[WATCH] Mica Galvão Snaps Roberto Jimenez’s Arm at BJJ Stars 15

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BJJ World
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Mica Galvão Snaps Roberto Jimenez’s Arm at BJJ Stars 15

  • Another tournament, another Mica Galvao armbar. Galvao submitted Roberto Jimenez via brutal armbar, visibly breaking Jimenez’s arm in the BJJ Stars 15 Grand Prix final.

  • The injury occurred after Jimenez refused to tap, despite Galvao applying heavy pressure.

  • Galvao claimed the $17,000 prize, reaffirming his dominance among the new generation of elite grapplers.

The BJJ Stars 15 Grand Prix was designed to showcase the finest talents in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Instead, it delivered one of the most shocking and brutal moments in recent competitive memory.

In the final match of the evening, 20-year-old phenom Mica Galvao faced the relentless Roberto Jimenez. What began as a technical chess match quickly turned into a violent finish that left the jiu-jitsu world buzzing — and Jimenez in serious pain.

Galvao secured an armbar after a rapid series of scrambles. Despite being trapped, Jimenez, known for his fearless attitude, refused to tap.

“I felt it pop. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I also knew I couldn’t let go.”
– Mica Galvão

As Galvao extended the armbar, the tension visibly snapped Jimenez’s arm, drawing gasps from the crowd and an immediate end to the match.

Mica Galvao Armbar

Galvao’s Path to the Final: A Statement Performance

Galvao’s journey through the tournament bracket was nothing short of dominant. He submitted Carlos Henrique with a savage armbar in the opening round, then edged past Fellipe Andrew via points in the semifinals, showcasing an incredible mix of positional control and submission threats.

“I’m always hunting for the finish. That’s how I train. That’s how I fight.”
– Mica Galvão

The event was widely seen as a test for Galvao, pitting him against bigger, more experienced black belts in the Grand Prix format. By the time he faced Jimenez, it was clear that Galvao wasn’t just participating — he was imposing his will.

The Mica Galvao Armbar That Spelled an End for Jimenez

Jimenez entered the final looking sharp after defeating Lucas Barbosa and Alexandre de Jesus. His style — relentless scrambles, constant attacks — had carried him to the final bell in both matches. But against Galvao, his trademark aggression became his undoing.

After a furious exchange, Galvao latched onto an armbar from the back transition. Jimenez initially tried to roll through, hoping to escape, but Galvao adjusted his hips, tightened the submission, and applied slow, deliberate pressure.

“Roberto is tough as nails. I knew he wouldn’t tap easily, but I had to do my job.”
– Mica Galvão

Video footage showed Jimenez’s arm clearly hyperextending before he grimaced, and the referee intervened.

Aftermath: Silence, Shock, and $17,500

At the moment of the Roberto Jimenez arm break, the entire arena went silent. Galvao immediately showed concern, even as he was declared the Grand Prix champion and awarded the $20,000 cash prize.

Jimenez, meanwhile, was attended to by medical staff and later exited the mat under his own power, though clearly injured.

“I respect Roberto so much. Nobody wants to win like that.”
– Mica Galvão

There is no official timeline yet for the Roberto Jimenez injury recovery, but the injury appeared serious enough to sideline him for several months.

Jimenez’s decision reflected incredible heart but carried a devastating cost. His warrior spirit is undisputed — but the price he paid may affect his competitive career for the near future.

Mica Galvao’s Rising Star Shines Brighter

Already viewed as one of the most promising young grapplers in the world, Galvao’s victory at BJJ Stars 15 adds another major title to his resume. It also reinforces his reputation as a dangerous finisher, someone who can dominate positional exchanges but also end matches decisively when the opportunity arises.

“This is just the beginning for me. I want to fight the best, win everything, and be remembered as one of the greatest.”
– Mica Galvão

What is the Mica Galvao BJJ career heading? Stardom, undoubtedly. Given his performances on the mats, it’s clear that Galvao is not only here to stay — he’s aiming to rewrite the record books.

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Frame Lasso Robson Moura DVD Review [2025]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Frame Lasso Robson Moura DVD Review

Key Takeaways

  • A Gi DVD demonstrating how to turn one of the most effective lasso guard counters into a complete guard system. 
  • Features entries, sweeps, back takes, and plenty of different submissions. 
  • Covers how to deal with standing opponents and leads you to natural connections with other guards.  
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10. 

FRAME LASSO ROBSON MOURA DVD GET HERE

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FULL TRAILER: Frame Lasso Robson Moura DVD

Gi guards tend to be overly complicated for my liking, but I must admit that I am a fan of the lasso guard. It is simple, by the standards of modern Gi guards, and it is effective. The only thing that made me shy away from it was that there were effective ways to easily break it.

Enter Frame Lasso Guard Robson Moura DVD, and all has changed. Now, one of the main building blocks of effective lasso guard counters is no longer serving the person trying to break the guard, but rather the person playing it. Check out the details of what’s inside this instructional.

A Sticky Gi Guard Made Stickier

The lasso guard is a very boring position to be in. While not impossible, and until today, fairly easy to deal with, the guard does force the top player into very specific areas of motion, which, of course, means that you can attack from the bottom, as long as you know what you need to do.

In a very impressively original way, Robson builds on the success of the staple Gi lasso guard by introducing a complete guard game once the top person decides to use a very common counter to the guard. Instead of their frame working to block you, it now provides an even stickier guard opportunity.

While this concept is nothing new, I’ve actually never seen anything like it from the lasso guard. Simply put, if you like playing the lass, then the Lasso Guard Robson Moura DVD will solve one of your biggest issues in the position with a foolproof method.

Tiny-Sized BJJ Legend Robson Moura

In my blue belt days, Robson Moura was the man to learn from. Already with a legendary status as one of the best ever small-framed grapplers in the world, and the man who made other legends, such as Ryan Hall, Robson always offered details to the extreme in his instructionals and seminars.

For the last decade or so, I’ve not seen or heard too much from the featherweight, though. He has his own association of academies called the Robdon Moura Nations United, which I guess keeps him busy. That said, he is still one of the best BJJ teachers in the world on any given day, especially for guards.

Originally from Brazil, Robson has been training since 1988. He got his black belt from Andre Pederneiras and has 5 world titles, a Brazilian Nationals title, and the CBJJO World Cup Champion title.

Solid across the board, Robson has always had a knack for developing guards, such as the 93 guard that everyone was crazy about some 10 years ago. Now, it’s time for another gem in the Frame Lasso Robson Moura DVD

Frame Lasso Robson Moura DVD Review

The Frame Lasso Robson Moura DVD contains three volumes, each with around half an hour of running time, which means the instructionals last just over an hour and a half. it is a Gi-only DVD, which is a given considering the lasso guard subject:

Part 1 – Immediate Frame Lasso Attacks

The Frame Lasso Guard Robson Moura DVD kicks off with an entry to the guard, which is fairly easy to figure out, as the entire concept of the guard is to be a counter to a counter. Immediately, Robson offers a quick attack in the form of one of my favorite surprise subs – the shotgun armbar.

Moura extends there armbar attack toward belly down armbars as the DVD goes on, tying down a last-minute sweep to ensure you get something out of the attack, even if the armbar fails. A hook sweep from the original frame lasso brings things to an end in part one.

Part 2 – Back Attacks & Sweep Combinations

In a minimalistic kind of way, the first volume of the Robson Moura Frame Lasso DVD is actually more than enough to attack efficiently against all kinds of opponents. Part two offers more depth, but, understandably, also features more complicated moves.

Sweeps are Robson’s main attack from the position, with a De la Riva sweep-to-back option straight off the bat, followed by an entire pendulum sweep mini system that leads to mount, back, or into a staple pass.

Part 3 – Standing Opponent

The final portion of this Frame Lasso Robson Moura DVD addresses a common problem you’ll encounter when playing the lasso guard, which is your opponent standing up. While it may seem like you’re getting their posture broken in the process, without a good connection, you’ll be on the receiving end of some pretty unpleasant passing.

Once again, sweeps are in the spotlight, leading into quick armbar variations, just like in the first volume of the DVD. The usual threat of a back take is expanded to include an X guard sweep that opens up a Kimura, providing even more variety, and tying the frame lasso to a very effective guard.

Master Counterattacking in BJJ

Counterattacking is a term you’ve heard in BJJ. You might even know a move or two to use in specific situations, most likely leg locks. The question I have, which will probably make your brain hurt, is how many counters can you do?

Yeah, I know, you’ve never thought about it. Understandably, the natural solution to a counter would be to pull out, regroup, and try to maintain your position rather than improve on it. Well, that’s not all you can do – you can also counter the counter.

While it may seem like this brings us to a loop of endlessly countering counters, the truth is that the cycle stops when just one of the counters works. With the Robson Moura Frame Lasso Guard DVD, you get an entire system to counter a common guard counter, ensuring that the cycle stops with you dictating what happens in that match. 

Frame Lasso Robson Moura FREE DVD Sample
FREE DVD SAMPLE: Frame Lasso Robson Moura

DOWNLOAD HERE: FRAME LASSO GUARD ROBSON MOURA DVD

Throw the Lasso! 

No point in waiting any more – practice is done, and once you’ve gone through the content of the Frame Lasso Robson Moura DVD, it’s time to throw that lasso and see what you’ve caught! Expect a constant supply of pray of all sizes and belt levels, limited only to the use of the Gi, given the requirements of the guard. Next time you’re in the lasso, you’ll be praying the opponent decides to frame as a counter.

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Carlson Gracie Demoted Marcelo Mello After Asking Him For A Personal Favor

By
BJJ World
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  • Marcelo Mello was demoted from black belt to brown belt after investigating Carlson Gracie’s girlfriend’s infidelity — a task Carlson himself requested.

  • Mello was publicly accused of betrayal and expelled from the academy.

  • The incident reveals the volatile and deeply personal power dynamics of early Carlson Gracie BJJ culture.

Marcelo Mello never expected that a favor for his mentor would become the reason for his undoing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A black belt under Carlson Gracie — one of the sport’s most iconic figures — Mello was entrusted with a personal mission: investigate whether Carlson’s much younger girlfriend was being unfaithful.

“Carlson had this girlfriend, 30 years younger than him… He called me at my house and said, ‘Marcelo, I want you to take a look at the name of the girl and then you let me know what’s going on because something tells me that it’s not right.’”
– Marcelo Mello

He took the assignment seriously, trailing the woman discreetly and gathering detailed evidence. When he reported back to Carlson — listing the exact time, location, and even the clothes she was wearing while with another man — he expected appreciation for his loyalty.

Instead, he got blindsided.

“When I turned the corner in Copacabana, I saw Carlson and this lady holding hands. And then he started screaming at me that I was a traitor… He didn’t give me a chance to say nothing.”
– Marcelo Mello

The Fallout Inside the Academy

Things escalated quickly at the next training session. Mello noticed his sparring partner going unusually hard, egged on by Carlson himself. Soon after, he was stripped of his Carlson Gracie black belt and expelled from the team.

“I could see from a little hole from his gi, I saw Carlson cheering him up to beat me more and more.”
– Marcelo Mello

Carlson, once a father figure to Mello, had suddenly turned into an adversary. The emotional fallout led Mello to step away from jiu-jitsu altogether.

“I was a loyal friend, I did what he asked me and everything turned out against me… I quit jiu-jitsu for over six-seven months.”
– Marcelo Mello
Carlson Gracie Demoted Marcelo Mello

Belts Meant Nothing — Until They Did

In Carlson Gracie’s academy, belts were seen as symbolic, often described as mere cloth meant to “hold the gi.” But this dismissal of their value sharply contrasted with the emotional weight tied to promotions — and BJJ belt demotion.

“The belt at Carlson Gracie was simply to hold the gi, it didn’t mean much back in the days.”
– Marcelo Mello

Yet there was no mistaking the honor attached to a black belt from Carlson. Few ever earned it.

“He never sold black belts… You probably will be a doctor faster than you’ll be a black belt.”
– Marcelo Mello

Carlson’s Temper and the Price of Misplaced Trust

Mello didn’t shy away from reflecting on Carlson’s temperament. He described the master as highly emotional, impulsive, and at times, easy to manipulate.

“He was very difficult in a sense that he was so easy to manipulate. Like a child… for a few subjects he was like a 12-year-old child.”
– Marcelo Mello

Mello speculated this instability may have been influenced by Carlson’s own upbringing. Raised under the stern eye of Hélio Gracie, Carlson never had a choice but to fight — even though he didn’t want to.

Redemption and Return

Despite the personal betrayal, Mello found his way back to the sport. In 1999, he made his UFC debut at UFC 20 — but the pay left him disillusioned.

He declined a second UFC fight in Japan after being offered only ten days to prepare — and the same meager compensation. Eventually, in 2020, Mello was awarded his sixth-degree black belt by Carlson Gracie Jr., a symbolic full-circle moment in a saga marked by pain, redemption, and perseverance.

A Complicated Legacy

For all the heartbreak and confusion, Mello still holds deep respect for Carlson. Despite being publicly humiliated and stripped of his rank, he chooses to remember the mentor who helped raise him through jiu-jitsu’s most formative years.

Asked if he would do it all again, he didn’t hesitate.

“If I knew now and could go back in time, I would do it all over again… It was a very, very nice experience.”
– Marcelo Mello
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Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD Review [2025]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD Review

Key Takeaways

  • A No-Gi DVD taht will make you incrementally better at finishing people with various leg locks.
  • Includes a deep analysis of finishing mechanics for ankle locks, heel hooks, toe holds, and kneebars. 
  • Provides a system for attacking different finishing moves from the same Ashi Garami position.   
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10. 

LEG LOCK FINISHES HELENA CREVAR DVD GET HERE

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SEE THE TRAILER: Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD

Helena Crevar brings the much anticipated finishes to her leg lock setups in the Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD. While this instructional will work best in addition to her previous work, if you’re lacking in the leg locks department, then start with it immediately.

If the goal of leg locks is to get your opponent to tap to any kind of lock, then this is the instructional to show you how to make them. Not only that, it will guide you through several different Ashi positions that offer all or most of the locks, and a way of combining them into a very versatile and multi-threat attack system.

The Trickiest Part of Leg Locks

Getting the tap. There’s nothing more difficult in leg locks than getting the tap. Interestingly, it was the easiest thing about them when people had no idea what they were. These days, you need impeccable timing, extra-tight finishing, and/or an air-tight Ashi to be able to get one on a blue belt, let alone anyone with more experience on the mats.

As you can see, you have several ways of improving your finishing rate, the best one of which is to improve your braking mechanics, timing, and positioning. That’s a big ask, even for a seasoned grappler. So, let’s focus on what actually matters – breaking a leg.

The Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD offers an in-depth blueprint for finishing all kinds of leg locks from the same few positions, along with very slick options to combine the finishes in an endless loop. With it, you get to practice finishing all kinds of leg locks instead of just one.

Helena Crevar: The Face of Women’s BJJ

A fresh brown belt, and already the one to beat at the young age of 18, Helena Crevar has made all the right moves to launch a stellar BJJ career very early on. As a blue belt, she moved to Austin to join the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team and train under John Danaher. That decision turned out to be a masterstroke by the BJJ phenom.

The combination of her talent and hard work, along with Danaher’s impeccable methods and the top-tier training partners available at New Wave on any given day, has propelled Crevar in the BJJ rankings. She has beaten everyone in No-Gi, and quite easily, submitting black belts with twice her experience.

The current Polaris 70kg champion, 2024 ADCC West Coast trials winner, and 2024 ADCC silver medalist still has some way to go, though. Just recently at the 2025 Pans, she recorded one of her rare losses at the hands of Sarah Galvao, perhaps kickstarting the new great BJJ rivalry in women’s grappling.

Crevaer quickly bounced back, beating Elisabeth Clay to capture the 145lbs. belt at WNO27, becoming the youngest WNO champion in the process. We’ve already seen how scary her leg lock game is, so now, we get to enjoy a look behind the curtains in the Leg Locks Helena Crevar DVD.

Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD Review

Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD is the second in a mini-series, with the first one addressing leg lock setups and positional entries. That means that what you get in this four-part instructional is 2 hours of full focus on finishing different locks from different positions:

Part 1 – Ankle Locks

The leg lock that has become a new staple lately, the powerful (and fully legal) ankle lock, kick-starts the Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD. After the initial chapter explaining how we categorize leg locks, Helena launches straight into the classic Straight Ashi Garmi ankle lock finish, sparing no details.

She follows up with what I think is the strongest leg lock finish in BJJ, the belly down ankle lock, exploring several different grips to finish. She also offers cross Ashi ankle locking options, introducing double trouble into the mix and offering super-strong, yet still legal, ankle lock variations.

Part 2 – Outside Heel Hooks

Here, things go deep into Danaher leg locking territory, with all the usual, and a few unusual outside heel hook finishes depicted very thoroughly. Once again, Crevar starts in the Straight Ashi, using it to cover all the key points of the heel hook breaking mechanics.

She then introduces the reverse figure-four heel hook, which is one of the best things in the entire Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD. Double trouble options follow, along with the cross ashi, in what seems to be the (almost) same order of moves demonstrated in the ankle locks volume.

Part 3 – Inside Heel Hooks

The inside heel hook work begins in the cross Ashi, which is understandable to anyone who knows the mechanics. In part three of the Helena Crevar Leg Locks DVD, she takes us through several super-tight finishes of inside heel hooks, offering different grips.

This is also where combinations that link different leg locks appear, with Helena mixing up ankle locks and outside heel hooks to set up the ultimate leg locks finisher – inside heel hooks. 50/50 backside finishes wrap this part of the instructional up.

Part 4 – Toe Holds & Knee Bars

Finally, in the last volume of the Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD, Crevar decides to broaden the system and introduce several leg locking finishes at once. Her toe hold options are exceptional, especially the double trouble finish.

In terms of kneebars, she favored the ‘behind the lat’ version, offering a couple of different options to get it. Once again, she combines all previous locks with the kneebar to show exactly where and how you can mix them up.

In the final few chapters, more obscure locks feature, one of which we saw Helena pull off recently on UFC Fight Pass 10. Her calf slicer finish, along with some very painful hop lock options, brings a great DVD to an equally impressive end.

Finishing Under Pressure

Tapping people out with a leg lock is no easy feat these days. When I picked up leg locks, before the Danaher instructionals came out, and became moderately good at them, people would tap the moment I trapped the foot, regardless of whether I was thinking of ankle locks or heel hooks. They just didn’t know, and tapped because of panic, not pain.

These days, people know leg locks. They don’t panic, and unless you know what you’re doing, they take their time in Ashi, looking to counter you with a leg lock of their own, or a back take instead of trying to find ways out of the submission.

What this means is that any leg lock you’re looking to finish these days is going to be done under pressure. That also means that you can throw complicated dig and break mechanics out of the window. You need to figure out the easiest way to finish leg locks and be able to get several from the same position.

As you can see, the Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD is a resource that helps you fill this exact gap. If finishing leg locks under pressure is your white whale, then this instructional is the extra-large harpoon to slay it once and for all.

Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD Sample
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Pick Your Poison!

It’s time for you to pick the leg locks finishes you need to polish and get to work! The Leg Locks Finishes Helena Crevar DVD is not long, and you can figure out what you need to do to improve your favourite lock in a day or two. Alternatively, you can go all in and spend a week figuring out how all leg locks tie together, and emerge on the other side of it with a set of leg locking skills akin to those of the top New Wave Jiu-Jitsu competitors.

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UFC Laura Sanko Earns Long-Awaited BJJ Black Belt After 19 Years

By
BJJ World
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UFC Laura Sanko Earns Long-Awaited BJJ Black Belt After 19 Years
  • UFC Laura Sanko has earned her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, capping off a 19-year martial arts journey.
  • The former Invicta fighter and trailblazing UFC broadcaster shared the news via Instagram ahead of UFC Kansas City.
  • The achievement further cements her legacy as a pioneer for women in MMA both on and off the mat.

Laura Sanko’s black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu isn’t just another notch on a resume — it’s the culmination of nearly two decades of blood, sweat, and undeniable perseverance. Known globally as the voice of UFC commentary and a visible symbol of gender progress in combat sports, Sanko has now added another elite credential to her name: BJJ black belt.

The 41-year-old broadcaster and former fighter shared the news with her followers on April 22, 2025, via Instagram. The promotion comes after years of dedication to the art, much of it spent training behind the scenes while balancing a career in MMA broadcasting and motherhood.

“Welp… now I can use this emoji 🥋! Feels amazing to join the black belt club… a 19-year journey that is just beginning.”
– Laura Sanko, via Instagram

The promotion comes just days before UFC Kansas City — a fitting coincidence, as the event takes place in her adopted hometown.

UFC Laura Sanko Promoted to BJJ Black Belt

From the Cage to the Commentary Booth

UFC Laura Sanko has deep roots in combat sports. Her fighting career, though brief, was impressive: a second-round submission win at Invicta FC 4 in 2013 marked her professional debut — and also her final bout.

She stepped away from fighting after learning she was pregnant, shifting her focus to family and media. Rather than leaving MMA behind, she broke new ground in the broadcast booth.

In 2021, she joined Dana White’s Contender Series as the first female color commentator of the modern era. Two years later, she called her first official UFC event at UFC Vegas 68.

And in September 2023, she made history again by becoming the first woman to serve as lead commentator for a UFC pay-per-view, calling UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.

“She’s a true martial artist. Even when the cameras weren’t on her, she was on the mats putting in work. This promotion wasn’t given. It was earned.”
– Paul Schreiner, BJJ coach

This promotion solidifies Sanko as someone who didn’t just pivot into commentary for convenience. She’s been in the cage, earned victories, and now, earned rank in one of the most demanding martial arts systems in the world.

It Sets a Standard for Professionalism

In an era of influencer fighters and gimmick belts, Sanko’s 19-year grind stands in sharp contrast. She didn’t leverage her TV status for a fast-track promotion. She trained under high-level coaches and met the rigorous standards expected at black belt level.

What’s Next for “Fancy”?

UFC Laura Sanko has repeatedly stated that her mission is to grow the sport — particularly by increasing access and visibility for women. With her black belt now secured, she joins a very exclusive club of female black belts who have also graced the broadcast booth.

And while her path may not lead back to competition, don’t be surprised if she finds a way to contribute to BJJ in new ways — whether that’s through seminars, athlete mentorship, or even promotion.

“This belt isn’t the end. It’s just the next phase.”
– Laura Sanko, post-ceremony statement

What Does a BJJ Black Belt Really Mean for UFC Laura Sanko?

Achieving a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a rare feat. It typically requires a decade or more of consistent, rigorous training, often with long plateaus and moments of doubt. Promotions are not given lightly — especially not at the black belt level.

It’s a mark of technical mastery, but also of character. And it signals that the recipient is ready to lead, teach, and uphold the art’s values.

For UFC Laura Sanko, it’s a well-earned recognition of her dual commitment to personal excellence and the elevation of the sport she loves.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Laura Sanko (@laura_sanko)

What’s Better — Cage Experience or a Black Belt?

While debate rages on about what makes an expert analyst in MMA — in-cage experience, academic study, or high-level training — UFC Laura Sanko now brings all three to the table. She’s fought. She’s trained for nearly 20 years. And she’s spent the last half-decade dissecting fights with poise and precision.

Her voice now carries even more authority.

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Trans Grappler Facing Dilemma: “How Do I Get Promoted If I Don’t Compete?”

By
BJJ World
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Trans Grappler Facing Dilemma: “How Do I Get Promoted If I Don’t Compete?”

  • A trans grappler white belt from Florida sparked debate by asking how to get promoted in BJJ without competing.

  • Governing bodies like IBJJF, NAGA, and ADCC currently require trans women to compete in men’s divisions.

  • The grappler’s letter raised broader questions about recognition, inclusivity, and belt progression in the sport.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has long branded itself as the “gentle art” — a space where technique trumps size, and everyone from toddlers to retirees finds purpose. But for one transgender athlete, that philosophy is being tested.

In a candid and heartfelt letter shared online recently, a 28-year-old white belt trans grappler from Florida opened up about a painful but honest question:

“How do I get promoted if I don’t compete?”

A Trans Grappler Letter That Hit a Nerve 

The athlete, who has been on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for six years and legally holds an “F” gender marker, initially took up Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense.

“I originally got into the sport as a way of learning practical self-defense with all the anti-trans rhetoric going around and living in the state of Florida,” they wrote. “But now that I’m in it, I want to get belted beyond a white belt.”

Their issue isn’t just personal — it’s systemic. Promotions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, while technically left to the discretion of instructors, are often heavily influenced by competition experience. That’s where the conflict begins.

Trans Grappler Sparks BJJ Belt Promotion Debate

Grappling With the Gender Divide in Competition

Standing 5’7” and weighing 125 pounds, the trans grappler in question trains mostly with women at their gym. While noting their leg length as a modest advantage, they also candidly admit, “I’m not in great shape. I get tired faster than girls half my size.”

But competition isn’t just a question of cardio.

“I’m not entirely opposed to competing against men, but I also don’t want to make a scene about it, and I have F legally on my documents.”

That’s where the governing bodies come in.

  • NAGA: Requires transgender women to compete in men’s divisions.

  • ADCC: Maintains that competitors must register in their sex assigned at birth.

  • IBJJF: Implements strict requirements aligned with biological sex.

The options for trans women, then, are murky at best and exclusionary at worst.

When the Mat Isn’t Neutral

In response to the post, the BJJ community delivered a mix of empathy, pragmatism, and resources. One practitioner clarified a common misconception:

“Most coaches base promotions on time, effort, conceptual knowledge, skill, how you do in rounds at the gym, attitude, teaching ability, etc. Competition is optional and many people never do it.”

Others recommended connecting with LGBTQ+-affirming networks like Triangles Everywhere, an international group supporting queer grapplers with subgroups specifically for trans athletes.

Tournaments in places like Seattle were mentioned — events that “skew more inclusive” but often require travel, time, and financial flexibility.

BJJ Promotion Anxiety Is Real — and Widespread

The letter struck a chord not only because it was emotionally vulnerable but also because it raised an unspoken tension in the sport. For practitioners who don’t compete — whether due to anxiety, safety, gender policy, or simply life — how do they prove they’ve earned their next belt?

And for a trans grappler, the burden is even heavier.

Unlike most sports, BJJ belt ranks are public and visible. Walking into a gym as a purple or brown belt brings expectation. Skipping competition entirely may leave many trans practitioners feeling underqualified or under scrutiny.

Broader Echoes in the Combat Sports World

The timing of the letter couldn’t be more poignant. Trans inclusion is at the forefront of multiple sports — from NCAA swimming to Olympic weightlifting — and BJJ has yet to produce a unified response.

While gymnastics has seen a rise in acceptance, as recently reported by the Associated Press, grappling sports remain hesitant. That hesitancy leaves individual athletes caught between legal recognition and tournament rules that don’t reflect it.

The trans grappler question might seem simple: “How do I get promoted if I don’t compete?”

But its implications are profound. It’s about whether Jiu-Jitsu is a place for self-expression or a rigid hierarchy. Whether it welcomes all bodies — or only the ones it knows how to categorize.

In a sport where belts are earned, not given, maybe the real question is: What are we truly rewarding?

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Leg Entanglement System: X Lock Owen Jones DVD Review [2025]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Leg Entanglement System: X Lock Owen Jones DVD Review

Key Takeaways

  • A No-Gi BJJ DVD explaining how Owen Jones sets up, adjusts, and uses his X Lock system. 
  • Features fundamental principles, positional details, entries from different guards, and precise finishing guidelines. 
  • Explains the role of the X lock in the Ashi Garami system and offers easy ways to connect the positional dots.  
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10. 

X LOCK OWEN JONES DVD GET HERE

Leg Entanglement System: X Lock Owen Jones DVD Preview
SEE THE TRAILER: Leg Entanglement System: X Lock Owen Jones DVD

Every now and again, a new, or better said, hybrid, Ahsi Garami option appears and claims to be the next revolutionary thing in leg locks. I tend to be suspicious of these claims and prefer to see grapplers showcase their Ashi innovations before they offer instructionals.

A great example of this is Lachlan Giles, who beat several huge giants at the ADCC with his distal 50/50 system before offering any information about it. Owen Jones has followed the same path with the X Lock Owen Jones DVD. Given that he is still a brown belt and barely over 20, I expect this system to grow and evolve as Owen does. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, check out the review:

Building Leg Entanglement Systems

If you take a look at any of the leg locking systems built by great leg lockers, such as Danaher, Dean Lister, or Lachlan Giles, you’ll notice that each one of them found a centerpiece to work with.

It may be a position (Lachlan’s 50/50 or Danaher’s Inside Senkaku) or a submission (Lister’s heel hooks and Caio Terra’s ankle lock, for example). Whatever the focus point, all great systems start with a centerpiece. Whether you opt for control or a finish for your main role is entirely up to you.

There is also another way forward. You could hybridize both of the focus areas mentioned above, and develop a finish dependent on a simple, but super-effective position. Mikey Musumeci did it, and so has Owen Jones. The X Lock Owen Jones DVD holds the blueprint to the latter’s leg locking system.

Apex Predator Owen Jones 

Not many people stay loyal to their parent academies, especially in the pro competitor circles. Similarly to baseball and football, athletes change teams, trying to compete as much as possible, and earn as much as they can in the process.

Several big-name teams are the target for everyone, so it’s no wonder that Apex Jiu-Jitsu product Owen Jones ended up polishing his trade with the B-Team, and occasionally, team Los Badidos from the UK. Still, when he gets on the mats, Jones to this day only represents his parents’ Apex Jiu-Jitsu Academy and his first coach, David Cartwright-Khoza.

Currently a brown belt (although not for long), Owen is one of the youngest participants in the 2024 ADCC World Championship at the age of 21. He won the European No-Gi championship at purple belt and placed first in the 2023 ADCC European Trials.

The former rugby player, originally from London, has been keeping the BJJ world on their toes, with explosive performances that have already tamed some big black belt names. Namely, he already has victories over Robert Degle, Ashley Williams, and Gabriel Sousa, to mention a few.

With roughly a 60% submission rate in his pro matches so far, Owen has built a reputation as a submission hunter for himself, particularly in the leg-locking domain. With two holds and ankle locks both featuring in his box of tricks, the X Lock Owen Jones DVD offers something modern and different to leg lockers.

Detailed X Lock Owen Jones DVD Review

The X Lock Leg Entanglement System Owen Jones DVD contains two volumes, each just under an hour, covering everything you need to know about one of the best leg locking positions in modern BJJ:

Part 1 – X Lock Essentials & Guard Entries

The X lock, as per the X Lock Owen Jones DVD, refers to the leg configuration of the Ashi Jones uses to finish ankle locks, rather than a submission itself. For anyone who has seen him fight, this is not a surprise.

Crossing the legs in an X-like fashion in Ashi is a dangerous game to play, but not one without benefits. Owen has seemingly figured out a way to reduce some of the risks through carefully crafted leg positioning in the Ashi. He outlines the key differences between different versions of the position that he uses, most notably the shallow and deep X lock.

I appreciated that he shares his thoughts on when to bail out on the X lock, and even when to skip over using it, depending on key aspects of a leg lock exchange. That said, he also outlines when you can capitalize on using it, and then follows up with a bunch of entries, featuring DLR, shin-to-shin, and X-guard.

Part 2 – Finishing And Transitions

Part two extends the X Lock game into transitions, mostly focusing on how to traverse through different Ashi Garami positions while still using the X configuration to boost your ankle lock finishing options.

This second and final part of the Owen Jones X Lock DVD offers connections with the Outside Ashi, Butterfly Ashi, and Y-guard. Jones builds a closed-loop system here that revolves around X lock availability from any of these positions, and vice versa.

IN the second part of the DVD, he also goes over the details of finishing mechanics, extending the submission option way past just the classic ankle lock. Aoki locks (currently all the jazz) feature heavily, but Owen also covers some interesting options in the Tren Lock, Deca Lock, and his take on setting up the outside heel hook.

‘For When Letting Go Was Never Your Strong Suit’

The key thing about becoming a leg locker is finding an Ashi position that suits your style of Jiu-Jitsu, your body type, and your overall game. Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of people pull off different Ashi Garami games at the highest levels, while other high-level grapplers failed to replicate them.

This doesn’t mean that there’s not a hierarchy in the world of Ashi Garami – it just means that there is no silver bullet in BJJ, and whatever you do, you need to work for it. Owen found the X lock to be his main position, just like Eddie Cummings made the Honeyhole his playground, Geo Martinez rose to infamy with Truck attacks, and Mikey Musumeci came up with his own submission from an Ashi Garami variation.

These are just a few examples of how developing a sticky Ashi leads to a high-level leg locking game. That said, the one thing all these grapplers I mentioned above have in common is that they all went through multiple Ashi combinations before settling, or coming up, with their own.

So, to shorten the learning curve, pick up the X Lock Owen Jones DVD and start experimenting with crossed legs from the Ashi Garami. Who knows, it may inspire you to come up with the next big thing in leg locking that will bear your name.

Leg Entanglement System: X Lock Owen Jones Fre DVD Sample
CHECK OUT A FREE DVD SAMPLE: Leg Entanglement System: X Lock Owen Jones

DOWNLOAD HERE: X LOCK OVEN JONES DVD

Faster, Tighter, Lethal Ankle Locks

I’ve always been more of a fan of heel hooks, but having a strong ankle lock game never hurts. In fact, these days, with people savvy to heel hooks, following up with a tight ankle lock is my go-to leg lock finish. So, if your ankle locks are lacking in tightness, pressure, and positioning, check out the X Lock Owen Jones DVD. It holds plenty of answers for all levels of BJJ leg lockers.

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[WATCH] John Wick Invitational 2 Delivers Viral Suit-Jitsu Spectacle

By
BJJ World
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[WATCH] John Wick Invitational 2 Delivers Viral Suit-Jitsu Spectacle

  • John Wick Invitational 2, hosted by Pit Boss Grappling, featured a viral Suit-Jitsu tournament where BJJ athletes competed in full formalwear.

  • The event delivered high production value, cinematic flair, and widespread community praise across Reddit and YouTube.

  • While lighthearted in concept, Suit-Jitsu is being embraced as a legitimate, entertaining twist on traditional grappling competition.

In a sport defined by rashguards and regulation kimonos, Pit Boss Grappling John Wick Invitational 2 brought something refreshingly absurd to the mats: full formalwear. Hosted on April 20, 2025, the second installment of the now-viral “Suit-Jitsu” concept saw Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes ditch traditional gis for tailored suits—while keeping the submissions deadly serious.

Whether you saw it as performance art, parody, or simply elite-level grappling with a tuxedo twist, the event captivated audiences across YouTube, Reddit, and niche corners of the BJJ internet. And with good reason—this wasn’t just cosplay. It was a high-production, submission-only tournament that fully embraced chaos and creativity.

Mayhem in Tailored Threads: A Sequel That Dialed Up the Drama

Building off the momentum of the original John Wick Invitational, the second edition raised the stakes with better lighting, cleaner cinematography, and a bolder presentation. T

The visual style borrowed heavily from the John Wick film franchise—complete with cinematic walkouts, dark noir aesthetics, and a soundtrack worthy of a fight scene at The Continental.

This latest event not only expanded its bracket but also attracted a significantly larger online audience, with clips circulating widely across Instagram and Reddit within hours of going live.

The Rules (and Suits) Still Apply

As with the previous edition, matches followed a submission-only format, with no points awarded and a focus on decisive finishes.

What made it truly unique, however, was the required attire: competitors were mandated to wear full suits—jackets, shirts, ties, belts, and slacks—with many opting for full three-piece ensembles.

No rashguards, no gis—just fashion and violence. Some wore loafers, others chose hard-soled dress shoes. Wardrobe malfunctions were a given, but everyone stayed committed to the look.

A Viral Hit with the BJJ Community

Though no individual matches or athletes were highlighted by name in the official coverage, what stood out most was the surging popularity of the format.

The videos uploaded by Pit Boss Grappling drew thousands of views within a day, and Reddit’s r/jiujitsu lit up with reactions ranging from amused disbelief to genuine excitement.

Users on the Reddit thread here praised the event’s originality and execution:

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“Better than most professional cards I’ve seen recently.”
“This should be the new gi division.”
“Can someone tell me where to buy a submission-proof tux?”

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While some traditionalists shrugged it off as a novelty, many in the BJJ scene saw Suit-Jitsu as a breath of fresh air in a competition scene that can often feel rigid and repetitive.

Turning Grappling Into a Cinematic Universe

Pit Boss Grappling has hit a sweet spot between combat sport and stylized entertainment. The event wasn’t just a tournament—it felt like a theatrical production. From the lighting to the walkouts, the entire vibe was built for virality.

What’s most striking is that this could be a new blueprint for growing niche combat sports: blending skill, style, and spectacle into something digestible for both hardcore fans and casual viewers alike.

With such a strong reception, it seems inevitable that Suit-Jitsu will return—possibly even as a traveling concept. The groundwork is already there for a series of invitationals in other cities or countries, all under the signature aesthetic of John Wick-style grappling.

 

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What’s Better: Gun Jitsu, Knife Jitsu, or Suit Jitsu?

Fans of the John Wick universe know the assassin world is full of deadly styles—Gun-Fu, Knife-Fu, even car-based takedowns. But in the real world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Suit-Jitsu may be the most practical and watchable evolution yet.

The John Wick Invitational 2 opened the door to matches that include grappling for control over a toy gun or knife, effectively bringing crazy viral videos we’ve seen to a competition format. We know we want more of it!

If anything, the John Wick Invitational series proves that martial arts don’t always have to take themselves so seriously to be taken seriously.

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Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD Review [2025]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD Review

Key Takeaways

  • A wrestling for BJJ DVD covering the fundamentals of defensive wrestling in an efficient and no-nonsense way.
  • Delivers solutions to standing ties, leg takedown attacks, and front headlock counters.   
  • Features a lot of information on preventing and countering mat returns for BJJ purposes. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8.5 out of 10. 

DEFENSIVE WRESTLING FOR JIU-JITSU PAT DOWNEY DVD GET HERE

Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD Preview
FULL TRAILER: Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD

Takedown defense in BJJ is something that is massively undertrained. For some reason, people think they’ll be able to pull off something they’ve tried in class, or worse, seen on YouTube. They fail miserably, and that’s how we create involuntary guard pullers.

It is very logical to turn to wrestling for the best options to deal with common threats. Since most attacks on the feet these days are ‘stolen’ from wrestling, figuring out how to modify defenses from the same sport makes sense. It is exactly what the Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD does for you.

Scramble with a Purpose

What do you do to stop a takedown in BJJ? I get plenty of technical answers from people about it, at all belt levels, but when they go live, none of that seems to work. The real answer, however much you might dislike it, is that you scramble when you’re trying to stop takedowns in Jiu-Jitsu.

The more the opponent knows what they’re doing, the more chaotic the scrambles become, as you lose the purpose of what you’re doing and you’re just playing catch-up. You already know what inevitably follows such chaotic exchanges.

But, there is good news about your approach yet – it can actually work. In fact, scrambling as a defense is a lot more reliable than trying technical, BJJ-style defenses to common wrestling takedowns. This is the approach covered in the Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu DVD.

Wrestling Bad Boy Pat Downey

The BJJ World loves a bad boy, and Pat Downey certainly qualifies, even if he is still not quite King Ryan level (whom he lost to in 2020). The 32-year-old NCAA Division I American wrestler has a stellar grappling record behind him with bronze in the Pan American Games, gold in the US Nationals, gold at the NJCAA Championships, and plenty of others.

Downey had a knack for trouble from his high school days, which often affected his opportunities to wrestle as punishment for his behaviour, which stretched out into illicit activities. He figured out how to stay on the mats at the University of Nebraska, but quickly succumbed to college life and was cut from the team with a suggestion to try his luck in MMA.

In Iowa, he managed to conquer the NJCAA title undefeated in 2015, ending up on the Cycones’ team the following year. His time on the mats was always followed by controversies, such as derogatory comments to Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling, as well as a 5-year IBJJF ban (which came in 2024) after he provoked a brawl after one of his matches.

All that said, Pat remains a great grappler, with one of the most no-nonsense styles you’ll see these days. Not causing at all and always going for a fast win, his grappling experience makes him perfect to deliver information such as Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu.

Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD Review

The three-part Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD is a great resource for figuring out what to do on the feet in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It won’t get you far in wrestling, but in BJJ, the hour and a half of material is more than enough to make you super-difficult to take down.

Part 1 – Countering Ties

This DVD is a strange one. First of all, it is not an overly long one, especially the first volume. However, it contains everything it should, and more, in terms of delivering on the promise of its title – Pat Downey’s Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu DVD.

First up are longer distance counters, as Downey addresses ties, demonstrating how to deal with them as an opponent is setting them up, and even when they’re fully attached. The Russian tie is the main area of focus, given how common it is in BJJ. Underhooks and slideys also get a mention.

Part 2 – Repelling Leg Attacks 

Part two of the Pat Downey Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu DVD covers what most people probably expected it to – dealing with leg attacks. Downey goes into some very interesting territory here, basing his defense on some wrestling classics rarely seen in BJJ, such as the Baltimore Butcher.

The head movement counters presented in this part are priceless. Pat goes over several head outside defenses to single leg takedown attacks, as well as explaining how the slide off works, which is another thing sorely missed in standing BJJ exchanges.

Part 3 – Front Headlock Solutions and Mat Returns

The final part of the Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD is both the longest one and the one BJJ athletes will benefit from the most. Here, Pat covers a couple of wrestling-related situations we see in Jiu-Jitsu, more than leg takedowns and ties.

The front headlock is up fist, and Downey covers it as part of chain wrestling, addressing body locks, passbys, and circling along with the counters and defenses he provides. Conversely, all these defenses come in real useful when dealing with front headlock chokes, even though they’re not directly covered in the DVD.

The second half of the final volume is the most valuable, according to me, with Pat doing mat returns the justice they never got from anyone else in Jiu-Jitsu. Here, he covers how to deal with the body lock and different trips not just when standing, but also when your butt is on the mats, allowing to finally make the elusive ‘jsut stand up’ strategy work.

Start With Defense

This is great advice for anything in BJJ, which I rarely see people employ. Those who adopt the idea of becoming annoying before they become dangerous tend to have much better success at grappling, including attacks, but not before going through a fairly long and very rough period of getting beaten up on the mats.

In the realm of standing exchanges, reverting to defense is a lost easier than during ground work. Namely, if you can stop the opponent from taking the match to the mats on their terms, you achieve two major goals.

First, you will be able to stop the opponent from taking you down – understandably a major accomplishment, depending on the opponent. Secondly, you’ll be able to get in their head, because their plan A (and B, etc.) is not working.

This puts you in the perfect position to pull off a takedown of your own or pull guard. There is another option, which is to counter the attack and go straight into your own, just like Pat Downey shows in his Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu DVD.

Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD Sample
WATCH A FREE SAMPLE: Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey

DOWNLOAD HERE: DEFENSIVE WRESTLING FOR JIU-JITSU DVD

Downey’s Dilemmas

It’s easy – pick up defensive wrestling, and you might not ever need to really get too deep into offensive wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu. It’s a shortcut, and I’d recommend learning both defense and attacks, but if you need a starting spot, then the Defensive Wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu Pat Downey DVD is your best bet. Figure out how to defend and counter first, so that you can cause plenty of dilemmas for your opponent on the feet later on.

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What Is The Tye Ruotolo Knee Injury That Nearly Ended His Career?

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
What Is The Tye Ruotolo Knee Injury That Nearly Ended His Career?
  • Tye Ruotolo, the reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion, faced a significant hurdle when he suffered a severe knee injury during a match at the Craig Jones Invitational.
  • The Tye Ruotolo knee injury, which involved multiple torn ligaments, marked the most substantial setback in his jiu-jitsu career.

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 “It was the biggest injury I’ve had in jiu-jitsu. I’ve had some torn ligaments before in my knee, but nothing quite to the extent and the amount of damage I did this last time.”

– Tye Ruotolo

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A Shredded Knee That Could Have Ended It All

Tye Ruotolo has never been known for sitting still. A world champion by his early 20s, he became synonymous with relentless pace and creative submission attacks. But everything stopped cold during a match at the Craig Jones Invitational, where a freak scramble resulted in a devastating knee injury.

Ligaments torn. Pain immediate. Return date unknown.

There was a real chance the trajectory he’d been riding—one of the most exciting careers in submission grappling—was about to be derailed indefinitely.

Tye Ruotolo Knee Injury Comeback

Tye Ruotolo Knee Injury Recovery: ‘No’ to Surgery, ‘Yes’ to Discipline

The immediate reaction from most fighters would be surgery. Ruotolo went another route. He chose rest, rehab, and rebuild. No knife. No shortcuts. He poured months into strengthening the joint, correcting imbalances, and dialing in the kind of recovery protocol most athletes ignore until it’s too late.

That meant time off the mats—longer than he had ever taken in his life. The result wasn’t just physical repair, but mental re-centering. The champion who had burst onto the international stage as a teenager had never hit pause like this before.

The injury forced Ruotolo to evaluate more than just his knee. It made him reassess his lifestyle. His diet. His recovery habits. And above all, his mindset about rest.

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“I was never super strict on my diet. But when you have an injury like that, you realize how much inflammation plays into everything. What you eat really affects your recovery.”

– Tye Ruotolo

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Ruotolo also spoke candidly about taking competition for granted. Years of high-profile matches, media attention, and dominance had blurred the stakes. The layoff reminded him just how fragile everything is—even when you’re on top.

ONE Fight Night 31: The Stakes Are Real

On May 2, Ruotolo returns to defend his ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title at ONE Fight Night 31, set to take place at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. His opponent? Canadian standout Dante Leon—a gritty, seasoned black belt with wins over world-class names.

The bout marks Ruotolo’s first since the injury and his first test of whether his new body, and new outlook, hold up under elite pressure.

He’s not easing in, either. Leon is known for power, pace, and positional grinding—exactly the kind of game that will push Ruotolo’s rebuilt knee to its limit. It’s a fight that matters not just for rankings, but for redemption.

What fans will see in Bangkok isn’t the same version of Tye Ruotolo who tore through competitors at ADCC or dominated in his early ONE appearances. This Ruotolo is slower in the buildup, sharper in detail, and far more appreciative of the road he’s taken.

________________________________________________________________________

“I’m just grateful to have another opportunity to be on the mat. I definitely took it for granted, just competing—even the small stuff.”

– Tye Ruotolo

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That shift matters. In a sport where burnout and breakdowns often go hand in hand with greatness, Ruotolo’s pause may have extended his reign—not interrupted it.

Tye Ruotolo Knee Injury That Nearly Ended

Tye’s Recovery Sets a New Tone in BJJ

Injuries are part of grappling. Everyone taps to them eventually. But few elite athletes talk openly about the aftermath—about eating cleaner, training smarter, and knowing when to step back. Ruotolo just made it part of the conversation.

More importantly, he made it public. No fake toughness. No hiding from setbacks. His story is one every competitor at any level can learn from.

It’s not just about his knee anymore. It’s about how he fought to stay Tye Ruotolo—even when the mats were gone.

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