzat effectively hits the front straight with his right hand and sends Burns to the floor with a powerful punch just before the round’s end. The Chechen continued pounding him on the ground for another minute or so, but Burns kept fighting and eventually prevailed. After five minutes into the fight, Lutalo “Durinho” made his entrance.
Burns, on the other hand, began his second round with a series of front direct blows from Chimaev, and Burns at one time responded well to the right punch and somewhat shook him. Khamzat pressed forward, and Burns attempted to take down the single leg. The Brazilian was nowhere near it; instead, Chimaev easily neutralized that effort. However, the crowd quickly rose to their feet. Burns violently attacked his opponent and leaped on top of him with force. Khamzat countered by shaking Chimaev violently but mostly missed.
Burns fought against a popular opponent, demonstrating that Chimaev is not as untouchable as many had believed. Burns attempted to takedown Khamzat in the second half of the round with a double leg, but he again easily defended the attack. The fighters quickly returned to their feet, and Burns extended an offer for fresh confrontations with a grin on his face. In Jacksonville, we witnessed a fantastic bout.
At the end of the round, we witnessed an incredibly exciting few seconds. When Chimaev appeared to shake Burns, the Brazilian responded quickly and Chimaev was shaken once again. The Brazilian sent Khamzat to tol with strong right kicks, then almost sent an illegal kick, and Chimaev knocked him down with a double leg takedown. After the bout, it’s clear that Burns’ shot was a mistake.
Burns tried to attack in the third round, but Chimaev has a bigger wrestling advantage over Burns. Burns’ face was getting more bloodied in the third round as “Borz” performed better with the front direct. Khamzat did a good job with the front direct in the third round, and Burns’ face was becoming more bloody. After the conclusion of the second round, Michael Kruse’s partner “Borz” was more mature and cautious, yet Burns was likewise very active in this stage of combat.
Chechen, on the other hand, was progressing most of the time. Burns, on the other hand, would have excellent assaults from time to time in which he would strike with “overhand” and right crochets. It was an outstanding 15 minutes between two top welters.
Soon, Chimaev will make a significant improvement in the standings. He was 11th in the rankings of prospective opponents on the eve of the bout, and Dana White said he would face Colby Covington, who is first in the challenger ranking if he wins. Chimaev has won five times in UFC, but he turns out to be quite fragile as well.
UFC 273 – results
The main part of the event:
Alexander Volkanovski def. Chan Sung Jung via TKO – R4, 00:45
Aljamain Sterling def. Petr Yan via split judge’s decision (48-47 x2, 47-48)
Khamzat Chimaev def. Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision
The talented Brazilian fighter put the much-favored Chimaev to the test.
One of the most remarkable things about Khamzat Chimaev after his first four UFC appearances was his high punch statistic. According to official UFC records, Khamzat has only been hit very hard once, and it was John Phillips in his UFC debut.
He proved himself to be a great underdog in his fights against McKee, Meerschaert, and Jingliang, where he was able to endure without being hit hard. Burns exceeded many people’s expectations by offering the most resistance yet.
In the first bout, Chimaev endured a “Durinho” match that was extremely difficult. After one significant strike in the opening encounter, Chimaev’s statistics changed dramatically. Burns struck 119 significant hits compared to Khamzat’s 108, for example. “Durinho” scored 141 goals and beat Chimaev by 124 shots overall (141-124).
In the second round alone, Burns delivered as many as 56 significant strikes, and 45 of them landed on Khamzat’s head (a total of 89 significant blows were received by Chimaev in the head). Burns demonstrated that Chimaev is not a machine indestructible. Darren Till provided some photos from the bout, including a “selfie” taken by Khamzat after the bout in the locker room.
Chimaev’s Instagram account also posted a fascinating image of his face, and it’s plain that he didn’t have an easy fight. Burns is in fact the second challenger in the welterweight class, and he proved it today.
Chimaev’s best quality is his ability to recover quickly from adversity, which has allowed him to bounce back and win some of his bouts. The “bad” news is that he’ll have to continue competing against the greatest fighters in the world (Usman and Covington).
.@KChimaev admits it was “a little bit hard to fight” Gilbert Burns because Burns’ kids came up to him and said, “Ah, you fight my daddy!”
“Sh*t. F*ck. I don’t need that sh*t. I don’t want to fight with some daddy.”
Several interesting fights were seen in the preliminary part of the huge UFC 273 event.
Alexey Oleinik (60-16-1) has been anticipating victory since the fifth month of 2020. The legendary Russian heavyweight won over Fabricio Werdum and was on the verge of achieving his 60th MMA victory.
After suffering three losses (Derrick Lewis, Chris Daukaus, and Sergey Spivak), it appeared that the veteran had come to an end. Despite the losing streak, the promotion did not fire him, and Oleinik finally received his 60th victory.
45-year-old Oleinik pulled down “Scarf-hold” aka “Chest Choke” on Jared Vanderaa (12-8-0, 1-4 UFC). In his career, he amassed 47 victories by “submission.” Vanderaa was defeated by the same approach as Oleinik beat Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović in 2013.
Oleinik wins by submission for the 47th time in 60 career wins 🤯
It was also the seventh “submission” win for Oleinik under the UFC’s supervision, and it came just one short of Frank Mir’s heavyweight record. When asked whether he planned to fight for another five or ten years after the bout, Oleinik responded that he was joking. However, Oleinik maintains that his career is not yet over, implying that we will continue to follow him.
Jared Vanderaa suffered his third consecutive defeat and fourth in his last four UFC fights. Justin Tafu is the lone American to beat him, while he lost to Spivak, Romanov, Arlovski, and Oleinik. It’s possible that this may be the end of his UFC career.
After his second UFC bout, Conor McGregor’s potential replacement, Ian Garry (9-0-0), maintained his undefeated record. The 24-year-old Irishman known as “The Future” made his UFC debut in November 2017. Now he’s back at the big show, where he knocked out Jordan Williams at a PPV event at Madison Square Garden. His fight against Darian Weeks (5-2-0, 0-2 UFC) wasn’t good, but it was enough to earn him a unanimous decision victory (29-28 , 30-27, 30-27).
The youngster was not pleased and has a long road ahead of him before facing the world’s best welters. Still, after the bout, Garry stated that he is not perfect but is on his way to becoming so. He recognizes his room for improvement, and with such a positive attitude, we believe there will be progress.
Mike Malott (8-1-1) proved to be an insuperable barrier, as Mickey Gall (7-5-0, 6-5 UFC) mentioned that he would definitely defeat Bruce Lee. In his UFC debut, the Canadian welterweight cruelly KO’d Mickey Gall in the first round.
The preliminary portion of the event featured seven fights. On Friday, March 24, the bout between Marcin Tybura and Jairzinho Rozenstruik was called off due to sickness. The entire results of the introductory portion of the fight can be found at the bottom of this page.
UFC 273 – preliminary part of the event:
Ian Garry def. Darian Weeks via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Anthony Hernandez def. Josh Fremd via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Raquel Pennington def. Aspen Ladd via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Mike Malott def. Mickey Gall via KO – R1, 03:41
Aleksei Oleinik def. Jared Vanderaa via sub (scarf hold) – R1, 03:39
Piera Rodriguez def. Kay Hansen via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Julio Arce def. Daniel Santos via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
When a hostile guy attacked a woman as she was walking home, Jake Jones saw it happen. Without thinking twice, he applied the Sleeper Hold and subdued the man, taking him down and mounting him for over 8 minutes (without throwing a single punch) until the cops arrived.
A gambit is a chess term that means “sacrificing a piece.” A gambit is when you sacrifice a piece in order to gain an advantage over your opponent in terms of structure or position.” – Explains Wim Deputter, Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt
Check out the video from this event where he uses his favorite triangle choke counter.
Wim Deputter on his Triangle Counter Bait technique:
I always had a decent triangle choke defense. One of my favorite techniques in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition is to bait the triangle, wear down my opponent, and then gradually pass. Even if the pass itself fails, I may still wear down my opponent and utilize it as a triangle choke escape. This triangle choke pass is identical to the basic double-under pass in terms of technique.
In this encounter, I use my right hand to take the opposing collar and leave my left arm low on purpose, knowing full well that my opponent has the choice of going for the triangle. Note that my head does not fall (straight neck). When my opponent attempts the triangle, he gains a POSITIONAL ADVANTAGE. But I gain a STRUCTURAL advantage.
My opponent’s back and neck are practically folded in on themselves (broken posture) while my spine and neck remain straight (strong posture). It’s difficult (and unhealthy for your spine) to build strength when you have a broken posture. Despite having the triangle, my opponent is unable to generate power since to his position and thus unable to finish the choke
I force my opponent to support my weight, gradually grinding on him until he crumbles. The more he attempts to fight me off, the quicker he becomes tired. He must either pass the ball or turtle up and expose his back (the truck) until he has no choice but to give in. My opponent effectively bent my neck (pulled my head down). If I correct my posture by arching my arse up over my shoulders. My neck is straightened once again. This identical technique and other things are fully described in BJJ Fanatics Instructional “The Hidden and Fundamental Mechanics of Pressure Passing.”
“So this guy shows up at my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class and informs me that the art doesn’t work and that his TKD, Boxing, Aikido, shootfighting combination can defeat Jiu-Jitsu/MMA in a REAL Streetfight.
He left me alone, but not before irritating me to no end. However, I blew him off and he departed the school. He then made numerous attempts to contact my wife and challenge me to a fight for approximately 6 weeks.
I ignored him, but he started spreading rumors that I was scared of him and even went up to my 54-year-old Thai Boxing coach.
“I accepted his challenge the next time he called, and this is a video of the two matches.”
Jiu-Jitsu escapes are a subject that is becoming quite popular in BJJ nowadays. It was to be expected, as the offense has been in the focus of most people for the past two decades. As we start appreciating the power of a solid defense and set of slick escape skills, we start seeking out ways to further that knowledge. The “Smoosh Proofing” Jiu-Jitsu Escapes System Chelsea Leah DVD offers precisely that.
Click for Techniques List, Free Video & More Info
Overview
This particular instructional is one that I wholeheartedly recommend. While I do feel smaller framed and female grapplers will benefit the most from it, it is my opinion that it is a great resource for everyone involved in BJJ.
The “Smush Proofing” Chelsea Leah DVD is all about staying safe when on the bottom, deterring passes, pressure, and all other means of attack while creating openings for your own offensive game. If you find yourself constantly smashed when in guard, this is the DVD to help you literally smush-proof your bottom game.
The instructional is with the Gi and Leah covers many different types of guards, from closed guard and the collar sleeve to the lasso and De La Riva guards. She explores different ways of preventing people from threatening the structure of your guards, introducing some interesting new Jiu-Jitsu escape concepts along the way.
Instructor Background
If I had to choose who to learn BJJ from, I’d choose a female instructor over any male one. Chelsea Leah is one I’d place at the top of the female instructors’ list. A black belt under Andre Galvao, she has had a very eventful BJJ career so far, and she is far from done.
Leah has a bunch of titles, from top IBJJF events like the Worlds (submitted everyone as a brown belt) to pro events like Polaris, Metamoris, and 5 Super League. She was also a full-time professor at the Mendes Brothers’ AOJ academy, teaching women’s Jiu-Jitsu.
Leah is nowadays traveling a lot, competing wherever she can, and teaching seminars around the world. She has an immense amount of grappling knowledge and is one of the best instructors I’ve seen, which gives even more weight to her “SMush Proofing” Jiu-Jitsu Escape System BJJ instructional.
Subject
The main idea behind this Chelsea Leah DVD is to teach you how to deal with pressure-based attacks when you are on the bottom. That said, Chelsea does not cover many escapes from bottom positions but rather focuses on guards.
She offers a very cool concept on how to strengthen all your guard positions, closed and open. What iI particularly like is that she also focuses on panic-based reactions and she has a concept that will help you use them to your advantage.
The guards Leah covers in this instructional include the closed guard, Reverse De La Riva, collar and sleeve guard, and the lasso guard. She also shares a few interesting counters you can do as people try to pass, regardless of your guard positioning.
Complexity
This is a Gi-based instructional that features some more complicated guards like the sleeve guard and the Reverse De la Riva guard. However, it also has really basic stuff, in the form of the closed guard and the collar and sleeve guard. Leah’s choice of guards in this Jiu-JItsu Escapes System makes the DVD a great fit for grapplers of all levels. The only drawback is that it is a Gi-only instructional, with lots of the stuff not really transferable to No-Gi.
Technical Details
This Chelsea Leah DVD instructional has 7 volumes. It lasts a total of two and a half hours. Each of the volumes is short, not exceeding 30 minutes, which actually is perfect for an instructional of this type. It makes it concise, yet versatile.
Leah is a great instructor, a native English speaker, and has lots of experience teaching. All of that boils down to a very easy-to-understand way of delivering information.
The video and audios quality is in high definition, and the release is available in hard-copy DVD format, as well as a digital download.
Detailed Analysis
DVD #1
The first volume of the “Smush Proofing” Jiu-Jitsu Esapces System Chelsea Leah DVD is all about her concept behind the entire instructional. Here, she shares the layers of guard, as well as the highly entertaining (and practical) concept of the egg.
As the DVD goes on, she addresses a key question – Can you recover guard? Chelsea helps clearly draw the line between successful guard recovery and a point of no return where you need to be thinking about other types of escapes.
The first volume also features the section on panic positions. Those are spots where you need to act very precisely rather than flail around. Leah uses turtle, the knee slice, and half guard to deliver the point being this awesome concept.
As this volume wraps up, Leah goes over gripping concepts and knowing when to rest.
DVD #2
Part two starts to explore the closed guard as the first position to use from the bottom. Leah starts with principles of controlling the closed guard before moving on to present the “watermelon crush”.
The first half of this volume is about the watermelon crush, and how it can be used against different closed guard breaks.
The second half addresses the Whizzer, and how you can use it from the bottom to play a very strong guard game without having to worry about passes. Sweeps and submissions quickly follow once Leah covers how to annoy people with this grip. It is basically overhook closed guards on steroids.
DVD #3
The collar and sleeve guard is one of the most powerful and underestimated guard positions to play in BJJ. Most people shy away from it because they fail to understand how precisely to use it to keep the top person at bay.
This portion of the “Smush Proofing” Jiu-Jitsu Esapces System Chelsea Leah DVD will answer exactly that. Controlling the distance is the first thing Chelsea talks about, explaining in detail how to prevent anyone from breaking down your guard structure.
A beautiful connection to the closed guard follows, tying everything up perfectly with the previous volume.
OFeensively, overhead sweeps and Leah’s signature Omoplata round off this portion of the instructional.
DVD #4
Progressively introducing more complex guards, Leah moves son to the lass guard in part 4. Once again, an intro chapter demonstrating the Smush Proofing concept in terms of the lasso guard comes first.
Following are ways to control the distance and once again, a direct connection to the collar and sleeve guard. You can probably see how Leah is setting everything up as a complete guard-based Jiu-Jitsu escapes system here.
Attacking avenues are in the form of tripod sweeps, overhead sweeps, and of course, AOJ’s favorite Berimbolo. A Lasso De La Riva sweep wraps this part up and introduces what comes next.
DVD #5
The Reverse De La Riva is the subject in the fifth volume of this Chelsea Leah DVD. Keeping up with the structure, Leah first presents how to smush-proof your RDL, before talking distance and recovering back to the lasso guard. She takes things even further in this part, covering a very late stage recovery back to lass guard as well.
A trio of sweeps (back sweep and a couple of waiter sweep options) wrap this portion up.
DVD #6
The sixth volume focuses on the BJJ dental floss, a sweep system involving the lapel that usually starts from bottom half guard.
Leah presents it as a very late-stage system, one that involves panic positions like the knee slice. She offers lots of options to recover and even counterattack with stuff like double leg takedowns.
This is also the volume where Leah brings the instructional portion of the “Smoosh Proofing” Jiu-Jitsu Esacapes System DVD to an end.
DVD #7
The final part of the “Smoosh Proofing” Chelsea Leah DVD contains rolls, which Leah narrates. There are four rolls against male training partners, where Leah presents how everything works both individually and as part of a larger system.
How We Grade The “Smush Proofing” Jiu-Jitsu Esapces System Chelsea Leah DVD Instructional
Considering this Smush Proofing” Jiu-Jitsu Esapces System instructional DVD’s technical aspects and quality of content, we come to an overall score for this instructional that I’ll deliberate in short below.
Technical Quality: 10/10
All fo the technical aspects are on point. Chelsea’s way of teaching, the audio and video quality, the multiple angles every technique is shown at all help rate this DVD as high as possible.
Quality of Content: 9/10
Perfectly suited for grapplers of all levels, this Chelse Leah DVD covers a specific subject in depth, without going overboard and straying from the matter at hand. While I usually deem short DVDs to be below standard, this one is just the perfect length, as it is first and foremost a Jiu-Jitsu escape system instructional.
In fact, the only reason I am docking a grade off the content is the fact that this is a Gi-only instructional. If Leah follows up with a dedicated No-Gi instructional on the same subject, I’ll switch the score to a perfect one.
Overall: 9/10
A very high grade for a BJJ instructional nowadays, given the sheer amount of DVDs emerging on a daily basis. If you want to improve your guard(s), especially defensively, this one should be one of the top instructionals on your shopping list.
Wrap Up
When a female black belt world champion, who is not only training with the Mendes brothers but is also an instructor at the AOJ shares a 7-part BJJ DVD, you should probably go for it. In this case, I say definitely go for the “Smush Proofing” Jiu-Jitsu Escape System Chelsea Leah DVD. it will change your Gi guard game forever!
What is Craig Jones known for in BJJ? Leglocks. uncomfortably short leopard-themed shorts. Triangles. Awesome banter. The B-team. Z-Guard. Well, it is this final trait of Craig, which just so happens to be amongst his earliest BJJ favorites that he covers in his brand new Craig Jones instructional. The detailed Craig Jones Z-Guard BJJ DVD is here, and it contains some very unusual and interesting ways of looking at this popular guard variation.
Techniques List, Free Videos & More Info
Overview
The Craig Jones Z-Guard DVD is titled “Make the Z-Guard Great Again”. It is a 6-part DVD BJJ instructional that covers one of the most popular and utilized half guard variations. The instructional is No-Gi (no surprise there) which means that it translates perfectly to Gi Jiu-Jitsu as well.
In this Craig Jones instructional, he covers positioning, attacking, and transitioning from the Z-guard. He even includes his favorite ways of dealing with it in terms of passing, making this a great resource for both those that love and hate the position. He uses some crafty new techniques and associated unusual names to take the guard to new heights. In other words, he yet again delivers on a great instructional, sticking to subjects he is a world-class expert in.
Instructor Background
You don’t know who Craig Jones is? Oh well, you’re in for one great surprise when you get this DVD. We’re not going to spoil it, but allow us to introduce Craig to those very few people that have no idea who he is.
Craig Jones (30) is an Australian grappler who is a black belt under Lachlan Giles. He is one of the best No-Gi grapplers in the world, falling second only to Gordon Ryan. In fact, Craig is the one grappler that actually came closest to submitting Ryan at EBI where the GOAT reigned supreme.
It was EBI that brought Craig to the attention of the BJJ world. mainly as a result of his flawless leg locking displays. Simply put he turned out to be the best leg locker after the Danaher Death Squad, which he subsequently joined to refine his skills. Since then, he has amount an impressive amount of wins in super fights and submission-only matches. In addition, he is also a two-division Polaris World Champion and is a 2019 ADCC silver medalist.
Craig has a staggering 80% submission finishing rate in his matches (41 matches). Moreover, he has lost only 17 matches as a black belt, competing only against the biggest names in the sport.
Known for leg locks, triangles, and a very nasty guard, Craig is no stranger to instructional either. The Craig Jones instructional tally is 11, including this latest Craig Jones Z-Guard guide.
Subject
The Z-Gaurd is a half guard variation that provides the guard player with a very high degree f safety, opening up different attacking avenues at the same time. It is essentially a knee shield from half guard that is usually played in a low position (the shin of your top leg close to the opponent’s hips).
The position is very useful for both Gi and No-Gi grapplers, and is not difficult to understand. In fact, it is one of the more instinctual positions for people when they grapple, meaning it is just as useful for beginners as it is for black belts. From the guard, the usual sweeps, chokes, leg locks, arm locks, and back attacks are all over the place. Moreover, passing the Z-guard can be a hassle, which is another reason why this guard is so popular across the board.
Complexity
Craig has an extreme amount of technical (and tactical) knowledge about BJJ. Given that the Z-guard is one of his favorite positions, and also a position he has been doing the longest, I’d go as far as claiming that he is the utmost expert about it in the entire world.
That said, this DVD is one of the rare BJJ instructionals that literally everybody can use. White to black belt, everyone will get something useful, and be confused, mostly by Craig’s naming of some of the moves.
Technical Details
The Craig Jones Z-Guard instructional has 6 volumes and lasts a total of approximately 5 hours. The first volume is the shortest, covering the introduction to the guard and lasts ~30 minutes. Volumes 2, 4, and 5 last around an hour, while numbers 3 and 6 contain just over 40 minutes of material.
This Craig Jones instructional is produced by BJJ fanatics, with HD quality of both sound and video. The camera work is precise, and while it does not move around to provide different angles, the athletes presenting the moves do so themselves. The release is available as a hard copy DVD or in the form of a digital download.
Techniques List, Free Videos & More Info
Detailed Analysis
DVD #1
Craig opens up with an introduction to the subject of the Z-Guard, and looks into the nuances of the position itself. The chapters last about 10 minutes, which is quite a lot for a single chapter, but that is just a testament to how detailed Craig is with the fundamentals.
First up, Craig explains positioning from the Z-guard, covering every major foundational aspect of the position, as well as a host of crazy details. He goes on to demonstrate the defensive power of the Z-guard by showing retention tactics.
The final chapter in this opening portion of the Craig Jones Z-Guard instructional covers how to be dynamic from the position. While the guard is very effective defensively, without a dynamic approach you won’t be able to attacks.
DVD #2
In part two, Craig, contrary to what is expected from a guard DVD, covers passing the guard, before looking into the working mechanics of the guard itself. The best part is that this very interesting volume of the Craig Jones instructional covers not just passing, but also common pass counters and ways to deal with them.
Craig starts with the hip switch pass, before moving to fan favorite in the form of the headquarters passing position. He also shares a pass that Lachaln used to do on him and it is pure gold.
As the material unfolds, Jones also talks about the weave pass, addressing some huge fallacies in how we’re used to doing it. He, of course, offers solutions before covering other passes inspired by his training partners that really do kill the Z-guard effectively. One is called the Jason Rau Unassuming bastard, and the other the Kit Dale pass.
DVD #3
Part three is all about attacking from the Z-guard (which is probably why most people will look into this DVD).
Well, if you are one of those people, this is the volume for you. There’s nothing but submission attacks in this one, coming in from all angles. Craig starts with a Kimura that purposefully uses a thumbs-grip, rather than the conventional monkey grip. He then talks about following up the Kimura into armbar variations and the concept of creating motion.
The second portion of part 3 of the Craig Jones Z-Guard DVD covers triangles. They come in the form of a couple of different Achilles triangle options and the very interesting Yoko Ono triangle. I’ll let you figure out why he named it so when you get the DVD.
DVD #4
I might not have disclosed what the Yoko Ono triangle is, but I will explain the next curious name in the instructional – the Choi bar. It is an inverted armbar from the Z-guard which is one the earliest innovative creations by Craig.
As you might presume, triangles are not far behind an armbar from the bottom, especially in a Craig Jones instructional. So, more triangle attacks follow suit, paving the way for Omoplatas which in turn, introduce a door to Ashi Garami and leg locks.
DVD #5
The penultimate part of the instructional simply continues where the previous one stopped – leg locks. The K-guard is the Z-guard’s next-door neighbor and best friend, so Craig explains this relationship in great detail. What comes next is best described as leg lock bonanza.
The one thing I really loved about this part is the chapter about sweeps. Jones’ concept is to sweep first and go for a leg lock second which is a great habit to develop or grapplers of all levels.
Finishes do include a lot of leg raping, cross Ashi Garami finishes and even some Flashy Bull$&@8, as Craig names it.
Keep an eye out for the Floating Z chapter. It is fun and will reveal something very new.
DVD #6
The final part of the Craig Jones Z-Guard instructional is about ways out of the guard. If your attacks fail, or you’re chasing a different goal, transitions are your only other option. Craig’s take si simple – dealing with a kneeling and standing opponent is what is crucial to understand.
He shares the concept of the three key battles to expect when transitioning from the Z-guard, whether by choice or necessity. Finally, he bases all his follow-ups around a very powerful and reliable wrestling move- the Whizzer. Through several chapters he opens up the door to some usual Whizzer uses, wrapping up this part, and the entire Craig Jones Z-Guard instructional with a few thoughts on a reinforced half guard position.
How We Grade The “Make The Z-Guard Great Again” Craig Jones Z-Guard Instructional
Considering this Craig Jones Z-Guard instructional DVD’s technical aspects and quality of content, we come to an overall score for this instructional that I’ll deliberate in short below.
Technical Quality: 10/10
No objections in terms of technical quality. Video, audio, the length of the volumes, the organizational system of the chapters, etc are all pristine.
Quality of Content: 10/10
No doubt this is one of the best DVD instructionals I’ve seen this year. It is really easy to follow, it covers everything in great order and connects things easily. I also loved the fact that every volume covers just one aspect of the guard play, whether it is passing as a whole or a single submission category (like armbars).
Craig is, of course, an amazing teacher, and delivers everything with a great balance of seriousness and humor, making it easier to remember things.
Overall: 10/10
Very easy to grade with a big, fat 10. Regardless of the game you play, it is a DVD you’ll need someday, so why not get it now?
Wrap Up
I am not a fan of every Craig Jones instructional, so when I look into one of his releases, I really do so with a fine-tooth comb. The Craig Jones Z-Guard DVD, as far as I am concerned, is something everybody should take a look at. You’re going to play half guard anyway, why not do it effectively?
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there have been many trying to claim the title of the best back taker. Marcelo Garcia, Roger Gracie, Gordon Ryan are just some of them, but nobody has really cemented their name too firmly. In the world of mixed martial arts though, the answer is easy. that man is Demina Maia, a BJJ wizard who has been in the UFC for more than a decade. Now, there’s a Demian Maia BJJ DVD that outlines his proven system of attacking the back. Let’s see what it contains.
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Overview
The title of this Demian Maia BJJ DVD is “Maia Backpack System: Submissions From The Back”. It is pretty self-explanatory what you can expect inside – control tactics and details for the back mount and a whole bunch of submissions. The instructional has four packed volumes that will shed new light on the back position in BJJ.
Maia has mostly been fighting in MMA, but in doing so, has made a name for himself as one of the very best grapplers in the octagon. Attacking from the back is his specialty, and this DVD does not only contain moves and transitions, but also concepts and principles that help make sense of the entire system.
Instructor Background
Demian Maia is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Fabio Gurgel. He was a part of the UFC from 2007 until 2021, having one of the longest careers in the organization. He has an MMA record of 28-11-0. !4 of his MMA victories came via submission.
Maia is also an ADCC champion (2007), CBJJ Brazilian Team National Champion (2003), and three-time CBJJO World Cup Champion (2002/2003/2005). In addition, he is one of the fastest promoted black belts in the history of the sport, going from white to black in 4 years and 7 months!
Maia used to represent Brasa Clue de JIu-Jitsu before moving on to MMA. Currently, it is anyone’s guess whether he’d be back to grappling competition after his UFC contract came to an end. He owns the Demina Maia Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Sao Paolo, Brazil, which has tens of affiliated gyms across the US and Europe.
Subject
Back attacks. To be more precise, submissions from the back. This is turning out to be a timeless subject in BJJ, as it is one of the rare things that never fell out of focus. Conversely, people seem to be innovating and adding to it with every new BJ Jgeneration, both with and without the Gi.
Maia’s instructional is about back attacks without the Gi, which makes it applicable across the board. It covers optimal positioning from the back in order to be able to stay on effortlessly (ergo the name “Maia Backpack”). Furthermore, Maia focuses on dominating the grip fighting and opening up submission attacks from different angles. Throughout the attacks, Demian Maia points out how to still maintain flawless control of the position, remaining behind the opponent no matter what they try to do.
Complexity
This Demian Maia BJJ DVD is quite advanced. It will be understandable to lower belts, but it is mostly going to benefit purple belts and above. Maia has immense knowledge of the subject and truly goes deep into the positional plays of the back mount. Even more so, he uses a wide variety of submissions that extended from the rear-naked choke to neck cranks and shoulder locks.
Demian also covers lots of scenarios in which he explores common reactions by the opponent. That equates to anticipating what an opponent will do and timing a move correctly, which is far beyond the comprehension of beginners. This includes both beginner grapplers and beginner MMA fighters.
Technical Details
There are four volumes in the “Maia Backpack System: Submission From The Back” instructional. The first and last volumes last just over 30 minutes each. Volume number two is the longest, with a total running time of one and a half hours. The third part in this Demina Maia DVD set is just under the hour mark. This brings the total material presented in this instructional to somewhere around three and a half hours.
The release is available in DVD format, and as a digital download, with high definition video and sound quality.
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Detailed Analysis
DVD #1
From the very beginning, Demina Maia goes deep into the philosophy of his unique back attacks system. After a short intro, he divides this first volume into two parts.
First up are the fundamental concepts of submission from the back that he calls upon in his system. Those start by defining which arm is for control, and which one is used to attack. Getting under the chin is also something Maia explains as a concept early on, rather than just a move. He also advocates attacking only after you’ve obtained solid control as well as attacking during transitions.
The second part of this opening volume looks at principles that make the submission attacks possible and effective. Some of the main principles he talks about are leverage, the priority of attacking, hand fighting, pressure application, and more.
DVD #2
Part two is more to less the meat and potatoes portion of this Demian Maia BJJ DVD. It starts with attacks against a belly-up opponent. It then goes on to explore different scenarios and situations depending on how an opponent moves.
For example, Maia gives an answer to the question of which side is better to fall to. He starts by exploring falling to the side of the attacking arm. Demian then follows that up with ways to block some of the most common reactions by opponents, in order to ensure control, and subsequent submission openings.
Demian also addressed some key issues with back control. Examples include the height of the seat belt control, the battles for hooks, and which one you should focus on.
Past the halfway point in this volume, the first submission makes an appearance. It is the form of the Mata Leao or rear-naked choke. It is quickly followed by variations of the choke, a sneaky shoulder lock, and even a neck crank finish.
In the final portion of the second part of this DVD, Demian Maia looks into options when falling to the seed of the controlling arm. Most of his tactics here lead to switching the control arm to an attacking arm, which opens up all the possibilities discussed above. Also featuring are the hand-to-hand choke, armbars from the back, and a few unorthodox ways of making someone tap from the back mount.
DVD #3
In the third volume, Maia tries to solve a problem position for back hunters – the turtle. I say try because I am not still completely convinced that everything he demonstrates will work against some of the new turtle defense systems out there. That said, he does have several very valid points in this section of the instructional.
Among those points is using timing to commence your attacks against a turtled opponent. I that sense, Maia advocates waiting for the opponent to move or making them move, in order to create openings that you can capitalize on. The attacks that become available range between direct chokes, crucifix attacks (including rolling crucifix entries). In fact, Maia pulls off all the stops here, showing some outright crazy moves like inverted Omoplatas, the forbidden “Crucifixo”, the “Quebra Nozes” choke, etc.
DVD #4
Bringing this Demian Maia BJJ DVD to a close is the final volume that further explores transitional attacks. In fact, if there’s one thing to take away from this entire instructional, especially for higher belts (purple, brown) it is to use transitions as opening for attacks, instead of looking for opening from static positions. In terms of back attacks that end in submission, this is pretty much the norm.
Maia also shares some key details on moves we’ve seen him do in the octagon to break through the opponent’s defenses. One example is the stretch principle, where he extends the opponent’s body to open up vulnerabilities.
What I particularly enjoyed is that Demian concedes that from time to time you’ll lose back control. however, that does not mean you should give up on submitting your opponent. Quite the contrary, he shows follow-up submissions to an opponent escaping, like ar triangle chokes and standing up to stay in control. he even shows a crazy heel hook from the back to wrap this crazy BJJ DVD up.
How We Grade The “Maia Backpack System: Submission Attacks” Demian Maia BJJ Instructional
Considering the “Maia Backpack System: Submission Attacks” Demian Maia BJJ instructional DVD’s technical aspects and quality of content, we come to an overall score for this instructional that I’ll deliberate in short below.
Technical Quality: 10/10
Every technical aspect of this instructional is on point, as is expected from a BJJ fanatics release. Maia speaks English very clearly and it’s very easy to understand throughout the DVD.
Quality of Content: 8/10
This is where I have to dock some points from this Demian Maia BJJ instructional. One of the standards we hold all instructional against during these reviews is how easy the material is for people of all levels to comprehend and use. Maia’s work is great, but it does only apply in full to people that have been doing BJJ for years. In fact, it may end up confusing beginners more than it may help them understand that back mount.
Moreover, some of the approaches Maia shows, while undisputedly effective, have been proven to be easy to get around as the modern back attacks, and more importantly, back defense game develops.
Overall: 8/10
If you are an experienced back attacker, this is the instructional that will answer many questions for you. If, however, you’re looking to start learning the fundamentals of controlling the back, and even attacking, I fear this particular release should not be your first choice.
Wrap Up
It is a pleasure to see a Demian Maia BJJ DVD, as there haven’t been that many throughout the years. Maia is one of the absolute best and he definitely has lots to teach us all, particularly on the subject of attacking the back, which is his bread and butter. however, I will reiterate again that this is an instructional best suited for more advanced practitioners rather than white/blue belts.
