360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD Review [2024]

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360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD Review

Key Takeaways

A 2-part Gi instructional that deconstructs the main concepts and motions behind guard retention.
Contains only concepts, guiding you through the key goals a guard player has.
Offers several key mobility partner drills and exercises to improve BJJ guards.
BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

360 DEGREES GUARD RETENTION THIAGO ABUD DVD AVAILABLE HERE:

360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD Preview — WATCH FULL TRAILER: 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD

Can you stay on your guard without attacking for a full 5-minute round? If the answer is ‘no’ you need to consider picking up the 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD and working on that issue, unless you enjoy having your guard passed constantly.

Even if the answer is ‘yes’ you should still think about picking this instructional up. It offers a conceptual framework that covers every crucial aspect of staying in any BJJ guard that you want. As such, it is applicable to everyone, of every level, and both Gi and No-Gi. If your instructors have not paid attention to teach you the art of guard retention first, then Thiago’s DVD is your new best BJJ buddy.

How Long Can You Keep Your Guard?

If someone asked you to pick a guard, any guard you want, and keep your training partner in it for as long as possible, would you be able to do it? While it seems straightforward, I’d bet upward of 70% of people will fail miserably to keep the guard they choose for the duration of a standard 5-minute round.

Simply having a guard structure is as far removed from having a successful guard as Conor McGregor is from a UFC return. What people seem to think happens in guard is that they magically start working once you get to the position. Well, it is not quite as simple.

First of all, you need to use your legs actively to adjust your positioning constantly if you want to remain in a guarded position. Moreover, you need to actually pull/push/twist, etc with your grips, rather than just gently hold the sleeve of your opponent and think that miraculously you’ll end up sweeping them.

In fact, let me now ask you this: How can you attack from the guard when you can’t stay in the guard long enough? Keeping a guard is an ability that everyone in grappling should learn first in terms of guard and practice daily. Since this is not the case, the silver bullet to help your guard retention comes in the form of the 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD.

The Inspiring Story of Thiago Abud

Would you give up a stable and high-paying job just to compete in BJJ and teach full-time? Not many people are ready to dive into the unknown by embracing BJJ as their sole focus, especially not after they turn 30. Thiago Abud is one of the handful of folks who have made this transition, and he has excelled at it.

The Brazilian-born grappler began training Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 14, after previously switching to Judo from soccer, where he played intentionally at club level. Safe to say, has been an athletic guy his entire life. Thiago picked up BJJ after joining Fernando Yamasaki’s gym, going through the juvenile belts and eventually his blue belt under his guidance.

Abud was an avid competitor who saw his dreams cut short by an arm injury that he suffered at 16. It took him a long while to recover from it and remained a recreational grappler, training at Murilo Santana’s academy.

However, despite finishing law school and working in the field, Abud had an itch to scratch and decided to drop everything and return to professional Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 30. A world Masters title and a bunch of other accolades in the sport since have confirmed his decision.

A very detail-oriented grappler, the Unity Jiu-Jitsu representative now offers an insight into how he sets up his unpassable guards through the 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD.

360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD Review

The 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD is a two-part BJJ DVD instructional that contains concepts rather than techniques. The material, which Thiago presents with the Gi, is applicable to every guard in BJJ and will work for everyone, from white to black belt level.

Part 1 – Key Concepts

The first part of the 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD offers very cool and useful concepts to help you understand the goals you have in terms of retaining guards in BJJ. He begins with an overview of the concepts, which I found useful, even though I still had no idea what each concept meant at that point.

Most of the approaches Abud has are based on things that we know to be true and proven about guards, such as heavy hips, the role of the centerline, and directions of movement. However, he does share some interesting new aspects of this compass concept, which is the basis of the 360 retention system, and the snake strike tactic which I immediately liked.

Part 2 – Centerline & Sides

As we move on to part two, the focus narrows down to identifying your tasks and opportunities on each side as you attempt to stay in a guard of your choosing. About half of the material in this part of the 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD covers the idea of controlling your sides, switching between them, and crucial mobility drills to make it seamless.

As this volume nears the end, the central line becomes the star of the show, with Thiago breaking down how to use this concept to easily change between seated and supine guards, as well as how to pull guards without any risks of passing or leg locks.

Stay in Guard to Play Guard

Building on the stuff I said when opening this article, you need to be able to stay in a guard position if you are to have any hopes of using it against the top person. Sweps and submissions work from guard, not bottom side control, where you’ll end up the moment you try to attack someone without having a solid guard structure.

The choice of guard does not matter here – you can apply these ideas and concepts to any guard you want and then need to work. First, you need to keep your legs between you and your opponent, without them being outstretched. Next, you need meaningful grips that will help you stop them from passing and lead them to your attacks.

From there on, you can build, depending on your guard position. You can play supine or seated, open or closed guard, inverted or lapel guards – the same principles will apply. As long as you’re able to use your legs in front of your opponent and lead them where you want, you’ll have a solid guard.

The Thiago Abud Guard DVD we reviewed above contains details on setting these two crucial aspects up, along with a bunch of other really important and helpful concepts for guard retention. It is a good choice, particularly for beginners.

360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD Free Sample — FREE SAMPLE: Switching Sides From Guard 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD

FULL DOWNLOAD: RETENTION THIAGO ABUD DVD

360 Guard Trouble!

The unpassable guard does not exist, and it never will. The good news is that neither does that 100% pass, so the scales are in balance. All you need to push that balance further as a guard player is a resource such as the 360 Degrees Guard Retention Thiago Abud DVD. It will teach you how to stay in guard until you decide it is enough, which will end up frustrating even the best passers, bringing out the worst in them and giving you an edge.

Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD Review [2024]

By

Ognen Dzabirski

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Darragh O'Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD Review

Key Takeaways

A No-Gi instructional on the crucifix, containing over 3 hours of material.
Features controls, entries, and finishing from the BJJ crucifix position.
Many different setups and follow-ups, as well as a blueprint for training.
BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

DARRAGH O’CONAILL CRUCIFIX ENCYCLOPEDIA DVD GET HERE:

Darragh O'Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD Preview — WATCH FULL TRAILER: Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD

How do you get out of the crucifix position? Yeah, exactly, most folks have no idea. That is precisely why you need to turn it into one of your main attacking hubs from the back, and even prefer it to traditional back mount control.

The Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD is your go-to resource to understand exactly what the crucifix brings to the table in terms of control and submissions. Also, it is available from a bunch of different positions and scrambles, which provides an opportunistic aspect to including this submission-rich position in your game.

A Different Type of Back Control

Attacking from the back is considered to be one of the best options in BJJ, MMA, and all combat sports that involve grappling. Unless your opponent is significantly larger than you. Then, you might find the ack mount to be exhausting and not effective at all for, well, everything.

But there is still hope for smaller grapplers – the crucifix. That said, the position is not limited to small vs. big scenarios and anyone can use it any time they want. It is somewhat different than back control, but it still offers plenty of submissions, an incredible amount of control, and is easier to get to and establish.

As a drawback, we have the fact that you don’t get any points for that crucifix and the inability to follow up with leg locks since the legs are very far away. Hwoever, in al those cases where you fail to achieve anything from back control, going towards the crucifix instead is going to provide you with a lot more finishing options.

A key reason behind the success of the crucifix is that very few people seem to be using int intentionally, which makes the Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD even more valuable in terms of the subject matter it covers.

Irish BJJ Headliner Darragh O’Conaill

The UK has been a hotbed for the “production” of high-level grapplers lately, with most European big names coming from across the island. One of those names that is immediately recognizable as both a competitor and coach is Darragh O’Conaill.

The Irish-born grappler had an unusual journey through the art, starting with MMA-inspired Jiu-Jitsu back in high school after his PE teacher suggested to rugby-playing Darragh he should give it a try. From white to purple, O’Conaill trained with David Jones who was affiliated with UFC’s Chris Brennan.

It was late as a purple belt that Darragh, then a full-time coach, decided to broaden his knowledge and sought out the Ribeiro others over the pond, who eventually gave him his brown and black belt. Darragh competed heavily at all belt levels on all platforms, from IBJJF to EBI.

He has a particular affection towards all types of strangles which makes the Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD a particularly interesting one. Let’s see what it has to offer.

Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD Review

This Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD is a three-part No-Gi instructional that contains over 3 hours of incredibly resourceful material on the subject of entering, keeping, and finishing from the crucifix position:

Part 1 – Crucifix Control & Retention Basics

The opening part of the Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD starts with him explaining his approach to training and advice on how to use the information in his DD. For anyone completely new, he suggests starting with the least experienced people in the room and building your skills to the higher belts.

Crucifix-wise, he starts by going over the key details of the position in terms of control and how to use your legs, your arms, and your torso to keep a hold of your opponent. He also covers some of the most common ways that people try to get out, including sliding out, rolling over, and bridging.

The final third of the first volume launches into attacks immediately, beginning with the bottom side crucifix which you probably know, and offering a very effective submission chain. The volume wraps up with a series of top-position crucifix attacks, also offering plenty of finishing options.

Part 2 – Turtle and FHL Setups

As we get to the second volume of the instructional, Darragh moves away from the crucifix position and demonstrates how you can attain it from different positions. This particular part focuses on getting it against a turtled opponent from two different positions: hip-to-hip and the front.

In terms of hip-to-hip attacks, there is a lot of arm trapping on both sides, using the arms and the legs. While I prefer trapping the far arm with my arms first, Darragh does offer valid points for trapping the near one with the legs first. He also covers common rolling reactions and how you can use them to your advantage.

Concluding this part of the Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD is a series of front headlock entries, which features plenty of guillotines to elicit reactions out of the opponent and end up in the crucifix. O’Conaill mostly uses seated setups but also introduces inverted attacks to the mix.

Part 3 – Guard entries and Kimura Traps

As we near the conclusion of the Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD there is still more material, especially submissions to go through. The final volume is all about finding routes to the crucifix from different guard situations, such as the seated and half guard. Darragh covers both top and bottom entries and crucifix setups.

Given the close relation between the Kimura and the Crucifix, trapping the amr using the figure-four grip, which is basically a Kimura trap features heavily throughout this volume. Lots of different Kimura lock entries, finishes, and follow-ups provide even more options to play around with the crucifix while holding onto the Kimura grip.

When Back Mount Fails

The crucifix is one of the top options to have if you want to ride out a match for the ack, or actually want to improve your finishing chances with upper body submissions. It is a perfect follow-up to the classic hook-based back control, offering an incredible shoulder pin that is almost impossible to get out of.

On the other side of the spectrum, the crucifix also works as a great entry position to the back, since it is a lot easier to set up from plenty of different BJJ positions. In that sense, ti also correlates closely to side control, allowing back-and-forth action that once again ends up opening classic back attacks.

Personally, I prefer the crucifix to traditional back control because I don’t have to worry about the hips, and shoulder width makes no difference. As a smaller grappler, I find it very difficult to get the choke against folks with broad backs and wide shoulders. The crucifix is the perfect silver bullet to render both arms useless and get freebie chokes, as you’ll see in this Darragh O’Conaill DVD.

Darragh O'Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD FREE SAMPLE — FREE TECHNIQUE: Breaking Grips from the Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD

FULL DOWNLOAD: DARRAGH O’CONAILL CRUCIFIX DVD

Cross them Off!

The crucifix is a position that everyone needs in their arsenal, but not many people understand and use it purposefully. That puts you in the unique position not to capitalize greatly from the information in the Darragh O’Conaill Crucifix Encyclopedia DVD, as the lack of experience attacking the position also means people have no idea how to deal with it.

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Neil Melanson DVD Bundle Review: Filthy Brutal No Good Attacks [2024]

By

Ognen Dzabirski

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Neil Melanson DVD Bundle Review: Filthy Brutal No Good Attacks

Key Takeaways

A six-part bundle containing 6 different Neil Melanson catch wrestling DVDs.
Features DVDs on Kimuras, Guillotines, Cradles, Arm Triangles, top side control, and neck cranks.
Over 24 hours of premium material on setting up No-Gi grappling submissions
BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

NEIL MELANSON DVD BUNDLE: FILTHY ATTACKS AVAILABLE HERE:

Neil Melanson DVD Bundle Review: Filthy Brutal No Good Attacks Cover — GRAB THE Neil Melanson DVD Bundle Filthy Brutal No Good Attacks HERE

If you feel like your submissions are not really there, you should consider a more direct approach to getting taps than the multi-step moves we often focus on in BJJ. Turning to catch wrestling, where the idea is to tap someone out as fast as possible is always a smart idea for struggling grapplers.

The Filthy Brutal No Good Attacks Neil Melanson DVD Bundle contains six instructionals that offer you plenty of options in that regard. From chokes to arm locks and ultra-effective pins, one of the best grappling coaches ever offers grappling knowledge accumulated in over 30 years, boiled down to 24 hours of material. What’s not to love about it?

Submission Grappling Specialist Neil Melanson

Neil Melanson, a.k.a. “the Ground Marshall”, a.k.a. “The Godfather of Filth”. a.k.a. “( Toed Neil” is a submission grappling coach who probably knows more about grappling than anyone else, except maybe Danaher. Over the past three decades, Neil has been actively involved with grappling and has coached some of the best fighters in the world.

A military veteran and former Air Marshal, Melanson holds a black belt from the Hayastan Academy, a school dedicated to martial arts. Led by the late Judo Gene Lebel and Sambo master Gokor Chivichyan, the academy has been focusing on grappling long before any other specialized submission grappling school opened.

Neil’s unique style of grappling involves a mixture of Sambo, Judo catch wrestling, and BJJ, and he is the man behind the grappling success of top-tier MMA teams such as Xtreme Couture, Alliance MMA, and the Blackzillians.

Neil’s exceptional coaching style, attention to detail, and creativity in terms of developing ultra-painful submissions have made him one of the most sought-after and respected grappling coaches in the world. He has also been publishing DVD instructional for the better part of the last decade, and you can now check them out in collections such as the Neil Melanson DVD Bundle.

Neil Melanson DVD Bundle Review: Filthy Brutal No Good Attacks

This incredible Neil Melanson DVD Bundle contains six different jam-packed instructionals covering different aspects of catch-writing-inspired submissions for grappling. It lasts a total of 24 hours, and delivers more than what you’ll need to submit most people you meet on the mats:

Off With Their Head DVD – AVAILABLE HERE!

Subject Matter: The opening salvo of the Neil Melanson DVD Bundle is all about the arm-triangle choke, which Neil takes to new heights. In it, he covers finishing pressure, body positioning, and alternative finishing options.

Key Points Covered: Neil does not like to leave things unclear, so in this instructional, much like all of his other ones, he goes really deep into every little detail when explaining things like how to finish the arm triangle (with two arms and one) and how your body positioning helps your finish.

The DVD contains a lot of information on the ‘classic’ arm triangle choke but also a bunch of variations from different positions, including the North-South, mount, and closed guard. He also shares which submissions work best with the arm triangle, mixing in brutal catch wrestling submissions to create a very effective system.

Technical DVD specifications: This Neil Melanson DVD has four volumes, each lasting a various amount of time, but all of them totaling just under 4 hours. It is No-Gi instructional, which was expected, as I’ve never seen Neil wearing a Gi.

Filthy Neck Locks DVD – DOWNLOAD HERE

Subject Matter: Neck locks, or neck cranks, are the main focus of this Neil Melanson instructional. Legality aside, this is the most comprehensive DVD on the subject anyone has ever released.

Key Points Covered: This instructional of the Neil Melanson DVD Bundle is one you won’t find too useful if you’re competing under IBJJF rules. However, for everyone open to actually learning grappling, it contains a wealth of information on performing all kinds of neck cranks.

Neil begins by talking about diaphragm compressions, before moving on to explore face locks, and eventually, arriving at neck cranks. This part of the bundle really does justify the “filthy, brutal, no good” part of its title.

If you have no idea what neck cranks are you’ll learn everything about them. from basics to reverse neck cranks from the cement mixer. Melanson also shares the optimal positions for setting them up and finishing them, as well as plenty of ways to connect them in chains.

Technical DVD specifications: Neil Melanson dedicates a full set of six volumes to the subject of neck cranks, resulting in a total of just over three and a half hours of material.

Filthy Cross Body Attacks DVD – GET IT HERE

Subject Matter: The third part of this Neil Melanson torture-oriented DVD collection covers side control attacks, dubbed cross-body on account of Neil’s background and use of old-school wrestling terminology.

Key Points Covered: Everything you’ll ever need to submit people with leg locks, arm locks, chokes, and spinal cranks from side control is in this DVD. Neil begins by explaining how to hold people down, as trying submissions without it is pointless.

After explaining the principles of weight distribution for pinning, it is submission galore all the way to the end of this 8-part grappling instructional. If I had to point out some can’t-miss chapters, then I recommend the Bas Rutten face crank, the shoulder clamp, the filthy arm crank, and all the twisted sister variations. Everything in the DVD is incredible, though.

Technical DVD specifications: This third DVD marks the halfway point of the Neil Melanson DVD Bundle and lasts longer than previous volumes, with Neil dividing the material into eight parts. The total running time is over six and a half hours.

Cradle of Filth DVD – FULL DOWNLOAD

Subject Matter: One of the best instructional in this Neil Melanson DVD Bundle and one of Neil’s all-time greatest is his explanation of how to use the wrestling cradle for submission grappling. Positioning, entries, connections, and submissions all come together in a very powerful (and filthy) system.

Key Points Covered: The main issue with the cradle in BJJ is that it takes both your arms to hold it, leaving you no way of transitioning into better pins or submissions. Well, that’s not the case anymore.

In this instructional, Neil breaks down the cradle completely, before transforming it into a position we can use for much more than just pinning. The far and near side cradle feature throughout, and Melanosn delivers plenty of options, from Darces and crazy wrestling chokes to ‘persuading’ your opponent into giving you mount and back control.

The DVD also contains lots of different entries, starting from the front headlock and heading to guards, passing, and top pins, all the while constantly weaving in nasty submissions such as dorsal locks and toe holds. Do not miss out on the very last chapter of this instructional. I’ll leave it as a surprise.

Technical DVD specifications: This four-volume Neil Melanson DVD instructional contains lots of information jam-packed into the different parts. Each volume lasts more than an hour, with a total time of just under 5 hours.

Headhunter Guillotine Series DVD – DOWNLOAD NOW

Subject Matter: Guillotines are in everyone’s toolbox, but not everybody knows how to use them properly. After you see this Neil Melanson instructional, you’ll never fail at guillotine chokes again, particularly using his adjustments and variations.

Key Points Covered: Along with the cradle DVD, this instructional from the Neil Melanson Attacks Bundle is another must-have. Over the course of four volumes, Melanson covers a bunch of different ways to finish a front headlock choke, not necessarily set up as a guillotine.

There are many guillotines, don’t get me wrong, with options including direct ones, arm-in guillotines, 10-finger variations, and old-school catch wrestling versions such as the handgun choke. Lots of front-position arm triangles, such as the Darce and Anaconda also feature, providing chaining options and diversity.

The best parts of this instructional are the ones Neil pulls out of who-knows-where, such as the twisted sister, prayer choke, front facelook, and the myriad of neckties you’ve probably never seen before.

Technical DVD specifications: Another four-part No-Gi instructional by Neil Melanson, which offers 3 and a half hours of submissions from the front headlock.

The Filthy Kimura DVD – ORDER HERE

Subject Matter: The final part of the Neil Melanson DVD Bundle is an instructional covering the Kimura lock, with a particular focus on combining different finishes to ensure a tap.

Key Points Covered: Throughout this instructional, Neil breaks down the double-wristlock Kimura, as he calls it, offering different breaking mechanisms and positions to hunt for it. The best part fro me was the integration of several breaking options, such as the straight arm, power Kimura, regular Kimura, and the Billy Robinson method into a system that seemingly never fails.

The half guard and top side control are the main positions that Neil uses to set his Kimura attacks up, offering entries and movement drills to help you figure everything out quickly. It wouldn’t be a Neil Melanson DVD without some nasty arm cranks, and Hammer Locks as the cherry on top of this instructional.

Technical DVD specifications: The Neil Melanson DVD Bundle ends with just over 2 hours of Kimura material, spread over four different volumes.

Introducing Catch Wrestling to Your BJJ

We all know how beneficial wrestling can be for our BJJ game, but not many people consider diving into the obscure waters of catch wrestling as well. The end result of such an exploration is supercharged wrestling skills that offer submission finishes at every opportunity.

The argument that catch wrestling is al to less technical than Jiu-Jitsu and often more rough is true, but that is exactly why these submissions fit into BJJ so well. We already have overly technical setup and finishes and we don’t have to be all sobby about it. When these things fail, having a massive chainsaw instead of a scalpel is sometimes exactly what you need.

Do not shy away from catch wrestling moves as part of your BJJ arsenal. Even if they don’t help you to finish directly, they’ll definitely elicit a response from your opponent since they’re all pain-based. This opens up opportunities to beat stronger and more experienced people by explaining their weakness of disregarding catch wrestling moves as crude and ineffective.

The Neil Melanson Filthy Brutal No Good Attacks Bundle is probably the best resource out there to help you achieve this. Picking it up means you don’t have to look for anything else ever again in terms of catch wrestling moves for your BJJ game.

FULL DOWNLOAD: NEIL MELANSON ATTACKS DVD BUNDLE

Get Filthy and Brutal!

The final verdict about the Neil Melanson DVD Bundle Filthy Brutal No Good Attacks is that you need it. Everyone needs it. Diverse grappling is good grappling as options are what we’re after in a roll, and it is the moments when we run out of those that end up costing us matches. Embrace the filth as you embrace the grind and allow your darker side to come through with the help of Neil Melanson. Your opponents will hate you for it.

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Jeff Glover DVD Bundle Review: Chokin’ Around With Uncle Jeff [2024]

By

Ognen Dzabirski

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Jeff Glover DVD Bundle Review: Chokin' Around With Uncle Jeff

Key Takeaways

A four-part bundle containing a set of Jeff Glover’s DVDs that cover chokes.
Features triangles, RNCs, and guillotines in detail, as well as an overview of all other major chokes.
Contains 7 hours of choking instructions in Gi and No-Gi and rolling footage.
BJJ World Expert Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

GLOVER DVD BUNDLE: CHOKIN’ AROUND AVAILABLE HERE:

Jeff Glover DVD Bundle Review: Chokin' Around With Uncle Jeff Cover — GRAB THE FULL Jeff Glover DVD Bundle HERE

You know you need chokes to be even remotely competitive in BJJ. So what are you doing about it? Chokes are easy to understand in theory, but when it comes to finishing one people run into all kinds of different issues and obstacles. An easy way to remove them is to learn from someone who’s already been there.

The Jeff Glover DVD Bundle dubbed “Chokin’ Around With Uncle Jeff deconstructs all major (and important) BJJ chokes, placing particular focus on three he really likes: the triangle, rear naked choke, and guillotine.

After going through this bundle (it will take you time) you’ll definitely be able to come up with choke variations and combinations that will give you a real edge in competition.

Learning From Jeff Glover

Jeff Glover is the most unorthodox and volatile (in a positive way) character in the BJJ world. Nobody has contributed so much to the sport without actually trying to change stuff in an organized and methodical way.

Instead, Jeff is the master of chaos – he does stuff because he thinks they would be cool, work, or both. In most cases, they do, and what’s even stranger is that they work for almost everyone. Let’s face it, no move works for everyone in Jiu-Jitsu, which is the main challenge coaches face.

Jeff might be retired as a competitor at the moment, but that is a blessing in disguise for every grappler smart enough to benefit from his knowledge. While we can’t enjoy his competition shenanigans anymore, we get to learn from him directly through his instruction, which has been coming steadily and frequently in the last few years.

In fact, we have reached a point where there is now more than one Jeff Glover DVD Bundle. With Jeff being a particular expert at choking, and one of the best early resources on D’arce chokes, his Chokin’ Around With Uncle Jeff collection is a must-have for everyone.

Jeff Glover DVD Bundle Review: Chokin’ Around

What we have on the schedule today is a Jeff Glover DVD Bundle Review covering his Chokin’ Around With Uncle Jeff collection. This bundle has four different DVD three of which are 3-part instructional, while the final offers one volume more. Over the course of all 13 volumes, Jeffo offers over seven hours of material delivered in both Gi and No-Gi (mostly No-Gi):

Choke Artistry DVD – AVAILABLE HERE!

Subject Matter: First up in the Jeff Glover DVD Bundle we have an overview of Jeff’s favorite chokes, which is quite a collection that features both Go and No-Gi strangles.

Key Points Covered: Every choke you’ll ever need in BJJ. I am serious, Jeff really kept it simple in this insturctional, spreading chokes over 3 different volumes and covering everything, from the RN to the 7-year-old choke.

Some of the highlights in the instructional are the nasty forearm choke, Golver’s take on the bow and arrow choke, and everything arm triangle related, from the Kata Gatame to the Darce and Anaconda. Also, there are some details on the Gogoplata you might not find anywhere else. I know I haven’t

Technical DVD specifications: The DVD has three volumes, each containing an array of chokes, with chapters named after each choke. Every volume lasts around 30 minutes, which makes this instructional an hour and a half long.

Back To The Finish DVD – DOWNLOAD HERE

Subject Matter: Jeff gets more specific in this BJJ DVD, showing all his methods and tactics for obtaining and finishing chokes from the back. Control also features heavily, along with follow-ups if back control fails.

Key Points Covered: Second in the Jeff Glover DVD Bundle is an unorthodox back control and choking instructional that is completely different from all the Danaher-inspired philosophical DVDs we’re used to seeing.

That takes nothing away from the quality of this DVD, with Jeff using the better part of the instructional to cover key ways of staying on someone’s back safely while exposing their neck for singles. He uses simple terms and moves, which you can tie together yourself since they make a lot of sense.

Chokes feature throughout it, demonstrating the efficiency of the material. Glover also covers follow-ups and entries by exploring the relation of the back mount with side control, the Kimura trap, and open guards. Lots of rolling back takes feature as well, as you’d expect from a Jeff Glover DVD.

Technical DVD specifications: Another three-volume Jeff Glover DVD instructional that lasts just under 2 hours. This one is demonstrated in No-Gi.

The Glover-Tine DVD – GET IT HERE

Subject Matter: A true masterpiece in this bundle is Glvoer’s variation of the guillotine, containing everything in the range from simple and effective to completely crazy, and perhaps-it-will-work-once.

Key Points Covered: As you’d expect, most of the focus is on front headlock chokes, spearheaded by the guillotine. Jeff starts standing, showcasing his crazy standing guillotine variations which seem like they’d never work, but somehow they do when you try them out.

He goes over to guarded guillotine applications next, offering open and closed guard options through a series of bait-based setups that will catch even black belts unprepared. He also covers some crazy setups like guillotines from the bottom half, before adding related follow-ups such as the Monoplata and crucifix.

Technical DVD specifications: This information-packed DVD, which is the third part of his Jeff Glover DVD Bundle about chokes, lasts around an hour and a half. The material is spread over three volumes, and everything is shown without the Gi.

Don’t Be A Square DVD – FULL DOWNLOAD

Subject Matter: The final DVD in the Jeff Glover Chokes DVD Bundle is the one covering triangel chokes, another especially of Glover’s. This instructional features triangles from top and bottom, many different finishing variations, and some innovative setups.

Key Points Covered: Over the course of four volumes Jeff covers several triangel applications that famous grapplers have repeatedly pulled off at the highest level. These include variations by Ryan Hall, Terere, Jacare, and, of course, Jeff himself.

Your usual suspects such as closed and open guard setups and mounted triangles feature throughout, as do some unconventional methods such as bottom half guard and front choke entries and inverted setups. Jeff also covers several different finishing mechanics.

Technical DVD specifications: This insturctional is another No-Gi DVD by Glover, lasting around 2 hours and contains four different volumes.

Diversifying Your Strangle Attacks

How can this Jeff Glover DVD Bundle help you become e better at choking submissions? Well, for starters, it can make you a specialist in several strangle holds, such as triangles, guillotines, and/or rear naked chokes.

Since you’ll most likely pick one, the rest of the information in the bundle contains everything you’ll ever need to connect it to not just the other two chokes that are broken down completely in it, but also other submissions. Jeff shows a bunch of different chokes to begin with, leaving you with a toolbox filled with creative ways of putting people to sleep.

Having a submission-oriented game is always an advantage as it makes positional JIu-Jitsu and transitions a lot easier. However, when you pick a submission like chokes, which nobody can withstand or power out of, you take things to a completely new level. Now you’re more than just a menace – you’re a real threat from everywhere, especially when you start connecting the dots represented by various BJJ chokes.

DOWNLOAD NOW: JEFF GLOVER CHOKES DVD BUNDLE

Choke With Uncle Jeff!

I’ve already seen each and every DVD in this Jeff Glover DVD Bundle before they were on offer in a collection such as this. Grabbing the entire set definitely helps, as I got them over the course of a couple of years. My favorite of the Chokin’ Around With Uncle Jeff bunch is the one on triangles and it has helped me make connections in BJJ, that I was not aware of before. I am certain every part of this bundle will help you in a similar way. Highly recommended!

Back To Basics: Half and Butterfly Guard Jeff Glover DVD Review

Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD Review

The Best BJJ Chokes DVD and Digital Instructionals

Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle Your Best Move DVD Review

By

Ognen Dzabirski

-

Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle Your Best Move DVD Review

Key Takeaways

A No-Gi instructional covering back retention and hand-fighting tactics.
Features plenty of drill-based information, making it easy to practice.
The instructional follows a very precise and well-thought-out organizational pattern.
BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

HALEEM SYED REAR NAKED STRANGLE DVD GET HERE:

Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD preview — WATCH FULL TRAILER: Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD

You go for a roll and you get to the back. Nothing new, you’re there all the time lately. Of course, you then want to strangle your training partner using the RNC or any available variation, but you end up struggling so much that you lose back control. Sounds familiar?

Of course it does, everyone has gone through it. What you need is the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD to help you make sense of what your goals and focus should be when hunting for strangles, rather than the mindless back-and-forth arm tangling you’re doing now.

The Ultimate Choke Hold

Strangling people from the back is the quintessential depiction of BJJ and grappling for combat sports. This iconic move is something most people tend to take for granted as if it is something they’ll achieve for sure once they get on the back.

The truth, of course, is much more different than that, as staying on someone’s back is often a lot more difficult than getting the position in the first place. Back takes aside, even if you manage to stay in back control, you are as far removed from choking someone out as you were the moment you slapped and bumped to start the round.

Sneaking in a solid rear naked choke against high-level opponents is not something you get easily, but managing to make it one of your best submissions speaks volumes about the quality of your Jiu-Jitsu game. The Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD offers a very organized way of approaching the key aspects of back retention and hand fighting that are holding your Rear Naked Chokes back.

Lifelong Grappling Expert Haleem Syed

Judo is a very hard grappling martial art to master. However, for those who have dedicated a long time to become expert Judokas truly, BJJ comes intuitively and they fly through the ranks, and most of their competition.

High-level athletes such as Ffion Davies and Travis Stevens have proven how seemingly easy it is to compete at the highest levels of BJJ with a solid Judo background. In fact, the BJJ world has more of these Judokas than you think, with a great example being Haleem Syed, a Judo black belt and BJJ brown belt who has found a way to mere the two grappling arts into a style of efficiency and power.

Syed received his black belt in Judo from Jummy Pedro, who is also a BJJ black belt, so he has been exposed to a blend of both throughout most of his grappling journey. Now focusing on No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, Haleem actively trains and teaches at Synthesis Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Rochester, NY.

The US national champion and IBJJG world masters champion has plenty of grappling experience and knowledge to share, and already has a series of DVDs out. One of them is the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD which we’ll focus on today.

Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD Review

With the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle Your Best Move DVD you get what I consider to be the best resource to date on back retention and hand fighting. While actual strangle mechanics do not feature a lot, everything is there to manage to choke everyone out after you give the drills inside it a try. This instructional has seven volumes and lasts for just over 4 hours.

Part 1 – Essential Positioning & Tactics

This is one crazy organized instructional that makes me wonder why and how Haleem Syed is still a brown belt. This DVD freely rivels Danaher’s back attacks in terms of organization, material presentation, and focus on what is actually crucial for success.

The very first volume of the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD is a long one in terms of content, with over two dozen chapters ranging more than an hour in total running time. Haleem covers every aspect of his system, from picking a reliable training and drilling partner to mastering the key motions involved with high-level back control that leads to strangles.

Some of the movement patterns involved include reverse shrimping, chair sits, and diagonal control, all of which are organized in specific groups of chapters. In each group, Syed covers the key aspects that allow you to stay on the back and eventually finish.

A few escape options also feature, but mostly to provide you with ideas about what opponents are looking to do, rather than escaping yourself. This packed first volume concludes with an intro to the stem covering the actual strangle, by way of applying 5 foundational principles that guarantee the outcome you’re after.

Part 2 – Hand Fighting (Seated)

I’d argue that hand fighting skills are the second most crucial skill you need to have from the back, in addition to staying on the back, of course. The Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle Your Best Move DVD focuses on two scenarios where hand fighting makes all the difference, the first of which is seated situations.

In this second volume, Haleem goes over the most common exchanges you’ll encounter as you try to sneak in your choking arm. He uses the same vocabulary as Danaher, dubbing the opponent’s hands primary and secondary defensive hand. He does, however, offer a different approach to Danaher’s.

Haleem organizes his information in two stages, addressing how to deal with the most common grips before he moves on to four sets of drills to help you practice these concepts using different grip-breaking combinations.

Part 3 – Hand Fighting (Supine)

the third portion of the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD stays with the subject of hand fighting but moves on to the much more common supine position, which includes lying on your side as you control the position.

Once again, several drills feature in this portion, helping you understand the point of Haleem’s principles and approach much better than by trying to copy multi-step processes. He covers 7 different scenarios that often arise, offering multiple drill-based solutions to each.

Part 4 – Staying on the Back – Bottom Hip

What I mentioned as the most important aspect of back control – the ability to retain the back, is what Haleem focuses on until the very end of the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD.

The first aspect he looks into is hip positioning, more precisely, the bottom hip, once again sticking to drills and different scenarios to help make his point. This volume contains six different scenarios that cover how your hip determines how successful your bottom hook is, how to keep it in, and how to get it back when your opponent tries to get out.

Part 5 – Staying on the Back – Shoulder Line

Moving up the body next, in something that initially seemed odd, as he had more hip aspects to cover, Syed explores shoulder control next. He focuses on several aspects that I haven’t seen in other instructionals, mostly focusing on how the opponent positions their arms when trying to beat back control.

Some upper body control points you’ll see demonstrated in this volume of the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD include arm triangle solutions, stopping the arm over escape, dealing with shoulders to the floor, and utilizing cross-body control to introduce a different dimension to your strangles from the back.

Part 6 – Staying on the Back – Both Hips

The penultimate volume of the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle Your Best Move DVD gets back to the hips, this time looking at the role of both hips in retaining back control. The focus here is on using the chair-sit motion explained in the opening part of the DVD to ensure you easily follow your opponent’s movement.

Haleem also talks a lot about the live pocket, which once again comes to grip fighting, and how to prevent people from turning into the turtle position, as well as dragging them back if they do.

Part 7 –Staying on the Back – Top Hip

The top hip is the final aspect that Haleem covers, paying a lot of attention to an aspect of back attacks most other coaches ignore. Once again, he defines the live pocket and then uses diagonal control, which is how 10th PLanet Jiu-Jitsu folks have been hunting for the back since forever.

The top hip is often the very last thing that might guide you back into back control, and Syed covers how to stop key motions such as shrimping and turtling very early and very late, using this underestimated method of back control.

The very final chapter in the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD is an overview of the different ack retention methods outlined in this DVD along with directions on how to follow the instructions he provides.

How the RNC Improves Your Entire BJJ Game

The main thing people fear in grappling and combat sports is submissions. So, if you’re threatening with them, you’ll find that doing anything else in Jiu-Jitsu is fairly easy and straightforward.

When focusing on rear naked chokes (or strangles, if you prefer that term), the threat of one is sometimes a lot more useful than finishing the choke itself. For example, once you start looking for the choke in a meaningful and truly threatening way, people forget about back escapes and only try to keep their necks safe.

This power of keeping the focus of your opponent focused in a specific area, means you can move on to improve positioning, set up other submissions, or just cruise to the end of a match on the points you secured getting to the back.

From another perspective, placing an arm around someone’s back from the back without hooks is going to allow you to get their back properly as if you’re doing it against an untrained person.

Such diversity available only by using one arm is rarely an option in high-level BJJ, so mastering it is going to massively improve your entire game very fast. The Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD is a top resource to consider.

Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD Review — FREE SAMPLE: Turtle Breakdown from the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD

FULL DOWNLOAD: HALEEM SYED REAR NAKED STRANGLE DVD

Strangle Time!

If you want better strangles from the back, you’re going to have to stay on that back first. Next, you’ll need to understand where most of the opponent’s resistance comes from and how to beat it – a.k.a. hand fighting. All of these aspects feature in great detail in the Haleem Syed Rear Naked Strangle DVD, offering a clear and precise blueprint for becoming a Gordon Ryan-level back attack expert.

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Why Wearing A BJJ Rashguard Under The Gi in BJJ Is Important

By

BJJ World

-

Why Wearing A BJJ Rashguard Under The Gi in BJJ Is Important

Have you ever wondered what the point of wearing a BJJ rashguard is? Apart from making No-Gi training more (or less) appealing to the eye, we often wear BJJ rashguards under the Gi as well. A BJJ rashguard by itself, or combined with spats, is far more than just (a misguided) attempt at a fashion statement – it also plays an important role in preserving hygiene and your overall health.

BJJ Rashguards and Hygiene

Personal hygiene is first and foremost a moral responsibility of everyone engaging in combat sports training. It doesn’t take more than common sense to know what to do. Stay at home if you have a cold, trim your nails, and make sure you shower regularly.

BJJ and grappling sports are unique in many aspects. One of those is the fact that the majority of the time you spend on the mats is quite literally on the mats. And it’s close and personal too!

There is hardly any other sport that brings every point of the body in touch with the floor surface and more than a few different people every time you train. Having your body grind down on the mats is definitely a trait that BJJ can (proudly) claim as unique.

So, hygiene becomes a very important factor in a grappler’s overall health. The trio of personal hygiene, gym hygiene, and the longevity of training apparel all have their contribution.

A dirty gym is a cesspool of potential disease for everyone spending time there. Mold from the walls, dirt from the mats, ringworm or staph from the mat cracks, you name it. A place like that would turn even the healthiest person into something from a skin disease 101 manual.
Washing your Gi for every session or having more than one Gi is also essential. Just like the mats, the Gi can easily turn into a very favorable surface for microorganisms that can cause trouble. Remember that the Gi is the main layer protecting you from a dirty gym or training partner.
BJJ Rashguards. You should think of rashguards as an extra layer of skin that is there to take in all the damage instead of your actual skin. It helps with personal hygiene and gym hygiene and it helps your GI last longer.

There’s no need to be all perfumed up for every training session, but having a shower before practice, sticking to the general guidelines for personal hygiene, and training attire that helps maintain it, are great for both you and your training partners.

Key Reasons for Wearing BJJ Rashguards

A common excuse that people who train exclusively Gi Jiu-Jitsu tend to produce on the subject of avoiding BJJ rashguards is that they are not allowed in competitions (unless they are ranked and approved) so people feel they don’t need them.

Jiu-Jitsu rashguards might also feel restrictive under the Gi, but that is very rarely a case, and it is a force of habit more than anything else. A more realistic aspect is the price of rashguards, and the availability of models you might like, but that is not too difficult to work out with the right guide.

It’s not just about your training partner’s discomfort when you stick your hairy chest in their face. It’s better to sacrifice a bit of comfort and invest in your health by gearing up with a couple of rashguards. Let’s take a look at why a BJJ rash guard should be the first thing you pack in your bag for BJJ class:

Skin Protection

This one is a no-brainer, but I’m still going to mention it first. Wearing a rash guard protects your skin! And no, having just the Gi on is not enough!

Imagine regularly rolling in a gym like the one, out of all our worst nightmares, that we described above. If you think your Gi is enough of a barrier against all the nasty bugs lurking out there, you beer think again.

Everyone who has rolled at least once knows that by the end of a round your Gi is all over the place. Particularly if your partner likes to mess around with all the vermin-named lapel guards (pun not intended, but welcome) available nowadays.

The BJJ rashguard sticks to your skin, creating a layer of protection that is both breathable and impenetrable for microorganisms, dust, and other particles. As long as you wash your rashguard after every practice, you’ll be just fine. Unless there is mold all over the walls. Then, you might want to consider switching gyms.

Extended Life of Your Gis

BJJ Gis are not cheap and plenty of people can’t afford to have a huge collection of them. having a Gi last more than a couple of years requires diligence and a bit of work. Without going overboard with ways to keep your Gi shiny white, I’ll stick to the two easiest steps:

Wash your Gi regularly! It’s not that hard and once you develop a habit you won’t even experience it as a chore.
Wear a rashguard. And while you’re at it, put on some spats as well.

The layer that a rashguard creates works two ways – it doesn’t only prevent the sweat of others from getting on your skin, it prevents your sweat from destroying the Gi. Every time you roll, your Gi gets covered in your sweat from the inside and others’ sweat from the outside.

Such a large amount of liquids takes a big toll on the material, leading to quick deterioration. Having a rashguard beneath will prolong the longevity of your Gi by up to 50%, keeping you healthy and saving you some cash at the same time.

Barrier Against Mat Burns

Mat burn is a grapplers’ nuisance that can easily turn into a full-blown infection if left untreated. Mat burns are the original driving force behind the idea of using rashguards in BJJ to protect the body from developing a rash.

The friction between the mats and our bodies is high and it often leads to mat burn. These burns can in turn get infected with stuff like MRSA that’ll take you out of action for quite a while. Since rashguard is made up of special material that lowers the friction between skin and mat, they are crucial in preventing mat burns and other abrasions during training.

Improved Blood flow

Not really the main intended use of BJJ rashguards, compression of the muscles is an added benefit of wearing a Jiu-Jitsu trashguard. You’ve likely seen pro athletes wearing all kinds of compressive sleeves while recovering from a muscle injury.

This is where BJJ rashguards double as compression shirts, mostly depending on the type of rashguard material and the size of the rashguard. Rolling while fully suited up in a BJJ rashguard and spats will help prevent or even heal muscle injuries by helping with blood flow.

No Excuses – Grab a BJJ Rasguard Today!

There’s no Jiu-Jitsu training without hygiene. Many gyms have strict rules which they enforce or have up on the walls as a reminder. Mat hygiene is easy to maintain by keeping a strict cleaning schedule but for that, the academy needs to enforce their ground rules, rather than just displaying them on a wall somewhere.

At the end of the day, overall academy hygiene is a two-way street and every single person that puts on the Gi has the obligation to contribute towards it. So, to make things easy, just wear a rashguard when you step on the mats, regardless if it is a Gi or No-Gi session. Leave the bare-chested performances for the ADCC mats.

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Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD Review [2024]

By

Ognen Dzabirski

-

Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD Review

Key Takeaways

A No-Gi instructional covering the basis of clinch work for grappling and MMA.
Features entries into the clinch, takedowns throws, and best drills to practice.
Also outlines the best exercises to strengthen your neck and upper back for clinching.
BJJ World Expert Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

ADVANCED IMMORTAL CLINCH MATT BROWN DVD GET HERE:

Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD Preview — WATCH FULL TRAILER: Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD

If you haven’t wrestled or practiced MMA before jumping into BJJ, you’re likely not accustomed to clinching. That is okay, and you can do without it but I’d recommend that you think about exploring and adding it to your standing arsenal., even if you are a guard puller.

The Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD offers an insight into the basics of the clinch, which is more than enough to get you going on the subject, If you want more detailed work there are other instructionals that really break clinch tactics for grappling and MMA down. For now, this is a great starting point and you can even stop there once you understand what you need from a clinch for grappling.

Clinching For BJJ

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, particularly with the Gi, not much attention goes to clinching. however, if you think about it, the sport has more clinching than any other sport that utilizes these aspects of combat sports, including wrestling and Muay Thai.

A clinch is basically upper body control, mostly featuring grips underneath the armpits (underhooks) and around the neck (collar ties). Sounds familiar? Sure it does, as this is what we do from a bunch of positions anyway, not just standing.

While most of the material presented in the Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD focuses on the clinch applications for MMA, all the things that Brown covers are very basic and just as useful. If you want to make more sense of clinching, particularly on the feet, this might turn out to be the best possible entry-level instructional on the subject.

UFC Veteran Matt ‘The Immortal’ Brown

If you’ve watched the UFC in the last 20 years, you’ve seen Matt Brown fight, which means you know the name, regardless if he won or lost. Matt holds legendary status in the UFC, with a total record of 45 professional MMA fights, 29 of which he won, (17 knockouts and 7 submission wins).

Matt launched himself among the big names of the UFC after his stellar run in the Ultimate Fighter season 7. He lost out to Amir Sadollah in the quarter-finals, but still earned a contract, given his pure talent and relentlessness.

He went on to battle most of the huge names in the middleweight and welterweight divisions, from Dong Hyun Kim and Chris Lytle to Demian Maia, Diego Sanchez, and Carlos Condit. While coming from a wrestling background, Brown took to submissions really quickly and does hold a brown belt in BJJ.

In his series Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD Matt talks about the importance of the clinch in both MMA and BJJ, covering lots of things that only someone with a couple of decades of top-tier MMA experience can know.

Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD Review

The Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD contains four different volumes, each covering a specific aspect of clinch work, from drills and techniques to strengthening exercises. The total running time is around two hours and the material is presented in No-Gi.

Part 1 – Clinch Drills

right off the bat, I need to warn you – this is an old-school type of instructional, with no BS and time-wasting. Everything in the Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD is to the point, delivered shortly and bluntly while carrying 100% useful information.

The opening portion is about training the clinch and how to set up training drills. Matt covers lots of MMA aspects here, such as safe kneeing practices and striking concepts. All the drills have safety in mind while allowing for maximum training intensity. A section on how to put them together in a flowing training session wraps this volume up.

Part 2 – Getting The Clinch

As we move to the second part of the Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD Review, ‘The Immortal’ moves on to entries, covering the most optimal ways to get to the clinch. Chapters feature details on control, walking, and jumping entries, as well as counter entries to offensive opponents. Clinch combinations draw this volume of the DVD to a quick conclusion.

Part 3 – Clinch Takedowns

For all you bodylock lovers out there, this DVD is definitely going to deliver. Since the clinch is the perfect launching pad for bodylocks, Matt covers great details on the hardest part of bodylocks – getting the opponent to the mats.

He also ties in leg trips perfectly, focusing mostly on the inside trip, as well as introducing knee taps off an underhook when your hands end up separated in the clinch. He also covers a different direction by going over headlock attacks, and finishes this portion of the Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD with the Yodowicha throw that leads directly to an armbar.

Part 4 – Clinch Exercises

The final portion of the Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD is all about developing a strong neck, so that you can both hold the clinch, and counter people clinching you. Matt’s old-school approach includes posture exercises, partner exercises, and isometric exercises to help you strengthen your neck for stand-up grappling and clinching.

The Most Important Aspect of Wrestling for BJJ

If you want to develop an efficient and practical standing game plan for BJJ you’ll need to master the clinch. Nothing happens without it, even though you might be tempted to learn how to shoot for takedowns across the mats and do crazy flying attacks.

You’ll quickly find out that these are great ways to end up submitted in BJJ, and when you come to reconsider your approach, you’ll arrive at the clinch as the best possible checkpoint. Once you understand how to hold the clinch you’ll see that you can transition to any type of takedown from there – using the opponent’s legs, body, or head.

The clinch is also the missing section that ties in together entries and takedown finishes. Let’s say you like to use the 2-on-1 to set up a single leg. It is much easier to grab a 2-on-1, get to the clinch, and have the ability to set up a single on either leg than try and let go of the arm as you go for the leg.

In other words, a good clinch allows you to chain wrestle always having a point to come back to, even if your takedowns fail. The Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD offers very practical information on what to look for in a good clinch for grappling and MMA.

Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD free sample — FREE SAMPLE: Clinch Throw Advanced Clinch Matt Brown DVD

FULL DOWNLOAD: ADVANCED IMMORTAL CLINCH MATT BROWN DVD

Clinch Up!

Next time you’re involved in a standing battle in your gym or in a match, go for the clinch, if nothing, just to try it out. After a few tries, perhaps even using what you picked up from the Advanced Immortal Clinch Matt Brown DVD, you’ll see for yourself how useful it is to help you turn takedowns into an easy system that always works, rather than shoot and hope for the best.

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Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD Review [2024]

By

Ognen Dzabirski

-

Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD Review

Key Takeaways

A No-Gi BJJ instructional deconstructing the Aoki lock and straight ankle lock.
Contains entries, braking mechanics, variations, and different follow-ups.
Features match breakdowns and practical examples of common-use scenarios.
BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

JETT THOMPSON MASTER ANKLE AND AOKI LOCK DVD GET HERE:

Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD Preview — WATCH TRAILER: Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD

How good are you at stringing along ankle locks? I’m not talking about using them to set up heel hooks, but rather combining different ankle lock variations to tap out anyone you’re up against. If you are not able to use ankle locks to their full potential and need help making them work, you’ve come to the right place.

Today’s focus is on the Jett Thompson DVD, a No-Gi instructional by one of the most promising brown belts in the world today, who happens to have a real knack for ankle locks. Already a proven threat with the Aoki lock and ankle lock, at the highest levels, Jett now shows how he sets them up, combines, and finishes them in this DVD. Is it worth exploring? Read on!

Heel Hooks Don’t Work (Like Before)

What is your favorite leg lock finish? Most of you will probably pick something that involves heel hooks, which is understandable, given how prevalent they are in Jiu-Jitsu. However, it is exactly this prevalence that killed off many moves that people specialized in throughout the eyes, such as Berimbolos, lapel guards, and some leg locks.

The fact that there is such exposure to these things means people adapt to them and develop ways to block, escape, or counter them. In that sense, most heel hooks have become a lot harder to finish, as people don’t fear them anymore, and have found solutions that work against them.

It is not that a well-placed heel hook from a solid controlling position won’t work. It just won’t get the panicky, immediate tap as it did 10 years ago. That just means we need to introduce variety into the mix, and the good old ankle lock is here to provide exactly that. Toe holds can help too but ankle locks are the submissions that will get you those fast taps due to the pain and tightness associated with the finishing mechanics.

Since there is a lot more than just the straight ankle lock to consider for your arsenal, a look at the Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD won’t hurt your leg-locking development. On the contrary, it is going to introduce a whole new dimension to it.

Emerging BJJ Talent Jett Thompson

In this day and age of BJJ, when belts don’t really matter anymore. This ushers in a new opportunity to learn from those who have taken and creative mind, even though they might not bear the coveted BJJ black belt. One such example of a great up-and-comer who has loads to teach on the subject of leg locks is Jett Thompson.

Currently, a brown belt, training at and representing the Watkins Wrecking Crew Team, Jett has caught the eye of those following the No-Gi competition scene through his impressive performances in the PGF, most notably in season 6.

The 17-year-old has been tearing it up with standout performances centered around the smart and highly effective use of ankle lock variations. He is a real master of the straight ankle lock, and the super powerful Aoki lock, one of the best lower body submission holds in the game.

For those who have no idea who Jett is, and have no ego in learning efficient leglock systems from teenagers who haven’t earned their black belt yet, the Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD is exactly what you want to see.

Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD Review

The Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD features a very effective and fluff-free combination of a couple of ultra-potent ankle lock variations that come together in a neat little system. Over two volumes, Jett covers entires, setups, finishing, combinations, and follow-ups, as well as some match breakdowns:

Part 1 – Finishing Mechanics & Variations

This is a very straightforward BJJ DVD with Jett offering his ways of finishing a couple of ankle locks that are not just very good on their own but also combine together beautifully. The first of two volumes in this Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD begins by introducing the breaking mechanics of the ankle lock and Aoki lock.

There is lots of focus on gripping, as you’d expect, but Jett proves his worth by demonstrating highly modified grips, such as the elbow to elbow and forearm grip which introduce even more tension to finishing mechanics.

He also talks a lot about the use of the legs, not really focusing on any particular Ashi Garami dynamic, as much as he does on the role of the legs, particularly when starting from guard. X guard, shin-to-shin guard, K Guard, and 50/50 entries and finishes all feature in this volume.

Once Thompson gets the finishing details out of the way, he moves on to cover entries into the Aoki lock and ankle lock from different positions we’ve seen him use in PGF such as Bolos, the 4/11, and butterfly guard. A couple of high-side ankle lock variations bring this first half of the DVD to a close.

Part 2 – Common Use Scenarios

The second volume of the Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD is something we don’t see a lot in instructionals, which I, personally, think is a major drawback of other DVDs. Jett covers the common scenario in which his system fits perfectly rather than trying to paint it as the end-all-be-all “only system you’ll ever need”.

He starts by talking about wrestling up and how people tend to turn away while standing up, which opens up the perfect opportunity to set ankle lock attacks. Denied upper body submissions such as triangles and armbars also feature, as do more setups from guards, including some closed guard work. Jett even does match breakdowns to enforce his points and round off a great leg locks instructional.

Combining Ankle Locks

The real power of ankle locks lies in their ability to easily combine with one another without the need to change leg configurations, a.k.a. Ashi Garami positions. Namely, things like the straight ankle locks, reverse ankle locks, and Aoki locks form a very deadly trio, that capitalizes on the opponent’s defensive actions to each.

As people try to escape a certain ankle lock variation, they just get stuck in another tighter one, which if they manage to counter, leads to the third one. The best part is that they work as a cycle so that you can interchange attacks and always have a tighter ankle lock waiting on the other end of your opponent’s reaction.

Having such a versatile ankle lock game with eventually lead to better heel hooks as well because opponents end up with the only option of exposing a heel to try and avoid your ankle lock bonanza. The Jett Thompson DVD explains the relationship between ankle locks and their uses a lot better and in great detail.

Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD Free Sample — FREE TECHNIQUE: Aoki Lock Finish by Jett Thompson

DOWNLOAD: JETT THOMPSON MASTER ANKLE AND AOKI LOCK DVD

Break a Leg!

Since you’re going to be hunting for leg locks anyway, why not make your opponents worry about more than just heel hooks? The Jett Thompson Master Ankle and Aoki Lock DVD shows you how you can introduce and combine a different threat, just as potent as heel hooks, but a lot more difficult to defend. The best part is, that you don’t have to worry about the legality of it- you can do these at white belt!

10 Best Leg Locks DVDs and Digital Instructionals

The BJJ Ankle Lock – A Detailed Guide For Every Position

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

Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Review [2024]

By

Ognen Dzabirski

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Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Review

Key Takeaways

A No-Gi BJJ instructional explaining the basics of X-guard positioning and attacks.
Offers details on off-balancing, sweeping, and transitions to the back and Ashi.
Features easy-to-understand connections between X-guard variations and other guards.
BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

EFFICIENTLY EXECUTING X-GUARD GIANCARLO BODONI DVD HERE:

Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Preview — WATCH FULL TRAILER: Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD preview

Thinking about X-guad? you’re not alone, many grapplers end up wondering what they did wrong while attempting what seems like one of the easiest guards in BJJ. Well, it is about time to shift those thoughts to more positive ones, like for example, those of you sweeping and submitting folks from the position.

The Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is your go-to resource for quickly making sense of all the key things about the X-guard. You won’t get any fancy inversions and multiple-step lapel grips in this open – just the basics of off-balancing, sweeping, transitioning to the back and Ashi, and merging it with other guards.

The Hardest Open Guard in BJJ?

Out of all the open guards, you’ll end up playing in BJJ, I think one of the hardest ones to really get a grip of is the full X-guard. While seemingly simple and easy to understand, mostly once people make the X connection between the name and leg positioning, this guard is deceitfully difficult.

Namely, people tend to forget that to use a guard, you need to actually engage your legs, not just place them in a configuration and magically wait for things to happen. While this is true for all guards, failing to keep your legs active in the X-guard will cost you a lot more than closed or half guard, mostly because your opponent is on top of you.

With only your legs to prevent them from mounting and their head and collars too far out to reach, you’re not really left with too many attachment options from an X-guard. However, on the plus side, the guard is extremely difficult to pass once you get the just of it, and is one of the rare guards that offers 360 attacking options, for the exact same reason it flirts with being mounted so much – you’re right beneath your opponent.

The Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is perfectly named as it really does teach you how to become effective at playing this very powerful, but equally risky position.

2x ADCC Champion Giancarlo Bodoni

I was not really aware of Giancarlo Bodoni, part of the random Danaher post before he stepped on the ADCC mats in 2022. His performances in his debut year took him all the way to the title, his first in the competition. I guess it is not was not surprising to those who knew him and saw him win the IBJJF No-Gi pans in 2021.

The few super fights he had in between the 2022 and 2024 ADCC editions further revealed what a gem had walked into the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team. Bodoni made quick work of grapplers like Lucas Barbosa, Roberto Jimenez, Patruc Gauido, Pedro Rocha, etc as he established himself as one of the folks to beat in the -88kg No-Gi divisions on a world level.

At the latest ADCC, he demonstrated his growth by beating the who-is-who of -88 kg grapplers (at least those that opted for ADCC over CJI) in Gabriel Almeida, Felipe Costa, and Jay Rodriguez. He also had a good run in the absolute, losing out on points to veteran Robery Cyborg Abreu in the semi-final.

There is a lot more to come from the 28-year-old. As he prepares for his next adventures on the mats, he occasionally treats the BJJ world with well-thought-out instructionals, such as the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD we’ll deconstruct today.

Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Review

This Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is a 4-part No-Gi BJJ instructional covering the basics of holding and attacking from the X-guard, including variations, and lasts for a total of two and a half hours.

Part 1 – Kuzushi

Unsurprisingly, the foundation of the guard game that Bodoni shares in this Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD begins with a staple of his teacher Danaher’s guard philosophy – off-balancing.

After a short intro, Giancarlo covers the different ways to make people lose their balance from the X-guard, using general positioning concepts and easily explained mechanics. Basically, BOdoni shares how to make people fall by adjusting the X-guard positioning rather than going all-out for technical sweeps.

The crucial guard concept (open and closed) of climbing up with your legs, also features in this volume, just after the chapter on setting up an ankle pick-like sweep from the ‘basic’ X-guard.

Part 2 – Sweeping

Speaking of sweeps, they are not far away once you get the hang of causing Kuzushi, which is exactly how Bodoni set this DVD up. Building on the previous principles he explains how to sweep people in different directions, beginning with backward sweeps.

Spinning the leg is a major method that we see a lot through this volume, as well as the relationship that his attack has with forcing the top person to bring their knee to the mats. A few wrist and ankle grab sweeps round off the second volume of the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD, right after he shares how to use the 50/5 as a natural follow-up to the X-guard.

Part 3 – Reverse X Guard

The reverse X-guard is what really changed the landscape of X-guards when leg locks entered the frame, so, naturally, there is a lot of it in this part of the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD.

A few entries into the reverse X set the subject up, followed by common issues and easy solutions to troubleshoot them, mostly effective because they are based on successful off-balancing, which was thoroughly covered in the first volume. If you expected leg locks, you’ll have to wait until the very last chapter of this volume (and in the entire fourth one).

Part 4 – Crab Rides & Ashi

Ashi Garami is a natural continuation of X-guards, be it the single, regular, or reverse version The final part of the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD offers ways to get an Ashi Garami if you’re not able or don’t want to finish sweeps once you create Kuzushi.

Bodoni shares entries to both legs from the regular and Reverse X guard, as well as options to mix up attacks by transitioning into crab rides that open up back attacks. A short guide on how to use all the information in this instructional is the perfect ending to this very well-thought-out and executed BJJ DVD.

Close Range Guards

The X-guard falls under the category of close range guards, along with the deep half guard, 50/50, and single-leg X-guard, to name a few. These guards put you beneath your opponent’s hips, offering the best possible position to launch into lower-body attacks and sweeps.

The drawbacks are that upper body submissions are far away, especially chokes, and you can mess up everything really easily and allow the top person to get into the mount. These drawbacks are there in every close range guard, though, and end up being worth the gamble once you understand how to play guards.

In that regard, the X-guard is the easiest guard to set up, both from guards and after escaping bad spots, like Mount. As such, it is the perfect launching pad for all kinds of attacks, including mid and long range guard ones, since it is great to haunt your opponent as they try to put distance between you by moving backward.

Most of the mechanics that allow you to stay in the guard, as well as some key sweeps and lower body submission attacks, are really well covered in the Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD. This one is an awesome resource for every guard player out there.

Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Free Sample — FREE MOVE: X0-Guard to Ashi Giancarlo Bodoni DVD

DOWNLOAD NOW: X-GUARD GIANCARLO BODONI DVD

Playing X-Guard

Let’s face it, you’re going to fall in love with the X-guard once you give it a try for a while. It is the perfect way to keep an opponent in your grasp while they are standing, which is the most difficult aspect of playing guard in BJJ. The Efficiently Executing X-Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD has everything you’ll ever need to set up a solid X-guard game that you can turn back to in time of need, or make it the centerpiece of your game.

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Craig Jones BJJ Story – From Zero To Hero

By

BJJ World

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Who is the face of Jiu-Jitsu these days? The common answers point to Gordon Ryan, but he is not really active and is on his way out, leaving the door open for one of his rivals, former teammate and leader of one of the best BJJ competition teams in the world to take the reign. I’m, talking about Craig Jones, of course. To be honest, many people would’ve jumped to him before Ryan anyway, me being one of them.

But where exactly did Craig Jones come from? Even though it feels like he’s always been around, lurking near the 2nd place on the podium, he does have an origin story and it is a very entertaining one at that.

Craig Jones was not a complete unknown when people first noticed him after a memorable performance at EB. After all, he did fight at the ADCC, didn’t he? But he is a fairly new BJJ sensation, that first caught attention at EBI 11- The welterweight.

As are most things Australian, the humble-looking grappler is a dangerous and extremely lethal predator and possesses a true knack for business. But, how did he come to be such an accomplished BJJ athlete and where was he hiding all this time?

Craig Jones BJJ Beginnings

Craig Jones was born on July 17, 1991, in Adelaide, South Australia. Ever since early childhood, he was interested in sports. Although his first sporting adventures included football and basketball, he soon abandoned them for martial arts.

Instead, Craig turned to Judo and Taekwondo, albeit briefly. As a teenager, he discovered MMA and that seemed to fit him better than the traditional arts. With dreams of becoming a UFC world champion, 15-year-old Craig Jones enrolled in a BJJ academy run by his cousin.

Craig Jones DVD Instructionals Collection

At the ISOHEALTH Academy, under the tutelage of Matt Jones, Craig started making a name for himself in the local grappling scene. When he reached purple belt, Craig migrated to the Maromba BJJ Academy in Melbourne. This academy later morphed into Absolute MMA which was his home base prior to the B-Team headquarters in Austin, TX.

In 2015 Jones received his brown belt from Lachlan Giles after an eye-catching IBJJF Worlds performance. It was around the same time that he got to teaching full-time in Melbourne. A year later, Giles awarded Craig Jones a BJJ black belt.

Off the mats, Jones also succeeded wherever he set his mind to. He is now completely dedicated to BJJ, but during his rise, Craig Jones also got a degree in Psychology, more specifically in Behavioural Science as a safety net. It is safe to assume that he’s been using that knowledge a lot lately.

Craig Jones BJJ Career (So Far)

Initially, I wrote this article in 2018. Since then, Craig has led a very turbulent grappling life, constantly making the headlines, mostly for the right reasons. You can expect me to update this piece over and over again as Craig keeps pulling stuff out of his sleeve. But where did it all start for him?

Before Craig Jones became known to the world, he built a name for himself in Australia. His BJJ endeavors prior to his groundbreaking ADCC performance were no easy feat. His first magnificent burst onto the BJJ scene was thanks to his performance at the 2015 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds.

He defeated every opponent in impressive fashion, earning the title of world champion. The enigmatic 26-year-old later said that he trained with a small group of friends in his living room, but still dominated everyone. Moreover, he got bronze in the 2016 UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro, which led to an invitation to compete at EBI, which ended up launching him.

The success of Craig Jones is largely due to his tight and elaborate game. His BJJ is as high level as it gets. As the BJJ world now knows, he is a leg locks specialist who needs only seconds to finish a heel hook.

Despite his favoritism towards leg locks, Jones is not one to exclude other aspects of BJJ. Apart from also having an outstanding Z-Guard, his first submission of choice was the triangle choke. Essentially, Craig is a very well-rounded BJJ athlete. His game is submission-heavy, which is no surprise given that he prefers to roll No-Gi.

In leg-locking terms, he has innovated to great success, as witnessed by his victories. The crucial points of his game can be found on this DVD.

Furthermore, Craig’s mind is as fascinating as his technical abilities, which is what makes him such a BJJ standout. He is able to perform well under any rule set, regardless of weight divisions. Jones also spends lots of time studying tape and attending seminars to broaden his game.

Another thing that merits attention is how exemplary his work ethic is. Craig Jones takes pride in performing extremely well under enormous pressure. That Psychology degree seems to be paying off in more ways than one, doesn’t it?

EBI 11 – Unveiling Craig Jones

Before his ADCC escapade, Craig Jones caught the eye by performing well at EBI 11. The eleventh edition of Eddie Bravo’s Invitational featured BJJ welterweights and was held in LA. Despite not getting to the finals, Jones put in some great performances along the ride.

Back then, he was a recently promoted black belt and a huge underdog. That did not prevent the Australian BJJ phenom from pulling off major upsets.

First, he submitted Eddie Bravo’s highly regarded black belt, Nathan Orchard in the very first round. Then, Jones went on to beat Darragh O’Conaill. Ultimately, Vagner Rocha stopped the Aussie’s run via the fastest escape in the semifinal overtime.

Despite the ultimately unsuccessful run, Craig Jones did catch worldwide attention. All this before his true breakthrough on the global BJJ scene.

Early ADCC Performances

First, let’s note that Jones was no stranger to ADCC competition. He initially won the Asia and Oceania ADCC Trials at purple belt, qualifying for ADCC 2015. His run in that competition was a short one, as he came up against BJJ World Champion Romulo Barral in the -88 kg division.

As Craig Jones put it himself “At that point in my jiu-jitsu, he would have smashed me on my best day.”

This did not discourage the 26-year-old and he was back for another try in 2017. Once again, his path took him through the Asia and Oceania ADCC Trials, which he once again won. His ADCC performance in 2017, on the other hand, could not have been more different than his previous one.

In the first round of the most elite No-Gi BJJ competition in the world, Jones was up against Leandro Lo. An impossible match for any BJJ competitor, Jones approached the fight calmly and technically. His reward was a submission victory over a legend of the sport of BJJ.

Jones did not stop there, however, adding one more scalp to his collection, in the form of another submission win, this time over Murilo Santana. His ADCC trip came to a halt in the semi-finals when he faced Keenan Cornelius. His rise to stardom, though, had just started.

EBI 14 – Almost A Champion

Not long after ADCC, Jones got an invite to re-appear at EBI, this time in the event’s Absolute division. Once again demonstrating his BJJ versatility, welterweight Craig Jones took less than 2 minutes to heel hook three much heavier opponents, reaching the final in record time.

The final of EBI 14 was a very entertaining match between two of the world’s best. One was our enigmatic Aussie, while the other was multiple EBI champion and ADCC champ, Gordon Ryan. Jones managed to get the match into overtime, where he got within touching distance of the EBI championship belt.

He had Ryan in one of the tightest armbars the BJJ world has ever seen. To his full merit, though, Gordon escaped, but not without damage to the arm, and subsequently won the match in overtime and the title with it.

Although once again coming up short, Craig Jones is far from being finished. He decided that what beat him could also make him stronger, so he jumped into the blue basement, becoming a part of the then reigning, elite competition team the Danaher Death Squad.

Puerto Rico With The Danaher Death Squad

When COVID many people in the BJJ world wondered if we would ever get back on the mats. The Craig Jones BJJ story was put on hold, just like everything else in the world. However, after those scary first few months, Danaher found a loophole and migrated his entire Death Squad to live and train in Puerto Rico, where regulations were far looser than in NYC.

At first, it seemed like a dream, and the team took training to another level, with everyone living together in a couple of houses. However, what was initially meant as a team bonding experience quickly backfires splitting the squad into two teams, which have been rivals ever since.

As COVID restrictions vanished, both teams returned to the mainland but decided on swapping NYC for Austin, and both settled in the same city. Craig Jones pulled Nicky Ryan, Nicky Rod, and several others with him, while Gordon remained with Danaher, and long-time friend and teammate Garry Tonon.

ADCC Tales

Craig’s short-lived Danaher Death Squad days did not go without a major performance, though. The 2019 ADCC saw the New Zealander in the Aussie’s corner, as Craig once again narrowly missed out on the title, losing to Matheus Diniz in the final of the -88kg division. That was the year when Gordon won the double title, proving his supremacy over everyone else.

Fast forward to ADCC 2022, and we are in the post-COVID era, with Craig and Ryan on opposing sides again, although in different divisions. Craig already had his Bteam up and running and Ryan managed to quickly dispose of former teammate Nicky Rod, in the only clash between the teams on the mats.

Craig himself, ended up second again, giving merit to the name he chose for his team, this time failing to get past Kaynan Duarte as the final obstacle in the -99 kg division. It also happened to be the last time Craig appeared at the ADCC, at least for now.

The Birth of B-Team

Upon returning from Puerto Rico, there was a lot of back and forth between Danaher and Gordon on one side, and Craig on the other. If we put all the drama aside, we end up with two teams that train and live in the same town, both drawing world-class talent but showcasing a completely different approach.

Craig managed to find a top-class facility for his team, whether he poached it from Danaher or not, and does provide a platform where people from all around the world can join. He grew his team quickly by allowing people to drop in and filtering out those who were not good enough through sheer intensity of training.

Mexican Ground Karate

While the Craig Jones BJJ story started seriously, Craig seems to have found a fun side to the fact he never managed to claw himself to a major title and build a very successful brand around it. He opted for the carefree and let’s-not-take-anything-serously approach, naming his brand of Jiu-Jitsu Mexican Ground Karate.

The complete range of shenanigans that Craig utilizes to bring attention to the B-team is too vast to cover in an article, but it is out there for everyone to see. What matters is that it works, so much so, that Craig ended up rivaling, or should I say, surpassing ADCC in his latest endeavor – a professional, invite-only tournament bearing his name.

The Craig Jones Invitational

CJI, or the Craig Jones Invitational emerged less than a year before ADCC 2024 took place. It turns out Craig was asking ADCC organizer Mo Jassim to raise the paycheck for athletes, with the ADCC offering $10.000 to the division winners. When his demands fell on deaf ears, he decided to take things into his own hands.

Somehow, somewhere, Craig found a rich benefactor that allowed him to launch the CJI, which offered professional grappling athletes $10.001 just for accepting the invite and appearing on the mats. With two professional divisions (-80 and +80 kg), the CJI offered a million dollars to the winner of each and delivered on that promise.

Craig managed to take it to the next level by scheduling the event for Vegas on the same weekend that the ADCC took place. The draw of the CJI was huge, taking away big names from the ADCC roster, and providing incredible entertainment, plus a much more significant purse for the competitors.

Craig himself decided to embrace his playful persona and only participated in a super fight that nobody could take seriously, as he fought (and defeated) Gabi Garcia in a cross-gender grappling superlight. He did, however, put two of the best-ever female grapplers up against each other in a super fight in Ffion Davies vs. Mackenzie Dern at the inaugural CJI, which steamed for free on YouTube.

What’s Next?

At 33 years of age, the Craig Jones BJJ story is far from over. With a super successful competition team and gym, and a highly promising brand in CCJI, Craig seems to be constantly on the rise. Not bad at all for a virtual nobody who didn’t get to train with world champion-level black belts on a daily basis. Ladies and gentlemen, keep an eye out for Craig Jones, who has no intentions of stopping his crazy rise from zero to hero!

If you’re interested in buying Craig Jones DVD’s you can check them HERE:
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