Passing Butterfly Guard Talita Alencar DVD Review

Talita Alencar is one of the best female grapplers out there, having won just about any world title out there. She is a featherweight that has exceptional technical knowledge of the game. Moreover, she has a very aggressive but precise grappling game, making her a force to be reckoned with in both Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu. As a competitor, she still has a lot to accomplish, but she also has plenty to share and teach the grappling world. Luckily, she decided to do just that in-between competing. She provides us an incredible Talita Alencar DVD titled “Passing Butterfly Guard”. And, for all those wondering it is a Gi instructional.

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Talita Alencar – Passing Butterfly Guard

The butterfly guard is always going to come back as a riddle as new techniques and concepts emerge. In Jiu-Jitsu, if you’re trying to set something up from the bottom, you probably have a butterfly guard version of it too. That means the guard I notoriously hard to pass, and it gets harder with every new trend that emerges. Leg locks were the latest thing to really make the Butterfly guard a fortress. Still, top-level competitors do not shy away from figuring out even the most difficult positions and how to deal with them. The “Passing Butterfly Guard” Talita Alencar DVD is actually a very detailed one. It branches out into ways to shut down the seated guard and other related guards as well.

The Talita Alencar Story

Talita is one of the ladies of BJJ that looks like a friendly outgoing girl next door that can crush you in an instant. She is a real monster on the mats, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. She is a black belt under Theodoro Canal and comes from the much less known Oswaldo Fadda lineage. Her accomplishments so far, though, are nothing short of marvelous.

Alencar is a Gi and No-Gi World and European champion. She’s also a Pan Gi Champion and a Grand Slam winner. She represents Alliance and is also a big part of the submission only No-Gi scene as well. When it comes to her game, Talita is a very well rounded grappler, without holes in any particular aspect of her game. That, along with her signature pressure and aggression based style is the perfect combination for one of the best grapplers of our generation.

Originally from Brazil, Alencar started training in the Gracie Barra gym in Fortaleza. Moving to Rio meant she changed academies. She ended up in Theodoro Canal’s academy as a blue belt and stayed with him since. She got her black belt on the podium of the 2016 IBJJF World Championship. As a black belt, she has some very notable performances and wins against some of the top female grapplers in the world. This Talita Alencar DVD is I think a first for her, and certainly a first fo the wider BJJ community. However, the subject of passing butterfly guard is a highly sought after one, so I went into this review with very high hopes and expectations.

The Butterfly Guard Conundrum

The conundrum with the butterfly guard and all associated guards is not a hard one to spot – they’re tough to beat. Finding a way to solve it is what frustrates generations upon generations of grapplers. People that decide to really go deep and play the guard as their main bottom game position are almost impossible to beat. Just take Adam Wardzinski as an example. If he gets you in his butterfly guard, there’s not much you can do. Of course, he will never fare against Talita ina competitive fashion. Still, I certainly hope someone will use her concepts to trey and pass one fo the nastiest butterfly guards in the game.

The trouble with the butterfly and the seated guard is that you have to break your posture as a passer in order to establish grips and find a way through or around the opponent. The problem is that in doing so, you’re offering grips to your opponents. On top of that, they have multidirectional sweeping options as well. Plus, switching from butterfly to seated and back is very easy. This can get you caught up in a nasty loop, ending with you swept or submitted.

In this Talita Alencar DVD, the approach to passing the butterfly guard is somewhat different from what we usually see. That’s why it has hopes of actually working against high-level guard players. She has crazy concepts about the base as well as several flying options that will surprise everyone, particularly leg lockers. Even before I played “Passing Butterfly guard” for the first time I had a feeling I was going to love this particular BJJ DVD.

Passing Butterfly Guard: A Talita Alencar DVD

This might be a first-ever Talita Alencar DVD, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way. The material is highly organized, and Talita is amazing at explaining how things work. On that note, instead of just demonstrating moves, she also shares her way of thinking and approach as she does the demonstrations. That offers a different aspect of her game, allowing for a much better understanding of a subject as complicated as passing butterfly guard is.

The DVD instructional si divided int three parts, each containing sections that cover a different subject. Alencar offers some very innovative and insightful concepts in the opening one. The middle part is all about her innovative ways of confusing opponents and defeating common guards with uncommon submissions. The final portion foes int some pressure based passing options that open up back takes and mount straight away. Extremely high-level Jiu-Jitsu organized in the best possible way.

Part 1

Before I go into the content of each part of this Talita Alencar DVD, let me mention that you can expect drills to feature in every part of the instructional. Instead of bunching them up in one spot. Talita offers drill in regard to the positions and passing sequences she is teaching. A much better approach, if you ask me.

Straight off the bat, “Passing Butterfly Guard” begins with a very cool concept on crating angles by utilizing movement. In that sense, Talita prefers movement to grip fighting against people in the butterfly guard. This leads to a couple of amazing drills on beating the butterfly hooks and attaining safe inside position. This culminates in what I consider to be the best portion of the entire DVD – the “Imaginary chair” concept. This will help you develop an immovable base as nothing else will. Off of that, Talita offers a knee slice and back step options to demonstrate how exactly you can put her concepts to use.

Part 2

Obviously, Alencar was going for the spectacular her, starting part 2 with the flying mount. This is an unexpected and unorthodox move that has several variations an is basically a way to mount the butterfly guard initially, before ending in full mount without options for the bottom person to counter. You’ll have to see it to truly understand it.

Talita also likes to use the popular pummeling method of passing as well. A few more backstepping options follow closely. She starts most of her passing sequences from the straight hamstring position. She likes to force different types of passes, from back steps to leg drags. A beyond cool chapter is the one on setting up a direct calf slicer against the De La Riva guard. It will lead to an eventual pass if you can’t get the tap for some reason. Speaking of calf slicers Talita ends with a few more of them, introducing a powerful new weapon against seated guards.

Part 3

The final part has one more calf slicer to offer before moving on to exploring different avenues of passing. The final drill fo this Talita Alencar DVD is here. it has to do with isolating the butterfly hook completely and rendering it useless. From there on, Alencar focuses on the X pass by getting there with a folding pass. That’s pure pressure right there that leads to either back control or the mount, depending on which variation you choose to use. A short closing wraps up “Passing Buttefly Guards” leaving us with a lot of stuff to think about and try to implement.

Closing Thoughts

This is one of those short and sweet BJJ instructionals that will completely change your game. Talita’s take on passing butterfly guard and all associated seated guards is innovative, battle-tested, easy to understand and appropriate for grapplers of all levels. This Talita Alencar DVD is something to really consider. Especially if you’re stuck in the butterfly guard of leg lockers and Berimbolo players. It is as close to a silver bullet as we can get.

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Stronger Than Ever- The Current State Of Female Grappling

BJJ World

At the academy where I train I have several solid guys, mostly purple belts that are crazy about watching each and every match that comes out. Whether it is professional BJJ or open tournaments, these guys are all over it. However, there’s a really interesting phenomenon with a few of them – they only watch male matches. Whenever we talk about matches and I bring up a high-level female match I’ve seen they have no idea and aren’t interested. According to me that’s a shame because female grappling is on a different level these days. As far as I’m concerned, everyone shunning female grappling is really missing out on chances to learn and progress.

If you ask me, you can learn Jiu-Jitsu from everyone that steps on the mats. I have the perfect example, actually. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been doing the “|unthinkable” showing Ashi Garami leg locks to everyone, white belt to brown. Without going into to much detail, one of the girls in the gym that has just over a couple of months of training came up with a heel hook grip modification I’ve never seen before. Neither has anyone else in our academy. Now imagine what she’ll do as a black belt one day. Luckily, the female grappling scene has not just been catching up to the male on lately but ever looking to surpass it. That means that the ladies just getting into BJ Jand grappling now will have a huge platform to further develop, which can only be a good thing for grappling in general.

Female Grappling On the Rise

I’ve already talked about some of the issues that the finer half of Brazilian JIu-Jitsu and grappling martial arts faces. While the opportunities to train were always there, other aspects were not so forthcoming. In those terms, the female grapplers almost always ended up getting underpaid and underrepresented at major tournaments. That’s no way to treat ladies, especially those that can bet you up! Not to mention it goes the picture people try to paint of BЈJ as being progressive, open and beyond cool. Don’t get me wrong, it is, but it neede to work out a few kinks.

Several movements organized by some of the highest level fighters in female grappling quickly managed to improve things. Ana Carolina Vieira and Luanna Alzuguir, two of the world’s top-rated black belts set up a petition for equal pay in women’s Jiu-Jitsu, for example. Another hugely impressive grappling star, Dominyka Obelenyte also had a campaign for equal pay that ended up begin successful, at least when it comes to the IBJJF.

But that’s not all. What I really love, from both an altruistic and a selfish point of view, is the development and rise of the female grappling scene. In particular, I mean the professional female grappling scene. There haven’t only been more invites and opportunities for the ladies, but also dedicated tournaments in all possible formats, from Gi and No-Gi to Combat Jiu-JItsu. What’s great about this is that the ladies get the chance and platforms to pursue their dreams, and we get to watch and learn even more ultra high-level BJJ. All it took was doing the obviously logical thing.

Grapple Like A Lady

When it comes to women, grappling seems to be a perfect fit for them. They’re more flexible than men, more efficient at movement, and think in ways that are much different than men. All that translates to ultra exciting games that some of the highest level ladies have developed throughout the years. Whetehr this is BJJ, Judo, wrestling, Sambo or any other grappling martial art, an input form both men and women practitioners and competitors is a must in order to really progress and evolve the respective arts further.

In fact, I have the philosophy of always learning from a female grappler whenever I can. Of course, with black belt instructors and competitors, this is easy, as everything they have to say, demonstrate or pull off during rolling is priceless. But the same holds true for ladies with colored belts, who tend to roll with a certain mixture of aggression and grace that’s hard to replicate with male rolling partners. Thre’s no one out here more technical than female grapplers, and if you truly want to understand leverage, frames, and pure technique, they’re the best.

In the current state o things, female grappling is in a rally god spot. It is not just about tournaments and equal pay. Nowadays, there are plenty of platforms for grappling women to showcase what they know. There are more and more seminars headed by women around the world, and the number of black belts, and conversely, female world champions is also on a steep rise. Moreover, more and more of these women are getting the chance to issue DVD instructionals, offering yet more opportunities for the rest of the grappling world to learn and evolve. Granted, there’s still a male dominance in the BJJ DVD department, but that’s changing rapidly.

Women Only Grappling Events

Let’s take a look at some of the events that are taking place around the world, promoting female grappling and providing a much-needed platform for the finer half of the grappling world. For starters, when it comes to professional tournaments, you can take your pick in terms of female-only events. Everyone, from pioneers in the field EBI and Fight2Win to FIVE Grappling, Grappling Pro and many others have female-only events with very reasonable cash prizes.

But that’s not the end-all-be-all of female-only grappling events. While more and more high-level ladies pop up as instructors at huge BJJ camps, there are also women-only camps in terms of both instructors and participants. That is a great step forward for grappling in general, and particularly for all grappling ladies.

A quick look at the state of grappling martial arts around the world clearly demonstrates that females area huge part of grappling and they’re taking it into a new direction. In Connecticut, more girls than ever are getting involved in wrestling. In fact, it is becoming the number one female sport in the state.

Another report coming from Saudi Arabia shows grappling ladies beating local taboos by organizing pro wrestling events in the country fro the very first time. Granted,m the event was a part of the WWE tour, but still, it allowed for two women, dressed in T-shirts and black leggings to grapple in the ring. This is huge for the women of a country that didn’t even allow them to drive until a short while ago.

In Conclusion

Female grappling is on the rise, and it can only be a good thing for grappling martial arts in general. Like it or not, women are as much a part of this sport as men and kids are. We have something to offer everyone that enrolls in Jiu-Jitsu, but never forget that everyone that steps on the mats also has tons to teach us, regardless of their belt level or experience.

Highest Percentage Grappling Submissions For Competitors

BJJ World

Grappling Submissions That Work In COmpetition

What’s the best way to win a BJJ match? Come on, this one is easy. A submission that leads to a tap, of course. Yet somehow, there’s nothing more difficult to accomplish in all of grappling martial arts than pulling off a submission hold on a resisting opponent. The thing with submissions is that they’re really tricky. Some of them work only if certain positions are inch-perfect, while others can be as surprising as thunder from clear skies. And the trickiest of the bunch are the submissions you can actually pull off while competing. Iн that sense, there are certain grappling submissions that have proven over the decades as more reliable than anything else. Knowing which they are, and spending time perfecting them all but guarantees you’re going to get taps in tournaments. Lots of them.

It is often said that what you do in training defines how well you perform in a tournament. This is partly true. The fact of the matter is that you have to train in order to acquire enough knowledge to participate in a competitive event. However, with Jiu-Jitsu, what you can pull off in training and what you can pull off in competition can be worlds apart. That simple little change of setting brings about crazy amounts of adrenaline, and adrenaline makes you do stuff without thinking. Conversely, the percentage of grappling submissions pulled off in either BJJ, MMA or any other combat sport is quite lower compared to the same percentage in training. The reason is simple – some submissions are just better than others when it comes to pulling them off in tournaments.

The Art Of Submission Hunting

There’s nothing as rewarding as getting a tap from a submission. The first time you get a submission in BJJ is the moment you really get hooked to the art. From there on it just gets more fun, mostly because it becomes even harder to get submissions. And, when you get that perfect one, when your positioning is on point, the opponent can’t move, and you have all control before you finish slowly and at will, BJJ starts making sense. You get the tap, you slap ‘n’ bump and with the same partner, you might not hit that same submission again for months.

Let’s face the truth – submission hunting is the toughest part of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Of course, it is what everyone wants. As someone who made it the only goal for years, trust me, it takes a lot of work to become a submission hunter. And the first step is to be ready to fail. A lot. In fact, you need to be ready to fail even more than you did with pins, sweeps, takedowns and other aspects of Jiu-Jitsu. Grappling submissions are an art form of itself but are a skill everyone can learn.

What you’ll start realizing after a while is that you can pull off a submission against virtually anyone you come up against. Of course, the goal is to do it on your own term, but, most often than not, you’ll need a bit of luck as well. That said, you’ll also realize that despite having your favorite moves and an “A” game, it won’t always work. In fact, it works less the more you do it to people. In a submission hunting sense, that means certain submissions will universally work better than others. There’s a myriad of reasons why that’s the case, but for now, all that’s important is to figure out which grappling submissions are the highest percentage ones for competitors. The “why” and “how” will come later.

A Few Proven Classics Grappling Submissions

Black belts say it over and over again: “Focus on basics” and “fundamentals work against anyone”. White belts nod not understanding anything, blue belts say yes an try and do complicate stuff anyway, while purple belts just stare blankly, given that they already know everything and can’t wait for rolling to begin. And yet, when people get to brown/black, they realize that all of that was true. So far, I haven’t found a way to break this cycle and try and get people to listen from the early days. Experiments are ongoing, though.

When it comes to puling of grappling submissions, two key criteria determine your success. The first is how complex the move is from a mechanical standpoint. The second is whether or not you can see it up from multiple positions. If a move ticks both boxes, you can assume it will work in competition, even against higher-level guys. After a good period of polishing the during rolling, of course.

MOVE: Cross Collar Choke

While there are plenty of collar chokes out there, still none beats the cross collar choke AKA the X-choke. This one is so very simple yet so very powerful. Roger Gracie once famously used it to beat all of his opponents on his quest to a World title. The choke is simple – get both arms inside the collars of an opponent. The key is crossing your arms while doing so, in order to be able to choke.

WHY IT WORKS

This choke is extremely powerful because it is extremely easy to get, and comes in a few different variations. Plus, it is available from both the closed guard and the mount. In both cases, it is your entire body, as opposed to your arms that is behind the choke, which means defenses are futile when you have the mechanics right. It is one of the highest percentage chokes in BJJ tournaments of all time.

KEY DETAILS

Have some slack! The deeper you go for a grip on the collar, the looser the choke will become. Instead, try and keep your wrist at collar bone level, as a general guideline. Form there, everything will align perfectly.

MOVE: Straight Armbar

No other move screams “grappling submissions” as the armbar does. Just about any grappling amrita part has a version of this move, which in itself is proof enough of how effective it can be. The armbar mechanics are easy – use your hips to put pressure on the elbow of an arm, in a direction opposite to that of the arm’s natural bend. The move can be done from a bunch of different positions, and even from scrambles.

WHY IT WORKS

During an armbar, you’re not grappling with an opponent, but only with one of his limbs. That means your entire body is fighting his arm, which is inherently a weak body part. That’s the recipe for success right there. Moreover, the armbar works as a position of control as well, both form top and bottom positions. Proven as a high percentage submission hold at al belt levels.

KEY DETAILS

Follow the pinky finger. Forget all about getting g the thumb pointing to the ceiling. It is the pinky finger that’s aligned with the elbow. If you have the pinky finger glued to your chest, you’ll have elbow breaking pressure too.

MOVE: Bow And Arrow Choke

A real classic when it comes to Gi Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, Danaher himself calls this choke the most powerful choke in existence. It works form the back, to begin with, which means you’re attacking from the best position BJJ has to offer. The move employs the use of the collar again, but this time, in a much more brutal fashion than the Collar Choke. The position has you hooking one arm of the opponent with one leg while holding their opposite side leg with a pants grip. In other words, there’s no way to go, and that’s before you even begin choking.

WHY IT WORKS

Once again, you have a full-body vs. a single body part situation. Somehow, this keeps repeating itself among grappling submissions that are proven to work in competition. This time, though, it is your body against the neck of an opponent. Moreover, the position has you twisting their spine which means they have no posture to offer any resistance. Plus, gripping the collar means your grip can be next to impossible to break.

KEY DETAILS

Keep your elbow (of the choking arm) close to your ribs. Many people let it flare when they lay back for the finish, and this can open up a small but significant window for escapes. Keep it glued to your ribcage for maximum effect.

MOVE: Triangle Choke

The triangle choke is the poster submission of BJJ. Given that you’re using you’re your legs to strangle someone, it is also extremely fun to learn and get taps with. IN essence, you’re on your back, one leg under the armpit of an opponent, and the other over their opposite side shoulder. The legs go in a triangle structure and you pull down on the head and squeeze. Extremely effective and offers plenty of sneaky entry opportunities.

WHY IT WORKS

The reason the triangle is among the best grappling submissions of all times is that it uses the legs to choke. The positioning is such that getting out is a really difficult chore. While all that happens, you’ve got your strongest body part (your legs) in battle with the neck of an opponent. Whether it is mounted or from the guard, you also have gravity working for you. Just remember to be patient with triangles, as they take some time to work. Do not re-adjust before you count to 20, at the very least.

KEY DETAILS

One thing we’ve always been taught is to pull the head towards the crotch in a triangle choke. The trick is pulling, yes, but not straight down. Instead, pull towards the thigh of the leg that’s over the shoulder of the opponent. This will place immense pressure on the carotid artery on that side.

MOVE: Kneebar

The kneebar is pretty much an armbar done on a leg instead of an arm. The name says it all, really. The mechanics are pretty similar, and given that it is a straight limb submission, percentages are expectedly high. The only drawback is you have to wait until you’re a brown belt to pull it off in competition. Well, at least under the most popular rule sets out there, anyway. That said, it is a great tool to add to your grappling submissions arsenal early on so that it is polished and ready to use when the time comes.

WHY IT WORKS

The kneebar, much like the armbar, has your entire body attacking a single joint on the body. However, the leg is much stronger than the arm, so your mechanics have to be spot on in order to make sure you get a tap. The most important thing is to stay aligned with the leg at the correct angle. Keeping the toes pointing towards you, along with the kneecap, are great ways to ensure you submit anyone with it.

KEY DETAILS

Twist. All twisting locks are much more powerful compared to straight locks. You still need to push with the hips and pull with your upper body. However, introduce an upper-body twist as well to really get torque on that knee joint.

MOVE: Arm Triangle

This si amove many people shun in the Gi. That’s a shame because statistics show that it works amazingly well in both Gin ad No-Gi, at all possible levels. It is quite an easy move to get – you do a triangle with your arms instead of your legs. Conversely, you do this one from the top. You can set it up from mount, back, side control or half guard. Basically, you simply hug your opponent, trapping one arm in the process (on the near side). Lying alongside your opponent will have you just a palm-to-palm grip away from a finish.

WHY IT WORKS

The arm triangle is powerful because you’re only connected to your opponent via the choke structure. This might sound like a bad thing but it really isn’t. You, laying there on the ground has gravity helping you stay in place. The fact that there’s no body-to-body connection makes it impossible for your opponent to escape because there’sno connection or leverage to find.

KEY DETAILS

Don’ try to choke with your neck. That’s a great way of messing up your neck muscles or even choking yourself. Instead, after you sink in the arm triangle, lift your head and try to put pressure on their triceps with your collarbone. As a bonus hint, bend both your legs at the knees, soles of the feet pointing to the ceiling. You’ll get unbelievable finishing pressure from that alone.

Prison Rules Submission Holds

What happens when you decide to sign-up for one of these brand new, submission only, crazy or no rules tournaments? Well, as long as it is with a Gi, anything we talked about before still applies The fundamental grappling submissions are so effective because they’re simple to use and master. without the Gi, though, you end up a few moves short, namely the Bow and Arrow and Cross Collar Choke. So, let’s look at a few replacements, as well as a few moves that are not generally allowed.

Speaking of replacements, the best bet is to switch up collar chokes with front headlock chokes. The guillotine and D’arce choke are particularly high-percentage here and can work from a bunch of different positions. Keynotes in both are to try and get the chin of the opponent towards their chest as you do all other choking mechanics. That introduces a compression component making everything tighter. On the subject of chokes, there’s no way we can skip over the rear-naked choke as well. The reason we place ti here is that the Gi often times can get in the way of both the RNC and the front headlock chokes. That’s why they’re much higher percentage moves without the Gi. Of course, the heel hook is one of the top grappling submissions to get when you’re competing by “prison rules’.

Heel hooks work against anyone, regardless of level, strength, flexibility and all that. However, there’s a catch – you need more than solid positioning in order to really be able to get all the leverage you need to blow peoples’ knees out. Place the toes in the crook of your elbow rather than under your armpit for insane amounts of leverage.

Oh, and consider giving calf slicers a try as well. Just for laughs.

Discovering The Next Big Thing(s)

All these submissions work because they’re fundamental, and have been polished and worked on by all kinds of black belts for decades. However, at a certain point in time, they were new as well. If we want to evolve BJJ, we have to introduce grappling submissions that will one day work with a very high percentage rate. That means, we have to keep experimenting with moves that show promise, but might not just be there yet.

One move that’s already huge, and has the potential to become a real staple is the Estima Locks. It did happen by accident when the two Estima brothers were preparing for ADCC. It quickly became e huge submission weapon, and the Estima brothers have kept polishing it since then. That said, the Estima lock needs a few more adjustments, plus some positional security before it moves into the category of ultra-high percentage submissions. It is getting there, though, and fast.

The Tarikoplata is another move that’s a hybrid of recycled old stuff (from catch wrestling I think) and the innovative approach of Tarik Hopstock. It is a Kimura variation done with the legs, from a bunch of different positions and to great degrees of success. The only catch is, Tarik has molded it to himself, and now needs to find a way to make it accessible for everyone training Jiu-Jitsu.

Finally, there is more cath wrestling stuff that I think merit more attention. |Unfortunately, for BJJ people it is enough to just say “this is not legal” and they forget it exists. Rules change, and one day, these illegal moves might just end up being available to all. So, crotch rippers, AKA banana splits need to get more focused attention from people, as they’re extremely powerful and painful.

Last but not least, stuff like the inverted back mount and all associated cray subs are going to be the future for sure. Jum p on the bandwagon sooner rather than later.

Final Words

Submitting everyone in a tournament is bot the ultimate way of proving you’re the best, and the most practical way of getting the job done fast. However, if you truly want to be a submission artist, you need to up your game, particularly in training. That said, focus on the best grappling submissions that are proven to work. Build a great base of submission hunting with them, and so that you can then move on to more fun stuff that shows potential.

How To Correctly Use The Granby Roll BJJ Maneuver

BJJ World

One of the coolest things you can do in BJJ is the Granby Roll. No, really! Even if you do the Granby Roll as a drill around the gym, as long as you’re doing it right, you ‘ll get people asking what it is and how they can learn it. In fact, just last week I showed it to a fundamentals group during the warm-ups, mostly as an experiment. People had a tough time with it, as expected, but loved the drill land actually asked for more time to keep trying it. Of course, the Granby Roll BJJ uses extend far more than just rolling around on the ground in a cool manner. In fact, you can do pretty much anything with the Granby Roll.

Even though it was clearly not intended as such in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, the Granby Roll is one of the core movements of modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. What started off as a wrestling move that BJJ folks stole to increase their guard retention rates, turned out to be much more than that. Today, the Granby Roll BJJ movement is everywhere, from attacking with Berimbolos and Imanaris to escaping difficult positions like turtle and side control. Plus, there’s no entry into inverted guards unless you master the Granby Roll, whether it is Tornado guard or any of the latest wacky lapel based inverted ones. Bottom line, you need to learn how to Granby Roll, and how to use it the right way.

What Is The Granby Roll?

The Granby Roll, as I mentioned, is an old wrestling maneuver. In fact, in wrestling, it is categorized as a reversal, one popularized by coach Billy Martin Sr. from Granby High School in New York. You can see how the movement got its name. The roll itself is a cleaned-up version of the Peterson Roll which is a staple of defensive wrestling from as far back as the 1930s.

The Granby roll, as complicated as it may look, is actually pretty simple. There’s just one rule, and take it from someone who has learned it the hard way to be true – do not involve your neck at any point in the movement. That’s it. All that you need to be thinking about is rolling from shoulder to shoulder. Granted, the move requires you to go upside down, but there are mechanics behind it that make it safe first, and extremely effective in grappling second.

In essence, the point of doing a Granby Roll BJJ maneuver is to improve your positioning fast and ina an unusual manner. The Granby can take you around opponents’ defense, or it can get you straight out of their attacks. All you have to do is roll from one shoulder to the other. The catch is that your legs need to be folded over your head as you do this. But there’s a trick here too – the move actually harder when you do it as s drill. Granby Rolls work amazingly well when an opponent is trying to pressure you back and play their game.

Defensive Granby Roll BJJ Uses

The first fo many Granby Roll BJJ uses that I learned was a defensive one. The Granby is irreplaceable when it comes to guard retention. the best part about it is that it is the last resort option in many situations, but one that has the highest ratio of success. Whenever someone is trying to pass your guard you have so many opportunities hen you can simply turn your guard upside down. It closes all possible angles and often causes passers to reset, giving you the opportunity to get back to your favorite guard position.

Taking a closer look at the Granby Roll we can see that it is simply an extension of the sit out. In wrestling, the Granby is used as a reversal whenever a wrestler was heading for a back take. Usually, wrestlers would sit out, but hen had to throw in an additional shoulder to shoulder troll to evade the pin. Hence, the Granby Roll came to work in a defensive manner.

The same maneuver works perfectly well for BJJ too. Whether you’re in a turtle position on the bottom, or in bottom side control you can use the Granby to get out with ease. In terms of turtle, it works perfectly to get you back to guard, while keeping you safe at the same time. When it comes to side control, you’ll really need to get the hang of it, but it can definitely come in useful. Plus, spinning on the ground like that is the perfect way of setting up counter attacks as you’re escaping.

An Offensive Approach To Granbys

Of course, the Granby Roll BJJ movement wouldn’t become such a staple only as a defensive maneuver. Berimbolos took the move to unexpected heights, spurring on plenty of new and innovative uses for it. The Berimbolo uses the Granby Roll as the key component when it comes to transition from an open guard, like the De la Riva, to back control. Of course, grips and other mechanics come into play, but the core of it all is the Granby.

The most notable use of the Granby roll in modern Jiu-Jitsu, though, has to be the Imanari roll. It is not modern, per se, given that Imanairi used to do it early on, but it has been perfected in recent years. In short, the Imanari roll is a Granby roll that leads right into the Honeyhole / Inside Senkaku position which is the most powerful leg locking position out there. It looks extremely cool. Moreover, you can pull it off from just about anywhere, from standing to open guards and even as a counter to takedowns.

There’s also a more controlled version of using the Granby Roll BJJ move as opposed to the fast-paced nature of the Berimobolo and Imanari rolls. Cyborg’s Tornado Guard is the perfect example. There’ you use just half of the movement to get yourself in an inverted position. The starting point is the half guard, and the options from there vary, from sweeps to armbars and kneebar attacks.

Wrapping Up

If you really want to learn the Granby Roll BJJ maneuver, then you have to spend a considerable amount of time drilling it. Make sure you do it right. by going shoulder to shoulder and not placing pressure on your neck. Apart from that, you can explore its uses and make up new ones as you wish. Ther’s still a lot to come from the Granby Roll n grappling, and we can’t wait to see what ti’s next great use si going to be all about.

European Open Jiu-JItsu Championship 2020 Full Results

BJJ World

So, another set of the European Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship is over. The 2020 edition, as expected brought about some really exciting matches, a few upsets and revealed even more up and coming talent. If this is the event to judge by, 2020 is going to be an extremely interesting year for the grappling competition scene. And that’s coming from me, a person that’s not really keen on IBJJF tournaments. Well, the Euros proved different, and I couldn’t stop watching, particularly when it came to the black belt semi-finals and finals. As for the absolute, it was a story of its own, one that’s not going to be forgotten soon.

It wasn’t until l first went to compete at the Euros myself a few years ago that I really understood how huge of an event it is. Nothing could have prepared me for the number of people and amount of matches that take place in a week in the now-familiar spot in Odivelas, right next to Lisbon in Portugal. Strolling around the venue, bumping into BJJ greats like Caio Terra or the Mendes brothers is a given on any day. Every year, this particular Jiu-Jitsu Championship grows in popularity, with a staggering number of just below 5.000 competitors signed for this year. Of course, plenty of the world’s best black belts also featured, providing us with a great start to a competitive 2020.

The Biggest Ever Jiu-Jitsu Championship

As I said, already, this year’s European Open Jiu-Jitsu championship toppled almost any other tournament in the world with the number of competitors. That makes it yet again, the biggest event that the IBJJF organizes. However, given the IBJJF’s ranking system, the weight of the tournament is still not undisputed, coming in second to the Worlds. That makes sense, as both the Europeans and Pans are marked with a lesser grade than the World, even though they often times have more competitors. Still, when it comes to competing or watching the ultra-exciting matches, this only means there are more chances of grat matchups taking place. This is exactly what happened last weekend in Portugal.

In terms of rules and organization, the IBJJF has got the European Open Jiu-Jitsu championship down to perfection. Everything was much of the same as in previous years, with one slight change regarding the absolute division. This time around, they borrowed a concept from the ADCC, eliminating the possibility of closeouts. In other words, two athletes from the same team can’t sing up in different parts of the brackets in order to meet in the final. This makes for much more exciting final matches and is a great change that the IBJJF introduced.

Even though there were more matches than we can count over the course of 6 days, the one to re-watch over and over again throughout the year came in the match of the tournament, and potentially the year goes to Tommy Langaker and Oliver Lovell. In the very first match of the tournament. The match ended 17-10 for Langaker and was a really fast-paced exchange of sweeps and passes along with some very memorable scrambles that could’ve gone either way.

Black Belt Highlights

Of course, there were too many fights to be able to go through in detail, give that all belt levels and large categories were more than well represented at the 2020 European Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Plus, the black belt adult matches are where all eyes are on anyway. In that sense, we focused precisely on those matches, and even then, we’ll discuss nothing but the best hat took place in the male, female and absolute divisions.

Male Black Belt Divisions

Every year there’s a competitor out there that shines in the European Jiu-Jitsu championship on a different level than all others. Usually, that extends toa stellar year for most. Well, the Euros certainly go to Mikey Musumeci this time around, and hopefully, the entire year. Musumeci got the gold in his division, submitting his way to the final where he then won via split decision. A great way to kick off the year with yet another European title.

Felipe Andrew of Zenith Jiu-Jitsu was another one with a spectacular performance. In the super heavy division, he managed to reach the final where he was unlucky against Patric Gaudio. However, he did beat all opponents leading up to the final in an impressive, and somewhat scary fashion. He is one big man to watch this year.

Another name that really stood out was Seif Houminne in the ultra-heavyweight division. He also reached the final, choking out Gabriel Lucas in the quarter-finals and disposing of Mahame Aly via points in the semis. The man that stopped him, and Ultra heavyweight European champ[ion of 202 was Igor Schneider. However, Houminne’s European grappling adventure did not end there.

Female Black belt Divisions

With the ladies, the title of best grappler of the 2020 European Jiu-Jitsu Championship goes without a doubt to Ffion Davies. After a stellar and impressive 2019, she started 202 with a real bang, getting double gold while brushing away all competition with apparent ease. The Welsh-born BJJ phenom did take it easy on anyone, submitting most of her highly skilled seasoned opponents on her way to double gold.

Larissa Campos of Gracie Humaita was also highly notable in her performances in the featherweight division. Among her victims was ADCC champion Bianca Basilio, who was one of the favorites to steal the show. Larissa didn’t manage to beat the final hurdle, though, losing out to Amal Amjahid via advantages with points tied at 2×2. It did, however, brought attention to the young black belt that already has plenty of Europan medals at previous belt levels.

The super heavyweight division missed Gabi Garcia this year, and in fact, missed quite a lot of competitors. In a round-robin 3 person division, Jessica Flowers was the most successful, choking out Venla Luukkonen before closing out in the final with teammate Kendall Reusing.

The Absolute Division

The absolute division of any Jiu-Jitsu championship is where the fun is at, and it was no different at the 202 Euros. Some crazy matchups took place, with the man of the moment, Mikey Musumeci taking all the headlines once again. Fighting at rooster weight, he is not one we often see in the absolute, but he did make sure to make an impression this time. He started his absolute division journey aginst Sif Houmine, producing some of the best images of BJJ matchups ever in the process. Mikey though played an extremely smart game, snatching an eventual advantage victory.

He then went on to battle Mahham Aly, who barely managed to outpoint the little wizard and proceed to the semi-final. At the same time, Keenan Cornelius beat Mathis Luan to earn the chance to battle Mahamed Aly, and eventually beat him to reach the final. Yet another surprise waited there, with Keenan losing via submission in a Gi as a black belt for the first time to Felipe Andrews via a triangle armbar. Amazing performance by Andrew who definitely showed improved performance on his division final.

As previously stated, Ffion Davies won double gold, meaning she brushed through everyone in the Absolute as well. Both Larissa Campos and later on, Super Heavyweight Jessica Flowers stood no chance against the Welsh grappling machine in a couple of the most exciting matches of the entire European Open Jiu-Jitsu championship.

Full European Open Jiu-JItsu Championship 2020 Black Belt Results

Apart from the highlights, we provide you with the full results of all black belt male and female divisions from the 2020 European Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championship as well, including the means of victory for each match. Check them out below:

Adult Male Black Belt Division

Rooster

1/4 Finals
– Thalison Soares def. Bruno Malfacine 2×1 adv, 4×4 pts
– Koji Shibamoto def. Juan Silva (No Show)
– Cleber Sousa def. Lucas Gonçalves (No Show)
– Tomoyuki Hashimoto def. Nobuhiro Sawada by 3×0 adv, 0x0 pts
Semi-Finals
– Thalison Soares def. Koji Shibamoto by 8×6 pts
– Tomoyuki Hashimoto def. Cleber Sousa by 8×6 pts
Final
– Tomoyuki Hashimoto def. Thalison Soares by DQ (exiting mat with locked submission)

Light-Feather

1/4 Finals
– Hiago George allowed teammate Jonas Andrade to advance [gentlemen’s agreement]
– Bebeto Oliveira def. Rene Lopez by 16×2 pts
– Diego “Pato” def. Pedro Dias by triangle
– Mikey Musumeci def. Suraj Budhram by arm-in Ezekiel choke
Semi-Finals
– Jonas Andrade def. Bebeto Oliveira by points
– Mikey Musumeci def. Diego “Pato” by straight ankle-lock
Final
– Mikey Musumeci def. Jonas Andrade by split decision

Feather

1/4 Finals
– Isaac Doederlein def. Guilherme Rocha by straight ankle-lock
– Alex Sodré def. Israel Sousa by decision, 8×8 pts
– Leo Saggioro def. Gabriel Marangoni by 2×0 pts
– Gabriel Sousa def. Deandre Corbe by 1×0 adv, 4×4 pts
Semi-Finals
– Isaac Doederlein def. Alex Sodré by decision
– Leo Saggioro def. Gabriel Sousa by decision, 2×2 pts
Final
– Isaac Doederlein def. Leo Saggioro by 2×0 adv, 2×2 pts

Lightweight

1/4 Finals
– Vitor Oliveira def. Guthierry Barbosa by choke
– Pedro Veras def. Jeremy Jackson by decision
– Jonnatas Gracie def. Leon Larman by bread-cutter choke
– Luan Carvalho def. Italo Moura by decision, 0x0 pts
Semi-Finals
– Vitor Oliveira def. Pedro Veras by 3×0 adv, 2×2 pts
– Jonnatas Gracie def. Luan Carvalho by RNC
Final
– Jonnatas Gracie def. Vitor Oliveira by decision, 2×2 pts

Middleweight

1/4 Finals
– Tommy Langaker def. Mathias Luna by 1 penalty, 6×6 pts
– Ronaldo Junior def. Lucas Valle by 4×2 pts
– Pedro Ramalho def. Igor Veríssimo by choke from back
– Alexandre Jesus def. Max Lindblad by decision, 0x0 pts
Semi-Finals
– Tommy Langaker def. Ronaldo Junior by triangle choke
– Pedro Ramalho def. Alexandre Jesus by 2×1 adv, 2×2 pts
Final
– Tommy Langaker def. Pedro Ramalho by choke from back

Medium-Heavy

1/4 Finals
– Bruno Lima def. Gabriel Almeida by 10×4 pts
– Santeri Lilius def. Angel Cicero by choke from mount
– Jakub Zajkowski def. Felipe Pimentel by choke from back
– Manuel Ribamar def. Rafael Paganini by 12×0
Semi-Finals
– Manuel Ribamar def. Jakub Zajkowski by 2×0
– Bruno Lima def. Santeri Lilius by 1×0 adv, 0x0 pts
Final
– Manuel Ribamar def. Bruno Lima by injury

Heavy

1/4 Finals
– Jackson Sousa def. Fabio Alano by RNC
– Keenan Cornelius def. Felipe Mauricio by 8×2 pts
– Adam Wardzinski def. Gabriel Volante by choke from back
– Dimitrius Souza def. Hygor Brito by 1×0 adv, 2×2 pts
Semi-Finals
– Adam Wardzinski def. Dimitrius Souza by choke from back
– Keenan Cornelius def. Jackson Sousa by 4×2 pts
Final
– Keenan Cornelius def. Adam Wardzinski by 2×0 adv, 4×4 pts

Super-Heavy

1/4 Finals
– Helton Jose vs Lukasz Michalec (Both Athletes No Show)
– Patrick Gaudio def. Fellipe Trovo by points
– Gerard Labinski def. Stan Varshavskiy (Varshavskiy overweight)
– Fellipe Andrew Bye
Semi-Finals
– Fellipe Andrew def. Gerard Labinski by 13×0 pts
– Patrick Gaudio Advanced as both opposite bracket’s 1/4 finalists labeled “No Show”
Final
– Patrick Gaudio def. Fellipe Andrew by kneebar

Ultra-Heavy

1/4 Finals
– Tanner Rice def. Matheus “Tá Danado” by 1×0 adv, 0x0 pts
– Igor Schneider def. Rodrigo Ribeiro by 3×0 pts
– Mahamed Aly def. Igor Marques by 10×0 pts
– Seif Houmine def. Gabriel Lucas by cachecol choke
Semi-Finals
– Seif Houmine def. Mahamed Aly by 3×0 pts
– Igor Schneider def. Tanner Rice by 4×0 pts
Final
– Igor Schneider def. Seif Houmine by 5×0

Open Weight

1/4 Finals:
– Mahamed Aly def. Mikey Musumeci by 2×2 pts, 2×1 adv
– Keenan Cornelius def. Mathias Luna by RNC
– Fellipe Trovo def. Igor Schneider by crucifix choke
– Fellipe Andrew def. Patrick Gaudio by DQ
Semi-Finals:
– Keenan Cornelius def. Mahamed Aly by 10×2 pts
– Fellipe Andrew def. Fellipe Trovo by straight ankle lock
Final
– Fellipe Andrew def. Keenan Cornelius by triangle-armbar

Adult Female Black Belt Division

Rooster

– Mayssa Bastos def. Serena Gabrielli by 2×0 pts

Light-Feather

Semi-Finals
– Ana Rodrigues def. Rose El Sharouni by lapel choke
– Talita Alencar def. Naomi Martin by armbar
Final
– Anna Rodrigues def. Talita Alencar by 1×0 adv, 0x0 pts

Feather

Semi-Finals
– Amal Amjahid def. Gabriella Fechter by 5×0 pts
– Larissa Campos def. Bianca Basílio by triangle/armlock
Final
– Amal Amjahid def. Larissa Campos by 3×0 adv, 2×2 pts

Light

Semi-Finals
– Charlotte Von Baumgarten def. Nat Ribeiro by 2×0 pts
– Ffion Davies def. Nikky Sullivan 11×0 pts
Final
– Ffion Davies def. Charlotte Von Baumgarten by choke from back

Middle

Semi-Finals
– Danielle Alvarez def. Julia Maele by 16×5 pts
– Thamara Ferreira def. Hannah Rauch by toe-hold
Final
– Thamara Ferreira def. Danielle Alvarez by kneebar

Medium-Heavy

Round-Robin – 3 person division
– Sabatha Laís def. Maria Eduarda by RNC
– Maggie Grindatti def. Maria Eduarda by 7×0 pts
Final
– Sabatha Laís def. Maggie Grindatti by triangle-armbar

Heavy

– Jessica Flowers def. Venla Luukkonen by 8×2 pts
– Kendall Reusing def. Venla Luukkonen by bread cutter choke
– Jessica Flowers closed the bracket with teammate Kendall Reusing

Open Weight

Semi-Finals
– Jessica Flowers def. Vedha Toscano 3×2 pts
– Ffion Davies def. Larissa Campos by 1 advantage
Final
– Ffion Davies def. Jessica Flowers by 4×0

The Take-Aways

This year’s European Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship certainly raised the entertainment bar when it comes to Gi Jiu-Jitsu. That, and it produced extremely impressive heavyweight matches, even spurring Gordon Ryan to postpone his retirement plans for yet another year. With that in mind, we’re certainly in for some fireworks matches this upcoming year. Just imagine the possibilities!

Getting Tapped Out Is The Best Way To Learn BJJ Escapes

BJJ World

Learn BJJ Escapes by being Tapped Out more

When is the last time you tapped in training? If you haven’t tapped for more than a week, you’re doing something wrong. Getting tapped out is the single best thing that can happen to you in a roll. The more you do it the more you learn. This is something we’ve talked about and everyone keeps on saying it. But what exactly do you learn when you tap? When a submission is too painful to resist? Or how much you suck at Jiu-Jitsu? Neither. Tapping out is the perfect way to actually learn BJJ escapes.

There’s an art more subtle within the realm of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu than escapes. No matter how you look at things, BJJ escapes are the measure of a great grappler. Anyone can hunt for submissions or do weird lapel stuff and stay in positions for indefinite amounts of time. The true high-level grapplers are those that can get out of anything and make it seem like your attacks are useless. But how did they get like that? Easy – they tapped out. A lot.

The Hardest Thing To Do In Jiu-Jitsu

The single hardest thing to get used to doing in Jiu-Jitsu is tapping out. And no, it doesn’t get easier with time. On the contrary, there’s no one better at tapping out than white belts. Okay, maybe blue belts right before they discover that they can turtle up and be highly annoying. Jokes aside, tapping out is a skill that gets harder with time. It goes completely against human nature, but in order to become great at Jiu-Jitsu, you’ll need to embrace it.

That right there is the exact reason why black belts and high-level grapplers, in general, are so good at BJJ escapes – they hate getting tapped out. And still, they say to everyone they should tap more often. The reality with tapping out, plain and simple is that you’ll always hate doing it, but you will arrive at a point where you understand how crucial it is to your BJJ progress. And I’m not just talking about injury prevention or being able to train Jiu-Jitsu for as long as you can. That goes without saying.

All that stuff about submitting your ego and becoming a tapping machine is senseless. We can be aware that we shouldn’t let our egos interfere, but that doesn’t mean we’ve let them at the door. It’s impossible, it is misleading and does more damage than good. Instead, people should learn that getting tapped out is as inevitable as the sun setting. So, as much as you might hate the dark, you learn to live in it, and even better, thrive in it. The same holds true for your ego and tapping out.

The Value Of Getting Tapped Out Regularly

So, how exactly does tapping out help you Jiu-Jitsu? Let’s go belt by belt and try to pinpoint the exact benefits you get from tapping out. As a beginner, it is easy – tapping out is like a safety word. The moment you do it, you’re safe. The trouble is, you’re probably using it too often a completely out of context. That’s fine – that’s where the lesson is. Knowing that you can train something as crazy as Jiu-Jitsu full speed every day of the week and be completely safe is the best thing tapping out can teach you at this point.

At a blue belt, you’ll have your first real inner conflict about tapping out. It is still okay with higher belts, but god forbid you to tap out to a white belt or even fellow blue belts. At this point, tapping out will teach you that no defense is going to work universally. The second huge conflict, probably the greatest one comes at purple belt. Here, getting regularly tapped out is going to be the toughest to swallow. Conversely, the lesson is also a hugely important one – you take it so personally that you throw yourself at perfecting your game so that you don’t end up in the same station again, even though it is inevitable.

At brown belt, you’ll actually accept that you can’t learn BJJ without getting tapped out. That’s also where you realize that you simply have to add BJJ escapes to your game. And not just add them but thrive in them. Tapping out is what gets you to this huge hallmark in your understanding of JIu-Jitsu. Finally, at black belt, tapping out is about two things – perfecting BJJ escapes, and getting reminded that you’ll always be a “white belt” compared to someone else. The more black belts there are out there, the more important this becomes.

Suffer To Learn BJJ

Finally, before I wrap this up I’ll let you know how tapping out will help you learn BJJ escapes universally, at all belt levels. It is a new concept for me as well, and the credit for this philosophy goes to a real escape master – Priit Mihkelson. His take on things is that you need to suffer in order to learn BJJ, and in particular, BJJ escapes that are highly successful.

Simply put, there are two ends to the spectrum of BJJ escapes – early and late escapes. Those are the two you want to focus on. Everything in the middle is mediocre and is what people are usually looking at. That said, late defenses, particularly very, very late ones are an art form of themselves. In order to really understand them, you’ll have to go deep into bad spots, meaning you’ll have to have a lot of taps ready to go. Only by getting tapped out constantly as you work on your timing, feeling, positioning, etc., will you have any measurable success with BJJ escapes.

If you don’t want to take my word for it, check out Priit’s work. So far he has several DVD instructionals that cover the subtle art of escaping and evading. His “Grilled Chicken Guard System” is a great place to start, along with his “Protecting And Generating Dynamic Offense From The Turtle” DVD. However, his masterpiece (at least so far) that I highly recommend you check out is the “The Sitting Turtle” DVD instructional.

Wrap Up

The trouble with BJJ escapes is that you can’t really learn them from someone else. You can become aware of certain universal principles and concepts, but ultimately, you’ll have to suffer and get tapped out to actually learn. Speaking of which, that’s not going to happen by itself, so you better get to work and pack a lot of taps for your next BJJ class. You’ll need them, regardless of your belt level.

Grappling Tournaments To Look Forward To In 2020

BJJ World

The IBJJF Europeans are currently well underway, with most of the world’s BJJ elite flocking towards Lisbon. The IBJJF might not agree with everyone when it comes to rules, but the Europeans are one of the three biggest events under this organization’s banner. That causes all the highest level grapplers to compete at what is often the tournament with the highest number of competitors in a given year. That said, the Europeans will provide us with a week’s worth of grappling entertainment, but then what? What are the beet upcoming grappling tournaments we have to wait for in 2020?

Let’s face it, open tournaments sare fun and all, but the really exciting fights lie elsewhere. And it is not just enough to offer a cash prize, there has to be an entrainment factor as well for people to watch. A lot of the submission only professional tournaments have got this down, and I see 202 as the year when Pro Jiu-Jitsu will bloom more than ever. We will miss Gordon Ryan’s antics after his retirement, but his departure leaves a void that plenty of people would be happy to fill. AN what better way to see who’s up for it than a few handpicked extra high-level grappling tournaments?

Take Your Pick

A decade ago, the only way to watch a tournament was to be a part of one. Youtube did help a bit when copyright and geographical issues didn’t prevent us from accessing clips of matches. Fast forward to today, and there’s simply n way you can keep up with every tournament out there! IN fac,t only trying to follow the highest level professional grappling tournaments is still a very daunting task. That said, I personally really enjoy the variety and choice we have nowadays.

Let’s try and keep things as simple as possible – Gi and No-Gi. When it comes to No-Gi, let’s leave all the IBJJF and AJP stuff aside. Submission only is the way to go, with things like EBI, Fihgt2WIN and Submission Underground preparing some crazy cards in the very near future. When it comes to Gi BJJ, Kasai, Polaris, FIVE grappling and even the IBJJF events are going to battle it out for the best entertainment factor.

The truth of the matter is, today we not only have the option to take our pick of the best grappling tournaments to watch, but we need to do it. Even though we’re all barely in 2020, there are already a few events on the horizon that promise to be extremely entertaining. In a year with no ADCC, apart from trials, of course, there’s a gap to be filled. Which of these grappling tournaments will be able to step up and claim the title of the best tournament for 2020? le’s take a look at several fo the upcoming best tournaments featuring professional grapplers.

Upcoming Grappling Tournaments You Shouldn’t Miss

With all the possibilities out there, what area the Grappling tournaments that are most worth your time? Well, apart from looking at ht the cards your chosen method of viewing is huge. namely, if you want to see something live, you’ll probably need to pick something in your vicinity. On the other hand, if you don’t mind streaming events, UFC Fight Pass or any other streaming service will more than do the trick. All you need to know is the date and time, and preferably, the card. To that extent, there are some crazy matchups coming our way in 2020 that are promising to be absolute fireworks!

Kasai Pro 7

Kasai Pro 7 takes place in Dallas Texas on February 1st. This time around, it is their World Heavyweight Championship, which, on its own is a guarantee for entertainment. The roster of 8 challengers for the title includes Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa, Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, Joao Gabriel, Nicky Rodriguez, Bruno Bastos, Patric Gaudio, Vinny Magalhaes, and Kyel Boehm. In other words, the who is who of grappling heavyweight royalty, without “King” Gordon Ryan, of course.

On the same card, apart from the heavyweight tournament, there are also three super fights to look forward to. namely, Renato Canuto will face off against Dante Leon in a much-anticipated matchup. Pedro Rocha also takes on Mike Perez, and Raquel Canuto will square offa against Gabi Mccomb.

Fight 2 Win 136

Fight2Win is probably the biggest professional Jiu-Jitsu tournament out there. One of the pioneers of high-level pro grappling tournaments, Fight2Win’s upcoming event is going to be their 136th one. The full event card is still not announced to the public. However, the main event is known, with The always exciting Gabi Garcia set to grapple Abu Dhabi World Pro champion Gabrieli Pessanha. Pessanha is a fresh black belt, but that might just be the perfect storm when it comes to upsetting 4-time ADCC champion Gabi Garcia. With such an electric main event, one wonders who else is going to b on this card. It takes place on January 24th, in Los Angeles.

Submission Underground 11

Submission underground started off really strong and was among the first SUbmission only No-Gi grappling tournaments out there. It did have a period of a decline, before founding Chael SOnen decided to amend the rules. Introducing tag team grappling is certainly an original way to promote a sub-only grappling tournament. Suffice to say it worked, and now, we’re staring at a gigantic SUG card about to take place on February 23d in the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon.

Teaming up for the most exciting tag-team grappling matchup yet are Craig Jones and Nicky Rodriguez against Kyle Boehm and Vinny Magalhaes. That’s enough for me to be in a constant mode of impatient anticipation already! The card also features some other great matchups with Al Iaquinta set to grapple Mike Perry, and jake shields welcoming Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez. As per the latest news, Samantha Bonilla and Danielle Perry will also grapple it out inside the cage.

EBI Combat Jiu-JItsu Worlds: Fetghwerweights

Finally, wrapping up with No-Gi tournaments more than well worth our time is the ever-present EBI. To be honest, I really miss the old format of the EBI, when it was Jiu-JItsu only. However, despite morphing into a full-blown COmbat JIu-JItsu event, EBI still remains one of the most exciting grappling tournaments to watch. March 8th brings about the Combat Jiu-JItsu World for the featherweights, with notables like Geo Martinez, Masakazu IManari and Richard Alarcon on the roster.

IBJJF Tournaments

Finally, when it comes to the “vanilla” scene of BJ Jcomeptition, the IBJJF has all their usual tournaments up and about. The Europeans are underway currently, but you can still watch them via live streams daily. IN fact, the black belts haven’t gotten their chance just yet. The Worlds in both Gi and No-Giare coming up fast (spring and winter respectively), as well as the ever-entertaining Pans, to name just a few worth watching. Or participating in, depending on your choice.

Matches We’d Like To See In 2020

While grappling tournaments are definitely the way forward for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling martial arts in general, we also wouldn’t mind just seeing a few straight matchups, even if there’s no accompanying undercard. the ADCC left many unanswered questions and produced new stars that have been killing it in the aftermath. Conversely, we wouldn’t mind seeing a few of them tangle their grappling horns any time in 2020.

Nick Rodriguez Vs Felipe Pena

This is going to be a No-Gi match, if/when it takes place. Nick Rodriguez is exciting against just about anyone, and he is still just a blue belt! His antics at the ADCC are legendary, particularly against Mahhamad Aly and Cyborg. That said, with several subsequent super fights Nick proved yeat against that he Danaher method of developing BJJ killers works like a charm. Who should he meet next? Why not the nemesis of his training partner Gordon Ryan, the man who beat the “King” twice, Felipe Pena? Pena would definitely look for a hefty payday, but there are promotions out there that can do it. What are you waiting for?

Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa vs. Lachlan Giles

Yeah, this is one matchup everyone is going to watch. Lachlan had a stellar finish to 2019, first by disposing of an entire team single-handedly at Kinektic, and then beating several heavyweights in the ADC absolute to win the bronze. The Aussie leg locks master is not one to shy away from a challenge, and Hulk would bring just that to the table. the fact that Barbosa is competing at heavyweight only makes things more interesting, given Lachaln’s pedigree against bigger opponents.

Tye Ruotolo Vs. Nicky Ryan

Grappling tournaments are great places to uncover new talent. In the case of the ADCC< that would be the understatement of the year. Tye Ruotolo went in as blue belt, and Nicky as a purple belt, both among the youngest to ever compete at the “Olympics of BJJ”. Tye was plain unlucky not to win bronze, only derailed by Paolo Myao’s experience and disturbingly flexible knees. Nicky, on the other hand, Funny enough, it was Miyao that disposed of Nicky as well, although in the quarter-finals of the tournament. Seeing Nicky and tye battle it out, under any ruleset is going to be perhaps the most massive event of 2020. Somehow, I think this one has a great chance of taking place.

Ffion Davies vs. Mayssa Bastos

Let’s not forget the finer half of BJJ as well. If grappling tournaments made a huge leap in one area in 2019, it was in terms of providing chances for grappling women to shine. We expect more of the same, emphasis on more, in 2020 as well. Ffion Davies did a wonderful job beating just about anyone in 2019. Mayassa Bastos is yet another young competitor and fresh black belt that has had an amazing year. matching these two up, in either or both Gi and No-Gi is just a question of time. Why not hurry up and do it? Grappling promotions? Anyone?

In Summary

While training Jiu-Jitsu is the best part of the art, grappling tournaments also have a lot to contribute. First up, they offer a great alternative to most of the Netflix nonsense available nowadays. Moreover, they are great talking subjects among teammates. Even more importantly, the open up ideas and make people try things and explore, elevating the level of JIu-=Jitsu worldwide. Plus, form time to time the bring about people that like to taunt each other prior to matches, providing an extra entertainment factor. I hope that we’ll see a lot more grappling tournaments in 2020 than we did in 2019. A tall order, I know, but a perfectly doable one.

Playing Games In Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Classes

BJJ World

Kids should train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Plain and simple. In fact, I’d really love to see it as a part of school curriculums even. Speaking of which, there are several examples of peo[le using BJJ in schools to improve kids’ education. That said, if you’ve ever been toa BJJ class, you know how chaotic it may seem. Well, with Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes, you can multiply that tenfold. However, it only seems as chaotic as usual, coaches have a perfect grasp over every second of the training. As one of those brave souls that teach kids BJJ, I can attest that there are different “tools” to make sure you never lose control over a kids’ class. One of the things I really think is key in building up future grapplers are games. But not just any games.

Before I coached kids in BJJ I spent about a decade doing the same for kids that trained karate. Suffice to say, there’s an insurmountable difference between the two. I get both approaches, one very traditional, the other very open. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll notice that even traditional martial arts have games in their kids classes. They might be under strict rules and masked as drills, etc., but they’re there. The “loose” nature of Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu means that kids both play the games and enjoy them as such. And they’re invaluable for attaining a whole host for bringing key points closer to the kids.

Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Classes

The first moment you walk into a kids’ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class you’ll probably think “run”. Having 30+ little warriors aged 5-10 running and tumbling around in little Gis is a sight that needs adjusting to., Once you do, though there’s hardly anything you’ll look forward to than the kids’ classes. And behind all that madness, there’s actually a very clear structure.

One great way of structuring a BJJ kids class is to find that elusive balance between making things seem new, while actually having the kids go through the same motions. That means you need to be fun but enforce discipline from the get-go. Even more importantly, you need to really hone in on your warm-ups, having kids do the key BJJ motions over and over again, but always with a twist that makes them curious above anything else. Speaking of which, this is the perfect time to introduce a game or two to get the ball rolling.

IN terms of organizing technique training, you’ve got countless options when it comes to Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. However, even then, you can either employ a game or use the structure of a game to make training techniques (which is where kids’ attention usually wanders) much more interesting. Finally, whether they’re sparring or not, the idea is to always end with some sort of a competitive drill. Once again, the perfect situation to use games and get great results.

Finally, a key point in wrapping everything up is appealing to the kids with an important “end of class message” of your choosing. Right after a great training session, and immediately after playing a game, when they’re still tired but happy and glowing is the best time to convey important educational messages to kids.

The Value of Games For Kids

When I was growing up, we used to play outside a lot more. Okay, we did our fair share of video games as well. I’m not that old after all. Still, we did spend time outside, doing stuff like climbing trees and rooftops and playing all sorts of games that involved all the kids from the neighborhood. In the modern-day, unfortunately, the lack of such games has a huge influence on how kids develop. And it is not a good one.

Games are there for a reason. People have been playing them, and coming up with new ones for centuries because they have an important role to play. Form building social ties, to teaching kids movement and coordination, aLl the way to building a competitive spirit. Thre’s also the cultural aspect of things because every spot in the world has different games. IN terms of BJJ, there’s also a culture behind everything, one that can be used to reinforce key educational points in any child’s development.

In essence, the huge popularity of video games nowadays makes real-life games fade into the disappearance. Have you tried some of the “old-school” games with your kids, or kids you coach? First, they’ll be amused but shy, perhaps afraid to try. Right after the very first go, you’ll never hear the end of it. This does not happen with video games. The role of social, physical games play in our development is irreplaceable. So, if modern lifestyle tends to take them away, why not use kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes to re-introduce them to children?

A Few Kids BJJ Games Ideas

First of all, feel free to invent and experiment with all kinds of games when it comes to setting up a kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class. That said, only keep in mind their age and the requirements of the game, as the only condition of success. Below I’ll outline some of the games that have the kids in my classes jump with joy when we announce them.

Dodgeball

This is not just an ordinary game of dodgeball. You’ll need two coaches for this one, one on each and of the mats. The kids should all be in a bunch in the middle. Even if ht ball you throw touches a kid slightly, they have to go out and sit behind the coach that threw the ball. To make it more challenging and fun, try using two balls, one in each hand. Even better, do what we do – use a stability ball .it is big and bouncy, causing the kids to really develop coordination when trying to avoid it and their teammates.

Kangaroo Fighting

This one goes well for adults as well. It is very simple and starts with the kids organized in pairs. You’ll need a line on the ground that will divide each pair. Half the kids should be on one side, the other half on the other side. From there, have them kneel in a deep squat, and start hopping in place. The goal is to use their palms only to push the kid on the other side of the line down. The trick is, the only point of contact should be the palms of both kids’ hands. It is hard, builds up strength and conditioning and requires lots of coordination and balance. Keep a score of who falls down more times and you’ll have your winner. A great drill is to rotate the pairs, simply by moving one line up or down.

Animal Races

Animal drills are an exceptional way of getting kids to hone in on BJJ specific movements. You can include pretty much everything you think of, although some popular choices are bear and lizard crawls, monkey hops, kangaroo and frog jumps, and chicken runs. Have the kids do them as a race, ideally in pairs. They build immense levels of coordination and build up a fighting and competitive spirit. Plus, they’re extremely fun for the kids to do!

The “Branch-Hole” Drill

This is yet another one that can extend beyond kids Brazilian Jiu-JItsu classes. IN fact, most adults do it too, including MMA fighters. The idea is to have everyone pick a spot in the gym, and start running in place at a moderate pace. Once you shout “branch” everyone should do a sprawl, and get straight back up into running. Like evading a branch if you’re running through a forest. Shouting “hole” on the other hand is a cue for everyone to jump up, like jumping over a hole. Clearly, there’s lots of conditioning here, but also a reaction to verbal and visual cues. Feel free to mix cues up as you wish, particularly doing different things yourself while shouting. Whoever remains last is the winner. It can be done in teams as well, with the first team to be eliminated losing.

Great Wall Of China

This one is a true favorite in all levels of kids Brazilian JIu-Jitsu classes. The basic vision is to have two kids, which you either choose yourself or based on winning previous games. They hold hands together and stand in the idle of the mats. All other kids are on one side of the academy. The kids have to run all the way to the other side, avoiding the “wall” who try to catch them. Everyone that’s been caught, without the wall releasing hands, becomes a part of the wall. Use a limited number of runs, and set a number of how many kids should end up in the wall during that time.

A bit more precise version is to actually give the kids in the wall tasks of who in particular they need to catch. This makes them think and plan, work as a team and develop crazy levels of dexterity.

The Monkey Drill

Finally, it’s time to really include coaches in the drills. The back position is one that kids have to learn early, and they need to really master. This drill will ensure just that. Have kid catch your back, hooks, seatbelt, and everything and then stand up. Spread your arms wide at the shoulder level. The kids should then do a full rotation around your upper body without their feet ever touching the ground .the goal is to return to the back. Very difficult but extremely important and fun for the kids as well.

Conclusion

The games above are just a few ideas of what you can do in a kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class. The important thing is to give kids what they like, while at the same time teaching them a plethora of things that extend well beyond just Jiu-Jitsu techniques. Give it a go and feel free to recommend games of your own too!

Being A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Master: What Does It Mean?

BJJ World

Do you know which Iiu-Jitsu belt everyone wants to get the most? No, it is not the black belt. There’s no belt in Jiu-Jitsu that people covet more than the blue belt. The reason is simple – nobody wants to be a beginner, AKA a white belt. When you get the blue belt, you think about nothing else apart from being a blue belt. Finally, at purple belt, people realize this is for real and that a black belt is a real possibility. Still, a black belt does not guarantee that you will become a JIu-Jitsu master. In fact, what is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master to begin with?

Being a Jiu-JItsu master may mean different things. One is the obvious achievement of really mastering the art on a level that very few others have done Another aspect, one that doesn’t require you to be a black belt, or have any belt whatsoever, is being a Jiu-Jitsu master competitor. That’s nothing more than just an age category. Finally, there’s the title of BJJ master that comes with achieving a certain degree of black belt. As you can see, there’s no true measurement for being a BJJ master, but there are certain indicators of how “masterful’ you might be.

Jiu-Jitsu Mastery

To begin with, my personal opinion is that you can’t master Jiu-Jitsu. You can call yourself whatever you want, but the reality is, you’ll never ever be a master of the Gentle Art. There’s just too much to absorb. In fact, I’d wager that no one can even try everything JIu-Jitsu has to offer, let alone claim to have mastered it. However, you could master the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle and become a master ambassador of the art.

Being a Jiu-Jitsu master extends far beyond having the largest possible collection of BJJ moves and the ability to submit everybody. It is the overall approach that can make someone a master of JIu-Jitsu, even before they reach the black belt. Yeah, that is possible. Some of ht key traits that demonstrate you have mastery of Jiu-Jitsu are being always humble, approachable, keeping an open mind and well-rounded. All of these and many more characteristics are needed in order of understanding Jiu-Jitsu enough so that you can master the lifestyle.

In other martial arts, calling someone “master” usually means they’re on a level far beyond everyone else, and often times are looked at as more than human. IN BJJ, the true master is the one that’s on the mats all the time, talking with students, drilling, answering questions and rolling with everyone. There’s no aura of mystery, just an overwhelming knowledge and a desire to obtain even more. That’ where the true mastery of BJJ lies – in constant, never-ending curiosity.

A Jiu-Jitsu Master Competitor

This one is easy. If you want to call yourself a JIu-Jitsu master all you need to be is older than 30. However, this “mastery” is of a different kind. In BJJ, there are plenty of ways to categorize competitors so that they get the best chance at a fair match. Apart from the obvious belt level and weight categories,age comes into play as well. People over 30 are Master Competitors, not because they know more BJJ than others, but simply because they’re older. Form 30 onwards, there are a few Master categories in which people end up to further make their odds at winning even. However, a master competitor can always decide to compete in adult (under 30) divisions as well.

The thing with BJJ master competitors is not just about competition. Granted, someone at 30 and at 29 is not that different. However, there’s a huge difference between a 42-year-old competitor and 26 years old. In that sense, the master divisions are a great and practical idea. The biggest benefit of becoming a Master competitor is having to look at a different type of game. As the years pass, your body will be more and more reluctant to part take in inverted and flying moves, and more geared towards figuring out lazier ways of putting people to sleep. That right there is a great way to achieve the mastery of the Jiu-JItsu lifestyle we talked about earlier.

The takeout here would be that you don’t have to compete in the master’s divisions if you still feel like you can beat the adults. However, if you qualify, make sure you start dabbling in the masters game as early as possible. The thing is, it works equally;ly as well in both the adult and masters divisions. In fact, it may even surprise most of the adults, if you’re going after them.

Becoming A BJJ Grandmaster

The easiest one of all versions of BJJ mastery. You won’t become one. Ever! Yeah, you might get belts, and you might even reach a highly coveted black belt with several stirpes. However, the BJJ belt progression is tailored in such a way, that unless you start BJJ at the age of 4 or 5, you’ll never reach the rank of Grandmaster. And yes, that rank exists. Even then, you might just end up being a Jiu-Jitsu master by title, after a lifetime of bending joints and strangling people.

According to the BJJ belt progression, a BJJ master is someone with a coral belt. In other words, that is the belt you get after spending 31 years as a black belt. Yeah, that’s correct. Moreover, you need to be at least 50 years of age to be able to get a corral belt. And even then, you won’t be considered a Grandmaster. To reach grandmaster level, you need to get a red belt, which requires you to spend at least 17 years as a coral belt.

The funniest thing about the Jiu-Jitsu master and grandmaster titles is that it still doesn’t guarantee you will ever master BJJ. Even if you spend 50+ years as a black and then the coral belt, and some 10 years before getting to the black, you’ll never truly master Jiu-Jitsu. And that is the biggest secret that real Jiu-Jitsu masters know – that they’ll never truly be masters. Wrap your head around that.

Wrap Up

There are a million and one milestones in BJJ that can mark your mastery of the art. Everyone has their own path and own hurdles to master. That said you will become a JIu-Jitsu master one day, just not in the sense of movies and traditional martial arts. It’s not about mastering yourself either, as that can be even more complicated. When you find the sweet spot between having fun, constantly progressing, even the lightest, helping others on their BJ Jpath and giving back to BJJ in general, you can consider yourself a master. Or not, the choice is yours.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Or Modern BJJ: Who Wins?

BJJ World

Old School BJJ, Modern BJJ, Combat Jiu-Jitsu… The list goes on and on. We’ve all heard of all the nutty BJJ spin-offs that are evolving around the world. Some are cool and legit, others are as effective as “the touch of death”. However, the old school vs. modern BJJ debate is here to stay, and it won’t be settled any time soon. While I can’t see a reason for choosing one over the other, instead of using both to build your own, the fact remains that the original Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is quite far from what we perceive as BJJ nowadays.

Everyone involved in BJJ, and even a few people outside of it, know the history of the art. And by history, I mean that the Gracie family is behind what we call today Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. The Gracies did innovate a lot to come with their own version of JIu-Jitsu, one that saw them take on everyone willing to test themselves against it and win. That brand of BJJ still nurtured within the Gracie family is what we know today as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. However, in today’s world of BJJ, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu might find the modern, evolved version of itself quite the hard opponent to beat. This, of course, sparks a never-ending debate of which strain of Jiu-jitsu is better.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, or old school JIu-jitsu as it is called today is the original version of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In essence, this root BJJ version is a self-defense system first, and a martial art second. When it was created, it was never actually seen as a sport. That philosophy is actually the biggest difference between modern and “old-school” Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Conversely, the philosophy defines all the other differences too, which are in essence, not of a technical nature.

Belt philosophy, striking training, close to combat Jiu-Jitsu. No fancy stuff, just simple moves and extreme knowledge of leverage, pressure, and concepts. The philosophy of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is simple – shorten the distance, clinch, takedown, and control from mount or back. Whether you decide to hold, submit or strike, you can end a fight when you desire. It was a powerful concept, that clearly worked, given that the Gracies lost very few of their challenge matches prior to the UFC. Post UFC, we all know what happened and how the Gracies fared in Pride and other organizations which further solidifies Gracie JIu-Jitsu as a well-rounded system of fighting.

Today, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu still exists, although it has blended into the sports aspect. In truth, outside of Gracie gyms run by the likes of Rickson Gracie, it is hard to really find this style of teaching. More and more Gracie academies have dedicated a lot more to sports BJJ, than keeping up with the No-holds-barred style of Gracie Jiu-JItsu.

Modern BJJ

That brings us to the state Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is in these days. Modern Jiu-Jitsu has a lot of the same sweeps, submissions, and other techniques that were there in the original Gracie Jiu-Jitsu system. However, it has evolved so much and built upon every single aspect of old-school BJJ, that its arsenal is now indefinite. However, all that variety that makes it ultra fun as support, makes it a lot less effective in a self-defense scenario.

Today, the sport of BJ J has grown past anything the Graceis would have ever dreamed of. There’s GI BJJ training even at the most remote parts of the world. The game now is ultra-complex with people using their Gi to wrap opponents up in a myriad of ways. In other words, sports BJJ uses ultra-complex ways of still achieving the simple tasks of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu – control and submit. Plus, there’s a point system that goes with it, making it a creature of its own.

As a sport and martial art, modern BJJ is extremely fun to train. In fact, it is this type of BJJ we’re all addicted to. Placed in a situation of self-defense, it will still do the trick, albeit less effective than old-school Jiu-Jitsu. Most academies nowadays teach BJ jas a sport and only touch on the subject of self-defense. Plus, just about anyone involved nowadays looks to figure out something new, keeping modern BJJ in a constant state of flux and evolution. While Gracie Jiu-jitsu had a clear-cut goal – beat everyone, modern BJJ is still wide open for interpretation.

Who Wins?

This is the age-old debate that we’ll never see settled. At least not in a satisfactory manner. Let’s look at it this way. The requirements for getting any belt in sports BJJ are to have a well-rounded enough game to be able to cope with most people at that belt. With Gracie Jiu-Jitsu it was (and still is) about being able to defend yourself with success in a real-life violent confrontation scenario. So, finding a setting to really test the two in a real manner would be pretty hard.

In a sports environment, modern BJJ would of course thrive. From point tactics to stalling strategies, only modern BJJ can defeat modern BJJ. In a sense of a real fight though, Gracie JIu-Jitsu has the upper hand for sure. If nothing else, the mentality of being involved in a fight rather than a match is a million miles away from the security of a sports competition.

The bottom line is that it is dumb and pointless to have to choose a side to belong to. It is as useless as BJJ affiliations are. Instead, why don’t we train in both these types of Jiu-Jitsu and acknowledge the mas part of the same thing? There’s no point in bickering about which is better when we can combine the two and end up with the best version of Jiu-Jitsu yet!

Final Thoughts

The fact of the matter is, people who have been training since the old days will always have a bias towards Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The same holds true for all modern grapplers. And that’s perfectly ok, everyone has preferences. Still, I think that modern BJJ has a lot to learn from the original Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, but the same is true the other way around. There are people out there that are awesome at both, so here’s to hoping they’ll end up merging everything into an exciting new development.

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The Talita Alencar Story

The Butterfly Guard Conundrum

Passing Butterfly Guard: A Talita Alencar DVD

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Closing Thoughts

Female Grappling On the Rise

Grapple Like A Lady

Women Only Grappling Events

In Conclusion

The Art Of Submission Hunting

A Few Proven Classics Grappling Submissions

WHY IT WORKS

KEY DETAILS

MOVE: Straight Armbar

WHY IT WORKS

KEY DETAILS

MOVE: Bow And Arrow Choke

WHY IT WORKS

KEY DETAILS

MOVE: Triangle Choke

WHY IT WORKS

KEY DETAILS

MOVE: Kneebar

WHY IT WORKS

KEY DETAILS

MOVE: Arm Triangle

WHY IT WORKS

KEY DETAILS

Prison Rules Submission Holds

Discovering The Next Big Thing(s)

Final Words

What Is The Granby Roll?

Defensive Granby Roll BJJ Uses

An Offensive Approach To Granbys

Wrapping Up

The Biggest Ever Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Black Belt Highlights

Male Black Belt Divisions

Female Black belt Divisions

The Absolute Division

Full European Open Jiu-JItsu Championship 2020 Black Belt Results

Adult Male Black Belt Division

Rooster

Light-Feather

Feather

Lightweight

Middleweight

Medium-Heavy

Heavy

Super-Heavy

Ultra-Heavy

Open Weight

Adult Female Black Belt Division

Rooster

Light-Feather

Feather

Light

Middle

Medium-Heavy

Heavy

Open Weight

The Take-Aways

The Hardest Thing To Do In Jiu-Jitsu

The Value Of Getting Tapped Out Regularly

Suffer To Learn BJJ

Wrap Up

Take Your Pick

Upcoming Grappling Tournaments You Shouldn’t Miss

Kasai Pro 7

Fight 2 Win 136

Submission Underground 11

EBI Combat Jiu-JItsu Worlds: Fetghwerweights

IBJJF Tournaments

Matches We’d Like To See In 2020

Nick Rodriguez Vs Felipe Pena

Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa vs. Lachlan Giles

Tye Ruotolo Vs. Nicky Ryan

Ffion Davies vs. Mayssa Bastos