How All Grapplers Can Benefit From The Gracie Diet

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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a complete martial art. It has its philosophy, its lifestyle, and even its own diet. The founders of the art came up with everything you need to make the BJJ lifestyle a wholesome experience. The Gracie Diet is a nutrition plan straight out of the Gracie household. Grandmaster Carlos Gracie came up with the system and it stuck. It is simple, it works, it is going to make you more healthy and it is going to keep you on weight.

In grappling martial arts, you can’t go far without proper nutrition. As athletic or technical as you might be, you won’t be able to outrun a bad diet. Hours on the mats followed by hours in the weight room mean nothing if you’re diet isn’t clean. One search on the internet is going to spit out countless results on the BJJ diet subject. Most of this area is a pure waste of time and has absolutely nothing to do with Jiu-Jitsu. luckily there’s the Gracie Diet. This is the one plan that can really benefit grapplers of all levels. And it is very easy to follow, despite the original impression that it is very complicated.

The Gracie diet is the brainchild of Grandmaster Carlos Gracie Sr. He developed the diet primarily for himself, but later put the whole family on it. Before you even consider it, though, know this. There’s absolutely no science behind the Gracie Diet methodology. Even Grandmaster Carlos Gracie Sr. is blatantly honest about this part. It is based on common sense and years of experimentation. Now, the one thing that should make you look into it is the fact that both Carlos and Helio ate in accordance with the Gracie Diet. Both ended up living for more than 8 decades.

A Few Gracie Diet Staples

The one basic principle behind the Gracie Diet is simplicity. What this means is that you eat food that your body can handle. Furthermore, you combine the food in a manner that optimizes the body’s ability to digest it. Also, there’s no overloading of the body and digestive system with constant snacks and timing. There’s hardly a diet that makes sense more than the Gracie Diet out there: fresh fruit, greens, some meat, cheese, and plenty of water.

First things first, when to eat. If you’re lethargic and can barely get out of bed in the morning, the reason might be your diet. The reason is that you have a lot of food in your digestive system that the body still needs to break down. This makes it work during the night, which impacts rest and recovery. This is not to say that you should starve yourself before bed. Just make sure you eat enough to keep hunger away and not stuff yourself. Eat light before going to bed and, if you’re really really hungry, eat big but only vegetables. A good salad is never a bad idea, no matter the portion size. Another great option is fruit.

As far as time between meals, the Gracie Diet advocates for 4-5 hours. This is not in agreement with the bodybuilding-based system of eating every couple of hours. The basic idea is that you need to give your body enough time to process your last meal. Adding something every couple of hours means your digestive system is not getting any rest.

And finally, water. While you need to be hydrated at all times, you shouldn’t drink anything while eating. This dilutes the digestive juices, slowing down the breakdown of food.

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Fruit And Vegetables

If you’re on a diet that says fruit is bad for you, ban it immediately. Our bodies are made to process fruit, vegetables, and meat. So, excluding any of these categories is only going to negatively impact your health. Fruit is arguably the best food in the world. It takes very little energy to digest and it provides our bodies with a huge return. Least effort – maximum benefit. Just like with Jiu-Jitsu, isn’t it?

Furthermore, the only food that makes your brain work is glucose. The fruit has a high content of fructose, which can later turn into glucose. Fruit also has a very high content of water. 90-95% water means that fruit both hydrates you and feeds you at the same time. Eat fruit after getting up in the morning on an empty stomach.

Vegetables are not much of a puzzle. The Gracie Diet is no different than any other diet worth anything in terms of vegetables. Eat a lot of them, eat them often and make sure you have plenty of colors on your plate. Also, make it a daily habit to go for some dark leafy greens. I told you, it’s simple.

Easy On The Protein

There’s a widespread notion amongst athletes that they require huge amounts of protein. While this is true for certain athletes, like bodybuilders and powerlifters, grappling is very different. You need a body that works and has the energy for hours.

Just to make things clear – you absolutely need protein. A meal a day has to contain protein, at the very least. If it’s animal protein, perfect. If it’s a plant protein, you might need to look for a few supplements to complete your nutritional requirements.

But what about the myth that protein is good for, well, everything? This one has been debunked for a while now. Too much protein overloads your system with nitrogen, which can cause fatigue. Excess protein has been linked to osteoporosis, degeneration, and weakening of the bones.

The Food Combinations

So, we arrived at the very essence of the Gracie Diet. The basic thing that deters most people is that they see groups of foods that need to be combined correctly. The moment people see this, they think it’s too much of a hassle and they give up before even giving it a try. Personally, I also passed the Gracie Diet on a few occasions for the same reason. When I finally got to try it, though, it turned out I was wrong. IT won’t take more than a week, or two at most to settle into it. It is very simple actually.

There are 6 food groups, each containing certain products. For example group, A contains vegetables and protein sources, along with healthy fats. Group B is all carbohydrates. Group C and D are fruit and cheeses and E and F concern milk, curdled products, and bananas. There’s a bit more to it than this, but this is the general situation.

So, when you sit for a meal, first, remember that you can’t have two carbohydrate sources at one meal. It’s either the bun or the potatoes with a burger, you can’t have both! Furthermore, all the protein and vegetables (and fats) go with each other and the carbohydrate of your choice. If you’re not feeling like eating meat, you can combine a carbohydrate source with fruit and cheese (group C). Just don’t mix meat and cheese.

The one small catch is group D. It is the “acidic fruits” category. Anything in this group should be eaten alone. There’s no combining it with other groups, or anything from the same group. Simply put, if you want an orange, eat it. Or better yet, eat 5 or 6, just don’t eat anything else at that meal.

The Ultimate Open Guard Masterclass For BJJ

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The open guard is arguably the most varied position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. People experiment with bottom side attacks way more than with every other position. This is due to the security that the closed guard provides.

Even though, for absolute beginners, the closed guard can be a very secure position. They might not be able to attack from there, but a strong athletic grappler can be very hard to pass nonetheless. As their BJJ game develops, people tend to open up more and leave the security of the closed guard. However, once they fail at something, the instinct is to get back to the preferred position. Since the closed guard is quite difficult to get back into, people look for the next best thing – the open guard. It doesn’t take long for them to see how effective this new position can really be.

Make Sure you Check Out the best Concept Video of an Open Guard Retention HERE.

The thing with the open guard is that it is as diverse as BJJ techniques get. There are countless variations, some universal, some applicable only in GI. Along with every variation comes a change in effectiveness. However, there’s a way to make every open guard variation work for you, even if it’s not your preferred one. It just takes a different approach to things. However, now that you moved past the closed guard, you’re probably ready to understand how BJJ concepts work.

A Different Open Guard Approach

Open guards are the result of countless of hours of experimentation going on simultaneously around the world. On one side Keenan is working on some lapel based animal guard. On the other side of the globe, Kit dale is looking at different ways to attack. Eddie Bravo is all about No-Gi variations to surprise even the most skilled opponents. This makes staying on top of every open guard variation extremely difficult. From a technical standpoint, all open guards have unique nuances specific to them. Hardly anyone could know them all. That said, you could still use every open guard variation with ease just by understanding their basic configuration.

When concepts come into play, your Jiu-JItsu game is going to change significantly. Suddenly, it’s not about the move or even a follow-up move. It’s about looking to understand why a move does what it does. As you master concepts, you’ll be one step closer to mastering Jiu-Jitsu as well.

Basically, no matter the variation, some elements remain universal. Concepts help to identify the moving parts of a technique and look to apply that knowledge in the right way. The result is an instant advantage even when in situations that are completely new. Look at it this way – with a conceptual approach to BJJ, you’ll never be in a scramble again. In terms of the open guard, nobody is going to be able to pass your guard.

Four Rules Of Control

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as most grappling martial arts, is all about control. When we’re fighting from the bottom, ou opponent has gravity working for them, so control becomes even more important. The more control you have over n opponent the less they can move. the less an opponent can move at will, the more of your game you can apply. It is simple, yet brutally effective. So let’s look at what control actually is and what are its main parameters.

Grips

Every good guard position starts with grips. the better your grips are, the more effective you’re going to be off the ground. When on the bottom the best thing to do is win the battle for grips. In most open guard cases this means getting superior grips on your opponent’s arms. It might be on the sleeves, wrists or along the upper arm. As you go into more varied open guards, you’ll discover that this also stands true for pants grips.

Normally, there are also combinations with one hand on the pants and the other on a sleeve. As good as collar grips can be when on the bottom, try to focus on the hands. An opponent can’t pass when they can’t control you. Since their legs have to on the ground in order to move, all they have are their arms. So always look to take them away when you’re playing open guard.

Foot Position

Foot position is the second most important point of control from an open guard. Your feet have a twofold role in playing the open guard. the are adjustable frames, that create constant distance with your opponent. As you’ll see later on, distance means space, and space is crucial to avoid pressure passing. Secondly, your feet are levers that help you control your partner. As a point to remember, always look to place your feet at a joint. If you analyze most open guards you’ll see that a foot or both is always at the hip, knee, elbow, shoulder or another joint. This delivers both control and options to disrupt the balance in order to attack.

Understanding Leverage

When you’re on the ground and you have your grips and feet all ready to go, you need to understand how to use them. Once you have the advantage of control there’s not much you can do just by staying there. In order to sweep or submit an opponent. you’ll have to create openings. The system of control you have means you can leverage your opponent into moving in the desired direction. For example, a grip combination of sleeve and pants, along with a push on the hips with the other leg results in a tripod sweep from the basic open guard. Another example is setting up a triangle from spider guard. Use the leverage the feet provide in combination with the control from the grips. That’s how you’ll create attacking openings.

Dynamic Control

Finally, you have to be ready for anything. The control means that you have a safe checkpoint but it is not the end game. From there you could either attack, using leverage or defend your position. When you defend your position remember that being on the bottom is very different from the top game. You have no weight advantage over your opponent so you can’t just sit still. As your opponent changes angels looking to pass or regain control, you must adjust. That means switching between different means of grips and foot positioning in order to stay ahead. When you control from the open guard always stay dynamic so that you can act the moment opportunity presents itself.

Space And Distance Management

Apart from control, creating space and taking it away is another big part of Jiu-Jitsu. There is, however, also a third aspect to this. Not only can you create and take space away, but you can also maintain it. this is otherwise known as distance. Distance is the sweet spot where you can move, without your opponent following Stopping opponents from pressing and/or pulling away too much is crucial.

One great way of controlling space and distance from the open guard is by creating tension. Tension means denying neighboring joints the ability to work together. In most cases, it means pulling and pushing at the same time. Once again,. a great example is spider guard. While you’re pulling the sleeve you’re looking to push the bicep away. This way you not only get control over the arm but also over much of the upper body on the same side. tension is essentially a way of immobilizing certain body parts of your opponents, mostly limbs.

A key concept is also understanding passing. The concept of tension goes both ways so you need to make sure you have correct control before you move on to create tension. IF you skip the four main points of control, tension is not going to work. Actually, it might work against you and allow the opponent a passing opportunity.

REVIEW: Neil Melanson DVD – The Ground Marshal Guard
Bernardo Faria DVD Collection – REVIEW
The Tripod BJJ Concept Any Grappler Must Master
BJJ Fundamentals Every White Belt Have to Know
The Leg Lasso Guard – A Masterclass On Playing And Passing

5 Steps To Fix Your BJJ Game Weak Spots

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BJJ World

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Are you getting stuck in certain BJJ positions over and over again? If so, you probably have a hole in your BJJ game. The solution is not easy and not simple. It is a two-step process that you have to go through. First, understand the position and how it works. Secondly, re-trace what you’ve been doing and identify where you’re going wrong. here are the best ways to accomplish this task.

The BJJ game people have is usually in tune with their goals. Competitors, for example, are more often than not, specialists. They have a strategy what and when to do and they have their favorite moves. They know this to perfection and there’s no dealing with it. But take them in deep water and they might drown. People that don’t compete have a game that is defined by other factors such as age, body type, belt level etc. What all of the above have are certain holes in their BJJ game. Although working specifically on the holes might not be a current goal, patching them up, at least, should be done immediately. Otherwise, you risk leaving cracks in your BJJ game even as you progress.

We’re going to use a specific position as our example so that we can go through all important steps of fixing a leaky BJJ game. The position is going to be the butterfly guard and the problem is going to be sweeping. The butterfly guard is a very powerful weapon used by some of the best in the game. From Marcelo Garcia to Eddie Cummings, the guard effectiveness is not in question. So, it must be something you’re doing wrong. But what? here are the crucial 5 steps to fixing your hidden weakness.

1. Figuring Out the Issue

The first step in our methodology for fixing up your BJJ game is figuring out what you’re having trouble with. This means clearly identifying the problem before you think about solving it. In our specific butterfly guard position, the trouble is sweeping. the butterfly guard offers lots of sweeping opportunities but also has a lot of details. While you might stay in it for a long time and not allow a guard pass, you might be unable to sweep

So let’s say you’re in the butterfly guard and have everything set up correctly. You go for a butterfly sweep but your opponent bases out on all fours. you restarted, and try to hit the sweep on the other side but the same thing happens. The problem is apparent. The opponent’s’ base is what is preventing you from sweeping, Now that we know this, let’s move on the next step.

2. Talk To Your Instructors

No matter what you do when training Jiu-jitsu, you always need to communicate with your instructors. They need to be your best friends and they need to know exactly what BJJ game you’re trying to play. so, now that you know what your problem is, the first thing to do is as for your instructor’s advice. If you can’t for some reason, any higher belt will do. When you look to explain what happens, do the exact same thing you’re doing wrong. In plenty of cases, this is enough for your instructor to offer you a solution. It is all about details in BJJ, and you’re instructors usually know them all.

3. Understand The Solution

WNow that you know the real issue and have solid advice on how to proceed, make sure you implement it correctly. Going back to roll straight away is only going to make you feel worse in your butterfly guard. to truly fix your game you need to understand the details of the solution.

The issue that you identified as the opponent’s opportunity to base. Now, the technical solution to this is creating disbalance before looking to apply the sweep mechanics. That means making your opponent look for a base in places where they don’t have it. Form the butterfly guard, instead of going for the sweep they expect straight away, make them step out of balance first. Use your hooks and your grips to disrupt their balance before your attempt to sweep. Next, make sure you take away as much of their base as possible. The best way is to fold one of their arms towards their belly so that there’s no base on that side.

Once all that is clear, it’s time to drill, drill drill. Make sure you everything slowly and carefully, with little resistance at first. Then, let your opponent resist more and more until you get all the little things right. Now you’re ready to test out your patched up BJJ game live.

4. The Rolling Test

When you next go for a roll, go about playing your BJJ game as usual. Once you end up in butterfly guard though, first make sure you can retain it. Then, attempt to sweep. This time, though, go for all the new little details you learned, one by none.

As you keep training, your success rate with the move is going to climb. First, it’ll work on lower belts. Next, you’ll manage to pull it off against your peers, and even the odd higher belt. This is the time when most people are going to start figuring it out. Now you need to make a decision you’re either going to expand on your new knowledge and broaden your BJJ game, or you’re going to perfect the on that that you learned to the highest degree possible.

5. Adapt & Adjust

When you get proficient enough with you butterfly sweep, someone is going to come up with a way cancel out your efforts. Once that happens, you mustn’t stop. There’s no need to go back to the drawing board, you just need small adjustments. For example, even when you have everything set up correctly, your opponent shifts their weight so that their leg is enough to keep them in balance. Now, it doesn’t matter that you have their arm trapped, they do not require it for a base. What you have though, is an advantage. Simply switch your efforts to the opposite side and do a butterfly sweep there. Because of the weight shift, your opponent is going to be helpless.

This is not the end, though. Jiu-Jitsu is endless and so is will your BJJ game be. To that extent, make sure you keep experimenting. This is going to help you plug any holes you might have in your game. Sometimes, these solutions are going to open up new directions for the development of your BJJ game. In other cases, they’re going to be enough to allow you to do your game without getting stuck at the same spot again and again.

Do You Have The Best BJJ Style For Your Body Type?

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BJJ World

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Do You Have The Best BJJ Style For Your Body Type?

Are you sure you have the best BJJ style for your body? Not every technique fits every grappler, to be honest. In order to ensure progress focus on what works the best for the body you have. This is a foolproof way to find the best BJJ style for you.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a global grappling martial art. That means that you have people of all nationalities training, all across the world. People of all ages and both sexes all get hooked on the Gentle Art of BJJ. This diversity, though, means that people of all shapes and sizes show up for training on the mats. While most moves are universal, some people tend to have greater success with a certain style of BJJ than others. On the other hand, these same people simply cannot pull some Jiu-Jitsu moves, no matter how hard they try. This is all due to body type and how it relates to your BJJ style.

The fact is that a featherweight grappler is not going to have the same ability as a 300 pounder. But it also goes in the opposite direction. The heavier grappler might have weight and smashing advantage, but the speed of the movement is not on their side. Furthermore, your BJJ style is determined by your height as well. A 5’6 person with limited mobility is not going to have the same inclination for a scary guard as a flexible person who is 6’5. When it comes to body types, there are a lot of potential strengths and drawbacks in terms of BJJ style. Different physical attributes have different impacts for different athletes.

The Main Body Type Categories

As mentioned, there are more aspects to body types that help define the BJJ style that suits you best. One of them is very logical and is something everyone considers – weight. While weight isn’t a huge determinant, people at both spectrums of it are the ones that need to be aware of it the most. Weight classes are a great way to know where you belong and what you can pull off in training and competition.

Something that impacts your BJJ style a lot more than your weight is your body type. In short, there is three main body type categories are ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. However, it is not as easy as it sounds to determine your category correctly. While there are distinct cases of perfect representatives of each, most people are a combination of two or all three of the above. It is this cases that truly require time and training to discover which BJJ style they should focus on. Let’s take it to step by step.

Ectomorph.

Ectomorphs are the long and lanky people that usually seem skinny at first glance. Putting on muscle for the ectomorph is a nightmare, although they can have a huge amount of functional strength. Ectomorphs are usually tall people with distinctly long limbs. As far as BJJ representatives go, Keen Cornelius is your perfect ectomorph example.

Mesomorph.

This is the body type everyone wants. Think Rodolfo Vieira or Gordon Ryan lately. Muscular with low levels of fat, not too tall but not necessarily short either. Mesomorphs usually possess great athletic abilities. Do not be fooled by looks though. This body type has its own limitations, just like the other two categories.

Endomorph.

The short and stocky build grapplers that tend to have quite the belly. Once again, height is the greatest variable. Fedor Emelianenko is a good endomorph example. They put on weight easily and can keep it on. Endomorphs also tend to have big and heavy bones and short limbs. Once again, there are strengths to having this kind of body.

It is important to note that these universal body type categories are the same from both male and female athletes. Remember that your body type is not going to determine your BJJ success. I am a combination of a mesomorph and an endomorph and I still pull of D’arce chokes on everyone, despite this being “an ectomorph move”. It is your overall BJJ style that you should consider adapting to your body type for maximum efficiency. After all, it is what every high-level grappler in the world does.

The Impact Of Body Type On Your BJJ Style

As far as the impact of your body type on your Jiu-Jitsu game goes, there are two main aspects. First, you need to understand what you cannot pull off and why. Secondly, always gauge your opponent’s body type. Knowing what works and not for certain body types can give you a huge advantage in what to do and what you can expect.

For example, shorter people (meso/endomorphs) tend to have lower centers of gravity. Also, physically smaller people tend to be able to make themselves more compact when they roll. When doing, they can become notoriously difficult to physically hold in place. When one looks at most high-level wrestlers, the common theme is stocky and squat rather than long and lanky. There is a very good reason for this, though.

Lankier people (ectomorphs) tend to have a bigger tendency to wrap people and go for different entanglements. This is how limb length can be used a huge advantage. The structure of their limbs can often generate tremendous leverage. Think about the D’arce choke from before. The longer the arm, the further it is going to go under the neck. Remember, the longer the lever, the greater the force that can be applied.

Alternately, extremely well-muscled grapplers can generate a lot of force in a short period of time. However, the larger the muscle mass the more it requires a lot of energy. This means that the biggest guys are not necessarily the strongest or best-conditioned ones. When you roll, you’ll discover that there are guys who look super strong and guys who are actually strong. In most cases, those who are super strong are way tougher to deal with.

Exceptions To The Rule

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. The same holds true for your BJJ style in relation to your body type. There are people with short and stocky legs who have insane guard games. There are also, tall and lanky people who can drop enough pressure to crush you in an instant. A lot of this has to do with personal preferences. There’s no way of knowing what someone’s going to do based on their body type alone. Remember, there are modifications to everything so even a stocky grappler can get you in a triangle. But could you get them in one, seeing as most of them have really short necks? As a general rule of thumb aim to avoid tall people’s guards when competing. Conversely, if you’re the taller grappler, expect them to be wary of you guard.

Some instructors are great at teaching people who have similar body types to them. However, they sometimes fail at effectively teaching differently shaped people. Look for n instructor that has changed his BJJ style over the years. They are the most likely to know what you need to develop so that you use your body type to the maximum. The very best instructors can teach anyone of any body type, thus producing a well-rounded team consisting of both small and big competitors.

VIDEO: BJJ Black Belt Killed While Trying To Subdue a Guy With A Gun – Breakdown

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BJJ World

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VIDEO: BJJ Black Belt Killed While Trying To Subdue a Guy With A Gun - Breakdown

Tiago Guma. A 29-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) Black Belt, killed in a road Rage in São Domingos do Maranhão, Brazil. Check out the breakdown and some Jiu-Jitsu street fight self-defense rules by Ryron and Rener Gracie.

What we can see here is the white car that pulls up and the gentleman that pulls out of the car is Tiago Guma, BJJ Black Belt. He’s very active Jiu-jitsu Black Belt Competitor.

We don’t know what happened before they both got out of the cars. We don’t know how they got into an altercation. Maybe somebody cut someone off but it’s not that important at all. At the start, they’re both on open and looks like they’re both defending their selves.

Jiu-jitsu practitioner approaches the man with a motorcycle helmet. At that point, the other guy pulls out a handgun and it’s obvious that Tiago Guma sees that he’s got a handgun. There is no audio but we can assume that the man with a gun is saying “stand back”, “get away”. He’s saying that also with his body language as we can see him stepping backward holding the helmet out. He was actually retreating.

Tiago Guma was advancing very persistently. He was going forward until he shoots in and takes down a guy with a gun.

Tiago Guma did such a wrong thing according to the fact that he’s a BJJ Black Belt

This is very important subject to be discussed because clearly, Jiu-Jitsu practitioner had Jiu-Jitsu and all the confidence that Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black belt brings.
The way he was addressing towards the man who was carrying a gun seemed very dangerous.
Jiu-Jitsu instructors can ask themselves, “are we doing a good job if these things happen”.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructors when equipping practitioners with Jiu-Jitsu techniques and confidence should also equip practitioners with rules of engagement, recommendation, humility, and knowledge when not to use their Jiu-jitsu. By doing so practitioners should know when to use the highest level of Jiu-Jitsu in self-defense even at the expense of their own ego.

What Should You Really Do in a Street Fight

When Speaking about Street fights. Getting into a street fight is easy, not fighting is difficult especially when there’s ego involved.

Let’s just say there’s no firearm and people are just arguing. The difficult thing in that situation is to say, “I won’t fight, I’ll stop arguing and I’ll just go home”. That’s actually very difficult to do if you’re trained in effective martial art.
it’s very difficult but very wise and highly recommended. That’s exactly Jiu-Jitsu. You shouldn’t be concerned about people saying, “oh he’s coward, he walked away”.
You should know that you did what is the best thing for you.

If there’s ever a possibility, ever an option to walk away you should walk away.
Let’s say in a street fight, people are arguing and pushing each other and someone spits on someone and then it’s a fight. The Second the other person start backing up, the person you’re in an altercation with there should be no more fight.

If you say, “no, we have to fight after he spits on me”, that’s not right. It’s simply not applying Jiu-Jitsu no matter of Jiu-Jitsu moves you’ll do in that fight. That’s not self-defense. That’s self-offense.

Even if the person doesn’t back up if the other person is just standing his ground you should say, “listen, I don’t wanna fight” and you step backward. That’s ok, you’re just testing the waters. But if you step back and he steps forward now you can say “ok, I can’t turn my back anymore because he’s not gonna give me any distance”, and you need distance to get away. That’s the situation where you have to fight and defend yourself.

Rener and Ryron about Jiu-Jitsu Instructors and the Weapon Self-Defense

We are strong advocates of self-defense and street application of Jiu-Jitsu. We’re also advocates of the conversation of weapon defenses and the highest level of weapon defenses and to never apply any weapon defense technique when you have any other option. That discussion happens on a regular basis.

If Jiu-Jitsu is being taught purely as recreational hobby and instructors in Jiu-Jitsu are not applying and having the discussions when they should apply Jiu-Jitsu in a street fight that’s our biggest concern.

You might disagree with any martial art school that teaches weapon defenses. Knife, gun, stick, machine guns or anything between and be critical about it like”that fun defense will never work” etc… The reality is whether or not the specific application of some technique will work is secondary fact that in that academy there is a discussion about dealing with a weapon bearing opponents. And if there’s never weapon on the mats and the discussion about weapons means that the instructor will never have the chance to say the most important advice about weapons. And the most important advice is if someone ever has a gun and they want your wallet do whatever you can to give them your wallet, deny the ego, and walk the other way.

That discussion precedes the teaching of every weapon defense instructors should ever teach. So, no matter what technique you will learn that discussion is the foundation.
Our concern is that if someone is teaching the Jiu-Jitsu and he never had a chance to talk about this discussion the question is when this Black belt in a video had a chance to learn it? This Black Belt has all the confidence, conviction, resilience, toughness that being a Black Belt gives him but he probably never had a real lesson on when to apply Jiu-Jitsu on the streets. Even when his ego has been checked in the most dramatic way that has ever been checked

The Message to All Instructor and Students of Jiu-Jitsu by Ryron and Rener

Watching this incident triggers a memory simultaneously for us that our grandfather Helio always said: “giving someone Jiu-Jitsu is like giving them a gun“. And to give someone a gun without responsibility, rules of engagement, integrity, and the intelligence for the judgment on how to use that weapon safely, efficiently and properly is a liability, not only for them but for the whole society.

When we saw the video you saw the BJJ Black Belt in a street fight advancing towards a man with a gun. He was acting like he was the guy who had a gun. We can attribute that to a fact that he had Jiu-Jitsu in a most profound way possible. We’re speaking to all teachers of Jiu-Jitsu in the world. If you’re gonna give your students Jiu-Jitsu you also have the responsibility to give them knowledge, judgment, and the rules of engagement on when they should use techniques you taught them.

If you’re watching this and you’re a student of Jiu-Jitsu training in the type of academy where this kind of context of real-life application of Jiu-Jitsu is not being provided you can hear it from us. You can hear something like this from anyone that makes sense to you and you can run with it.

The Most Common Saying “I Don’t Start Fights, but I don’t Walk Away From Fights”.

There’s a most common saying between people training martial arts: “I don’t start fights, but I don’t walk away from fights.”
What’s that saying “I don’t walk away”, means if there’s a little bit of an argument and someone is puffing their chest I’m not gonna be the one to walk away.

Well, that’s not Jiu Jitsu. Jiu-Jitsu is to walk away, it’s the path of taking the least resistance. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is the efficiency, survival, preservation and all the things you get when you walk away. So, to say I don’t walk away is like running your head into a brick wall. Are you just gonna keep running into the wall? Well, no, you’ll just walk away.

Yes, you should Walk Away from the street fight.

The most difficult fight is the one you walk away from. Getting into a fight is easy because you have your emotions taking control of you. Letting your emotions taking control of you in fights, business, relationships, friendships, in the academy, out in the streets etc… is easy. The hard part is to check your ego.

Approximately 99% of fights would be avoided if they weren’t for ego and alcohol. We’re not sure but, probably, this fight in the video falls into that category.

There are times when you should really fight for what’s yours or for your people and people you love. Even for someone who can’t fight for themselves.
There are gonna be situations where you’ll die or you’re gonna die trying like and active school shooting some time ago. There is no question what you’re gonna do in those situations, but this one with Tiago Guma is not one of them.

If any fighting situation is avoidable your option should be clear. The decision to walk away from the fight cannot be contemplated only when the moment arrives. That decision has to be made now in the calm environment when you’re sharing ideas, talking and thinking about street fights.

Discussions like this are practice so if you’re ever in the moment you can say “this fight is not worth it” and to walk away.

Just like you’re practicing triangles, armbars etc… you should practice the mentality of defending our selves against ourselves in the moment of truth out there on the streets.
If you don’t build that resilience to check your ego when the situation on the street come that resilience won’t be there. It’s not going to show up when you need it the most.

That means you should be apologizing even if you’re not wrong. You’re doing it not because you’re afraid, but because you know it’s the smart decision.

Self-Defense Instructionals:

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Devastating Heel Hook In a Street Fight

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BJJ World

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Heel Hooks are dangerous, we all know that and applying on the street is probably the most brutal thing you can do if you train Jiu-Jitsu or any other Grappling Martial art.

It’s not known how this fight started and how did they end up on the ground but this guy literally won’t walk for a long time. He stayed there lying down, holding his legs. It’s obvious that his knee is torn by the heel hook.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiptCylFf3o/?taken-by=albertomantobjj

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Sciatica Stretch Variations To Fix BJJ Lower Back Pain

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BJJ World

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Sciatica Stretch Variations To Fix BJJ Lower Back Pain

BJJ lower back pain is more than common. Whether it is due to tight hips, lower spine hernia, weak core or another reason when you train BJJ lower back pain is likely to become an issue. There are certain options, however, to prevent or even reverse this condition. Everything from a sciatica stretch to a solid warm-up can help, all you need to do is know what to use and when.

For people in BJJ lower back pain is not a simple ailment. There are many factors that contribute to the emergence of lower back pain symptoms. To begin with, the primary reason is not directly connected to grappling, though. Modern lifestyle is the main culprit behind sciatica and other related lower back conditions. The way we go about our day develops weakness resulting in disrupted posture and overall tightness. Sitting down and desk work, along with spending time in our cars put our back muscles under constant stress. Add to that the stress of training, especially grappling martial arts and you have the perfect storm.

In BJJ lower back pain is inevitable. Everyone that trains grappling, is prone to lower back and hip trouble. It may not be a chronic or serious thing but it is going to happen to everyone The nature of the sport is such that we spend most of the time with our hips in a flexed position. Coupled with the weird pressure angles and involuntary spinal twists it’s a recipe for back pain. Furthermore, playing inverted guard does not help at all. For people training BJJ, the only difference is how much pain they’re in and whether they’re in pain all of the time or just some. And no, going for what you think is a sciatica stretch is not going to help.

Main Reasons For Lower Back Pain

Anatomically speaking, three main factors combine together to cause lower back pain. Lifestyle habits along with grappling potentiate these three main culprits. These factors play a huge role in your overall quality of movement. Furthermore, they are big determinants of whether or not you’re going to be experiencing back pain on a regular basis.

These 3 factors are very closely related and work together in making things worse. For people in BJJ, lower back pain is mainly a product of all three working together. The body works as a whole thanks to all its parts doing their specific role. The body is actually a series of joints that connect via muscles, along its length. Each of these joints plays a dual role – stabilize or mobilize. Now imagine that one of them is not working efficiently. All other joints have to pick up the slack which means trouble.

Tight Hips

This means extra work for neighboring joints first and foremost. Those are the knees on one side, and the lower back on the other. Tight hips result in overextension or of the lower back in an attempt to compensate.

A perfect BJJ lower back pain example is playing guard with tight hips. Working on guard retention with tight hips ends up with overcompensation. This comes in the form of twisting the knees or the lower back beyond their points of the range of motion. Make a note to check if you’re doing this next time you roll. If your hips don’t have enough flexibility, go for any variation of a sciatica stretch.

Having a weak core

Having a weak correlates directly to having back pain. The core along with the lower back region isn’t meant to be mobile. It is the main point of stability for our bodies. This means that a weak core tightens up the hips and upper back looking for stability.

The lack of upper back mobility.

This one is the main side-effect of modern lifestyle. Seating all day while staring at a computer screen creates imbalances in the posture. These are mostly in the region of the upper back where mobility declines. If you leave it unattended, you have a source of trouble that’ll ultimately translate to lower back pain.

Basically, when you have an issue with a joint do not look at it as a singular issue. It is very likely that you also have another issue in one or more adjacent joints. When trying to fix BJJ lower back pain, try to fix all issues at once. Focusing on just one without addressing the others will likely give no result.

How Does Lower Back Pain Manifest?

Lower back pain doesn’t necessarily start because of grappling, However, in BJJ lower back pain gets exposed and turns into a real problem. Most people that come to training already have issues, they just aren’t aware of them because they’re fairly inactive.

For most affected people in BJJ, lower back pain spreads in a downwards direction. It emanates at the spine and affects the lower body limbs. Most of these effects can be countered with a simple sciatica stretch. A deep sciatica stretch alleviates the symptoms by releasing tight piriformis muscles and relaxing the sciatic nerve.

The piriformis muscle is a deep-lying posterior chain muscle, located in the buttocks. It starts at the lower spine and connects to the thigh bone on each side of the body. The main function of the piriformis is to assist the rotation of the hips and turning the legs outward. The path of the sciatic nerve goes straight under the piriformis muscle on its way to the back of the thigh. In some cases, the nerve can actually pass through the piriformis itself, resulting in sciatica symptoms that can’t be solved by a regular sciatica stretch. Lower back pain caused by an impinged piriformis muscle accounts for less than 10 % of people who experience lower back pain.

Direct sciatica pressure due to tight hips and /or a weak core is the norm rather than the exception among grapplers. While prevention can go a long way, once you have symptoms you need to think more in terms of treatment. This is where the sciatica stretch comes into play. Performing light and gentle stretches without pain are crucial to restoring pain-free movement. For those in BJJ, lower back pain can be resolved with the right stretching exercises.

How To Deal With BJJ Lower Back Pain

The best approach for battling lower back pain is addressing the underlying issues instead of just the symptoms. For example, if you have tight hips, solely focusing on hip stretching is not going to help you much. In fact, it won’t do anything if the underlying cause is actually a weak core.

We’ll get into the exercises and training techniques further down. But for now, let’s make one point very clear. Eliminating lower back pain means you need to attack the condition from 3 main directions. These are directly connected to the three main factors of lower back pain. Namely, you need to work on core stabilization, hip mobility, and thoracic movement as much as possible.

That being said, you also need to roll smart so that you do not make everything worse. Yes, you can still roll and improve BJJ lower back pain. You just need a bit of common sense. Certain BJJ positions cause your lumbar spine to bend into undesirable positions. Start by trying to eliminate these situations during rolling, no matter the cost.

For example, avoid stacked positions at all costs. You always have the choice of giving up a guard pass instead of enduring a 200-pound grappler stacking you. Do not worry, the world isn’t going to end if your guard is passed. In training, it is always better to practice recovering guard than to get stacked.

Basically, any position that twists or bends your lower back (and we have plenty of those) is potentially injury-inducing. Stay conscious of your body position in training and do not be stubborn. Be willing to give up an advantage or even tap, rather than suffer for months.

The Sciatica Stretch And Other Related Exercises

Finally, we arrive at some practical ways to address lower back pain. There are a lot of lower back stretches and all work. The thing is, finding the one that is going to work for your specific condition Any sciatica stretch is adequate for getting rid of with sciatic nerve pain and muscle tightness.

Lying Sciatica Stretch

To begin with, lie on your back with your legs flat. Then, pull the affected leg towards your chest, while holding the knee with the hand on the same side. To accentuate the sciatica stretch, grab the ankle with your opposite hand. What you want to do is pull the knee across to the opposite shoulder until you feel the stretch. 30 seconds is great hold time, before slowly returning to the starting position. If you’re having knee problems hold your “right” knee with your hands and pull your “right” ankle as much as possible.

Standing Sciatica Stretch

Do not focus on balance when you go for this sciatica stretch. If you have trouble with it press your back against a wall or hold onto on with your arm. Make sure your knees are directly over your ankles and lower your hips at a 45-degree angle. Pick one of your feet off the ground and place the ankle on your opposite side knee. Then, lean forward so that your chest lowers towards the knees, but remember to keep your back straight. The stretch is in the glutes, and once again, 30-60 seconds is more than enough. Do not forget to repeat everything on the other leg.

Outer Hip Stretch

Lie on your back with one knee bent. Reach the opposite site hand to the knee and pull it to the side. Keep your back glued to the floor, and you will feel the sciatica stretch in your hip and buttocks.H old for 30 seconds, and repeat on the other side.

50/50 Hip Flexor Stretch

The 50-50 stretch is a standout exercise that is universally effective for all grapplers. It works as a long-term preventative exercise. Furthermore, it is very effective in immediately relieving BJJ lower back pain. To perform it, you need to be kneeling on one leg, your shinbone touching the floor. Your other leg should have the foot firmly on the floor. Both knees need to be at a 90-degree angle. Raise the arm on the side where you have your shinbone touching the floor. Go for 30 seconds on each side.

Steps To Prevent Lower Back Pain When Rolling

Doing all these stretches on a daily basis is going to provide you with huge pain relief and increased mobility. However, to make sure that you remain pain-free, you’ll need to follow some general rules regarding prevention. There are few things to keep in mind when you actually arrive on the mats ready to roll.

1. Do a proper warm-up

This is an obvious thing to say but still, make sure you warm up properly. Jumping into training cold is a certain way to injure yourself. If you roll without a warm-up, you are asking for trouble. A great warmup option is to go through all the above exercises before you start training.

2. Be Aware Of Your Position

Remember that your hips and upper back are the mobile parts of your body. Your lower back, on the other hand, is meant to stabilize. So, avoid getting into positions that make your lower back work unnaturally. Twist or bending it is going to result in inevitable pain. BJJ is full of positions that are just as bad as being stacked. Make sure you recognize them in time to save yourself from trouble.

3. Morning Mobility

When you train in the morning the lower back work overtime. At this time, you are dehydrated and your vertebral disks are larger. Once gravity starts pressing down on them after a night of relaxation, they’ll react with inflammation. This increases the chance of a lower back injury. Stay loose but do not overdo it in the morning.

4. Hydration

Drink at least a couple of liters of water every day. This does not include coffee, tea or water that you drink during training. Good hydration helps keep the body healthy and plays a huge role in the safety of the spine.

Talk To A Professional

The one advice nobody wants to hear until its too late is not to train when in pain! Try to do stretching and mobility exercises only if they are pain-free. If you can’t, then go see a doctor. You’ll most likely end up having an X-ray or other imaging to determine the extent of the issue. If that’s the case, you’re going to need more intensive treatment.

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The Basics Of The Sneaky BJJ Rat Guard System

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BJJ World

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Not flexible enough to work rubber guard? Worry not there are still similar guard systems that you can learn. One such example is the BJJ Rat Guard. It is not one of Keenan Cornelius’ lapel wrapping excesses but a very effective closed guard system. The BJJ Rat Guard works in both Gi and No-Gi and is very underrated. Turn this into an advantage and learn the BJJ Rat Guard System!

Playing guard in BJJ is a must for grapplers of all levels. Regardless of your affiliation to Gi or No-Gi JiuJitsu or even your style of grappling, you need to have a good guard system. Even top players who thrive on takedowns and pressure passing need a fallback option. Jiu-Jitsu is very unpredictable and if one thing is for sure, it’s that you’re going to end up on your back at one point. As far as closed guard systems are concerned, the best approach is the simplest one. Break the opponent’s posture and you get control. The BJJ Rat Guard System does just that. It is an effective system that is foolproof. Wherever your opponent moves, you have options. IF your opponent stalls, again, you have options. So have at it!

Rest assured that the BJJ Rat Guard system requires no outstanding athletic ability or a specific body type. This is what makes it superior to advanced guard systems like the Rubber or Willimas guard. As an added bonus it works as a closed circuit of reinforced wedges that provides maximum control over the opponent. Since passing isn’t an option for your opponent, all they can do is succumb to a sweep or submission. Sounds like the perfect Jiu-Jitsu guard, doesn’t it?rat guard system

The BJJ Rat Guard System

The BJJ Rat Guard system was originally intended for use in MMA. Its founder is a grappler named Rene Dreifuss. If you do MMA or Combat Jiu-Jitsu, then this is the only guard you need to be practicing. For pure grappling martial arts competitors, it offers a high degree of control. Even better, it allows you to control an opponent without exerting any energy at all, once you break their posture.

It all starts with breaking the opponent’s posture. If they decide to do ti their self, the easier it is for you. If not, though, a palm to palm grip around their neck is all you need from the regularly closed guard. Even collar grips when in the Gi are going to do the trick. Once you have the posture, swing an arm like you’re going for a guillotine choke. The opponent is going to stick to you even more, afraid of the submission. This is perfect as you actually want to grab your own leg on the opposite side, instead of going for the neck. Boom, you’re in the BJJ Rat Guard.

To control an opponent, look to further take away their movement by crunching in and hugging your free knee with your free arm. Just remember to keep this arm available to set up a grip on the opponent’s same side wrist.

Rat Submission Attacks

The most obvious attack you have is a Kimura lock on the free side. All you need to do is establish wrist control so that you can attack at will. Remember to go for the wrist instead of the forearm or higher. The wrist provides the best leverage to control the whole arm of the opponent. Once you have control, set up a bend in their elbow. the closer to 90 degrees the bend is, the better. To finish the Kimura all you need is to release the arm that’s gripping your thigh and get the figure four. As a bonus yo do not need to hip escape and change angle for the finish. Simply push their wrist up and towards the back.

Once you get this a few times in training, opponents are going to start hiding their arm. Even with a wrist grip, you might find it difficult to open their elbow. When they squeeze their elbow close to their body, simply extend the wrist towards their butt. Once in full extension, use your leg on the same side to trap the arm. In case you’re still not seeing it, you’re all set for a triangle. Transition into the diamond position first, though because you might just get a straight armlock first. IF not, go for the triangle choke.

For a vicious neck crank attack from the BJJ Rat Guard, you’ll need to think about the opposite side arm. Form your basic Rat guard control, look for an opening in the arm on the side of the opponent’s head. Once you see it, release the control and thread your arm towards the armpit. Use a rear naked choke grip and you can finish the crank right there.

A Chain Of Sweeps

The simplest sweep to get from the BJJ Rat Guard System is a sit-up sweep. Contrary to what you might think, you can finish the sweep with the opponent’s posture broken. What you can’t do, is go for it with the opponent lying on top of you. If that’s the case, go to the submission subsystem. When the opponent tries to posture up though, do not try to keep them down. Stay in the rat guard control but allow them to rise so that you can use the momentum to pull off a sit-up sweep. The end position should be mount with a guillotine option right there. Even if you don’t hit a mounted guillotine, you could still finish with an arm-in one. Whenever the opponent manages to block the sit-up sweep, simply connect your arms under their chin. You’ve got a guillotine choke all set to go.

Another sweep you can hit is from the neck crank. When you get in position for the crank, just flip your opponent over to their side using the grip. Eddie Bravo calls this the 100 % as it works against anyone if you do it right. Once again, you have a mount and a submission straight away. BJJ Rat Guard System

Dealing With Common Reactions

There are three main avenues of movement your opponent might look for from the Rat guard. The system, however, has great answers for all of them. AS already covered, an opponent (particularly stronger and bigger ones) might look to power through and regain posture. The only thing to remember here is to stay tight on them via the arm and leg control you have. Once sufficiently up, go for the sit-up sweep or the guillotine, depending on your preference. Even if you fail at a guillotine you can always go back to the BJJ Rat guard system from there.

Another common course of action is a stack. Many opponents are going to look to straighten their legs and use pressure to stack you. The main reason why the stack won’t really work is hip control. The position you have with the Rat Guard means that you have control over their hips and shoulders. That translates to very little pressure that they can apply to you. Standing up actually opens up attacking options for you. Once on their feet, the hips are sufficiently far enough for you to thread your butterfly hooks in.

The worst position you can find yourself in is the wrong end of a Tozi pass. For this, though you have to make the crucial mistake of not controlling the opponent’ s free arm. When they place their arm around your neck, you have to react fast or you’ll get passed. Switch your grips so that you have a palm to palm over the opponent’s shoulder. Make sure your elbow pushes hard against their jaw, to maintain a broken posture. Once there open your legs and go for a butterfly hook on one side. and end up in mount or knee on belly.

Back Attack Transitions

Rounding things off are transitioning into back attacks. There are two main directions to hit them from. One is from Kimura attacks, and the other from a neck crank.

When you have a Kimura slapped on from the BJJ Rat Guard, your opponent is either going to try and straighten their arm or hide it between their thighs. In the first case, use the extension to take their arm all the way behind your head. To do this, of course, you’ll have to release the Kimura grip. Once there, simply turn into your opponent and get the seatbelt grip.

When the opponent hides their arm between their thighs, they open up a transition to the Omoplata. However, if you can’t or do not want to finish there you can get the back. Simply swing your entangled leg over the opponent and you’ve got hooks. Get the seatbelt grip and you’re there.

Finally, when you’re in the 100% neck crank position you can opt to get the back instead of sweep or finish. Once everything is in place kick your opposite side leg out and pull the opponent towards you. Options include hitting the Twister submission or going for full back control.

Turning A Choke Into A Neck Crank – Legit Or Cheap?

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BJJ World

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The line between a BJJ choke and a Neck Crank is a very thin one. It is not uncommon for a choke to turn into a Neck Crank. In fact, it is so common that in most cases, a choke turned in a Neck Crank is not considered illegal, even though cranks are. Learn how to recognize when your choke is headed into the crank territory and how to prevent it…if you really want to.

Choking is the ultimate way to finish in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. There’s no bravado or endurance when it comes to choking. If you’re caught in a tight choke, tap. You won’t like the alternative. Given the power of the choke, it is no wonder that there is such variety among choking techniques. Chokes are the highest percentage of submission in both grappling martial arts and MMA. But what happens when you can’t finish a choke? You messed up somewhere along the way and there’s no choke no matter how hard you try. Do you give up or turn to the choke’s next-door neighbor, the Neck Crank?

The Neck Crank is a brutal spine-twisting submission that is illegal at all belt levels under IBJJF rules. That is when you’re going straight for a spinal lock without a choke. Cover up your Neck Crank with a choke though, and you have a “cheat” move for competition. Ruleset aside, the Neck Crank is a very potent and efficient submission. However, it is very important to be aware of what you’re doing, because it is a potentially debilitating hold. If you like to use cranks in cohort with your chokes, make sure you do them correctly. If you want to skip them then you have to recognize when a choke is no longer a choke.

Safely Attacking The Neck

When we train BJJ and go for the neck, the goal is mainly to choke our opponent. We already got that out of the way. In cases when the opponent is resisting the choke, though things can go in two main directions. If the choke is properly applied, the opponent is eventually going to go to sleep. A few small adjustments here and there and you have your choke.

The other direction is when you have the choke incorrectly, or the opponent wiggles out of it enough to prevent it from working. In a case like this, continuing to apply choke mechanics from a less than optimal position often results in a Neck Crank. A Neck Crank applies twisting pressure to the spine in the neck region, resulting in debilitating pain.

The problem with Neck Cranks is mainly safety. Chokes are relatively safe submissions since you can apply them to your partner in a realistic manner. Even when there’s resistance, there’s little to no fear of injury from a choke. Neck Cranks, on the other hand, rely on pain to induce a tap. A stubborn opponent or an overly enthusiastic submission attempt can leave someone crippled for life.

If your opponent in training is conscious enough and expects a neck crank at some point, they’ll tap early. Nobody should let their partner twist on their neck, no matter how technical the attack is. But, what happens when you are applying this same neck crank in a tournament? Your opponent is winning on points, and there’s little time left. If it was a choke, they’ll go to sleep, but with a crank, you don’t have that option. So you’ll need to be very careful when applying the submission so that you do not take it too far.

A Choke Or A Neck Crank?

When is the precise moment when your choke actually turns into a Neck Crank? There are a few aspects to this you need to really understand. First are the mechanical nuances of the Neck Crank. Secondly, you need to know when a choke is past any chance of working, Finally, you need to be ready for a worst-case scenario reaction by an unaware opponent.

To begin with, a Neck Crank uses the leverage of the chin or the top of the head for a submission. Both of these points can allow you to twist the neck further than anatomically possible. From a Rear Naked Choke, for example, a Neck Crank is done with the chin as the main leverage point. From a D’arce choke, on the other hand, the twist comes via your body on the opponent’s crown.

Furthermore, in both cases, you need to be aware of when the choke stops working. Because, if you do not want to or can’t go for a crank, you’ll need to abandon the position. A seasoned opponent can defend the Rear Naked Choke very effectively without much movement. Playing the game of detail angles and grips can keep an opponent safe, even though you have a choke on. The same holds true for the D’arce choke, where the opponent’s body position can make it impossible to finish the hold.

Finally, you need to develop sensitivity in your body to feel how you’re positioned in relation to your training partner. This is one way to make sure your Neck Crank finishing percentage will greatly increase. Ask for feedback from your partners when you train chokes, especially those that can turn into a Neck Crank. Head and arm style chokes are the most likely contenders here.

The Grey Zone

Sometimes, however, it is likely that your partner might choose a defense that actually turns a choke into a crank. The D’arce is a great example. Ther’s still a choke but also a Neck Crank. When this happens you need to make a point of not giving up on the position. Stick with the move, and you’ll pull off one submission or the other. Since the movement had originated in a choke, you’ll still be cutting off blood flow. Furthermore, you can keep everything tight and get a crank as well.

One more example is the dreaded Japanese Necktie. This move is such a blend of a choke and a Neck Crank that even when you think you have a choke, you’re cranking and vice versa. Is it a good move to go for? Certainly. Just keep in mind the neck cranking aspect of it and use it to your advantage.

Grip Fighting Strategies From Back Control

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BJJ World

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Grip Fighting from back control is a crucial aspect of a successful choking game. You need your arms to choke an opponent out, so you have to get them free. Follow the best, proven strategies to make sure you win the grip fighting and get the choke!

How many times have you failed to finish someone from the back position? Despite having the utmost control a BJJ position offers, finishing from the back can be notoriously difficult. Against inexperienced opponents, it is a piece of cake. Against people that know what to expect, though, finishing can be a real nightmare. All it takes is for someone to trap your arms and you’ll be in the struggle of a lifetime. It is a very frustrating feeling, having back control with seatbelt and both hooks in but no submission to crown your efforts. The key battle after taking the back is winning the grip fighting. In that sense, there are a few strategies aimed at winning this crucial battle that you need to master. The sooner you do, the better.

In general, people know what’s coming when you’re on their back. A Rear Naked Choke or lapel choke from the back are the two main contenders. All other submission options include a transition out of full Back Control. To win the grip fighting, you need to be ready for your opponent’s last-ditch defensive efforts. If you’re in the Gi, this can turn into a long-winded and frustrating battle. Before you go off looking to win the grip fighting, you need to understand the dynamics of back attacks. Just like most things in grappling martial arts, different back attacks employ different grip fighting strategies.

Back Position Dynamics

The back position is one of the top positions in BJJ. It brings a maximum of four points under IBJJF rules and has great finishing options. Provided you get your hands in position, of course. The back position is effective due to the safety it brings the person attacking. There are no direct counters to back attacks, meaning someone would have to escape in order to hope to reverse the tables. And this is no easy feat at all.

Back control starts with upper body control. Unless you have proper alignment and attachment, there’s no back control. This means having your body in line with the opponent’s spine. On top of that, you need a seatbelt (over/under) grip to control their shoulder grid. Finally, always keep your chest tight to their back and your head next to their head. Hooks are simpler – all it takes is getting your feet over the opponent’s hips, fingers pointing out. Now that this is clear, there are two main aspects of full Back Control attack-wise.

Strong Side Back Control – The strong side for attacking the back is the side where your arm goes over the opponent’s shoulder. For maximum control, the goal is to lie on this side. this blocks many of the opponent’s movement options. It also provides the easiest way to get to the choke, after winning the grip fighting sequence.

Weak Side Back Control – Logically, the side where you control the opponent with an undertook is the weak side. Begin on the weak side doesn’t mean that you can’t finish, only that it is tougher against experienced opposition. When you’re lying on your weak side, you have your choking arm on top of the opponent. This requires a whole different grip fighting strategy to that of the strong side.

Grip Fighting From The Strong Side

The basic idea of attacking from the strong side of back control is having your opponent as near as possible to the choking arm. From a seatbelt position, getting to the side is not hard to achieve. Once there, though, an experienced opponent is going to focus on your grips. Choking is the most prevalent back attack so controlling your arms means preventing the submission. This is why grip fighting is more important than the mechanics of the choke itself.

Dealing With The Top Arm

When you’re on the strong side, the usual configuration is both of your opponent’s arms on your choking arm. In this situation, that’s the bottom side arm. However, dealing with the bottom side arm comes second, since you have to free up your top arm first. To do so, all you need is to peel off the opponent’s top side arm. All it takes is to slide your arm in and push down. Their grip is going to fail. It works in both Gi and No-Gi. Once you get the grip off, immediately go for their wrist. The goal is to take this wrist all the way behind their back. To do so, you have to open your top side leg and close it over the arm you have trapped.

2. Dealing With The Bottom Arm

Once you have one arm trapped, you have a huge advantage. Now it’s two of your arms against one of your opponent’s. To get your choking arm free, you’ll need your free arm’s help. use the free arm (underhook arm) to pry their wrist off your choking arm. The best way to achieve this is is to push their arm towards their hip. Focus on gripping right at the root of their thumb, and they won’t be able to resist. Once you win the grip fighting, immediately go for wrist control with your choking arm. The goal is to get their arm a far as possible away from the neck. To set a choke up, open up their neck by pulling their head with your top side arm.

Once the neck is open, simply release their wrist and sink in the choke. They’ll have no time to react before you figure four your hands. Going for a Gi choke, like the Bow And Arrow takes even less time. The choice is yours

Weak Side Gripping Strategies

When you’re on the weak side, choking is generally harder. It is not impossible, but the position allows your opponent o move more. At the same time, your choking arm is on the top where your opponent can manipulate it more. To make sure you tie up your opponent before you submit them, you need to win the grip fighting once again.

Dealing With The Bottom Arm
From the weak side of back control, you need to deal with the bottom arm first. The same motion you used to break the bottom arm grip from the strong side applies here. Just use your bottom arm to slide their arm off, gripping at the root of the thumb. Once that arm is out of the way, you’ll need to keep it straight until the very end. Now you have one grip less, but you also have just one arm left against the opponent’s one.

Dealing With The Top Arm
To strip the top side arm grip, you’ll need to use your top side leg as well. The best way to do so is to use the fact they have a tight grip on your choking arm. Simply extend that arm as far away towards your hips as you can. Once it’s extended, use your top side leg to push their wrist off and trap their arm at the same time. With this motion, you both strip the grip and trap their arm. To finish, you’ll need to dig with your top arm under the chin until you go all the way through. Only now you can release the bottom arm and figure four it. You could even finish a Rear Naked Choke variation with one arm, or do any lapel choke you want, without releasing the bottom arm control.

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