No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD Review [2024]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Key Takeaways
  • An eight-part No-Gi DVD offering the essential building blocks of a No-Gi BJJ game.
  • Includes standing, guards, passing pins, submissions, and escapes.
  • Features mini-systems that can help you improve certain aspects of your No-Gi game on their own or your entire game as a whole.
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.

NO-GI FOUNDATIONS OF BJJ BERNARDO FARIA DVD GET HERE

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What part of your No-Gi game do you feel needs to improve the most? Perhaps it is all across the board if you’re one of those folks dreading No-Gi open mats. Whatever the reason behind your interest in the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD, the content inside it is going to be useful.

No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu is a whole different animal than Gi, and it is not easy to make that transition. I will always be a proponent for practicing both, as that’s the best way to truly learn BJJ. That said, if it is No-Gi time for you, here is how learning from Bernardo Faria can help.

Building Blocks of BJJ 

There are certain things you can’t do without in BJJ. You can’t have any hope of offering someone a tough role if you don’t have a proper guard you can attack from, a couple of submission traps that allow you to switch positions, at least one pin you can hold until you become bored, and an idea of which direction you should escape to when you’re on defense.

The above is as oversimplified as I can put it, but I am patiently going to wait with my coffee mug for anyone to change my mind. No? Okay, let’s go on.

What I shared above is not a game plan. There is a huge difference between a game plan and foundations that allow you to even roll. You can’t have a game plan without foundations, so building blocks come before the building itself. It is what the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD attempts to, fairly successfully, provide.

Bernardo ‘Huge Honor For Me’ Faria

Depending on how long ago you started training Jiu-Jitsu, you know Bernardo Faria either as a top heavyweight competitor who was unstoppable with the Gi or as the man who built the biggest digital library of BJJ knowledge behind the phrase ‘huge honor for me’.

Bernardo started BJJ as a teenager in his native town of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. He had his eye on a world title since his white belt days, medaling in the Mundials at every belt level without winning the gold until the purple belt. Once he did it, though, he got a knack for it—Faria went on to win the Mundials a total of four times at black belt.

Faria spent all his training under his first instructor, Ricardo Marques until he got his black belt. He then moved to Alliance, looking for a career in Jiu-Jitsu and forged a relationship with the team’s founder Fabio Grugel.

Since hanging up his competition Gi, Faria focused on getting all the biggest names in BJJ to share their knowledge via video instructional, which he records, produces, and releases. Of course, his platform represents the perfect opportunity for him to share some of his knowledge as well, especially in long-form instructionals such as the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD.

No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD Review

The No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD contains 8 volumes and a ton of information on how to approach grappling without the Gi. There is just under 6 hours of material in it, organized in a way that is methodical and easy to understand:

Part 1 – Standing

I am not the biggest fan of instructionals that try to deliver bits and pieces of standing techniques. Stand-up exchanges never work in such a linear fashion, and this first part of the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD, unfortunately, offers exactly this type of information.

There are interesting details on specific moves, but unless you’re comfortable wrestling, they are far from the foundations you need to build a standing game for No-Gi. Faria shares his thoughts on double legs, arm drags, headlocks, and collar ties, as well as a few words on timing. While the material is high quality, it is too much and there are no connections between the subjects.

The one part of this first volume that I quite liked is the precise breakdown of the sprawl – now that’s foundational stuff! Bernardo shows how to execute this staple grappling move against most attacks and how to finish from the position with the usual front headlock chokes.

Part 2 – Pulling Guard

Faria was an exceptional guard player in his competition days, so there’s lots of information on that aspect of the game in this, and the following three parts of the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD. That’s a great thing, though.

Guard is an absolute necessity in No-Gi, and most of the guards you can pull off with the help of the Gi are worth nothing once you’re only divided by rashguards )presuming you’re civil in your choice of No-Gi attire). Faria starts by talking about guard pulls in a way that truly covers all the fundamentals.

He shares 2-on-1 setups, collar tie guard pulls, and double wrist grip entries tying them in a neat little system that can lead to closed guard, open guard, or half guard. The exploration of No-Gi guards continues straight from the pull with Faria focusing on the quintessential No-Gi guard – the butterfly, used to sweep and submit kneeling opponents.

Part 3 – Guard vs Standing Opponents

The theme of the butterfly guard continues in the next part of the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD where Bernardo adjusts it to deal with standing opponents. He uses sit-up guard variations to offer wrestle-up sweeps mostly by way of Kouchi Gari.

The natural progressions of guard vs. standing opponents also feature in the form of X-guard variations, another staple of No-Gi guards. This part of the DVD focuses on the Single Leg X guard and does a pretty decent job of not overcomplicating but still offering versatile options.

Part 4 – Half Guard & X-Guard

Bernardo stays on track with the X-guard, moving to the full X in the fourth part of his No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD. Similarly to the Single Leg X, he shares essentials that will teach you how to play the guard or improve it if you already have an understanding.  He even goes into the inverted X, providing ammunition for more advanced grapplers.

One of Faria’s signature positions, the half guard finally features, and it’s noticeable in the amount of information he delivers. Bernardo covers a mini system of several half guards, which, I agree are foundational, but one chapter per deep half, knee shield, and the single leg half is nothing more than an overview. I’d have preferred to focus on one, such as the knee shield.

Part 5 – Closed Guard & Passing

The best guard to play in No-Gi, as far as I am concerned is the last guard covered by Bernardo in this instructional. He chose the overhook route to help you master the closed guard quickly, which is the most reliable and easy-to-learn option.

The system includes Kimura lock combo attacks (sweeps and submissions), triangle setups, and classics such as the hip bump sweep. I appreciated a lot that Bernardo addressed a common problem people have, which is people standing up in the overhook closed guard.

About halfway through this part of the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD the attention shifts towards passing. Faria shares his signature system of over-under passing combined with body locks.

Once again, I feel he should’ve stopped with those two, and delivered more information. Instead, he also crammed through the legs passing, double under passing, and dive-in passing, ending up with plenty of incomplete information that beginners won’t know what to do with.

Part 6 – Side Control & Mount

The sixth portion of the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD is one of the best in the instructional, covering not just attacks from side control and mount, but also ways to combine the two pins.

Faria shares common side control dilemma attacks, focusing on armbars as the submission of choice. Simple, to the point, and easily connectable to mount – material with world-class quality. Transitions to the mount followed by more armbar setups make this my favorite part of the DVD.

Part 7 – Back & Turtle

Another solid volume that will teach you how to strangle people from the back. Bernardo doesn’t complicate at all in this part, sharing several ways to wrap up a Rear Naked Choke, while showing how to easily prevent your opponent from escaping back control.

the crucifix position and turtle get honorable mentions in the closing chapters of this volume of the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD. The crucifix stuff is helpful, but the turtle attacks are useless against modern turtle defenses. Only dent in an otherwise solid volume.

Part 8 – Escapes

I have no idea why the escapes volume opens with heel hooks and leg locks, but I guess they had to feature somewhere. Once again, nothing more than a one-chapter overview, lasting less than 10 minutes.

The actual escape material is considerably longer and better organized, featuring key side control, mount, and back escapes. Bernardo uses a system that revolves around a couple of proven directions of escape and pairs them up with counters that only make them more effective. A nice way to wrap up the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD.

Grappling Without the Gi

No-Gi BJJ is fun and all, but it is a lot harder than rolling with the Gi. The main reason – there is no Gi. Yeah, I know, painfully obvious, but still, absolutely necessary to point out as people love to ignore this particular fact.

What I see very often when Gi grapplers look toward No-Gi is that they’ll try to focus on stuff that they use with the Gi, even though it is obviously going to fail miserably in an environment where it is not present. My take on things is that everything that works in No-Gi works just as well with the Gi. However, it doesn’t work the other way around.

The bottom line here is that if you want a No-Gi game, you can’t use your Gi game, or learn Gi Jiu-Jitsu from instructionals and expect to carry the knowledge over to No-Gi. You’ll need to be aware that you need a No-Gi-specific approach to things, based on the moves that work the best when the Gi is not there to provide a get-out-of-jail-free card when you mess up.

The No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD offers a lot of building blocks to help you construct a fool-proof No-Gi game. It may not offer everything you need for each block, but that’s why you have specialized instructionals once you understand where the blocks fit.

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Build Up Your Game! 

Building your game for No-Gi is going to take time, especially if you’ve mostly done Gi BJJ.  Figuring it out on your own will take even more time, so investing in a resource such as the No-Gi Foundations of BJJ Bernardo Faria DVD is a great way to accelerate your progress and minimize your error rate.

New Bernardo Faria DVD Review – Foundations Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

REVIEW – Bernardo Faria DVD: The No-Gi Half Guard

Bernardo Faria DVD Collection

Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD Review [2024]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD Review
Key Takeaways
  • A four-volume No-Gi DVD teaching you how to initiate wrestling from your guard. 
  • Includes attacking from different guards and positions such as Ashi Garami.
  • Contains pro-active and reactive tactics regarding using real and fake guard pulls. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

SLAY THE WRESTLE UP GUARD NICK RODRIGUEZ DVD GET HERE

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WATCH FULL TRAILER: Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD

Feeling too old or beaten down to wrestle with the young bucks at your academy and trade takedowns? Pull guard then! What if I told you that you can pull guard and still outwrestle those super athletic purple belts and end up conquering top position easily?

There is even a blueprint on how to best set it up. The Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD will show you how one of the best grapplers in the world wrestles from the guard, utilizes fake and real guard pulls, and annoys opponents into submission.

Keeping People Down 

For folks who practice an art that allows us to control people on the ground, we’re particularly horrible at keeping people on the ground in the first place. Yes, in a BJJ setting, where the other person accepts that they want to stay on the mats, the game is great and pins work like a charm.

Then you go against a Judoka or a wrestler and you start asking yourself why you can’t keep them down. Well, the reality is that you can’t keep anyone down because you don’t focus on it. Even your regular training partners can get up, they just don’t see it as an option.

So, knowing that people in BJJ lack the ability to keep you on the mats if you have the opportunity to try and use that against them when you’re the bottom player. The Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD offers a great set of ideas on how you can develop a complete system around this premise.

Nick “Nicky Rod” Rodriguez

Millionaire, ADCC silver medalist, and overall badass representing the B-team, Nicky Rod is one of the most recognizable names (and physiques) in the BJJ world. He was the first-ever CJI champ in the +80 kg division, winning the biggest prize waiting for pro grapplers to date – $1 million.

The 28-year-old is a black belt under Craig Jones, but he was submitting world-class black belts long before that promotion. Previously a member of the DDS, and one of the main instigators behind the split, he co-founded the B-team with Jones in a bid to establish himself as one of the best in the sport.

It is undoubtedly true that Nicky has tons of talent, is a hard worker, and has the results to boast. The two lingering questions surrounding him are whether he’ll ever be able to best Gordon, as well as the burning question about the heavy use of PEDs behind his performances.

These questions are no reason to skip over his instructionals, though, with the Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD covering a very specific subject. But, then again, al the B-team members tend to focus on things others don’t in their instructionals.

Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD Review

Nicky Rod’s 4-part, No-Gi instructional dubbed ‘Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD’ contains just over an hour and a half of material on how to set up takedowns and wrestling attacks from open guards against standing opponents:

Part 1 – Fake Guard Pulls

Fake guard pulls are quite often a method used in BJJ to set up certain takedowns, such as the ankle pick. They have been proven to work, especially with the Gi but are no longer as surprising these days, as they were some 10-15 years ago.

Nicky Rod tends to have a different take on utilizing fake guard pulls to end up with top control. He literally goes all the way down to a guard, re-launching into takedowns from there and wrestling up.

He does it often and always ends up both surprising and frustrating opponents by doing it. The first part of the Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD contains the blueprint to allow you to do the same by using his proven tactics.

Part 2 – 2 on 1

The second part of the Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD is the shortest one, with Nicky talking about the 2-on-1 position and how you can use it to wrestle up. For the most part, he uses it to drag people into overcommitting when they try to release their arm, which ends up lifting Rodriguez up to the feet.

The reason why his takedowns seem effortless from there is that the top person already lost their balance by overcommitting – something he lays out bit by bit in this part of the instructional. He also addresses how to approach the dilemma of pulling guard to staying up, with clear directions to help you make a choice.

Part 3 – Reactive Wrestle-Up Tactics

As far as I am concerned, this part of the Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD is where the real value of this instructional is. It is counter-grappling at its best, with Nicky covering how to make the most out of defensive actions that you force your opponent into making.

The ankle pick I mentioned earlier makes an appearance here, working mainly as a sweep rather than a takedown, but, then again. that’s what Nicky is teaching in this entire instructional anyway. He demonstrates it as a way to cause a reaction you can then use to capitalize on, but I find that it works great on its own as well.

Part 4 – Guard Wrestling & Leg Lock 

The final part of the Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD blends the best of the Danaher leg lock system and the B-team’s wrestling tactics from the guard. If you like leg locks, then this DVD is going to teach you how to sweep using takedowns when you can’t seem to get a finish on the legs.

Rodriguez mixes in Ashi Garami attacks, offering different ways to wrestle up, organized by Ashi position and given a number for each variation that starts from a given position. The X guard, Straight Ashi, and Saddle all feature in this part.

‘Mexican Ground Karate’

There is clearly a method to the madness behind most of the B-team’s recognizable tactics, well hidden behind the massive amounts of trolling done by it’s most prominent members. Craig is great at identifying areas of BJJ where people lack the skills to resist and finds highly effective ways of turning them to his advantage.

He might not have been the pioneer behind leg locks, although he is a very early adopter, but the B-team certainly leads the way in the wrestle-up realm. Craig offered the idea of standing up, which spread like a virus. However, people never really figured out how to do it.

Nicky Rod now goes further in ticking out imagination by offering his set of takedowns done from guard, which really sums up what wrestling up is all about. if there is one lesson to take away from the B-team’s approach it is to try and find weaknesses that everyone in BJJ does and exploit them as best as we can.

Until you can pinpoint specific weaknesses to exploit, jumping on the wrestle-up bandwagon seems like a very smart thing to do. The Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD can help you with onboarding.

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Up you Go! 

Next time you have no idea who to play guard against a standing opponent in No-Gi –  don’t! Opt to stand up, but instead of completely disengaging,  focus on forcing your opponent to the ground as you get up. In other words, wrestle up! The Slay The Wrestle Up Guard Nick Rodriguez DVD is all you need to start scoring more points and feeling more like a wrestler, even if you pull guard.

“Nicky Ryan’s Wrestle Up Series” by Nicky Ryan – Review & Insight

Craig Jones “Just Stand Up” BJJ DVD Review

Jeff Glover: “Wrestlers Can Be More Dangerous Than BJJ Black Belts, Jiu-Jitsu Wasn’t Created for Pro Athletes,”

 

Tricks for Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD Review [2024]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Tricks for Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD Review
Key Takeaways
  • A two-part No-Gi instructional covering setting up and finishing takedowns in MMA. 
  • GSP covers how to set up an effective takedowns game plan using two different stances.
  • Features the use of chain wrestling principles starting with the single-leg. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

UNSTOPPABLE TAKEDOWNS GEORGES ST PIERRE DVD GET HERE

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Those who can dominate MMA matches using grappling are the fighters you want to focus most of your standing, takedowns, mat returns, and pinning game on as a grappler. Not many people have proven they can do this over and over again in the octagon, against the best in the world, and end up victorious.

One man who managed to do it in one of the smartest gameplans we’ve ever seen in the octagon is Georges St Pierre. He outwrestled wrestlers, out-grappled BJJ black belts, and finished submission grappling legends. How did he manage to achieve it? Check out what he has to say in his Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD.

Effectiveness over Flair 

I come from a Judo background and have been doing BJJ for almost 15 years now. If there is one thing I can confirm that makes a huge difference in whether a takedown is going to work or not, it is simplicity.

The more you’re trying to go for the attractive, reel-material takedowns, the more you’re going to end up with meme-material instead, if takedown effectiveness is what we’re gauging.

What works is the same that has worked for people in wrestling, Judo, MMA, and BJJ – simple stuff that you can pick up quickly, train live without risking injuries, and replicate against different opponents. In most cases, this means a few staple moves from wrestling, such as the single leg, double leg, body lock, and headlock positions.

For most people, the trouble is getting to these takedowns and further on, connecting them to each other. That’s called chain wrestling and one of the best fighters ever has just made it extremely easy to understand in the Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD.

An MMA GOAT – Georges St Pierre

It seems that in this day and age, there are youngsters out there who have no idea who GSP is. And you call yourselves MMA fans!

Georges St Pierre is a legendary UFC fighter and two-division champion, UFC Hall of Famer and overall badass. While he started his martial arts journey with Karate, he was particularly keen on Jiu-Jitsu and later, wrestling. GSP earned his black belt back in 2008 from Bruno Fernandes.

Fighting in MMA since he was 16, GSP style was extremely effective, even if it was not the most entertaining to watch to the untrained eye. He used superior grappling to dominate the welterweight division for the better part of 7 years, under the tutelage of the legendary duo of John Danaher and Firas Zahabi.

If there is one aspect GSP was super-popular and feared for, it was takedowns. Knicknamed ‘Rush’, the Canadian had the capability of sending people flying in the octagon, and now he decided to share the details of how he did it in his Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD.

Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD Review

This Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD is a No-Gi insturctional, given that it is a ‘grappling for MMA’ instructional rather than one aimed specifically at BJJ. Nonetheless, it explains a bunch of different ways to set up effective takedowns over the course of two volumes. The total running length is slightly over the hour mark.

Part 1 – Closed Stance Setups

This particular DVD is primarily meant for MMA fighters, but as such it holds even more value for pure grapplers. GSP uses striking to mask his takedowns, which means he works from a distance further than the one we use in BJJ. Substitute striking with grips and you have a blueprint most other grapplers will be unable to follow.

The first portion of the Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD begins in the closed stance position, which allows you to prioritize counter-attacking hidden by fake strikes. GSP uses chain wrestling to set everything up. looking to secure a single leg position as his entry point.

While he does share plenty of different ways to finish the single leg, he also shows how you can transition easily to other effective takedown moves, such as body locks, slams, double leg takedowns, drips, and crotch lifts.

Georges also covers the specifics of cinching for takedowns, making it easy to understand how to pressure an opponent into giving you the openings you need. He wraps this first part of the instructional up with a few Judo-inspired throws.

Part 2 – Open Stance Attacks

The second part of the takedowns GSP DVD pretty much goes the same way as the first – striking masks single leg entries, and that, in turn, makes a myriad of different takedowns available through the principles of chain wrestling.

The main difference is that the second volume of the Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD utilizes an open stance, allowing for more action-reaction exchanges to take place. Stuff like GSP’s signature power double appears here, as well as plenty of duck under leading to drag-downs and sweeps.

Making Takedowns Your Own

GSP was called one of the smartest fighters ever in MMA. I will draw the comparison to Khabib once more because they were really similar – they almost never took hard damage or took unnecessary risks. Instead, they opted for grappling-based control to dominate the fight wherever it took place.

Georges was known to practice wrestling with the Canadian Olympic wrestling team regularly. However, that just means he was practicing wrestling to use in a wrestling competition setup. With the demands of the octagon being a lot different to those of Olympic wrestling GSP had to adapt.

Undoubtedly, regular collaboration with Zahabi and Danaher helped him make the transition but at the end of the day, GSP blended his grappling skills to fit the needs of the octagon and to align with his abilities perfectly.

When you’re thinking about developing a takedown system for BJJ or MMA, start there. Think about what you like doing, what works, and how you can learn the moves that will help you achieve those goals most effectively. The Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD contains a bag of tricks you can start with!

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Wrestle like GSP! 

Well okay, you’re never going to be able to wrestle like GSP. You can, however, be as effective as he was using your own take on the classic takedown moves that work universally. The tricks and techniques in the Unstoppable Takedowns Georges St Pierre DVD offer plenty of diversity to fit everyone’s style. Moreover, the instructional is perfect for both those looking for ideas for pure grappling and MMA fighters.

No-Gi Takedowns – The Best DVDs and Digital Instructionals

The Best BJJ Gi Throws and Takedowns DVDs

Chain Wrestling For BJJ: Real Takedowns That Work!

Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD Review [2024]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD Review
Key Takeaways
  • A 4-part Gi BJJ instructional explaining how knee lever sweeps work.
  • You’ll learn about the mechanics, setups, finishes, follow-ups, and transitions from the knee lever.
  • Features John Wayne sweeps setups from guards, submission threats and guard pulls. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

JOHN WAYNE SWEEP ADAM WARDZINSKI DVD GET HERE

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Have you ever used a knee lever sweep? I’d wager you have and didn’t even know about it. Don’t sweat it, it’s quite a common occurrence. After all, it’s not about the name of the sweep as much as it is about its efficiency.

The Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD is a great resource to open your eyes to the mechanics and ideas behind this particular motion for executing sweeps. If you like to play guard, then you’ll certainly find some value in what Adam has to say on the subject.

Figuring out the Knee Lever

What exactly is the knee lever sweep and how can you make good use of it when you’re playing guard? Well, there is an entire DVD on it, obviously, as we take a deep dive into the Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD today.

However, before we begin, a short introduction to the idea of knee levers in BJJ. The knee lever refers to using any type of control using your legs or arms that force the opponent’s knee in a certain direction by manipulating the position of their shin. For the most part, it is done with the legs.

In other words, plenty of the open guard sweeps you already do, and even some closed guard ones, feature a knee lever component. As opposed to hook sweeps (like the butterfly) that target the knee directly, the knee lever is much more powerful as the force used against the knee is multiplied by the length of the shin.

Polsih ‘Cowboy’ Adam Wardzinski

Adam might not have anything to do with a cowboy past his iteration of the John Wayne sweep which is the focus of the Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD we’re reviewing today. However, looking at him lately, the description fits.

Adam Wardzinski is Poland’s most popular BJJ competitor (arguably, of course) and one of the best people in the world at playing the butterfly guard. He decided to become a world champ using this position, and after many years of falling short, he finally clinched the world title in an impressive manner in 2024.

A true specialist in the guard, particularly with a Gi on, Wardzinski has many more tricks up his sleeve than just the butterfly guard. he is a true aficionado of the bottom game, including both unorthodox positions like the Octopus guard and BJJ classics such as the John Wayne sweep from half guard.

Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD Review

The Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD is a four-part BJJ instructional containing an in-depth analysis of the knee lever motion for sweeping, represented mostly by the John Wayne sweep. It is a Gi DVD with a running length of 2 hours.

Part 1 – How the Knee Lever Sweep Works

As the Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD kicks off, Adam first deconstructs the mechanics of the knee lever sweep, which are fairly technical. As impressive and perhaps simple as the sweep appears, there are a lot of intricacies behind it.

Wardzinski does a great job of breaking down exactly what you need to master to make it work, along with the different types of knee lever motions available from the guard. For the most part in this volume, he uses the flat-out half guard to describe the motion, but he also offers some Coyote guard options at the end.

Part 2 – The John Wayne Sweep

The John Wayne sweep is one of the most popular half guard sweeps in BJJ, but we don’t see people using it a lot apart from those specializing in it. There are pitfalls to it, which Adam covers in great detail as goes over the sweep’s applications in this volume of the Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD.

Using the knee lever mechanics already explained, Warzinski plays around with different grips to offer multiple JOhn Wayne sweep setups. The double sleeve and collar-sleeve controls are first up, allowing for the knee lever motion without any meaningful resistance.

Adam also provides plenty of answers in regard to pulling off the sweep from a seated guard position, as well as a great way to counter knee slide passes with it.

Part 3 – Guard Pull Attacks

One thing we see high-level guard players like Adam do in competition matches is directly go for attacks after they pull guard. That is exactly the subject in the third portion of the John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD, with the sole focus being on the knee lever motion.

Adam offers a bunch of ways to immediately off-balance the top person, using different guard configurations and submission attacks to make sure the sweep works. Front chokes like the Guillotine and Loop choke appear to be great options to ensure the knee lever works every time.

Part 4 – Hook Sweep Connections

There’s no way an Adam Wardzinski DVD can skip over the butterfly, a.k.a. the hook sweep. The Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD is no exception with the final volume dedicated to connecting Adam’s favorite sweep with the John Wayne sweep.

Threatening with both pens up other attacking options as well, like Adam’s preferred shotgun armbar. He also shares Single Leg X guard entries and combinations for those who fancy themselves as being leg lockers.

Destroying Base

What is the best way to attack an opponent when you’re playing guard? Disrupt their balance. This is where I get really frustrated with many coaches. Too often I hear about breaking posture and destroying the base, but coaches don’t seem to offer many ways in which students can achieve it.

So, let’s go a step backward. Focus on making the top person unstable by forcing them to reach for the floor with one or both of their arms. That’s how you create an off-balancing, that will allow you to break posture and start attacking with sweeps and submissions.

The base of the top person doesn’t just refer to the structure of their legs. Take balance away and any base will disappear like magic. Pair that up with sweep-submission combos and you have a very solid attack strategy. Just like in the Knee Lever Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD.

Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD Preview
FULL DVD TRAILER: Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD

DOWNLOAD JOHN WAYNE SWEEP ADAM WARDZINSKI DVD

“COWBOYS, Just Like the Word Says”

Time to saddle up and stop burning daylight! Start looking for the knee lever from your favorite guard, and people will suddenly appear to pick the option to sit down and give a sweep away! You’ll find every detail you need in the Knee Lever John Wayne Sweep Adam Wardzinski DVD. All it takes is to implement it.

Three Levels Of Open Guard Sweeps For BJJ

Adam Wardzinski Polish Power System DVD Bundle 2024 Review

How And Why BJJ Frames And Levers Work

Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD Review [2024]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD Review
Key Takeaways
  • An eight-volume No-Gi BJJ DVD detailing every possible use of the Americana in BJJ. 
  • Features setups and finishes from top and bottom positions, using arms and legs. 
  • Organized around central problems and optimal uses depending on scenarios.  
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

THE AMERICAN LOCK JOHN DANAHER DVD GET HERE

Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD Preview
WATCH FULL TRAILER: Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD

Americanas. Nobody seems to like them, everyone is confident they can defend against them and you rarely see them deployed past the white belt level. If you ask me, the Americana gets the most unfair treatment of all BJJ moves, dubbed a strong-man move that doesn’t work.

I guess if there is one man who can change this perception of the Americana lock, it is John Danaher. The Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD delivers a complete breakdown of the move and all its applications in BJJ. I know it changed my mind. Will it do the same for you?

What Has the Americana Ever Done to You?

First of all let me make it clear that I’ll use the term I am accustomed to, which is the Americana, throughout this review of the Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD. It’s just easier and more natural to me that way.

That said, let’s talk Americanas. The move is something you learn in your first weeks of Jiu-Jitsu and something most people tend to forget exists past their first year. And yet, the move is very useful and reliable, as we’ve seen in MMA more than pro-grappling.

Seriously, the tendency to overlook certain moves is mind-blowing to me, with people often skipping over the chance of an Americana simply because they think it is too easy, or boring. Try to finish it and then claim it is easy.

The American is one of those moves that has a place in everyone’s game, Gi or No-Gi. Moreover, it has the ability to act as more than just a submission – it is a position of control that allows you to create plenty of other follow-ups and transitions.

I am not immune to this bias myself. Until recently, when I started seeing the Americana as a readily available way to tap people out, especially in transitions, I avoided it as well. I guess we all needed Danaher to release an instructional and put it in perspective.

John Danaher’s Legacy

When Mr. Danaher first started releasing instructional, it sent the BJJ world into overdrive. he already primed us for it, with the DDS squad already reaching legendary status at that point, and that very memorable Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

Fast forward some 10 years or so and there are now more John Danaher instructionals than you can manage to watch, understand, and apply to your Jiu-Jitsu in a lifetime. And even more are coming.

The legacy of one of the greatest minds of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is just that – sharing his knowledge in a way that will remain timeless and around even after he is gone. To be honest, none of the other huge names everyone likes to learn from, apart from perhaps Gordon, have resorted to the same way of preserving and sharing knowledge with longevity in mind.

While it is not realistic to own all of Danaher’s work (I don’t doubt some collector out there has them all stacked up), you can develop an entire game, from beginner to advanced, from standing to the ground using his resources. You just have to pick the ones you want to specialize in at the moment.

The very last instructional by the grappling mastermind is the Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD. I was particularly interested in it given the subject and most people’s disinterest in it after the white belt days.

The American Lock John Danaher DVD Review

The latest instructional in the Master The Move John Danaher DVD series is an eight-volume BJJ DVD that deconstructs the Americana lock in extreme detail. It is a No-Gi instructional that contains roughly 5 hours of high-quality material:

Part 1 – Basic Mechanics

As you’d expect from a John Danaher DVD, this instructional begins with a detailed introduction to the origins of the submission most of us refer to as the Americana. Dubbing it the American Lock, Danaher skips on using a Japanese name for the move in the Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD.

Once he introduces the move, he breaks down the basic mechanics of the lock in his typical fashion, using a multi-step system. This volume contains the first step in the series which is digging for the lock, or as John puts it, arm wrestling. He wraps up with key principles of finishing the arm lock.

Part 2 – Central Problems

If you’ve ever seen any of Dahaner’s instructionals you know that he uses the concept of central problems to deliver his content. The American Lock John Danaher DVD is no different, with the second volume outlining the key things you’ll have to learn to overcome if you want to tap people out using Americanas.

Danaher identifies three central problems, starting with wrist-elbow alignment, followed by the most common counter – extending the arm overhead, and finishing with the elbow slip. He offers in-depth solutions to each, some of which are real face-palm moments. Classic Danaher.

Part 3 – Mounted Americanas

The third portion of the Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD explores the second step of the complete Americana system, focusing on how to set it up from the mount and top half guard.

Once again, the material revolves around the central problems outlined above and goes back to the finishing mechanics from the first volume. John expands on these essentials by offering troubleshooting details for other common problems and recognizing opportunistic American lock situations.

Part 4 – Submission Dilemmas

The third step in the system offered by Danaher is explaining the dual nature of the Americana by offering natural and effective follow-ups that the threat of the lock creates.

The arm bar is a logical and commonly seen combo attack that shares a close relation to the Americana, a relation you’ll understand like never before in this part of The American Lock John Danaher DVD.

The Kimura also features here as another natural follow-up, albeit positioned further than the straight arm lock relative to the Americana. As expected, the three make up a great mini-system for finishing arm locks from several BJJ positions.

Part 5 – Top Side Control Setups

Another position people often use to look for Americanas is side control, so Danaher devotes an entire volume covering how to best approach it. The position offers the same central problems in terms of the American lock but poses unique issues from a pinning aspect.

I found the portion describing how to open up the arms of a defending opponent highly useful. It has a lot more uses than simply finishing with Americanas. Danaher also offers Americana hunting options using the top crucifix position that will certainly add versatility to your side control attacks.

Part 6 – The Triangle Connection

My absolute favorite part of the entire Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD. Since I’m having a triangle phase of my Jiu-Jitsu journey at the moment I truly enjoyed the connections John Danaher makes between this incredible choke and the Americana.

The rear triangle is the position of choice here, with armlocks available in many different versions from there. To be honest, I’ve never thought of the Americana finishes Danaher shows until now, with Kimuras being my logical choice. I stand corrected, though, after watching this.

Part 7 – Leg Americanas

leave it to Danaher to cover literally every possible reliable use of a move there is. Before bringing the Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD to a conclusion, the quintessential BJJ mastermind covers innovative ways to hunt for Americanas using your legs instead of your arms.

Initially, he offers top position setups which include the ‘usual’ one from Kesa Gatame and a very crazy one from the mount I’ve never seen before. He then moves on to offer bottom position Americanas inspired by Frank Mir, as well as even more craziness – a standing American Lock.

Part 8 – Beyond the American Lock

This DVD exceeded my expectations, and I am not the biggest fan of the Americana out there. However, there is one more volume in the Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD and it turned out to be the most interesting one of the bunch.

In the final portion, Danaher addresses ‘specialized’ uses of the Americana, which turn out to be ways in which you can use everything he teaches in the previous volumes to improve your finishing rate of other moves.

Grip breaks from the armbar position, arm locking from the back, and countering passes with leg Americanas are just a few examples of what you’ll learn in this volume. The entire DVD is very well put together and portrays this super underrated arm lock in a very different light.

Capitalizing on Opportunities  

So, what exactly can the Americana do for you? Well, one thing that threads all throughout the Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD as a secondary idea is using the Americana by allowing it to appear rather than hunting for it.

Opportunistic submissions are rare in BJJ, especially against seasoned opponents. The Americana is one of those that you can catch fairly easily when someone’s attention lapses for even a second. Even if you don’t finish it, the threat of it creates a cascade of events that works in your favor, regardless of where you are.

A very useful benefit of having opportunistic moves like this in your game is that they don’t have to be the centerpieces of your game. Instead, they’re much better suited as aces up your sleeve, deployed to make a change when your usual game plan is stalling. After all high-level Jiu-Jitsu is all about deception, isn’t it?

Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD Free Sample
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Time to Master Americanas

The Master The Move The American Lock John Danaher DVD is arguably the best instructional to date on this staple BJJ moves that nobody takes seriously. Unlike Craig Jones, though, the Americana doesn’t have to be your second-choice submission – it deserves a top sport in your arsenal.

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Joe Rogan Weighs In: Gordon Ryan PED Physique and BJJ Testing Loopholes

By
BJJ World
-
Joe Rogan Weighs In on Gordon Ryan PED Physique and BJJ Testing Loopholes

In the ever-evolving world of MMA, Joe Rogan’s opinions often serve as a guiding light for fans and fighters alike. Recently, Rogan weighed in on a heated topic: the Gordon Ryan PED physique and use of performance-enhancing drugs debate surrounding Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors. Known for his candidness, Rogan’s comments have added fuel to the ongoing discussion about PED testing in the sport.

The Controversial Gordon Ryan PED Physique

Gordon Ryan’s impressive physique has long been a subject of speculation. Rogan, during a recent episode of his podcast, didn’t hold back.

“He ain’t passing any tests,” Rogan stated, referring to the prevalent belief that Ryan’s muscular build is enhanced by PEDs.

This raw opinion from Rogan has resonated throughout the MMA community, igniting debates on the level playing field in BJJ and the effectiveness of its testing protocols.

Joe Rogan on Gordon Ryan PED Physique

BJJ’s Testing Loopholes

Rogan’s remarks also highlighted perceived loopholes in BJJ’s PED testing. He pointed out that the sport’s current protocols may not be stringent enough to catch athletes who use performance enhancers.

“There are loopholes in the system,” Rogan emphasized, suggesting that athletes like Ryan can navigate these gaps to maintain their competitive edge. This has led to calls for reform and stricter regulations within the sport.

The combat sports community’s reaction to Rogan’s comments has been mixed. Some fans and analysts support his straightforward approach, arguing that transparency is crucial for the integrity of the sport.

Others, however, feel that Rogan’s accusations were too harsh and could tarnish Ryan’s reputation without concrete evidence. People don’t really care about the Gordon Ryan PED physique as long as he keeps providing entertainment, it seems.

Gordon Ryan’s View

Despite the controversy, Rogan defended Ryan, calling him a pragmatist.”He’s making the most of the system,” Rogan explained.

This perspective suggests that Ryan’s actions, while controversial, are a result of exploiting the existing rules rather than outright cheating. This nuanced view has sparked deeper discussions about the ethics of PED use and the responsibilities of governing bodies in BJJ.

Gordon Ryan has not shied away from the controversy. In response to Rogan’s comments, Ryan has remained defiant, insisting that his success is due to hard work and dedication.

“I train harder than anyone,” Ryan stated in a recent interview. While he acknowledges the speculation, Ryan maintains that his achievements are a testament to his relentless work ethic and skill.

The Future of PED Testing in BJJ

The debate ignited by Rogan’s comments has broader implications for the future of PED testing in BJJ and MMA. Experts suggest that the sport needs more robust testing protocols to ensure fairness and integrity.

“We need to close these loopholes,” said one analyst, advocating for stricter measures and more frequent testing. This incident has undoubtedly accelerated the conversation about how to effectively regulate PED use in combat sports.

Joe Rogan’s influence in the MMA world cannot be overstated. His ability to spark discussions and bring critical issues to the forefront is unmatched.

By addressing the Gordon Ryan PED physique, Rogan has not only highlighted a significant concern but also encouraged the community to seek solutions. His call for better testing protocols reflects a broader desire for transparency and fairness in the sport.

Will Anything Change? 

As the MMA and BJJ communities grapple with the implications of Rogan’s comments, the need for change becomes apparent. Whether through stricter testing or revised regulations, it’s clear that the sport must adapt to maintain its integrity. The case of the much debated Gordon Ryan PED physique serves as a reminder that even the most celebrated athletes are not immune to scrutiny, and the quest for a level playing field continues.

The Pressing Issue of PEDs Among Jiu Jitsu Athletes

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How Steroids Changed The Jiu-Jitsu Physique Over Time

Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD Review [2024]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD Review
Key Takeaways
  • A three-part No-Gi instructional deconstructing the way Magid Hage uses reverse armlocks.
  • Features entries and finishes from the closed guard, half guard, butterfly guard, and half butterfly.
  • Offers in-depth analysis of gripping and positioning for optimal finishing. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

REVERSE ARMLOCK MAGID HAGE DVD GET HERE

Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD Preview
SEE FULL TRAILER: Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD

One of the tightest armlocks ever is the reverse armlock, but it is almost never used with intention. You’ll see people capitalizing on it opportunistically, or using it to leverage themselves into position for something else, such as a sweep or another submission.

And yet, the reverse armlock is a submission that offers high reliability and has a very small learning curve. Speaking of picking the move up quickly, the Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD, which is a fairly short instructional if we hold it to modern standards, has everything you need to start getting taps with it. Read on to find out more.

Exploring Straight Armlocks

How often do you go for a straight armlock in BJJ? If you do it is most likely the armbar, am I right? Of course, there are those who like to mess around with Choi bars as well, but those are mostly seen as opportunistic these days.

For me, the revelation of reverse armlocks came from setting up triangles. it turns out that if you trap and block your opponent’s elbow while their arm is in a fully outstretched position, you can do pretty much whatever you want with them. If you ask me it beats the shoulder crunch by a country mile.

During the triangle research, I kept getting taps from people on account of the elbow pressure, so I decided to look into it. Reverse armlocks emerged, and they gave my game a completely new dimension not just in setup up subs, but also in creating the perfect environment for sweeping.

Then, I came across the Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD. It is an instructional that will help you understand what reverse armlocks are and how to finish them. You will need to do more research on your own, however, if you want to really make them a part of your game.

Magid “Gorilla Hands” Hage

The baseball choke is one of the best surprise attacks in the sport of BJJ. I’ve personally seen it put people to sleep in seconds, and what’s most interesting is that it usually involves lower belts snoozing upper belts with this sneaky move. The man we have to thank for the choke is Magid Hage.

Hage is a 2nd-degree black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. which shows that have come up throw the Gracie Barra ranks. He leads GB Escondido in California and is very well-known and respected in competition circles.

Magid came to people’s attention when he submitted two black belts (Zack Maxwell and Clark Gracie) with his signature baseball choke in the same event, demonstrating that innovation can work even against much more experienced opponents.

Since then Magid has competed a lot, fine-tuning not just the baseball choke but also a bunch of other submissions people don’t see coming. He now demonstrates exactly how he developed a highly effective armlock system in the Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD.

Detailed Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD Review

For a three-part instructional, the Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD is fairly short, as each part lasts barely half an hour. That means that the entire instructional is just over an hour and a half long. However, on the positive side, the subject is not vast so this No-Gi DVD is pretty complete as far as reverse armlocks are concerned:

Part 1 – Grips and Positioning

The reverse armlock is a position many grapplers shun, which is a dumb move since this particular move is one of the best there is. Even if it doesn’t work a sa submission it opens up just about everything you want to get from guard with very little resistance possible.

In the Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD, the focus is on improving the finishing rate of the reverse armlock, as opposed to using it as scare tactics. The opening chapters of the instructional cover the key aspects of positioning starting with grips.

Grips are the make-or-break portion of reverse armlocks since the pressure on the elbow requires precision for both finishing and retaining the position. Magid does an excellent job at pinpointing these concepts, making them crystal clear before he connects them to actual guard setups.

Part 2 – Different Guard Setups

As you probably know from the popularity of the Choi Bar these days, reverse armlocks work particularly well from BJJ guards. The closed guard has long been a position for setting them up.

In fact, Magid makes closed guard setups on either side extremely easy in this part of the Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD. After explaining how to manage distance in a way that favors reverse armlocks it is easy to see why Magid’s armlocks are so tight.

The same principles apply to other guards as well, with butterfly and half guard setups also featuring in this part of the instructional. Hage offers slight adjustments compared to the initial closed guard set up to make the submission work almost effortlessly.

Part 3 – Combo Attacks

The final part of the Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD, which is also the longest one, goes deeper into the art of setting up the position and offers a few variations on finishing and possible follow-ups.

I really liked the fact that Magid does not abandon ship when the initial reverse armlock fails and goes for something else, but rather goes on to hunt for it on the opposite side creating an endless loop of the same attack.

The DVD concludes with a recap and some general ideas on using the reverse armlock system.

Spectrum Attacks in BJJ

There is an underlying concept in this Magid Hage Armlock DVD that is a great example of how you can think about diversifying your submission attacks without having to resort to different attacks as follow-ups.

Imagine you’re trying to do a triangle choke. The top person pushes forward (dumb, I know, but people still do it) and you end up mounting them. Can you finish the triangle? Yes, of course you can.

The idea here is that you stay on the same spectrum, i.e. you keep sticking to the same submission, just change the setting slightly to make it work. The same can happen with armbars, going belly down with an ankle lock, or switching from one reverse armlock to another.

The concept is super useful to show you that you can do follow-ups within the same submission hold you’re trying to do when you can quite make it work and you don’t have to change to something completely different immediately.

Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD Free Sample
FREE TECHNIQUE: Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD

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Hit Reverse on Armlocks! 

Add reverse armlocks to your game. They work in every possible scenario, they’re easier to figure out than armbars and bent armlocks and will help you understand Jiu-Jitsu better. The Reverse Armlock Magid Hage DVD is a great place to begin exploring this underrated submission and quickly start tapping out higher belts. Give it a try!

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Shocking Gillian Robertson 12-6 Elbow On Luana Pinheiro: I’d Never Do That To Another Athlete

By
Filip Zanki
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Shocking Gillian Robertson 12-6 Elbow On Luana Pinheiro: I'd Never Do That To Another Athlete

Gillian Robertson 12-6 Elbow Strikes Cause Controversy After Vegas Event

Gillian Robertson, a UFC fighter very well known for her formidable grappling skills, made headlines at UFC Vegas 100 not just for her winning performance, but for a controversial 12-6 elbow strike – to her opponent’s buttocks. This peculiar incident has sparked a whirlwind of reactions and discussions within the MMA community.

Shocking Gillian Robertson 12-6 Elbow On Luana Pinheiro

Gillian Robertson 12-6 Elbow Strikes to the Butt

The bout between Gillian Robertson and Luana Pinheiro was anticipated to be a competitive clash. However, the bout took an unexpected turn when Robertson employed a 12-6 elbow, typically illegal when aimed at the head, to a surprising target.

Robertson delivered several downward elbow strikes to Pinheiro’s posterior, leading to immediate confusion and a significant amount of social media buzz. Fans were quick to label it as one of the most unusual moments in MMA history, especially given the targeted area.

Witnesses and fans quickly took to social media platforms, expressing a mix of amusement and bewilderment. The unusual nature of the strike prompted numerous memes and comments.

Even Robertson herself addressed the situation with humor, acknowledging the oddity of the strike and the uproar it caused.

“It was unconventional, sure, but it’s all part of the game. You have to keep your opponent guessing,” she stated.

Medical and Legal Implications

Medical professionals have weighed in on the potential risks associated with such strikes, even when not aimed at the head. While the 12-6 elbow is banned primarily to prevent head injuries, strikes to other sensitive areas like the buttocks can still cause significant pain and injury.

This incident has prompted discussions about the need for clearer regulations regarding the legality and safety of such strikes. According to experts, even unconventional targets can lead to severe consequences if not addressed properly within the sport’s rule framework.

From a legal standpoint, there have been no formal penalties imposed on Robertson. The current UFC rules do not explicitly prohibit 12-6 elbows to areas other than the head, leaving a gray area that Robertson’s actions have highlighted.

This incident may lead to further discussions and potential rule changes to ensure fighter safety and clarity in the regulations.

Luana Pinheiro, the recipient of the controversial strikes, has taken the incident in stride. Despite the discomfort, she responded with professionalism, acknowledging the unexpected nature of the fight.

In a statement, she noted the pain caused by the strikes but also commended Robertson’s strategic unpredictability. “She elbowed my anus,” Pinheiro commented, adding a bizarre yet candid perspective to the incident. “To me, that’s disrespectful. I’d never do that to another athlete!”

Broader Impact on the MMA Community

The incident has also reignited debates within the MMA community about the conduct and behavior of fighters. While some view Robertson’s actions as innovative, others see it as pushing the boundaries of sportsmanship.

UFC fighters are known for their intense and sometimes volatile personalities, but incidents like this highlight the need for ongoing discussions about professionalism and respect within the sport.

Tactically speaking, the Gillian Robertson 12-6 elbow used in this manner can be seen as a blend of innovation and desperation. The strike, while legal in this context, was unorthodox and unexpected, catching Pinheiro off guard.

This element of surprise is a crucial aspect of MMA, where fighters constantly adapt and evolve their strategies to outmaneuver their opponents. The fact that Robertson could execute such a controversial move speaks to her adaptability and tactical acumen, albeit in a highly unusual way.

Future Implications for UFC Regulations

This incident is likely to have lasting implications for UFC regulations. As the sport continues to grow, the need for clear and comprehensive rules becomes increasingly important.

The controversy surrounding the now notorious Gillian Robertson 12-6 elbow underscores the necessity of reviewing and potentially revising existing regulations to ensure the safety and fairness of the sport.

The UFC may have to address this loophole to prevent similar incidents in the future.

What’s Next for Robertson and Pinheiro

Both fighters will undoubtedly continue to be in the spotlight following this incident. For Robertson, this could be a defining moment in her career, showcasing her willingness to innovate and push the boundaries of traditional fighting techniques.

For Pinheiro, it’s an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and adaptability in the face of unexpected challenges. Their upcoming fights will likely attract significant attention as fans and analysts alike watch to see how they respond to this controversy.

Gillian Robertson 12-6 elbow at UFC Vegas 100 has sparked a wave of reactions and discussions within the MMA community. As both fighters move forward, this incident will undoubtedly remain a memorable and defining moment in their careers.

The broader discussions it has initiated about MMA regulations and fighter conduct will continue to shape the sport in the years to come.

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Gracie Secrets Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD Review [2024]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Gracie Secrets Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD Review
Key Takeaways
  • A three-part Gi instructional on the Gracie closed guard Kyra used to dominate.
  • Features closed guard entries, control, pass prevention, sweeps, and submissions.
  • Uncovers old-school gracie submissions such as the Roger armbar and Amassa Pao choke. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

GRACIE SECRETS CLOSED GUARD KYRA GRACIE DVD GET HERE

Gracie Secrets Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD Preview
WATCH FULL TRAILER: Gracie Secrets Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD

I am a fan of the closed guard. That said, I usually don’t bank too much on closed-guard BJJ DVDs to figure out the layers of this classic Jiu-Jitsu position. Instead, I like to watch and analyze fights, of both current and old matches, trying to piece the puzzle together on how to best utilize this timeless position.

The Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD might just be an exception. I decided to take a look since it would be irresponsible of me to dismiss a resource on the position by one of the best closed guard players ever, simply because it’s instructional. Here’s what I found:

The Secret Everyone Knows

I always laugh when I see the word ‘secret’ used in BJJ terms. There are no secrets in the sport, and there are no grandmasters that live in the mountains and can teach you a one-touch toe hold.

However, there is an interesting play on the word in the context of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD we’ll be looking at today. Those who have seen Kyra compete know that the closed guard was her favorite position. The secret here is not the position itself, but rather the tactics Kyra used to set up her highly dominant game. 

At the end of the day, what everyone knows is that the closed guard works. That said, for it to work you need to know what you’re doing – it is not a magical position that gives you guaranteed dominance and attacks just by getting to it. You’ll have to earn those, and Kyra knows all the best ways to constantly keep the top person guessing your next move.

Kyra Gracie – The Most Famous Female Gracie

It is wild when I talk to folks from the newer generations of grapplers and they have no idea who Kyra Gracie is. Understandably, they know about Ffion Davies and Danielly Kelly but the pioneer of female Jiu-Jitsu is completely off the map.

I guess that is what happens when you retire from teaching seminars and more importantly, competing. That said, Kyra did it all when pro-grappling did not exist, the only way for grapplers to make some petty cash was MMA, and when competitive women athletes were no more than a handful, and I am being generous.

Kyra Gracie is still actively training, holding the rank of 4th degree BJJ black belt under Carlso Gracei Jr.  With three ADCC titles, five IBJJF world championships, and two Pans and Brazilian Nationals titles each, Kyra really did win it all back in the day. Her last title was the ADCC belt in 2011.

These days, Kyra is still teaching actively at Gracie gyms in the US. She has also been active lately in the digital BJJ realm, producing several instructionals on her competitive game plans. Since she was particularly notorious for her closed guard, I was really stoked to be able to take a peek at the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD.

Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD Review

The three-part Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD is a Gi instructional offering the complete gameplan that one of the best closed guard players in the history of the sport used to beat everyone and anyone in her way. In it, you get just under 3 hours of super-high quality material by one of the most legit Gracie fighters ever.

Part 1 – The Competitive Closed Guard

Kyra throws everything and the kitchen sink in the first volume of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD. She starts by detailing how to safely jump guard, something Kron Gracie should’ve learned from her.

Jokes aside, Kyra provides the best options you have for quickly getting to guard, including a couple of sneaky pull variations. She follows up using the common progressions we’ve seen from her in tournaments – pull/jump guard and then torture the poor person by keeping them stuck like a fly in honey.

The classic task of breaking posture features heavily, with Kyra sharing how she achieves it with submission threats that pay off fully from time to time. The Kimura trap is her go-to for control, pass prevention, sweep, and submission threats, which is as progressive as BJJ gets from the closed guard.

Towards the end of the volume, Gracie goes over flanking attacks that expose the back and starts covering your best option when opponents resort to the inevitable – standing up inside your closed guard.

Part 2 – Sweep-Submission Combos

Dealing with standing opponents is still the focus as the second part of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD rolls on. Here, Kyra offers several sweep variations that don’t jeopardize your guard retention.

Sweeps continue to donate this part, with Kyra looking for the mount as her final destination. Along the way, she uses Kimuras and armbars to set up her sweeps, constantly causing dilemma scenarios. She tops it all with a few quick strangles in the form of guillotines and collar chokes.

Part 3 – Rare Gracie Attacks

The final part of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD was a real surprise for me. In it, I found moves that I’ve stumbled on as a blue/purple belt and tried to figure out on my own. Some of them, such as the Amassa Pao became my go-to’s, but seeing more details from Kyra means I now understand them a lot better.

For those wondering what the Amassa Pao or Roger Gracie armbar is, this DVD is the perfect way to get your hands on insider instructions on obscure and rare submission moves that work at the highest levels.

Kyra concludes the instructional with a series of overhook closed guard attacks, offering routes into the triangle choke and even more back attacks. She also talks about the forgotten art of using the legs as hooks as she shares the secrets to sweeping using underhooks.

Why is the Closed Guard Timeless?

Love it or hate it, the closed guard is never going to become redundant in BJJ. It simply offers too much and comes too instinctively to people to fade out of existence. It is the one guard position you will surely use and have to face, white to black felt and beyond.

Lately, the trend is to learn plenty of other guards, usually complex beyond reason first, and only try to understand the closed guard when BJJ starts making sense. I’d urge you to go back to the closed guard for the next few months – I don’t care what belt you are.

The Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD is the perfect resource to help you set up goals for your closed guard repetition or first-time use. I’ll even jump in on this challenge myself, as someone who went through all the phases of closed guard – loving it, hating it, and ultimately, understanding how crucial it is and playing it whenever I need to emphasize safety and efficiency.

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Closed Guard Gracie Secrets

The next time you roll, go for the closed guard. Even better, try out some of the stuff from the third part of the Closed Guard Kyra Gracie DVD! You’ll end up confusing anyone, including those who know the moves. Reverting back to old-school tactics and techniques and blending them with modern ones is a surefire way to improve any aspect of your game. It just so happens, we’re talking about the closed guard here.

Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD Review [2024]

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD Review
Key Takeaways
  • An eight-part instructional deconstructing the Ginastica Natural grappling conditioning system. 
  • Features detailed demonstrations of ground flows, rolling movements, jumps, animal movements, and standing exercises.
  • Offers a system of warm-ups and details specific breathing patterns. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.

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When I started BJJ a decade and a half ago, Ginastica Natural was pretty popular as a supplemental training method. Not many people outside of Gracie schools and affiliates used it, but most of us knew what it was and tried to figure out how to put together flows without having access to qualified instructors.

The Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD is not a first on the subject by the founder of the system, but this one is definitely a lot more refined and detailed than the original one. In the first few DVDs Alvaro demonstrated a lot of flows, but he did it at full speed without much explanation of the moves. This new instructional takes care of this lapse, finally making Ginastica Natural easily accessible to everyone in the BJJ world.

Movement in Grappling

What is the most basic foundation of grappling exchanges? Movement. If two grapplers face each other and nobody moves, there is no match or roll. So, everything we do comes down to movement.

There are two aspects of movement that are important to people in grappling – creating movement and preventing movement. It makes sense and seems easy when delivered like this, but in practice, it’s what BJJ is all about.

Moreover, you have two sources of motion to consider. One is your own body, which you need to be able to control and direct at will. The other is the body of the opponent, which you’re trying to move or prevent from moving.

This second aspect is a lot more difficult to figure out if you are not able to control your body first. Luckily, that’s an area you can improve in with the help of resources such as the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD. All it takes is some practice.

BJJ Black Belt Alvaro Romano and Ginastica Natural

Have you heard of Alvaro Romano? He is a 4-th degree BJJ black belt under Rolls Gracie, Carlos Gracie Jr., and Rickson Gracie – quite an impressive teaching squad of BJJ legends. He is also a physical education professor who found a way to connect motor training with BJJ in a quest to create a movement-based training system for longevity.

He began to share his findings with the public in the 80s which led to the formation of the Ginastica Natural system which is fairly popular to this day. The blend of BJJ movement, gymnastics, and yoga ended up consuming Alvaro’s attention more than BJJ’s, although he kept grappling actively to constantly feed and upgrade his system.

The Ginastica Natural system made it to the curriculums in several Brazilian universities, some of which were taught by Alvaro himself. Many BJJ gyms, especially those with Gracie roots practice aspects of it actively, mostly during warmups. Now, the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD makes it possible for you to enter and practice the system on your own.

Full Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD Review

The Alvaro Romano Ginastica Natural DVD is a conditioning instructional that offers a BJJ motion-based system you can do solo or with a partner. It combines BJJ, Yoga and gymnastics into flow-based classes, with the system’s founder, Alvaro, explaining every aspect of putting together these flows in this DVD.

The instructional has eight volumes, each targeting a specific area of Ginastrica Natural, and lasts around 4 hours.

Part 1 – Warming Up

Despite people only using Ginastica Natural for warm-ups in BJJ gyms these days, the system is actually a complete one, featuring mobility, strength, and conditioning components. The very first part of the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD starts with the specific warmups that prime you to do the more demanding moves further on.

Alvaro explains some of the basic positions first, such as the cross leg and leg slide stretch, movements used a lot later on in the DVD. He also covers level changes in this opening part, as he explains how to put together basic combinations using the principles of the Ginastica Natural system.

Part 2 – Basic Movement

Part two is what most people who have an idea of what Ginastica Natural is associate with the term. It is broken down into several classes, offering some of the basic movements. For example, there is a class on hip switching, rolling, and grappling without a partner. He also shares Ginastica’s basic breathing patterns here.

The moves and breathing instructions in this part of the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD serve as a foundation and/or connections between the combinations and flows that follow as you become more proficient in the system.

Part 3 – Rolling 

Let’s get one thing clear – by rolling, this part of the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD provides instructions on how to do solo drills such as inversions, front and back rolls, and spinning movements. It has nothing to do with BJJ sparring. At least not directly.

For this part of the instructional, Romano stays on the mats. Most of the movements and combinations are inspired by BJJ, although supplemented with gymnastics and yoga moves to add complexity. The flows in this part are useful for guard players in particular.

Part 4 – Hip Escapes

Personally, I don’t like the hip escape practices as a solo drill in BJJ as I find that it makes more problems than it solves, especially when people try to use it for defensive purposes. However, the hip escape class and the flow options offered in this portion of the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD make sense.

They don’t change my mind on the subject, but since the hip escape has a role in other aspects of BJJ that don’t involve defense, this flow might actually be useful. The jury is still out, but I like what I saw.

Part 5 – Animal Movements

As the level of practice changes, the fifth portion of the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD moves away from the ground, but not quite hitting standing yet. Animal movements, also known as animal drills among grapplers feature here, but in a way different than the endless gym-length practice we usually associate with them.

Instead, Alavaro organizes them in flows that move in 360 degrees, rather than a straight line. He also offers connection points to the ground movements already covered previously in the DVD, beginning to make Ginastica Natural combos look really appealing.

Part 6 – Strength Training and Breathing

The programming of the flows is what will define the physical gains you get from them. That’s the claim made by Alvaro Romano as he demonstrates how to incorporate the moves already demonstrated into a strength-oriented system.

While the Alvaro Romano Ginastica Natural DVD won’t help you increase your bench or deadlift significantly, it might do what conventional strength can’t – strengthen muscles in your body we use in BJJ, but are not accessible through weight training.

Part 7 – Bodyweight Strength

Still, on the subject of strength, the penultimate part of the Ginastica Natural Alvaro   Romano DVD delves into the full-body strength exercises that can help you further challenge your body.

Most of the exercises added in this part are derived from gymnastics, making them very difficult to perform for anyone without a gymnastics background. I tried some and was surprised at how demanding they are.

Part 8 – Bonus Lesson

The final part of the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD adds to the overall value of the instructional by offering a real-life class taught by Alvaro. Moreover, it is a private class, where ROmano takes Bernardo Faria through some Ginastica Natural flows.

By watching Bernardo and Alvaro it is easy to see both how challenging the system can be even for a multiple-time world champion who still actively trains, but also how the moves benefit anyone, from white to black belt.

The Best Conditioning for BJJ

The best conditioning method for BJJ is BJJ. There is an old Marcelo Garcia video showing exactly how you can use rolling as a conditioning tool, something the GOAT has proved to work for at the highest levels.

Alvaro Romano has used the same principle when coming up with the Ginastica Natural system. It is by far not the most complete or perfect compliment for grapplers, but it does offer a different perspective to training, along with different benefits to more conventional methods.

The biggest value of the Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD is in the ability to practice BJJ without a partner, as far as that is conceivably possible. Instead of doing mindless drills, Ginastica places you in positions you’ll likely encounter in BJJ, allowing you to identify ways out and around most obstacles.

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Control Your Body First!

Unless you can control your own body, there is little hope you’ll be able to deal with a resisting opponent during BJJ exchanges. The Ginastica Natural Alvaro Romano DVD offers an interesting and unusual way to master your own body for the specific needs of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Plenty of high-level black belts use it to improve their game, so there’s not much to lose and a lot to gain by trying it out.

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