“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.
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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.
Techniqus List, Free Videos & More Info
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.
BJJ takedowns are one of the most complicated aspects of Jiu-Jitsu to master, mostly because there’s no real system that helps understand and categorize them. In the quest of figuring this particular puzzle out, we turn to what some of the best in the sport do, or in this case, have done. Ronaldo jacare Souza, BJJ world champion and UFC/Strikeforce veteran just recently shared his entire G-based takedown system in a brand new BJJ DVD. We got our hands on “Drop The WOrld” early and we got a chance to review it.
Techniques List & More Info
Overview
This instructional is all about taking someone down in the Gi, for the purposes of competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. While it may sound like tons of other BJJ DVD instructionals out there that might have disappointed you, the one thing that sets this particular DVD apart is who is behind it. Jacare Souza is one of the greatest grapplers to ever compete in both BJJ and MMA and is a very intelligent fighter.
Henceforth, his take on takedowns is not just a bunch of techniques borrowed from Judo and/or wrestling, but rather a very well-thought-out system that chains high percentage, easy to learn throws and takedowns together.
Instructor Background
Ronaldo Jacare Souza is a 4th degree BJJ black belt under Henrique Machado. He also has a Judo black belt from Machado which is why Jacare is such a deadly grappler, standing and on the ground. It also makes him exactly the man to teach you how to “Drop The World”.
“Jacare” means alligator in Portuguese. Souza got his nickname while representing the ASLE jiu-jitsu and judo team, whose symbol is an alligator. Being their most prolific competitor, Jacare has racked up notable wins against some of the legendary names in the sport, including Roger Gracie, Fernando Terere, Robert Drysdale, and others.
In grappling, Jacare Souza is an ADCC champion, 3x IBJJF World Champion, 2x CBJJO World Champion, and a European Champion. He also won an ADCC superfight against Rober Drysdale. His 2004 conquest of the Absolute Division IBJJF World Title is one of the most impressive performances ever, given that he beat peak-version, Roger Gracie, in the final despite having his arm badly broken.
Jacare focused on MMA after 2005, eventually getting to the Strikeforce title after he beat Tim Kennedy. He moved to the UFC, terrorizing the middleweight division for years, but failed short of winning the title. His MMA record is 26-10-1. Souza retired from MMA in 2021, with hints that he might be coming back to grappling competitions.
Quite a lifetime in grappling and MMA for someone who initially did not like Jiu-Jitsu.
Subject
The subject in this BJJ DVD covers takedowns and throws for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with the Gi. Jacare Souza methodically covers his favorite moves, starting form the fundamentals of gripping and going through a mix of wrestling and Judo techniques that he manages to blend perfectly together.
Jacare also coves counters to takedowns, as well as some crazy guard pull counters and an odd submission here and there. In other words, if you are a Gi competitor, you’ll find something useful for your standing game in this Jiu-Jitsu instructional.
Complexity
While Jacare covers fundamentals, they mostly refer to grips and movement on the feet. When it comes to the takedowns, especially the Judo throw, there’s some pretty high-level stuff in this one. He does lots of rolling moves, sacrifice throws, and Judo/wrestling combos that won’t be easy for newbies to make sense out of. Even some upper belts might struggle with some of the Judo stuff if they’ve never done Judo before, but Jacare does explain everything in detail, allowing for more experienced grapplers to greatly benefit from this DVD, given they take the required time to drill and practice the moves.
I’d say that this is a blue belt and above DVD at the very least.
Technical Details
High definition sound and video quality, and the usual option to acquire the instructional as a DVD or digital download. Jacare switches angles throughout the demonstrations, allowing viewers to see all the intricacies of his high-level throws from a 360-perspective.
“Drop the World” contains three parts, each lasting just above 30 minutes. That brings the total length of this instructional to an hour and a half, which is somewhat short given modern BJJ DVD standards.
The way Jacare presents the technique is organized and progressive, ending up in a complete system rather than just a bunch of unrelated moves. Souza has a heavy Brazilian accent but is not difficult to understand as he speaks quite slowly and clearly.
Techniques List & More Info
Detailed Analysis
DVD #1
In the opening part of “Drop The World” Jacare Souza goes over the fundamentals of offensive gripping. He covers X-grips and ways to use them to set up attacks. He also talks quite a lot about the cross grip with the hand on the collar, shedding a lot of new light on a much-utilized position.
A couple of takedowns also feature in this portion of the DVD. The first is a rolling takedown that jacare sets up via a fake double leg. Building on the rolling motion of the first takedown, he then coves the Kata Guruma in detail, also finishing it with rolling. For those that are not up on their Judo terminology, the Kata Guruma is akin to the wrestling Fireman’s Carry.
DVD #2
In part two, there is a lot more Judo. One of my personal favorite throws, the Morote Seio Nage is first on the roster. Jacare Souza shares a couple of different setups, starting with the same side grip and finishing standing or on the knees.
After that, Souza looks into the basics of Judo counter-attacks, and how to reactively set up throws when someone is trying to take you down. He also explores basic wrestling takedown counters, thus broadening the spectrum of the standing game.
A very interesting chapter on secret details about the Ogoshi throw preceded the final chapter which circles back to the rolling Kata Guruma from an X-grip setup.
DVD #3
This is where Jacare Souza mixes everything up, he uses Judo to get wrestling takedown finishes and vice versa. For example, he has a very cool knee tap setup via the Ogoshi from the previous volume. He takes it even further by chaining together three different leg takedowns initiated with the same setup.
The final portion of the “Drop The World” instructional is all about sneaky and attractive-looking moves. Jacare shares his “secret” guard pulling counters that include a crazy cartwheel straight into a pass.
Souza wraps the DVD up by sharing a few very important drills that will help master this system of his, but not before he demonstrates a very slick flying triangle setup.
How We Grade The “Drop The World” Ronaldo Jacare Souza Instructional
Considering this Ronaldo Jacare Souza 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: 9/10
Apart from the great job done form BJJ fanatics as the producers of this instructional, there’s only one big remark I have about this DVD – its length, or better said, lack thereof. While Jacare does share lots of interesting stuff, it seems like there’s space for more to help bring everything together.
Quality of Content: 8/10
Jacare’s prowess as a competitor and teacher is beyond reproach, but this particular instructional is not going to help white belts much. A regular Kata Guruma is difficult enough for experienced Judokas. Doing a rolling version and connecting it with wrestling takedowns is way too much for people not used to stand-up fighting.
That said, all upper belts, and particularly those with a background in Judo or wrestling will find priceless tips and tricks in this one. Furthermore, I love that everything works as a mini-system, with Jacare chaining things beautifully.
Overall: 8/10
Given the length and the level of this Jacare Souza DVD, this is a fair grade.
Wrap Up
There’s always something to learn from anyone. When it comes to a grappling and MMA World Champion, there’s always lots to learn. “Drop The World” provides an insight into the very successful stand-up game of Jacare Souza. The instructional will definitely improve anyone’s standing grappling game, but it won’t turn you into Jacare himself.
A Mexican MMA fighter nicely knocked out a judge and made his way to his corner.
The World MMA Federation (IMMF) and Brave FC promotions brought about the MMA Supercup, which is designed as a tournament for young talented MMA fighters. The inaugural season has already begun, with Ireland and Mexico reaching the semifinals, as well as Bahrain and Kazakhstan. It’s from the intersection of Ireland and Mexico that comes to a humorous yet hazardous video.
It’s a conflict between the Irish representatives Lewis Byrne and Luis Gonzalez, and at the end of the round, when the Mexican attempted an attractive shot but clearly didn’t prepare it properly, he ended up on top of the referee’s head fight. “Right in the temple,” as commentators would say. What’s more interesting, Gonzalez appeared to be completely oblivious that he’d hit Manhard until after he walked towards his corner, perplexed by why referee Scott Manhard was on the floor.
The fight concluded after Manhard was recovered, with the Irish fighter gaining a 3-2 victory over his Mexican opponent to the chagrin of his countryman. This sparked a turnaround that resulted in Ireland winning by a score of 6-3.
The Mexicans will compete for third place against the Kazakhs in the consolation match, while the Irish will play Bahrain in the finale. Teams from Oceania, Arab nations, Tajikistan, and “Balkan Champs,” a team consisting of amateur boxers from Serbia that features Slovenian heavyweight Miha Frlić, were among those who attended.
It seems that ONE wants to create a strong, if not the strongest Grappling scene in the world and so greatly monetize Jiu-Jitsu fighters as MMA promotions do. Just a day after Danielle Kelly arrived at ONE, Mikey Musumeci joins her.NOw they’re in the company other grapplers like Gordon Ryan, Andre Galvao, etc.
ONE’s Founder and CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, posted the following on his Instagram feed today:
“Please join me in welcoming 5x Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Mikey Musumeci to ONE! He reached out directly to me a year ago, asking if he could join the world’s largest stage of martial arts. Needless to say, I have been a big fan for a while. What I love most about Mikey is that he is a good guy with a good heart, but he is an absolute monster with killer instincts when he competes.”
Mikey is one of the most decorated American grapplers in history, with a slew of accolades to his name. He has earned the nickname “Darth Rigatoni,” which is one of the greatest sports nicknames ever.
At the age of 18, Mikey received his Black Belt from UFC veteran Gilbert Burns. The legendary Art of Jiu-Jitsu was where he trained and traveled frequently with the Mendes Brothers. He traveled to the west to train with Caio Terra, a legend in the art of jiu-jitsu.
Mikey has recently enrolled in Heath Pedigos Daisy’s Fresh Pedigo Submission Fighting in Mount Vernon, Illinois. And while training in his garage during the previous pandemic, Mikey created his own heel hook submission known as the Mikey Lock (at least he thinks he created it). This past October, at Flograppling’s Who’s Number One, he even demonstrated it
Musumeci is relatively new to No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, having competed almost exclusively in the gi for the last ten years. He has less than 20 No-Gi fights over the next two years. His greatest challenge remains ahead of him as he has been invited to compete at ADCC 2018, which will take place in September in the heavily stacked 66
Keep an eye out for Mikey Musumeci’s name in the near future at the highest level of No-Gi grappling!
No potential employer remained indifferent when Danielle Kelly revealed she was ready to negotiate with MMA promotions. The 26-year-old has been promoted to the biggest global grappling star in recent years, thus the true successor of MacKenzie Dern, although she still failed to keep up with her results. But accessibility to fans, an interesting Instagram profile, and the inevitable criteria, looks, led to that.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu star, Danielle Kelly has just soared to new heights in the world of martial arts.
She thus followed the path of some other grappling stars, such as Gary Tonon, Gordon Ryan, and Marcus Almeida, who also put their signature on ONE’s contract. The reason for this can be found in the great accessibility of this promotion.
The 25-year-old age BJJ black belt revealed on Friday 18 February that she officially signed a deal with ONE Championship and will compete later this year while training out of Evolve MMA Singapore – home for some big names within their organization!
Posting on Instagram profile, Kelly wrote:
“Happy to announce I am officially a @onechampionship athlete. I am also proud to be a part of @evolvemma. I’ll be doing grappling bouts under them and when I’m ready to do MMA they’ll be the promotion I’ll fight under.”
The ONE Championship is a promotion that has no hesitation in mixing MMA, kickboxing, muay Thai, and jiu-jitsu fights at its events, which may have influenced Danielle’s decision to start with genuine MMA training. Grappling’s greatest benefit is that it is extremely aggressive and tends to look for a pause all the time.
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was so taken by her accomplishments that he announced her signing on his Instagram and Facebook accounts on Friday.
“For me, Danielle has the potential to be the next big thing in martial arts. She is an extraordinary talent with dominant finishing abilities and a real killer instinct. She also has a touching life story of adversity and triumph that will inspire the world. Equally important, Danielle is a wonderful human being with a heart of gold.” – wrote Chatri Sityodtong
She’s now had a chance to show her BJJ skills on a larger stage with ONE Championship. Kelly’s brilliant grin and raised fist showed how thrilled she was to be a member of the world’s largest martial arts organization.
“I can’t put into words how much this means to me, I try my best to be the best I can be whether that’s on or off the mats. I love what ONE represents.” – Kelly Said
Danielle Kelly’s Debut in One Championship Announced
As announced by ONE Championship, Danielle Kelly will now make her debut in this prestigious organization.
On March 26, Kelly will face Mei Yamaguchi in a grappling bout at ONE X. On Instagram, she confirmed the matchup.
Mei is the most experienced bantamweight on the Japanese scene, having made her MMA debut in 2007 and competing professionally since then. Yamaguchi has over 35 fights under her belt, which makes her one of MMA’s more seasoned female fighters. Yui’s career has produced nine submission victories across 21 victories. She had a rough go lately, going winless in her past three contests.
Danielle Kelly is one of the most sought-after submission grapplers in the USA with a resume that includes wins over veterans like Carla Esparza and Cynthia Calvillo.
The Philadelphia native earned her BJJ black belt under Karel “Silver Fox” Pravec before moving onto major competition successively since then, including standout performances at both worlds class level matches as well smaller-scale events where she has been able to compete against some all-time greats.
Along with a few of his students and friends, Henri Lindroos organized an impressive feat in just two days – they acquired delivered 140 drones to aid the Ukrainian military, spending 50.000 Euros and personally delivering the drones. Henri Lindroos is a BJJ black belt from Helsinki, Finland. We got to talk to Henri, in order to find out exactly how the BJJ community from Helsinki came to the idea and rapid realization of this project.
The Idea
How did the idea of providing drones to help the Ukrainian military come up?
“The idea came from one of the students in the gym, Andres Brotherus. He had just returned from Poland, after helping with a delivery of a van full of Kevlar vests for the Ukrainian military troops.”
Already looking to do more, Andres came about a list of things that the Ukrainian military has an urgent need of. Among the items listed were about 20 drones. Given that he already had the contacts that arranged the Kevlar vests pick up and delivery to the front lines, he decide to procure the drones…and then some.
Instead of the 20 drones requested, Henri and Andres with the help of two more friends and fellow BJJ practitioners, Valtteri and Tomi actually bought 140 drones.
The Realisation
What are some of the major obstacles that had to be overcome in executing this amazing feat in just a few hours?
The initial contact about the entire project came when Andres contacted Henri at 23:30 on Tuesday night. They found an online site that was ready to accommodate their order and was also ready to deliver the drones immediately. The company that provided the drones charged them 50.000 euros, which is actually the price they paid for the drones (the regular price would’ve been over 80.000 euros). In fact, it was the largest overnight order ever provided by said IT firm, one of the bigger ones in Finland.
Once the drones arrived at the 24/7 kiosk, Henri and his girlfriend transported them on several trips to the BJJ gym Henri runs, which is nearby the kiosk. In the gym, they unpacked the drones and started to charge the batteries, so they are ready to use immediately. Moreover, they wanted to re-pack the drones into smaller packages, easier to carry for delivery.
The issue was that they couldn’t use regular cargo delivery routes, because time was of the essence, Instead, they opted to do the delivery themselves, using a commercial flight to go from Helsinki to Warsaw, Poland.
By the way, while we talked about the entire ordeal, Henri jokingly mentioned that he is “sorry for the mess left at the gym during the process of charging and packing the drones, but know the BJJ community won’t mind“.
After researching how the rules and regulations in terms of how many batteries per person are allowed on carry-ons, they figured that they could only take less than half the drones with them. They opted to check in the drones instead, utilizing the help of friends that lived near in order to obtain enough luggage bags to fit all 140 drones.
This is where the hard part came in – traveling on a commercial flight with 140 drones in checked-in luggage without alerting customs.
The first issue happened during check-in, with one of the bags exceeding the weight limit. The guys had to repack it, trying to be as casual, yet secretive about it. After all, the packages were as shady as they come.
The second part was the real issue – will customs flag the huge amount of battery-powered drones in the bags? Henri along with Andres and Tommy boarded the flight 40 minutes before takeoff, hoping for the best. They did reach out to a contact that is highly placed with airport security, and they did not officially acknowledge they would help.
Basically, they had no idea if the drones were on the same flight as them until they got to the luggage claim at the Warsaw airport. “Luckily, all the bags and drones got through, and it was easy to send them to the front lines via local contacts from there”.
The Impact
How are the drones going to help the Ukraine forces?
Despite being a big part of the BJJ community in Helsinki through his academy, Henri is also in the Finnish military. When asked about the role the drones would have he explained that “the Ukrainian military forces have to patrol huge areas while only having small units at their disposal. Drones will massively help with patrolling the suburban areas, providing crucial intelligence against the Russian troop movement.”
Moreover, the drones will be of great use in urban settings as well. Delivering the drones fully charged and in a much higher number than originally requested by the military forces is going to immensely help with reconnaissance and information gathering.
The Folks Behind The Project
So, who are the people representing the Helsinki BJJ community that realized this brave project?
Henri Lindroos is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as well as the main coach and owner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu DOJO Helsinki, a part of the HILTI BJJ affiliation.
Andres Brotherus is the man who came up with the original idea of providing drones to the Ukrainian military. He also founded the project himself. Andres is a white belt who trains regularly and takes lots of private lessons with Henri.
Valtteri Koskimaki is also a white belt in Henri’s academy, who generally loves to help out with stuff like this project.
Tommy Keinanen completes the Helsinki quartet of charitable grapplers. A blue belt in the academy, Tommy traveled with Henri and Andres to help deliver the drones.
What’s Next For The DOJO Helsinki BJJ Community?
Any other upcoming projects of a similar nature? If so, what are ways in which people can help?
The BJJ community from Helsinki si not done supporting the troops in need on the ground in Ukraine. While this project might have happened quickly and in a somewhat impromptu fashion, they are far from done.
Two days after completing the purchase and delivery of the drones, they already have 20 generators ready to go to Poland. Once again, the company providing the generators only decided to charge the absolute minimum price, helping the Ukrainian cause in their own way.
While Andres did put up the money to purchase the drones himself, “he managed to get more than what he contributed back in about 15 minutes while on the plane“, thanks to support from the community. This money goes towards the next project, and anyone interested can pitch in. Just follow the link below!
What exactly is testosterone, as a main male hormone, doing to our body?
Testosterone boosts muscle size, improves memory, sharpens the sex drive, and increases energy levels… This sounds like a wonder anti-aging cure for men in adulthood. Testosterone is a strong hormone, but care must be exercised.
Testosterone treatment has been used for years in the treatment of hypogonadism (abnormally low testosterone levels) and has recently been given to healthy men to maintain optimal testosterone levels throughout life.
Testosterone levels drop naturally as men age
The body of a man in his fifties begins to produce less testosterone, the major male sex hormone that maintains muscle mass and strength, fat distribution, bone density, sperm production, sex drive, and potency. Many refer to this testosterone drop as “male menopause” or “andropause,” implying that it is similar to menopause in women. Testosterone levels fall in most males but still remain within acceptable ranges without creating any apparent issues.
Testosterone deficiency has a wide range of harmful effects on the body, including:
energy drop
Muscle mass and strength reduction
Decline in cognitive skills
The decrease in sexual interest and potency is caused by the deprivation of testosterone.
a bad mood
When symptoms of testosterone deficiency occur, just as with any other health issue, doctors and patients frequently choose the most apparent solution: a factory remedy. The doctor creates a prescription that the patient takes to the first pharmacy.
However, a significant number of medications, especially hormone therapies, often have unfavorable effects on the organism’s health and performance. We’ve already covered the numerous benefits of testosterone in men’s bodies and brains, as well as the potential risks.
Benign prostate growth is stimulated by this hormone: a laboratory control of PSA is necessary (PSA testing must be done under controlled conditions);
Gynecomastia and breast augmentation are two of the most frequent reasons for male breast reduction. (Before beginning therapy, examination your chest to determine if you have gynecomastia.)
Limited sperm production (infertility); Causes or worsens sleep apnea.
According to the American National Academy of Medicine’s Institute of Medicine, testosterone treatment is only beneficial for men who produce little or no male sex hormone testosterone. In healthy guys, there have been no reported benefits of long-term testosterone use, and IOM does not recommend that doctors use hormones to prevent or relieve the physical and psychological effects of aging.
What is the best way to boost testosterone levels naturally?
We always return to the basic principles of longevity: altering one’s life habits, adopting a healthier diet, and avoiding the harmful effects of the environment…
Weight reduction is not usually advised until you are prepared to engage with a more structured program. In contrast, it is better to begin losing weight gradually than too quickly or in large amounts. Weight reduction causes estrogen and testosterone imbalances as well as other health problems.
Eat more almonds, peanuts (“Nuts are beneficial to your nuts”), and other types of nuts. Men with higher testosterone levels consumed more monounsaturated fats, according to research;
Avoid alcohol;
To produce testosterone, the body requires a regular supply of calories; therefore, eat food on a daily basis and do not skip meals.
Avoid a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet since it lowers testosterone production. The fat content should be around 30 percent (testosterone is made in the body from “good” cholesterol).
Do not sleep less than 7-8 hours each day, as it has an impact on morning cholesterol levels;
Morning sex is an excellent method to keep a good level of testosterone throughout the day.
Physical exercise that mobilizes big muscle groups increases testosterone levels, but don’t overdo it. Testosterone levels drop by as much as 40% in extreme physical effort.
