Kendall Reusing DVD Review: Gi Top Position Submissions

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Kendall Reusing DVD Review: Gi Top Position Submissions

If you enjoy using the Gi to wrap opponents and training partners up neatly, then you’ll really enjoy this Kendall Reusing DVD. It is all about using the Gi to set up, chain together, and finish different submissions while never losing control of the top position.

It is a competitor’s take on the whole “control before submission’ thing for all you concept lovers out there. The main stars of this release, though, are submission holds done with the help of the Gi. Since we seem to have neglected these in favor of crazy lapel-bound pins and guards, let’s take a look back at what truly matters in Jiu-Jitsu – the tap!

Key Takeaways

  • 3-part Gi instructional about holding and submitting from the top in Gi BJJ. 
  • An entire submission-based game is tailor-made for competitive success. 
  •  The original Kendall Reusing Kendall-Cana taught in great detail. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

GI TOP POSITION SUBMISSION DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Gi Top Position Submissions: Kendall Reusing DVD Review:
Free Technique: Kendall Reusing Gi Top Position Submissions

Using the Gi for Submissions

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers a tool to use while rolling or competing that very few other martial arts have to offer. Well, okay, a few that matter and can do it effectively anyway. The Gi represents a weapon in BJJ, one that you can use both for offense or to fend off the opponent’s attacks.

A particularly sweet way of using the BJJ Gi to your huge advantage is to set up submissions with the help of lapels, collars, sleeves, and even the belt. Alternatively, anywhere you and grab along the kimono to get that all-important inch for submission of any type, you should make the most out of it.

In the realm of modern BJJ, we see the Gi take a more controlling role, with many guards and pins, and even takedowns, revolving around what is, in my opinion, overly complicated use of the Gi. Remember how Roger won the World Cross choking everyone? That is what we need more of, and we get a solid dose in a brand-new Kendall Reusing DVD instructional.

Kendall Reusing – Gracie Barra’s No-Gi World Champ

One of the best black belts to come out of the Gracie Barra competitors pool lately, Kendall Reusing has been tearing it up in the international Jiu-Jitsu scene. The 27-year-old has several huge titles to her name, despite only being a black belt for 5 years. So far Kendall has conquered:

  • Polaris Open Weight Championship in 2002 and 2023
  • IBJJF No-Gi Worlds (double gold in 2019 and division gold in 2023)
  • The IBJJF No-Gi Pans in 2021
  • ADCC East Coast Trials winner in 2021.

She got a major world title in every eyra since being a black belt, adding to her already impressive world title list in the colored belts. Reusing is proficient in both Gi and No-Gi but has had a lot more success without the Gi, especially as a black belt.

Reusing has a very versatile game as a result of experience competing both with and without the Gi. She always goes for submissions, which account for almost half of her victories as a black belt. Exactly the person you want to learn Gi top position submissions from.

Kendall initially started her grappling career as a wrestler at the age of 5 and joined BJJ classes not long after. Not surprising, given that her father Tom Reusing is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Nelson Monteiro.  She trained in both until she was 13, when she decided to compete only in wrestling, to much success.

Gi Top Position Submissions: Kendall Reusing DVD Review

Throughout the three-part Kendall Reusing DVD, she does a very good job sticking to submissions, not talking too much about entries and controls, but rather guiding us towards logical and effective chains.

Exactly what you’d expect from the instructional of a world-class BJJ competitor – effectiveness through simplicity. The material she covers is just over an hour and a half long, and the DVD is obviously a Gi instructional.

Part 1 – Side Control Gi Submissions

In the very first volume of this Kendal Reusing DVD, the world champion kicks it off with a few pointers on how to get to the grips you need from side control without the bottom person blocking you.

Once that is out of the way she immediately rolls out a fan favorite – the paper cutter choke, spiced up with some details based on her experiences. It is one of her highest percentage finishes as a black belt.

Kendall goes on to seamlessly tie in the threat of the choke with a modified armbar working off of the same grips. The Gi attachment makes this setup particularly tight, and Reusing adds more options by demonstrating several different leg positions for finishing.

Part 2 – Mounted Gi Finishes

As we move on to the second volume, Kendall starts exploring one of my personal favorites, and go-to of mine about a decade ago – the step-over choke. Having all but forgotten about it, Reusing refreshed and expanded my knowledge of this useful Gi choke

The cross-collar choke, of course, makes an appearance in the Gi Top Position Submissions DVD, announcing the transition to mounted submission attacks. To be fair, Kendall does start with an upside-down version of it, using it as an overture to very slick arm triangle entries.

The arm triangle is another gem that we’ve seen Reusing use a lot. She has some very interesting and innovative details to share, as well as a few different ways of finishing from mount or by dismounting at the right moment.

Part 3 – The Kendal-Cana

Those who have seen Kendall Reusing compete probably expected that her signature Kendall-Cana is going to make an appearance somewhere in this Kendall Reusing DVD. It does in volume three, where, after a few more arm triangle combos, Reusing finally reveals it.

The submission is what older grapplers remember as answering the telephone, a follow-up armlock that you use when someone is defending an arm triangle. Kendall has truly elevated the submission to a whole new level, changing up bits and pieces to massively increase its effectiveness, even against much stronger opponents.

Top Position Submissions

As I keep preaching to everyone who will listen to me on the mats (they kinda have to in my academy), always gun for a top position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I don’t care if you are the self-proclaimed king or queen of the guard, nothing beats being on top.

When you have a powerful weapon such as the Gi to help you better distribute weight and keep things even tighter, then trying to play against gravity really makes no sense. With efficiency in mind, obtaining any top position past the guard with the Gi at your disposal, is, as Kendall clearly demonstrates in her Gi Top Position Submissions DVD, a massive advantage to have.

Here is one more idea of how you can implement Kendall’s system of top position submissions with the Gi: study the grips she places. Even if you don’t do exactly what she does, you can use the grips she shows to sink your submission a lot deeper, since most of the weight distribution from top principles will still apply.

Gi Top Position Submissions DVD: Kendall Reusing
Preview the Kendall Reusing DVD Gi Top Position Submissions

DOWNLOAD DVD KENDALL REUSING GI TOP POSITION SUBMISSIONS 

Get a Grip on It!

The best way to show how much I enjoyed this Kendal Reusing DVD is to share that I personally avoid Gi grips like the plague. I have decided long ago to only grip No-Gi, regardless of how I am rolling, in an attempt to save what is left of my knuckles. Apart from finishing submissions, of course.

What I got out of this DVD as a BJJ black belt, is increased efficiency in grip placement and power. There are more strategies and tactics in everything Reusing shows that meets the eye, and it will benefit anyone rolling or competing with the Gi, at least occasionally.

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BJJ DVD Review: Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
BJJ DVD Review: Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie

The moment you get to mount, you probably feel safe and secure, ready to ride it out until the end of the round. Well, modern defensive BJJ is a rude wake-up call to those taking the mount position as a means of absolute control for granted.

Dominating the mount means being able to stay in it once you get to the position, something that requires a lot of experience and finesse. It takes years to become comfortable in the mount and develop a mindset that keeps you in it no matter what. That, or getting Mount Dominance by Rayron Gracie.

If you’re interested in developing the mount from hell, then there is a shortcut – using a proven mount system utilized at the highest levels by competitors. While there are many mount instructionals out there, there aren’t many that fulfill these conditions. One that does is the Mount Dominance Rayron Gracie BJJ DVD.

Key Takeaways

  • A Gi BJJ DVD, lasting over two and a half hours, spread across 4 volumes.  
  • Covers all mount progressions, from low to high with many positional details. 
  • Submission finishes and intuitive chains to flow through mount progressions.
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

GRACIE MOUNT DOMINANCE DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie BJJ Instructional
Preview Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie

Conquering the Mount(ain)

The mount has been the favorite pinning position in BJJ for everyone for at least a while. If this is not the case, you’ve not been training long enough yet. It will happen.

When it does, you realize the power of a position we often take for granted. It is not just about the tactical game of not having to worry about stalling once you reach the mount, since there is no better position.  It is more about the possibility of dominating someone so much with your weight distribution, that you force them to quit.

The key aspect of the mount positon in BJJ is that it allows fairly easy top-position control, while also offering plenty of submission attacks and the possibility to chain them together.  As such, though, it has been used so much that there are many different ways to defend against it, and even escape it.

Solving lots of these problems when you’ve mounted your opponent and are looking to go old-school Gracie-style on him, is the Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie BJJ DVD. Go through outer detailed review below to learn exactly what it contains and why you need it.

Rayron Gracie, the New Gracie Family Hope

The name Rayron Gracie might not be an immediately recognizable one for you, but that is bound to change in a few years. The 23-year-old Kyra Gracie black belt is all about showing the BJJ world that the Gracie family is still producing champions.

After winning the Worlds and the Pans title as a purple and brown belt, Rayron got his black belt in 2023. In his first attempt at conquering a world-class tournament just months into his black belt career, Gracie won bronze at the IBJJF Europeans in 2024, one of the toughest BJJ competitions in the world. It is evident that we might have another Gracie gem right there.

Style-wise, Rayron is reminiscent of Roger Gracie, being very patient and methodical in his matches. He spends his training time very intelligently, spreading it between Rogar, Renzo, Kyra, Igor, and Rolles Gracie. I guess we’re waiting to see if Rayron ends up being a mash-up of all the best from all the world champion Gracie family members teaching him.

Detailed Mount Dominance Rayron Gracie DVD Review

The Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie DVD is a Gi instructional containing 4 volumes. Each volume covers a different mount variation, plus a volume dedicated to mount entries. The total running time is slightly over 2 hours.

BJJ DVD Review: Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie

Part 1 – Getting to Mount

Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie starts out of the mount position, covering several different ways to win the battle for it. Rayron opens up with a side control transition we all know full well, before covering a key modern BJJ aspect of mount acquisition – the quarter guard.

Rayron demonstrates how to slowly and methodically progress up your opponent’s body until you sit comfortably on their hips. There is no flying or rushing moves here, just immense pressure which increases constantly, as Gracie shows how you can kill all of your opponent’s defenses, such as bridging or kipping.

Part 2 – Low Mount Chokes & Mount Progressions

In the second volume of the DVD, Rayron Gracie begins in the low mount, using the most efficient tactic available – dilemma attacks. He shows how to set up and finish the Ezekiel choke, but also shows how you can ride the opponent’s Ezekiel defense al the way to high mount.

In fact, most of this part of the Mount Dominance DVD is about moving up through the mount progressions, starting with the low mount. Most transitions are based on the opponent’s reactions, offering improvement control the higher you go.

Part 3 – Mid Mount Attacks

At the halfway point of the Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie instructional, it is time to look at the mount variation we spend most of our time in – the middle mount. Mid mount offers very efficient dynamic control as well as several key submission options, with Gracie favoring collar chokes.

Following in the footsteps of one of his mentors, Roger Gracie, Rayron opts to go deep into the cross collar choke, offering different variations, including a one-hand finish. Unlike most other offensive instructional, Rayron takes in to account that the opponent won’t just lie still and offers ways to work against common defenses, like head posts and frames.

Part 4 – High Mount Dominance

Saving the best for last, Gracie works off of forearm frames and stacks to achieve high mount, one of the most torturous forms of mount available in BJJ. He keeps up with the collar choke threat, showing how many Gracie family members kept winning fights using nothing but basics.

The armbar, as expected, plays a big role in this volume of the BJJ DVD,  with an innovative wrist pin entry removing a lot of the guesswork during rotational entries. Rayorn also covers several counters to common armbar defenses.

He also covers back mount transitions, mostly based off of an opponent’s bridge attempt. Before wrapping up with an in-depth analysis of the mount position, Gracie also covers several choke threats to prevent the bottom person from bridging at all.

Getting Mount is Just the Beginning

The one thing to remember about the mount in BJJ is that it is not enough just to get to it – you’ll have to work very hard to stay there and impose your control. Namely, mount retention against the bottom person’s attempts to get out is where the battle is, rather than arriving at the mount position in the first place.

While there are a bunch of different weight distribution concepts and body positioning mechanics to ensure optimal mount control from the top, there’s nothing like keeping your opponent busy to stop them from getting away. That is where submission threats play a major role.

Imagine you’re in mount, head and arm control and you’re dead set on keeping the bottom person pinned. Eventually, they will escape. If, on the other hand, you decide to relentlessly attack, let’s say Americanas from Mount, you will find that you have a low percent finish rate on the submission, but you’ll comfortably retain the mount for as long as you want. You see what I am getting at here>

Plenty of great resources exist out there to provide insights into other complicated world of the BJJ mount position. If you opt for Mount Dominance by Rayron Gracie you’re getting a competitor’s way of using nothing but he most effective concepts and techniques to utterly dominate the mount.

Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie BJJ DVD Review
Free Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie Technique

GET MOUNT DOMINANCE BY RAYRON GRACIE HERE!

Mount Up!

I liked this instructional. Mount Dominance by Rayron Gracie covers every key mount variation, sticking to proven mechanics and progressions that will not just win you fights, but championships! If you compete in the Gi, you need to get your hands on this DVD, if nothing else, then to figure out what in the best in the world are doing!

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Ankle Pick Anthology: A Keelon Jimison DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Ankle Pick Anthology: A Keelon Jimison DVD Review

The ankle pick is an interesting subject in BJJ. It is a takedown that is very effective and works perfectly in combination with other Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves, but it also seems people are afraid to go after it. In my experience, this is because they’re uncomfortable with level changes.

In BJJ, level changes are different than in wrestling. There are submissions to consider, and generally, the pace is much slower. Moreover, people tend to leave their feet and ankles exposed, as they don’t recognize threats at that level as significant. that is a huge mistake, and one you can, and should capitalize on. The Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD might help you with that.

Key Takeaways

  • 1-part No-Gi DVD about ankle pick takedowns, good for beginners only.  
  • An hour-long instructional by a former wrestler recorded outdoors. 
  • Left and right setups, timing, scoring, and off-the-whistle tactics included.  
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 6 out of 10.

ANKLE PICK ANTHOLOGY AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Review Keelon Jimison Ankle Pick Anthology DVD
Trailer: Keelon Jimison Ankle Pick Anthology

Why Low Takedowns Work in BJJ

The first time I saw an ankle pick was when my professor showed the now quintessential Gi misdirection attack – a fake guard pull to an ankle pick. I was a blue belt. Back then I liked it because it presented an option off the guard pull while allowing me to keep a collar grip on.

Nowadays, I appreciate the ankle pick even more, but it has nothing to do with pulling guard or that overused combo I mentioned above. The true value of the ankle pick is in the level of attack, which is something BJJ folks are not too aware of.

Namely, in standing exchanges, BJJ athletes focus on stuff like judo throws using  Gi grips, wrestling elg attacks like the single and double leg takedown and high crotch, various trips, and the front headlock. None of these, apart from a low single, directly attack the ankles, though.

This is an untapped opportunity in BJJ. Hunting for an ankle from standing, or even better, half kneeling creates a complicated problem for your opponent. You see, it takes two legs to stay upright and get to the top position. If you control the end of one leg, you control a big lever in relation to the opponent’s hip, one you can use to force that hip to the mats.

Enter ankle-level takedowns such as ankle picks. As long as you can figure out how to retain control over the ankle, you’re going to literally drive your opponent wherever you want them to go. The best part is, that they are readily available off of any of the more common takedowns I mentioned above.

Who is Keelon Jimison?

Keelon Jimison, a.k.a. Mugzy is an amateur MMA fighter from the US with a wrestling background. He is more of a social media star than an athlete, to be honest, and somehow, he managed to release an instructional on ankle picks that are available to the BJJ public.

Not much information is available Jimison, apart from his 1-0 amateur MMA record as part of Shamrock FC, a promotion out of St. Louis. He had a solid wrestling career in high school and college but is far from world-champion quality.

That said, looking at his Instagram profile, Keelon seems pretty fast as a wrestler and shows some great timing and instincts. He changes levels with incredible speed, which is what allows him to be extremely proficient at ankle picks, a signature move of his that he deconstructs pretty thoroughly in his Ankle Pick Anthology DVD instructional.

Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD Review

The glaring thing that sets this Keelon Jimison DVD apart from others is its length. The entire instructional is crammed into one volume, which is very uncommon these days. Moreover, it seems to be shot in a backyard or the far side of a football pitch.

To be honest, the shoot location or the unusual structure of this instructional is not the key aspects that define its quality. It is all about the content found inside, which is divided into three main sections within one volume:

Ankle Pick Anthology: A Keelon Jimison DVD Review

Section 1 – Introduction

The opening few chapters cover an introduction to the ankle pick in wrestling, as well as the ‘off-the-whistle’ concept which is prevalent throughout the Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD instructional.

As you’re probably guessing, this refers to going for a move the moment you hear a ref blow the whistle, which is more suited to wrestling than BJJ. Whistling aside, Keelon does address a very important aspect of any takedown which is how to hide it as you go for it. In the case of a low-level takedown, requiring lots of motion, such as the ankle pick, this is exceptionally vital.

Section 2 – Stance and Motion

If you’ve ever been to a wrestling class you’ve heard about stance and motion. Similar to grips in BJJ, these are two aspects that nobody wants to spend time drilling but are crucial to any grappling success. Keelon ‘s take on both is filtered through ankle picks, making this section relevant, and even useful, given the subject.

The chapters on the push-pull interplay in grabbing the ankle pick and finishing it were definitely worth watching. I liked that Keelon covers both left and right-side setups with everything he demonstrates.

Section 3 – Scoring

The scoring aspects covered in the Ankle Pick Anthology instructional are mostly from a wrestling perspective, but they translate to BJJ as well, given that a takedown cores points across martial arts.

The focus is once again on getting the ankle pick straight off the white whistle, which is understandable seeing how speed is Keelon’s main advantage. He goes over the full ankle lock sequence in a couple of chapters, from stance and motion to finishing, all done with exceptional precision and quickness.

Section 4 – In-Match Tactics

Just under half of this Keelon Jimison DVD is dedicated to in-match tactics revolving around the ankle pick. Once again, everything is presented from a wrestling standpoint but suits the needs of BJJ athletes even more than those of wrestlers.

This part is all about grip fighting that helps set up different ankle pick entries, with Keelon favoring Collar ties and the Baseball bat grip, which was something I’ve never used before and I found it very interesting. Once again, left and right combos are covered for each setup, including baits and some key insights on timing.

The Role of Level Changes 

In a sport where you can go from standing to your back and keep fighting without losing any points, changing levels is obviously of critical importance. BJJ exchanges go to the extremes of human motion, and, in a vertical sense, that means being able to move from standing to flat on the mats, preferably belly down, in a second, or sometimes even less.

This is a tall order, but at the end of the day, it is absolutely essential to success. levels don’t just dictate how good you are at takedowns, but also how well you control topo positions or create space when on bottom.

Combine level changes with the power of controlling one of the opponent’s legs and not allowing it to touch the mats, and you have a very powerful position to work from, regardless of what level you find yourself at. Even better, you can go through all of them and retain control as long as you don’t let go of the leg.

Keelon Jimison DVD Review Ankle Pick Anthology
Check out a free technique from the Ankle Pick Anthology DVD

ANKLE PICK ANTHOLOGY KEELON JIMISON DVD DOWNLOAD!

Pick it Up!

Obviously, low-level (in terms of height, not efficiency) takedowns are a silver bullet of sorts for BJJ athletes. They are tricky to master, but once you get the hang of them, they’re a nightmare to defend against.

You can start literally anywhere, even by trying out your own ways of trapping an ankle. However, an instructional that might help, mostly if you’ve never done this before, is very athletic and fast, or both is the Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD. While somewhat short and strange, this instructional is perfect to get you going with ankle picks without too much confusion, so it is worth considering.

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DK Style: Takedowns to Leg Lock Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
DK Style: Takedowns to Leg Lock Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD Review

Do you know what the most difficult aspect of any takedown in martial arts is? Keeping the person you just took down on the ground. If you’ve ever managed a takedown in a competitive setting you know what I am talking about.

Since nobody is going to allow you to keep them down, pass their guard, and submit them, you’ll need to work for it. And to do that, someone needs to give you directions. While everyone’s game is different and individual, there are some fundamental ways of approaching building a game that is tied together as a whole that is unchangeable.

Apart from your coach, there is the Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD dubbed DK Style: The Art Of Setting Up Takedowns To Effective Submissions And Leg Locks. She is a world-class competitor and world champion. It is easy to choose to heed her advice.

Key Takeaways

  • 3-part No-Gi BJJ DVD by ONE FC reigning Atomwiehgt Grappling Champion Danielle Kelly   
  • An hour-and-a-half-long blueprint to building an interconnected top game.
  • Aimed mostly at competitors looking to dominate from the top.
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

Click Here

GET THE ‘DK STYLE’ DANIELLE KELLY BJJ DVD HERE!!!

BJJ DVD Review: DK Style Setting Up Takedowns To Effective Submissions And Leg Locks by Danielle Kelly
Danielle Kelly DVD Chaining Passes to Leg Locks Trailer

The Art of Mastering Offensive Transitions

It is very easy to get lost in the intricate realm of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques and positions and claim they don’t work. Of course, things are not going to work when you’re trying to factor in tens of ultra-fine details while disregarding the big picture of what you’re trying to achieve.

Who cares if you tapped your opponent in the finals using a choke you just came up with? It doesn’t have to contain all 37 details your coach showed you, as long as it works. Well, speaking of things that work, making sure an opponent you take down does not stand up is key to doing everything you intend to after the standing battle.

This is one aspect of grappling I see students struggle with a lot. After a takedown, everyone expects a rest, an opponent that will accept to stay on the mats, and a passing opportunity whenever they feel like it. It rarely works that way.

If you want to be successful with your top game, you’ll need to be able to integrate every major aspect of the game into it and stay aware of the whole picture. That is exactly what the ‘DK Style’ Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD addresses – how to connect takedowns, passing, and submissions.

Danielle Kelly: The  Female Grappler to Beat 2024

Danielle Kelly is one of the most inspiring and positive faces in the world of Jiu-Jitsu. Currently holding the ONE FC Atomweight Grappling World Champion title, Dani represents all the grapplers of the new era.

Still only 28, Danielle is a black belt under Karl ‘Silverfox’ Pravec, one of Renzo Gracie’s best students and a world-renowned coach. Proudly representing team Silverfox, Kelly has placed herself as the one to beat, with flawless performances inside the ONE cage so far, which put a spotlight on her constantly evolving grappling style.

On the mats, Danielle’s style is marked by relentlessness – she never stops. Kelly, who has competed in just about every grappling martial art since the age of 10, is not afraid to wrestle, fight with her back on the ground, or hunt for leg locks.

She worked her trade to perfection in professional Jiu-Jitsu tournaments such as EBI, WNO, and ADCC Trials. She then found her home in the ONE cage, representing the highest level of BJJ along with Mikey Musumeci among elite-level grapplers, wrestlers, and Sambo fighters.

Kelly’s first title defense is set for August 2, 2024, when she’ll face her toughest opponent to date – the experienced and dangerous Mayssa Bastos. With the match about a month away, Dani still found time to treat us with her first instructional, and with it, a peek into her teaching style.

Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD Review: Setting Up Takedowns To Submissions And Leg Locks

Yes, Dani loves leg locks, but this instructional is much more than just a leg lock Danielle Kelly DVD. It is a blueprint of her grappling game, focused on her top game in No-Gi, and she makes that clear from the beginning.

Dani shares her competitive go-to moves in three volumes of the DK Style Takedowns, Leglocks & Submissions instructional, with the material amounting to just under an hour and a half.

DK Style: Takedowns to Leg Lock Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD Review

Part 1 – Throws And Takedown Sequences

As she begins her instructional, Kelly opens up with a short overview of her mindset during competitive grappling matches, which I find much more useful than trying to impart a one-size-fits-all strategy. She keeps it short, moving immediately into a very powerful takedown throw combo based on the Uchi Mata.

As a former Judoka, I am acutely aware of how difficult the Uchi Mata is to perform against opposition in a BJJ setting. Dani resolves this glaring issue by chaining it with a Guillotine threat, that serves both as a takedown and a submission threat. She expands on it using wall grappling tactics, which are perfect for those grappling in cages.

The conclusion of the first volume of this premiere Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD is all about using the knee shield pass. Dani flows into it from both a successful Uchi Mata and the guillotine-enforced one, providing a very intuitive and logical sequence.

Part 2 – Leg Locks and Chokes

You only have to wait until the second volume of the “DK Style’ DVD instructional for some of those signature leg attacks Kelly is known for. The first point on the agenda is the knee bar, and how it works from the top, as a dilemma attacks bound with passing threats.

Staying true to the subject of the DVD, Kelly shows follow-up heel hooks to failed kneebar attempts, as well as a way to go in and out of the 4/11 position, using it for both leg locks and passing.

The cherry on the top of this Leg Lock Danielle Kelly is the D’arce choke set up by passing the knee shield half-guard. Another dilemma, another successful pass or tap. Or both. I actually tried this immediately after watching the instructional and it worked immediately. I do love D’arces, though, so that might have helped.

Part 3 – Leg Lock Submission Chains

The final portion of the ‘DK Style’ Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD keeps connecting leg lock attacks, starting (or better said, continuing) from the 4/11 position. Dani blends in a Kimura threat using the 4/11 before exploring ways to set up knee bar-heel hook combinations from the X guard.

As a final topic in its instructional, Kelly turns to a position that seems to be emerging as a popular leg-locking alternative – the bear trap. Of course, she wraps up with a heel hook, rather than trying to muscle in a calf-slicer finish. An elegant way to wrap this instructional up.

The Big Picture Competition Game 

Danielle Kelly’s ‘DK Style’ DVD covers a very important subject in BJJ, that is rarely discussed outside of game design in competition classes. While I am aware that not everyone has a competitive appetite (including me, lately) the ability to seamlessly transition between different key pins and weave in submission threats remains a big, if not the biggest, condition for success.

So why ignore it? Build a game that works, regardless of whether or not you’re going to compete or just roll. A friend of mine once said that if you roll in the gym without setting a task to achieve, you’re just wasting your time. I completely agree.

Whenever you’re rolling, try to keep the big picture in mind. You’re going to take someone down, but then what? You’ll pass a guard but then what’s next? BJJ works as a turbulent flow more than a set of sequences divided by clear borders.

The Takedown and Leg Lock Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD is a great resource to start thinking like a competitor by looking at how a World Champion’s brain works in terms of planning her game. Even if you hate leg locks and takedowns, and would rather pull guard and do triangles, you’ll learn a lot from this DVD.

BJJ DVD Review: DK Style Takedowns to Leg Lock Danielle Kelly
FREE SAMPLE: The Art Of Setting Up Takedowns To Effective Submissions And Leg Locks

DOWNLOAD ‘DK STYLE’ DANIELLE KELLY BJJ DVD DOWNLOAD

Get Locked In!

While the ‘DK Style’ Danielle Kelly BJJ DVD is a great fit for anyone, white to black belt, Gi and No-Gi, it is a must for competitors who are serious about trying to go pro. Not many grappling athletes have released instructional covering their game design and the transition that makes their game work.

Then again, Dani is not just any grappling athlete. Pick up the DK Style: The Art Of Setting Up Takedowns To Effective Submissions And Leg Locksby Danielle Kelly and become a better grappler in just weeks! Oh, and don’t forget to cheer Danielle in her upcoming ONE FC World Title defense!

Danielle Kelly Chokes Out Mariia Molchanova (VIDEO)

Danielle Kelly: I Almost Quit BJJ Because Of This

Danielle Kelly Signs With One Championship & Announces Debut

10th Planet Top Game DVD Review By Heather Jo Clark

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
10th Planet Top Game DVD Review By Heather Jo Clark

Staying on top of your opponent in BJJ and MMA provides many advantages, but it is not an easy task to accomplish. While you’ll undoubtedly get to a top position from time to time, staying in it often ends up being an issue.

The problem is that we have a ton of different top positions to consider, and instead of trying to make a dominant one work, we are happy to change between them until we inevitably fail and end up on the bottom. We’ve all been there.

Heather Jo Clark’s 10th Planet Top Game, focusing on how to make the top half guard your main top position, offers a complete game plan that will help you keep the top once you conquer it, throwing a bunch of curve balls at your opponent along the way.

Key Takeaways

  • 2-part No-Gi BJJ DVD with almost 2 hours of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu moves.  
  • A bunch of unorthodox ways to hold, pass, and submit from the top half guard.
  • Taught by Ultimate Fighter Season 20 winner Heather Jo Clark. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

GET THE 10TH PLANET TOP GAME DVD HERE!!!

10th Planet Top Game By Heather Jo Clark
Heather Jo Clark’s 10th Planet Top Game DVD trailer

The 10th Planet Game

Even when I was a white belt, training in a traditional BJJ Gi-only gym, I was fascinated with Eddie Bravo and his 10th Planet System. It just made sense. Bravo launched his own version of Jiu-Jitsu after getting his black belt from Jean Jacques Machado, trying to create a grappling style tailor-made for MMA.

While the 10th Planet style never really took off as an MMA-specific version of BJJ, it did take off- in a big way. Unorthodox, often flashy, extremely effective, and not bound by any traditional dogmas, Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu was the first major tectonic shift in the BJJ World.

Given his original idea of an MMA-oriented grappling style, Bravo spends a lot of time perfecting and modifying the best positions from wrestling and BJJ, resulting in one of the most intricate and tight styles in existence. Although the Rubber Guard might not be for everyone, stuff like the lockdown and the entire 10th Planet Top Game, from passing to the Truck and Twister are stuff that you definitely want in your arsenal.

‘Hurricane’ Heather Jo Clark

If you ever stumble into 10th Planet Boca Raton then you’re bound to run into Heather Jo Clark, a.k.. the head coach. The UFC strawweight and Ultimate Fighter Season 20 winner is a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu under Eddie Bravo and has been representing 10 Planet Jiu-Jitsu throughout her grappling career.

Just like most folks at 10th Planet, Heather is very competitive but decided to channel her energy into MMA rather than professional grappling. She joined the famous Jackson/ Winkeljohn Academy in Albuquerque training with the likes of Holy Holm, Julie Kedzie, and Michelle Waterson.

As her pro-MMA career took off, Heather moved to LA, deciding to make the Xtreme Couture gym her home base. Heather beat Bec Rawlings in the Ultimate Fighter Season 20 finale with a torn ACL, demonstrating grit and determination.

Before retiring in 2018, she fought several more times against high-profile names in the UFC, Bellator, and Invicta FC. Since hanging up the MMA gloves, Heather turned to teaching Jiu-Jitsu at the 10th Planet Boca Raton gym she built in 2023.

Heather Jo Clark 10th Planet Top Game DVD Review

The 10th Planet Top Game BJJ DVD is an instructional by Heather Jo Clark focusing on playing top half guard. It is a No-Gi instructional with almost 2 hours of material on how to hold, pass, and submit from the top half guard:

Part 1 – Half Guard Top

As Hurricane Heather kicks off her first BJJ instructional, she starts in the top half guard. The first chapter is a general overview of the position, and what you can do from it in BJJ and MMA. I happen to agree with Heather that forcing half guard from the top is one of the smartest and most efficient ways to pin and restrict motion.

As Heather starts rolling out the 10th Planet techniques, she begins using a no-hand pass which is very unique and will definitely surprise opponents. She goes on to explore body lock passing, known as ‘Buttock Compressor’ in the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu vocabulary. The dog bar setup from this pass is one to watch out for.

Two-thirds in this volume of the Heather Jo Clark instructional she changes tactics again, offering a new avenue of passing, this time by switching hip sand forcing twister side control. Of course, this involves lots of rolling attacks, so sequences like The Ninja Roll to Swedish Twister appear a lot. They make sense and seem to work just fine, though.

Part 2 – Submissions

The 10th Planet system has always been one of the most submission-oriented styles out there, and Heather does it justice by dedicating an entire volume to the different ways you can make someone tap from the 10th Planet Top Game.

‘Hurricane’ opens with an unusual Guillotine choke setup that looks like a north-south choke, given the heavy use of the lat. She moves on to combine several more guillotines, including the mounted high-elbow finish into a very efficient and aggressive way to attack from the top half guard.

Other submissions featured in this volume include arm triangle chokes, mostly in the form of the D’arce and Anaconda, the usual pairing from the top half guard. heather also shares some interesting Japanese Necktie details, before wrapping up with an Americana/armbar combo.

Rule #1: Be The Guy/Girl On Top!

In the unforgettable words of Chris Haueter: always be the guy on top, and when on top, stay on top. Everyone who has been grappling for at least a while understands how crucial a versatile top game is for success and progress in BJJ.

The premise can be seen throughout grappling martial arts. From Judo and Wrestling to Sambo all grappling martial arts favor top positions, whether it is in a sports or self-defense setting. As Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers a lot more threats from the bottom, mostly by way of guard variations, learning how to be dominant from the top is much more challenging, but also rewarding.

Being on top puts you in cruise control, even if you have to deal with the opponent’s guard. Simply by making them carry your weight, you’re making them put in twice the amount of effort you do. Not to mention having nowhere to move behind them, courtesy of the mats.

Heather Jo Clark chose to focus on the half guard as the quintessential top position in Jiu-Jitu in her 10th Planet Top Game DVD instructional. Simply sitting on the bottom person’s leg is more than enough to put you in a position where you restrict movement, put pressure on, and can proceed to submit directly or by gaining more dominant positions. Smart play.

DVD Review: Heather Jo Clark's 10th Planet Top Game
10th Planet Top Game DVD Free Technique Video

10TH PLANET TOP GAME HEATHER JO CLARK DVD DOWNLOAD!!!

Stay On Top!

Just listen to Chris and whenever you’re on top, stay there! Since this is easier said than done, the 10th Planet Top Game BJJ DVD by Heather Jo Clark is a great resource to help you figure out how to set up and use one of the best top positions in BJJ – the top half guard.

Whether you’re looking to improve your top game for grappling or need the best position to unleash merciless ground and pound in MMA, the safety and versatility of the top half guard mean that there is no need to look past this position. using an unorthodox approach such as the 10th Planet Top Game only increases your effectiveness by introducing the element of surprise.

What A Year Of Doing 10th Planet Warm Ups Has Taught Me

Rubber Guard: The Meathook DVD by Brandon McCaghren

 

https://bjj-world.com/15-fastest-jiu-jitsu-black-belt-promotions-history-bjj/

Jozef Chen DVD Review: Engaging Without Regrets

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Jozef Chen DVD Review: Engaging Without Regrets

Trust the B-Team to do unexpected stuff in the world of Jiu-Jitsu. Nope, it is not another crazy CJI announcement by Craig Jones, but rather a very productive Jozef Chen DVD instructional covering a subject most people not named Danaher does not even attempt to approach in a DVD – engagement.

How to connect yourself to your opponent in a way that puts you in a dominant position is the key to winning BJJ exchanges. Since every roll and match is just a collection of these exchanges, and distance management is crucial in each of them, you understand how a resource such as the Engaging Without Regrets DVD has been sorely missing.

Chen’s one and only BJJ instructional to date covers this subject in a way that black belts should be envious of. Check out what you can find inside in our review below!

Key Takeaways

  • 2-part No-Gi BJJ instructional with nearly 2 houses of material.  
  • A rare resource for managing distance from top and bottom in BJJ.   
  • Contains games for developing distance management skills in grappling. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

ENGAGING WITHOUT REGRETS JOZEF CHEN DVD HERE!!!

Engaging Without Regrets Jozef Chen DVD Review
Engaging Without Regrets Jozef Chen DVD Trailer

Distance Management in Jiu-Jitsu

The most useless you can feel as a grappler if you find yourself in a situation where you can’t engage with someone. You’d be surprised how often this scenario appears on the mats, particularly during the standing portion of rolls and matches.

Grappling martial arts such as BJJ only works if you can literally grab your opponent. During exchanges between two grapplers,  given how dangerous grips can be, it is not strange to see a wary approach that is all about outmaneuvering the opponent’s grip game.

This is very intricate and complex which is why sometimes there is just no way to get grips on an opponent who does not like to fight against them. Such exchanges often end up frustrating at least one of the grapplers, which is why distance management and ways to engage are so crucial concepts we need to address in the BJJ World.

As I constantly teach my students, when you can’t get grips, get closer! Movement is what is going to open up opportunities and break down the opponent’s defenses. It is noticeable in the style of some of the world’s top grapplers, and how much attention they devote to distance and engagement training.

One such rising star of the professional Jiu-Jitsu circuit is Jozef Chen, a young grappler who has been taking the world by storm. His style is evident in his fights, and his thoughts on the subject are now available in his ‘Engaging Without Regrets’ Jozef Chen DVD.

The Latest Grappling Prodigy – Jozef Chen

Jozef Chen is the one to watch in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu these days. And I mean that literally. Watching Chen compete is always an edge-of-the-seat experience, as the B-team representative blends together the crazy movement of Garry Tonnon with the crazy high submission rate of Craig Jones.

At the moment (2024) still only a brown belt, Chen has submitted a bunch of ultra-high-level professional grapplers, such as Tommy Langhaker, Oliver Taza, and Elijah Dorsey. He conquered the -77kg division in the latest ADCC European trials, also winning the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award by Flo Grappling.

Chen, style, while still in development, is proving to be the big talk of the BJJ World these days. So far, the German-born grappler has not shared many of the tips and tricks up his sleeves, until he released this first Instructional. The Engaging Without Regrets Jozef Chen DVD is what we are going to review very thoroughly today.

Engaging Without Regrets Jozef Chen DVD Review

This NO-GI instructional is put together in a way that is unusual for BJ DVDs these days. It contains only 2 volumes about an hour each, with lots of short chapters, similar to how wrestling instructionals are formatted:

Engaging Without Regrets Jozef Chen DVD Review:

JOZEF CHEN DVD ENGAGING WITHOUT REGRETS DOWNLOAD!!!

Part 1 – Posture and Folding

As the very first ever Jozef Chen DVD instructional kicks off, Chen starts off strong by talking about the underlying concepts that help you figure out engagements in grappling. Posture is his first focus, presented mostly from the perspective of seated guards.

I enjoyed that his entire instructional is organized as some kind of an analysis. The first few chapters covering posture, for example, revolve around analyzing both the risks and advantages of playing guard seated and supine and how they relate to posture.

The larger part of the instructional builds off of this foundation, moving on to explore what makes pins tick, and the best practices for keeping your opponent down. As promised, the instructional focuses on showing you how to engage with an opponent from the top, mainly by recognizing and dominating the grip fight game.

Part 2 – Using Movements & Game Design

The second, and regrettably, last part of the Engaging Without Regrets Jozef Chen DVD is another 1-hour long volume with lots of content. In it, Chen covers how to deal with different guards, such as the shin-on-shin, sit-up guard, and modern inverted and leg lock guards.

Half of the volume dissects the guards and covers specific movements, such as the cross step and back step as means of engaging while simultaneously conquering space. As a backup in case passing engagements fail, Chen offers what I believe to be the best top-game strategy: how to prevent the opponent from standing up.

The DVD concludes with nearly 30 minutes of footage demonstrating games to help integrate the concepts above. I appreciate that Chen uses games with both partners active, rather than boring old drills, as I find them to be the perfect tool for learning. grappling.

Engagement Tactics

At the end of the day, you’re only going to be as good as you connect to your opponent. While grips have a major role to play in this area of grappling, they are most definitely not the only thing to consider as you try to outsmart your opponent.

Managing distance, timing, and direction are key concepts that allow you to fold your opponent, breaking their posture from both top and bottom, as you get yourself to dominant positions and/or submissions. The problem is, not many schools teach this.

It is true that most of the “feel” for distance and engagements is going to happen as you put time on the mats, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan your engagement tactics as part of your game plan. How you move is going to dictate what you and your opponent can grip, which later sets the tone, and often the outcome of the entire match.

Conclusion

I am pretty careful with conceptual framework BJJ DVDs as they can leave you more confused than when you started. This Jozef Chen DVD, fortunately, is not such an example. In fact, I appreciate the efficient order and format in which he delivers the info, not wasting any time.

it is safe to say that I can’t wait for more material from the young prodigy, and I expect nothing but fireworks if Engaging Without Regrets DVD is the standard. Finally, an instructional I can use as a coach to help make my students better at getting the first grips!

BJJ Grips & Grip Positions For Gi And No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu

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Rickson Gracie on How to close the distance in a fight!

Marinhotine: Master the Guillotine Pedro Marinho DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Marinhotine: Master the Guillotine Pedro Marinho DVD Review

So, another Guillotine variation has emerged in the BJJ World, adding even more variety to one of the most variable chokes in the sport. The Marinhotine variation, named after the popular Gracie Barra competitor Pedro Marinho, offers an easy twist that makes the choke tighter in an instant.

If you’ve ever seen Pedro Marinho compete, you’ve seen his signature guillotine, his highest percentage submission in professional Jiu-Jitsu.  Now, he shares the tweaks and modifications he does to achieve it in his 5-part Guillotine Pedro Marinho DVD. As usual, we have the inside scoop on what to expect:

Key Takeaways

  • 5-part No-Gi BJJ instructional with nearly 3 houses of material.  
  • A blueprint for using the Guillotine from every position in BJJ.    
  • Features a modified Guillotine version that is very effective. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.

GRAB THE MARINHOTINE DVD HERE!!!

Marinhotine: Pedro Marinho DVD Review
Marinhotine: Pedro Marinho DVD Trailer

Guillotine: The Most Practical BJJ Choke

If you’re not using the Guillotine as part of your BJJ game, then you’re setting yourself up to fail. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the Gi, in a pair of shorts, or fighting on the street corner, the guillotine is a a winning checkpoint to reach.

As a choke, it is arguably the most powerful choke in the entire game. It is efficient to use from the top, from the bottom, during escapes, and even in standing. And, if you learn to move with the guillotine, then you’ll be able to make the choke tighter with every positional change, racking up points along the way.

Many of the most popular competitors use the guillotine, from Renzo Gracie, through Marcelo Garcia, all the way to Gordon Ryan and Craig Jones, relied on the guillotine choke many times as a reliable way to win at the highest levels of BJJ. This fact alone shows how important introducing it into your game can be.

The guillotine choke is also one of the most modified BJJ submissions. All these modifications are possible because of the power and versatility of this strangle. Many people have developed new and unstoppable variations, such as the Marcelotine, the Mackenzitine, and in recent years, the Marinhotine.

Gracie Barra’S Pedro Marinho

Pedro Marinho is a 28-year-old professional grappler who represents the Gracie Barra team. A black belt under Ulpiano Malachias, Pedro has been dominating the professional BJJ World since his purple belt days, when he started defeating seasoned black belts first.

Originally from Rio, Marinho grew up with martial arts. From, Capoeira and Muay Thai, through boxing, Pedro jumped to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu just before he turned 18, and has been dominating ever since. Originally a Brazilian Top Team representative, Marinho got associated with GB through Felipe Pena and his FP Folden Team, which recruited him in 2017.

Since then, Pedro Marinho has gotten lots of exposure, winning major titles along the way, and even running into the King Gordon Ryan in the 2019 ADCC. Some of Pedro’s accolades include the following:

  • IBJJF No Gi Worlds Double Champion
  • IBJJF American Nationals Champion
  • WNO World Champion

Everyone who’s seen Marinho grapple knows the threat that his Guillotine choke brings. He is deadly with the move, in both Gi and No-Gi, amassing 15 of his 39 submission wins to Guillotine chokes. Now, he shares some of his secrets in the Guillotine Pedro Marinho DVD we’re reviewing today.

What’s Inside the Marinhotine Pedro Marinho DVD

The Marinhotine is a Pedro Marinho DVD covering the subject of Guillotine chokes and attacks from the front headlock position. It is a No-Gi instructional, containing five volumes, with a total runtime of almost 3 hours, demonstrated by one of the most impressive competitors these days: 

Part 1 – Standing Guillotine Attacks

As mentioned, the guillotine is much more than just a choke and starts with correct positioning from as early as standing up. Pedro covers a few interesting ways to see t up the Sandown, as the main entry into the guillotine variation he dubbs “the Marinhotine'”.

This part of the DVD also contains chapters on jumping guillotines, something that I find to be cringe-worthy, and a few very effective and easy-to-get foot sweep – Guillotine combinations. He also covers some grip positioning dilemmas, optimizing the control of the front headlock.

Part 2 – Takedowns with the Guillotine

Once in position to execute the Guillotine, Marinho starts talking about takedowns beginning from a defensive perspective. He covers a way of setting up a guillotine choke against the double leg takedown that might even work, as well as a few single leg counters.

As he turns to offense, Pedro explores how to combine takedown threats and Guillotines, using Uchi Mata variations and body locks. I liked that he kept working the sequences even after achieving takedown, with this part of the Guillotine Pedro Marinho DVD concluding with side control counterattacks.

Part 3 – Seated Guillotine

As Marinho changes levels with his Marinhotine system he begins attacks from the bottom, using mostly seated scenarios. He uses the position to lure opponents down, setting up snap downs and wrestling guillotine combinations that don’t seem too refined.

The second portion of this volume covers something a lot more practical, which is counter-passing guillotine tactics, mostly centered around the head and arm-in Guillotine choke variation.

Part 4 – Sweeping with Guillotines

Past the halfway point of this instructional, Marinho remains in the guard, going deeper into guarder situations His first guard of choice is the half guard, emerging as a launching pad for several different guillotine chokes and sweeps.

In fact, for the most part of this instructional, the sweeps are the star. Marinho demonstrates how to use the Marinhotine from half guard to get to mount or transition into passing using the knee slice.

Part 5 – Marinhotine Passing

The final portion of the Marinhotine DVD by Pedro Marinho continues from the previous volume, delivering a host of different passing options. Most options revolve around a bottom person playing the seated guard.

Pedro covers several ways of defusing seated guards using this approach, passing either to the outside or between the legs. Wrapping up in style, Marinho leaves the rolling Guillotine to pass/choke for the last chapter.

The More Guillotine Variations, The Better

As this Guillotine Pedro Marinho DVD shows, Marinho has been so successful with the guillotine because he finds ways to make it his own. His variation is now a part of the Guillotines pool that you can use to tweak and fine-tune your own version.

Keep in mind, though, that some Guillotine variations only work for a certain type of people, requiring specific athletic capabilities. While the Marinhotine is not one of those, and as such, is a welcome addition to Guillotine choke variations. do not expect the setups to work just as well for you.

As a guillotine choke aficionado, I welcome some of Marinho’s concepts (definitely not all of them) as having the potential to improve guillotine efficiency and raise the threat level of this submission even further.

Master the Marinhotine: Pedro Marinho DVD Review
Free : Pedro Marinho DVD Marinhotine technique Video

MARINHOTINE: PEDRO MARINHO GUILLOTINE DVD DOWNLOAD!!!

Excelling at Strangles from the Front

The Marinhotine BJJ DVD instructional by Pedro Marinho definitely has what it takes to improve your Guillotine, particularly if you’re new to it, or have never used it competitively. It paints a great picture of how the Guillotine position transcends positions in BJJ, allowing for universal control.

As such, the Guillotine Pedro Marinho DVD is a great addition to any grappler’s toolbox, particularly those who like to compete in No-Gi.

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Basic Bitch Knee Cuts: A Ffion Davies DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Basic Bitch Knee Cuts: A Ffion Davies DVD Review

People’s annoying guards giving you trouble during rolls? It is time to up your passing game and start creating problems for them! Achieving this starts with understanding the most powerful passing direction in the sport, and building a passing game that always leads to it.

Since there’s hardly anyone better then knee cutting than Ffion Davies, her  Basic Bitch Knee Cuts BJJ DVD makes sense as your resource of choice. To be honest, Ffion is one of the rare competitors who are as great at teaching as they are at breaking limbs. So, fan of the knee cut or not, the information in this Ffion Davies Knee Cut DVD is going to make you better at BJJ for sure. You want that, right?

Key Takeaways

  • Gi DVD instructional, containing around two and a half hours of knee cut passes.
  • Organized to start from inside the closed guard, all the way to pass combos.    
  • A Ffion Davies masterclass on pinning opponents even before you pass them. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

GRAB THE BASIC BITCH KNEE CUTS FFION DAVIES DVD HERE!!!

Ffion Davies DVD Review: Basic Bitch Knee Cuts:
Basic Bitch Knee Cuts Ffion Davies DVD Trailer

The Art of Guard Passing in BJJ

One of the absolute most difficult things to do in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is deal with the guard. There are so many different guards available to bottom players, and so many different types of attachments that trying to make sense of it all is just overwhelming.

The thing that I find perplexes grapplers more than anything else is how to approach the bottom person’s guard. Do you stand, kneel, half kneel, move freely, or pressure closely? All these are valid questions, but the answers to each and all of them are, unfortunately, constantly changing.

Apart from the chaos of standing and takedowns, passing a guard in Jiu-Jitsu is truly an art form, as you have to adapt to the environment and what the bottom person is doing and find creative ways to remove their legs from the equation. to that extent, passing offers several distinct directions in which you can move:

    1. Through the legs
    2. Around the legs
    3. Under the legs, and
    4. Over the legs.

Each of these methods of passing has its strong sides and drawbacks. However, if I had to choose only one direction to use for the rest of my grappling days, I’d go for passing through the legs. Understandably, I was very excited to take an in-depth look at the BFFion Davies’ DVD dubbed “Basic Bitch Knee Cuts”.

It’s Ffion, not Fiona

There is nothing much I can do to portray Ffion Davies to someone who has not seen her grapple, although I doubt many of those are reading this particular review. One of the top European grappling competitors of all time, the best female UK competitor, and Welsh Judo Champion Ffion is a black belt under the now legendary Darragh O’Conaill,  one of the best coaches in the UK.

Ffion only got her black belt a few years ago in 2018, and has since conquered the ADCC, the IBJJF Worlds in Gi and No-Gi, as well as the European and Brazilian Nationals. Quite the pedigree in a very short time at black belt, and I haven’t even mentioned all the superfights she’s won recently.

The one thing missing from Ffion’s rising grappling legacy, at least until recently, were BJJ DVD instructionals covering some of the best aspects of her game (like guard passing). While busy competing constantly, and with CJI in her sights come August 20204, she still managed to issue a few recent Ffion Davies DVD instructional that are as high-quality as her performances on the mats.

Detailed Basic Bitch Knee Cuts Ffion Davies Review

The Basic Bitch Knee Cuts Ffion Davies DVD is a four-part BJJ instructional that lasts over two and a half hours. Davies demonstrates the techniques in the Gi, but almost everything is directly transferrable to No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu as well:

Part 1 – Opening the Closed Guard

Unlike most other BJJ instructionals out there, Ffion does not care for skipping over the hardest parts. In fact, she starts her DVD in one of the toughest sports in BJJ – the closed guard.

Before the Basic Bitch Knee Cuts DVD goes into actual knee cuts, Davies addresses different ways to deal with the closed guard by focusing on opening it up. She covers how opponents tend to react, and how you can use those reactions to immediately set up a knee cut pass position.

The best part of the first volume? Ffion’s chapter on how to avoid getting trapped in the closed guard in the first place.

Part 2 – Flying Knee Cuts

Yes, you read it right. While not immediately, this part of the Ffion Davies DVD does contain flying versions of the knee cut pass. Before getting airborne, though, Ffion talks about setting up the knee cut as you raise from a kneeling/half-kneeling position.

The flying portions of the DVD appear as part of combos, with either a back take or armbar, and involve spinning motions. Davies does a great job of making them seem simple enough, though, and they’re not risky at all, given that they are flying moves.

She warps this part of the DVD up with a section covering how to render the underhook half guard useless using knee cuts.

Part 3 – Switch Knee Cuts

Past the halfway of this Ffion Davies Knee Cut instructional,  FfiFfi from the Bronx goes into the art of switching your knee cuts side-to-side, which was a fairly recent revelation of mine. The cross knee cut has never been my forte, but it is a very powerful pass, especially when you combine it with the straight knee cut.

I really enjoyed the part about beating the lasso guard using a knee cut to fortify your base and put tons of tension on the bottom person’s grips. Ffion shares a lot of smash pass variations and follow-ups all resulting from a strong starting knee cut position.

Part 4 – Combo Passes

As the Basic Bitch Knee Cuts comes to a close, Davies goes over some more advanced passing sequences, putting together not just different knee cuts, but blending different passing directions into one as well.

Even more lasso passing options appear here, as well as interesting integrations of Lovato’s headquarters passing system. Finally, Ffion shows how she frustrates leg lockers by showing a very effective way of destroying the Single-leg X guard by using a knee cut.

Passing Through the Legs

The one skill you absolutely have to master as a grappler, Gi or No-Gi is the passing direction that goes through the opponent’s legs. Slicing the legs open is a great way of immediately cutting the guard dangers in half, which allows for more time and options to get past the knees and into effective pins.

Personally, I prefer this manner of passing because it creates a problem that the bottom person has to address if they want to be dangerous with sweeps and submissions – the existence of a bottom leg.

Pinning one leg to the mats, in any manner that appeals to you is a great way of reducing the entire guard arsenal the boot player has to a handful of guards. Now, you won’t be overwhelmed by the potential threats and passing options, as you know that the opponents can’t sweep or submit you without being able to get their leg off the mats.

The knee cut pass achieves exactly this, and in the most effective, and often painful, way possible. As you can see throughout this Ffion Davies DVD the knee cut is not just a speedy way past an opponent’s guard, but rather a pressure position that can break even the most stubborn grapplers.

Basic Bitch Knee Cuts: Ffion Davies DVD
Free Ffion Davies Knee Cut DVD Technique

FFION DAVIES KNEE CUT DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Cut Your Way Through Any Guard!

The Basic Bitch Knee Cuts Ffion Davies DVD is a goldmine of information on introducing and using the knee cut as your main option for breaking down the guard game of opponents much bigger and more skilled than yourself.

Davies made this instructional the perfect resource for beginners who struggle to make sense of the closed guard, to advanced competitors who are looking for ways to chain different passes together.

Since you need one of each passing direction in your game to be creating you can deal with BJJ guards, why not make this Ffion Davies Knee Cut instructional the centerpiece of your ‘through the legs’ game?

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Next Level No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Next Level No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally DVD Review

Have you ever competed in a No-Gi BJJ tournament? If you have, you know how demanding and confusing it can be, particularly when you feel like you know Jiu-Jitsu, but the sweat and pace of matches make it impossible for you to showcase it.

Building a reliant and evolving BJJ competition game is a foundational step in every competitor’s career, but for No-Gi, stepping on the mats without one is simply a waste of time. The Next Level No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally is a DVD instructional tackling the subject of building a game you can use and grow as you navigate the No-Gi competition circuit. Here is what you can expect to find in it:

Key Takeaways

  • A No-Gi BJJ instructional, covering standing, guarded, and pinning competition strategies
  • Step-by-step guide on building a fool-proof No-Gi game by a top competitor.   
  • Very useful information for both athletes and coaches.
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

GRAB THE NEXT LEVEL NO-GI STRATEGIES DVD HERE!!!

DVD Review: Next Level No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally
See Trailer: Sam McNally Next Level No-Gi Strategies

How To Build a Comprehensive No-Gi Game

one of the questions I get asked very often, particularly by competitors, is how to put together a game that fits their strong sides. While it is a great question on their side and requires a lot of dedication from mine, the first thing I ask in return is whether they plan on competing with Gi or No-Gi.

While the key foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu exchanges remain the same regardless of training or competition attire, there are significant differences in how you should approach the Gi and No-Gi games. Out of those two, your No-Gi strategy requires more effort and careful thought.

The reason for this is simple – No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu is far more dynamic in nature. Nothing really happens slowly, and as time goes by, sweat starts to become a significant hurdle to making everything you intend to do work.

There are a host of different aspects in addition to dynamics and slipperiness, such as grips, optimal guards to play, strong vs. weak attachments, escape tactics, etc to consider. Building a No-Gi game is no easy feat, but luckily, you can do it even by yourself now, as resources such as this BJJ DVD, dubbed “No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally” offer a great framework.

Sam McNally, A Next Generation BJJ Competitor

Sam McNally is an Irish BJJ black belt and competitive grappler representing the East Coast Jiu-Jitsu Academy from Ireland. He has been training under Darragh O’Conaill his entire grappling career, going through all the belts under the most proficient European middleweight out there.

As a competitor, McNally is on the rise, representing the new wave of Jiu-jitsu competitors who all seem to have very well-rounded and lightning-fast games.  The lightweight has already won the ADC European trials, medal in the IBJJF Europeans and won the London, and Dublin Open in 2019 and 2022 respectively. You might also remember him as the man who beat Garry Tonnon at ADCC 2022.

Despite being a very skilled competition in both Gi and No-gi Sam leans more towards grappling without the kimono, as he has proven throughout his high-level competitive career stemming from his purple belt days onward.

He always has very well-worked out and efficient strategies for his matches, which many attributed to the immense knowledge and experience of his coach, Darragh O’Conaill. Without a doubt, Darragh has the main say, but as is evident from the Next Level No-Gi Strategies instructional, Sam has a really good take on how to put together a competitive strategy too!

Next Level No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally DVD Review

No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally is a BJJ DVD instructional that is divided into three parts. Each part covers one of the main aspects of Jiu-Jitsu: standing, guarded, and pinning, focusing on how to make it optional for a No-Gi setting:

Part 1 – Standing Strategies

When it comes to standing exchanges, only wrestling gets more chaotic than No-Gi grappling. Just ask ADCC photographers. Sam begins his instructional with an overview of the most common issues grapplers run into during standing No-Gi exchanges and how to fix them.

He begins with defense, which is a smart way to ensure you develop confidence while standing. After all, if they can’t take you down, there’s not much opponents can do. McNally relies on grips and motion to ensure you’re safe enough to launch your own attacks.

Offensively speaking he leans towards the front headlock and bodylocking, which is a smart approach that will benefit grapplers of all levels. He prefers drag downs to takedowns, landing oy either in top control, or a passing situation you can control and use to advance.

Part 2 – Guard Tactics

As the Next Level No-Gi Strategies DVD goes to the ground, Sam begins by addressing the No-Gi guard, a source of lots of frustration among grapplers. He begins with some foundational concepts of guard retention, outlining the directions and goals of guard attacks.

Only then does McNally demonstrate specific guards to launch those attacks, sticking mainly to the De La Riva vs. a standing opponent. Most of t submission attacks against standing passers involve inside positioning that leads to Ashi Garami leg locks.  He also covers lots of leg entanglement sweeps that are very useful.

When dealing with kneeling opponents, Sam prefers to play a knee shield guard, allowing him head control that helps attain armbars and triangles that further open up sweep opportunities if they don’t pan out.

Part 3 – Top Position Dominance

Pinning and being a nuisance from top positions is the final aspect of building a No-Gi game that Sam McNally addresses in his DVD. He begins where most pass end – in side control, and works his way through the pins lading to the mount and back.

From the mount, he demonstrates a very sneaky chain involving triangles, Monoplatas, and armbars that create a trilemma. When in control of the back mount, Sam shows his favorite straight jacket attacks from the chair sitting position, opting for shoulder locks over chokes.

Concluding the No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally area few chapters covering wrist locks that help tie all the top position attacks together by focusing the opponent’s attention on defending this pesky submission.

Next Level No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally
Watch Free Sample: See Trailer: SNext Level No-Gi Strategies by Sam McNally

NEXT LEVEL NO-GI STRATEGIES BY SAM MCNALLY AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Developing Your Own No-Gi Game

When you’re thinking about putting together a complete game plan for No-Gi competition, remember that the more external information you can get, the better your game will be. this means talking to your coaches, maybe even doing a private on the subject, as well as looking at video footage of yourself rolling/competing without the Gi.

After figuring out your strong side,s you need to do the hardest part and admit your weaknesses.s this is why you need to involve other people, especially those who won’t shy away from telling you what you suck at.

Once you know your strong sides and weaknesses, you can use the Next Level No-Gi Strategies DVD by Sam McNally as a blueprint for building a complete No-Gi game around the things that work the best in a tournament setting.

Strategies to Dominate in No-Gi

The No-Gi Strategies By Sam McNally can be an instructional that you get at white belt and keep using until the day you decide to hang the rashguard. It is based on the best-performing tactics and moves that work in modern Jiu-Jitsu these days, and Sam has tested himself on the biggest stage. Whether you are a competitor or a coach looking to build competitors, this DVD is one you need in your collection.

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Jason Rau DVD Review: Dynamic Ankle Locks

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Jason Rau DVD Review: Dynamic Ankle Locks

Before there was the heel hook, we had ankle locks. Nobody really loved them, but not many people tried to get them banned either. They lingered in the grey zone, only used by folks brave enough to introduce some variety to a sport dominated by upper-body submissions.

As Danaher’s Death Squad emerged out of the blue basement and started taking names and collecting legs, the awareness of leg locks in the BJJ community quickly changed, but the status of ankle locks did not really change.

One of the early members of the notorious Danaher Death Squad is now shedding new light on a submission many people take for granted. The Dynamic Ankle Locks Jason Rau DVD is exactly the resource to reignite your interest in one of the most powerful submissions in grappling.

Key Takeaways

  • No-Gi BJJ DVD, with just under 2 hours of modern ankle lock concepts.
  • Chapters covering how the techniques work against a resisting opponent.    
  • Taught by one of the original Danaher Death Squad members. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

DOWNLOAD DYNAMIC LEG LOCKS JASON RAU DVD HERE!!!

Dynamic Ankle Locks DVD by Jason Rau
Check Out the Dynamic Ankle Locks Jason Rau DVD

Ankle Locks – The Gateway Leg Lock

With heel hooks now being a part of grappling life instead of the boogeyman leg lock that everyone had to be scared to death of, they seem to have completely taken over as the one and only lower-body submission people opt for. While powerful without a doubt, the hell hokk is not the only option you have of tapping someone out using their ankle and foot.

Foot locks, or ankle locks, call them as you wish, were the primary weapon of choice for those brave enough to attempt them in competitions before Danaher changed the leg-locking landscape of the BJJ World. The ankle lock remains one of the strongest and most versatile leg locks you can use to this day, while still staying legal at all levels of Gi and No-Gi competition.

I get the infatuation with the most efficient tactic available, and the heel hook definitely fits the description, but let’s not forget that ankle locks will actually make your heel hooks a lot better. There is an intricate interplay between ankle locks and heel hooks from Ashi Garami that you see in every top-level leg locker’s arsenal.

One such resource, outlining the complete approach a world-class leg locker has to ankle locks is the Jason Rau DVD Dynamic Ankle Locks. It provides an insight into how a modern-day leglocker uses every possible submission at his disposal to build a scary sub-only game.

The No-Gi Destroyer: Jason Rau

Jason Rau is a grappler that everyone who is into leg locks has encountered. He is a Matt Serra black belt, which places him among the best leg lockers in the world since he had the chance to spend a lot of time training with Danaher in the Blue Basement of Renzo Gracie’s NYC Academy.

After Rau got his black belt from Serra in 2016, after just 6 years of training, he spent a lot of time competing in submission-only events, racking up an impressive record of 50 submission finishes out of 56 matches he won. 36 of those matches he won by leg locks.

Most of his competitive efforts were a result of training and competing as part of the Danaher Death Squad back in the day when they were tearing it up on the sub-only scene using leg locks. Jason has several important titles from that period, most notably in Sapaitero, Kasai Pro and RISE.

Jason has kept developing his submission-hunting game even after the Squad fell apart, and he opted to keep training in NYC, sticking to Matt Serra’s gym and the RGA. His Dynamic Ankle Locks DVD is the latest in a series of BJJ instructionals he has released trying to demonstrate and teach his approach to No-Gi sub-only BJJ.

Detailed “Dynamic Ankle Locks” Jason Rau DVD Review

The Dynamic Ankle Locks DVD is a three-part series that contains just under 2 hours of video material on the ankle lock and how to integrate it into the modern Jiu-Jitsu game. Since Rau has been a competitor for most of his grappling career, everything in this DVD is highly effective and tournament-tested, leaving you with a great resource to up your leg lock attacks:

Part 1 – General Concepts

The first portion of this Jason Rau DVD addresses the general concepts of leg locking and where ankle locks fit into the system. He begins by covering the key grips that allow you to connect to the opponent’s leg, before going into leg positioning and how to enhance the power of your grips by blocking their hips.

Rau also covers the ankle lock itself, and the mechanics involved in finishing it. He also shares an interesting way to dig for the ankle using the Outside Ashi position, which opens up a ton of different leg-locking options in addition to it.

Part 2 – Ankle Lock Finishes

The second volume of the Dynamic Ankle Locks DVD by Jason Rau is all about finishing ankle locks. It is the longest volume in the series and features an hour of braking mechanics from different guards and using different grip configurations.

I really enjoyed Jason’s way of dealing with opponents who stand up in his Ashi, getting them immediately down to the Y-guard, and following up with an ankle lock regardless of how they finish – hand on the mats, belly down, or with their butt on the mats.

Rau then goes on to explore the Aoki lock as a wonderful alternative to the traditional ankle lock grip. I prefer this one anyway, so I enjoyed expanding my understanding of how it works, who to switch back and forth from the traditional ankle lock, and use it from a bunch of top and bottom positions.

The final chapter of this volume deserves a special mention, because not many grapplers dedicate time to demonstrate how their techniques and setups fare against resisting opponents.

Part 3 – Ankle Lock Combos

In the final portion of this leg-lock-hunting Jason Rau DVD, we get a masterclass of how we can connect an ankle lock grip to the rest of Jiu-Jitsu, from heel hooks to back takes. Jason explores different scenarios where ankle locks fail and how you can make the most out of the knee position, whether rotated towards the inside or outside to remain a menace.

Follow-up attacks include the bear trap, back entries, kneebar setups, and transitions to knee-reaping positions that take you toward the dark art of hooking heels.

The One Leg Lock to Rule Them All

The Dynamic Ankle Locks instructional is the perfect demonstration of how the humble ankle lock has a lot more to offer to grapplers than first meets the eye. Ankle locks are like the closed guard of leg locks – they are extremely efficient, but people find them boring and like to do fancy, complex moves like Imanari Roll Heel Hooks instead.

We should approach ankle locks in the same manner as we approach closed guards – we can’t neglect to work on the basics. While straight ankle locks might not be the highest percentage finish, they open up other submissions such as heel hooks, as well as provide routes to dominate positions like the back, truck, or mount.

let’s not forget that ankle lock finishing has evolved with different grips transforming them into very potent weapons that remain legal. Just take the Aoki Lock, reverse ankle lock, or the Mikey Lock as examples.

Dynamic Ankle Locks Jason Rau DVD Review
See a free sample from Jason Rau’s Dynamic Ankle Locks DVD

JASON RAU DYNAMIC LEG LOCKS DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Being Relentless with Leg Attacks

With every Jason Rau DVD, you learn the dynamic side of No-Gi grappling. His Dynamic Ankle Locks is just another addition to this dynamic grappling series, exploring how you can use the ankle lock as your centerpiece leg lock and have incredible success in BJJ competitions. Since there are no legal concerns attached to this submission, there’s no reason to think twice about getting this DVD now!

10 Best Leg Locks DVDs and Digital Instructionals

Leg Locks 101: A Guide to Positions, Submissions, Dangers, And Rules

The Caio Terra Ankle Lock: De La Riva Guard Game Changer

Danaher Death Squad – Everything About DDS

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