Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD Review

Struggling to find a way out of side control during No-Gi grappling? You are not alone, but you don’t have to feel stuck every time someone gets past your legs. All ti takes is a bit of common sense, a mindset that refuses to accept the worst possible bottom position, and a set of instructions on the most efficient ways out. 

All of the above is available in the Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD instructional. By using proven and effective techniques that work for escaping side control under the barrage of strikes and submission threats in MMA, Vinch has come up with a blueprint to deal with side control quickly and with a high success rate. 

Key Takeaways

  • 3-part No-Gi BJJ instructional with a total running length of just under 2 hours.
  • An escape system that blends traditional and modern bottom side control solutions. 
  • Offers counterattacking traps mixed with the escapes.  
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7/8 out of 10.

SIMPLE SIDE CONTROL ESCAPES DVD  AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Charlie Vinch DVD Review Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD
TRAILER: Charlie Vinch DVD Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch

Stop Giving Up in Bottom Side Control!

The one single thing that pisses me off more than anything else is when I see someone in the bottom of side control just lay down and give up. Once you decide to “get into position” like during technique demonstration, with both shoulder blades on the mats and no meaningful grips, you deserve to suffer at the bottom. 

You should never accept side control fully, under no terms. That does not mean people will not get you in it, nor does it mean you’ll get away easily. However, you need to give yourself every little advantage that you can to sneak out as soon as possible. And, believe it or not, it all begins by turning to your side. 

It doesn’t matter if you expose your back as you turn from the bottom of the side control. Your grips will save you (as long as you know how to palace them) and help you to get out without all lthe huffing and puffing you probably usually go through before you concede mount or back. 

The Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD claims to have a solution for all these issues. Given that Vinche’s main focus is not getting obliterated in MMA, it may even deliver on that. Let’s see. 

MMA Coach and BJJ Black Belt Charlie Vinch

When you want to learn how to grapple in No-Gi, it is best to learn from a coach who works exclusively without the Gi. If you have access to a world-class black belt who also does MMA, then you can rest assured that you’re getting the most effective tactics to succeed in grappling. 

Charlie Vinch is exactly that – a black belt under the Migliarese brothers, a professional MMA fighter, and owner of Budo Martial Arts Studio in Ewing, NJ. In his quest to best understand and master grappling for MMA purposes, Vinch also spent a considerable time training in Brazil, at the infamous Chute Boxe academy. 

Charlie’s take on grappling is similar to Chris Haueter’s in the sense that he likes to put an emphasis on the realistic side of BJJ, rather than the fancy stuff. He likes to prepare his students for the streets, then the MMA cage, and finally for sports Jiu-Jitsu, which, they’re more than ready for after experiencing his systematized style of teaching. 

The Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD is one of several instructional by coach Vinch that compares traditional and practical escapes, aiming to remove all the unnecessary movement we see in bottom side control. 

Control Charlie Vinch DVD Review: Simple Steps To Escape Side

The Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD is a No-Gi instructional with the material divided into three distinct volumes. The total running time is just under two hours, with the focus being on practical effects that lead to counters as opposed to elaborate BJJ-style solutions to get out of side control: 

Part 1 – Traditional Frame Escapes

As an MMA coach, Charlie likes to be direct, so he begins with an overview of side control and the multiple threats that lurk there. He does not waste any time, and immediately addresses, distance, and the make-or-brake concepts when it comes to getting out of side control. 

The first part of this Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD breaks down an escape we’ve all used and failed at – the frame escape. In fact, it covers several, looking into different angles, arm configurations, and directions of escape. 

A highly effective sneaky escape dubbed the ‘Darth Vader’ escape brings the first part of this instructional to a close. 

Part 2 – Back Door Shrugs and Heisman

In the second part of the Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD the attention turns to more effective and practical ways of dealing with side control, introducing smart use of the lower body to the system. Here, he shows different leg blocks, and how they integrate together with back door escapes made possible by shrugging your shoulders. 

This is a proven wrestling technique to hide your neck and make gripping difficult, and Vinch has applied it perfectly to grappling. A few more innovative ways out, such as the dump truck and machine gun wrestle-up build on the back door shrug escape. 

That brings us to the final part of this volume, which explains what the Heisman escape is, offering different ways of setting it into motion as you literally slide out of side control. 

Part 3 – Sneaky No-Gi Side Control Escapes

Even if this instructional stopped at two volumes, there would be plenty of material to consider for building your side control escape game. However, the Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD has more to offer, with some real gems appearing in the final volume. 

Here, frames make an appearance again, but this time, in a way more practical fashion featuring the single and double under escape. Not stopping there, Vinch also offers great ways to escape the crossface, as well as remove North-South as being a dangerous position once and for all. 

Unnoticeable Side Control Escapes

The best way to escape side control is either to trick the top person into thinking you’re not trying to, or force them to move away themselves by frustrating them with your positioning. Both these directions have their uses, but if I had to pick, I’d go for tricking the opponent into thinking I am not actively trying to get out.

The power of side control is in the attachment the top person has either at the level of your shoulders or the level of your hips. The word ‘either’ is key here, as that indicates which body part you can use to initiate escapes. 

You see now why laying flat on the ground is a bad idea – you’re taking away your ability to move purposefully without the top person noticing any threats. Instead, when you have to concede side control, accept it, but on your terms, keeping your body in a position that already sets you up for escapes, without you having to flail your limbs all over the mats.  

The Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD is going to help you figure all this out quickly and with minimal time spent suffering at the bottom of side control. 

Review Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD
Free Sample: Simple Steps To Escape Side Control DVD

CHARLIE VINCH CONTROL ESCAPES FULL DVD DOWNLOAD

Slid out of Side Control! 

Just slide out! If it was only that easy, though. While not easy, sliding out of side control is not particularly difficult either. It is all about how early you start setting up escapes and using the most efficient escapes that suit your game and physical abilities. 

In the Simple Steps To Escape Side Control Charlie Vinch DVD you get a no-nonsense overview of very effective side control methods, along with detailed instructions on how to use them. If you’re into BJJ it will be helpful, but if you are into MMA this resource can turn out to be a lifesaver. Don’t miss out! 

Simple Side Control Escape Concepts You Must Know

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Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD Review

Today, we take a look at a very smartly put-together instructional that is primarily going to be of use to competitors. The Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD covers an in-depth way of playing guard at the highest possible level, as done by Hanine herself on her way to multiple world titles. 

Apart from a competitor’s view of the basics that define the closed guard, this instructional offers a bunch of unorthodox, yet extremely effective attacks paired with classic closed guard sweeps. The best takeaway from the Janine Mocaiber Closed GuardDVD, though is how to approach setting up your closed guard as a dungeon that keeps your opponent in grappling darkness once you shut the doors.  

Key Takeaways

  • 4-volume Gi BJJ DVD with 2+ hours of closed guard material.
  • A world champion shows how to stay in the closed guard and set up traps.
  • Systematically organized to feature entires, sweeps, submissions, and other guard integrations. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

Review-Closed Guard Prison Janine Mocaiber BJJ DVD
TRAILER: Closed Guard Prison Janine Mocaibe DVD

JANINE MOCAIBER CLOSED GUARD DVD  AVAILABLE HERE!!!

The Ultimate Stalling Position in BJJ

What is your goal when you’re playing the closed guard in BJJ? Of course, most of you are going to think sweep and submit, some perhaps even throw in the odd back take from there. Not many people outside of seasoned black belt veterans are going to say to control the pace. 

If you want to stall from the bottom in BJJ, your best bet is the closed guard. By stall, I don’t mean the negative hanging out in a position, like 50/50 where literally nothing happens for the entirety of a match. Stalling is a way for me to describe a forced change of pace, against an opponent that likes to push harder than your athletic abilities can handle. 

On top of that, the longer you keep someone inside your closed guard, the more they start to fall apart as they try to break out. This opens up more submissions and sweeps options that you can hope to ever get by going on the offensive with all your guns blazing. 

So, the next time you find yourself inside the closed guard, make sure you get comfortable, as you make the top person uncomfortable and miserable. If you have no idea where to begin, the Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD is a perfect starting point. 

6x BJJ World Champion Janine Mocaiber

Whenever a high-level active competitor in BJJ, who has had recent huge success, issues an instructional, I try to get my hands on it as quickly as possible. Not many top competitors do this, but every once in a while, we get a treat from someone like Janine Mocaiber. 

Janine is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has six world titles to her name (including IBJJF JJIF and UWW titles), as well as a trio of No-Gi Pans gold medals, and one Pans title with the Gi. An impressive bunch of accomplishments, and she is far from done. 

In fact, Mocaiber fought just recently (In July of 2024) winning the Next Gen tournament with 6 submissions out of six matches! This comes off the back of winning the Canadian Nationals, which places Janine among the top grapplers in Canada and the world. 

At present, she is the head instructor at Oshawa BJJ, an academy she co-founded. Mocaiber is also a certified fitness coach and expert in nutrition, which makes her the perfect person to go to for anything BJJ competition-related. The Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD comes at a great time, allowing us to see what exactly Janine is doing on the mats. 

Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD Review

The Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD is a Gi Jiu-Jitsu instructional that contains roughly two and half hours of material spread over four volumes. Everything presented in it is connectable and interchangeable, although you can opt to play each system separately and still be ultra-effective from the closed guard. 

Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD ReviewPart 1 – Entries and Closed Guard Sweeps

Kicking things off in the Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD is the Canadian’s take on the role of the closed guard in BJJ, which, in her words, should be a life sentence! That sets the tone for the relentless closed guard system Janine shares with us across four volumes. 

Building off that scary concept, the first few chapters of the instructional cover how to pull and jump closed guard, to quickly seat yourself up for success. I dare anyone to call Mocaiber a butt scooter. 

Once in the guard, Janine goes over some competition-tested basics, mainly demonstrating variations of the flower and pendulum sweeps. Both are sweeps that have withstood the test of time and allow you to open up more Janine Mocaiber closed guard attacks, such as armbars on both sides and crazy chokes than you’ve ever thought possible. 

Part 2 – Drags and Overhooks 

The second portion of this Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard DVD is all about creating off-balance and finding a sweet spot for launching attack after attack. In terms of Kuzushi, Janien goes over the arm drag from the closed guard, offering a new perspective on how it can help you cycle different attacks. 

The triangle choke and assorted armbars feature heavily in this part of the instructional, as does the Baratoplata, who most people seem to have forgotten all about. Towards the end of the volume, Mocabier begins presenting the overhook closed guard system that is the foundation of the guard game and subsequent successes at the highest levels of grappling. 

Part 3 – Chokes and Armlocks

While you’d expect to see armlocks and chokes in a closed guard DVD, the Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD has a few surprises in store. Namely, given that it is a Gi instructional, I was expecting mostly collar chokes, armbars, triangles, and Omoplatas. 

What I discovered inside was a glorious selection of obscure, yet highly effective submissions such as the Choi Bar, Mirlock, Gogoplata, and a very intricate Brabo control and submissions system. The cherry on top is the section of chapters deconstructing the WIlliams guard, and the best submissions to set up from there.   

Part 4 – Mixed Attacks and Guard Transitions 

The final part of the instructional contains a variety of different attacks, that work as single attacks, in unison, and in combination with all the material demonstrated by Janine so far. Sweeps appear a lot in this volume, in the form of the hip bump, 100%, and balloon sweep. 

On top of these closed guard staples, this Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard DVD also covers guillotine setup and finishes, armbars versus standing opponents, and the devastating Sout Oshawa Wristlock. Towards the very end, she also presents some guard transition to the Octopus guard as a secondary guard option. 

Closed Guard Traps

You might think that the closed guard is a boring, slow position that only frustrates the passer and is used to waste time. You’re right on all of these points. However what you might be missing is the effectiveness of the position, when used to the maximum of its potential.

That effectiveness is particularly pronounced when you play a closed guard system that allows you to tie in attacks without being obvious about your efforts. Telegraphing your intentions is the main reason why you struggle with the closed guard in Jiu-Jitsu. And the best way to conceal your true intentions is by setting traps. 

Every top competitor out there that utilizes the closed guard as their go-to has a system of sneaky traps from there. In most cases, they tie in submission threats together, covering the real one they’re after with other attempts. However, pairing subs and sweeps is also a great option, one that allows for even more versatility. 

As you saw from our review of the Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD, there is a myriad of ways to set up traps using positional, transitional, or all-out attacking principles. 

Review-Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD
Free Closed Guard Prison Janine Mocaibe DVD Technique

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Off to Prison! 

Now that you’re more acutely aware of how dangerous keeping someone in the closed guard can be, it is time to focus on turning your closed guard into a prison. Forget not allowing them to pass, you want them to remain inside your legs at all times, wondering why they can’t open them up. 

This tactic is actually pretty easy to incorporate, but it takes purposeful positioning and grip fighting. The Janine Mocaiber Closed Guard Prison BJJ DVD has everything you’ll ever need to set up a diverse and dangerous closed guard game for Gi BJJ, whether you need it to compete or simply be the prison warden of the mats in your academy. 

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Defensive Connection Chain: A Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Defensive Connection Chain: A Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD Review

For those out in the BJJ World attempting to introduce defense to their game, first of all – Kudos, that is brave! Second, you’re in for some rough hours on those mats, but do not give up! The more you decide to allow people to torture you, the easier it will become to feel at ease when they’re doing it. 

Of course, you’ll need a plan. That is where going for the Defensive Connection Chain Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD might prove to be a smart move. Despite not offering the latest helpful insights into BJJ defense, the instructional is solid at organizing the defense most people are already aware of. In fact, I think it may prove to be highly effective exactly because of this. 

Key Takeaways

  • Two-hour long Gi BJJ instructional containing four volumes of instructions. 
  • Covers the principles of defense, mostly focusing on different guards.
  • Explores both top and bottom aspects of defense, exploring defensive chains. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

 MARCOS TINOCO DEFENSIVE CHAINS DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Marcos Tinoco DVD Review: Defensive Connection Chain
TRAILER: Marcos Tinoco DVD Defensive Connection Chain

When To Move and When to Be Still

How do you set up your defense/? If you are doing anything but arranging your defensive system similarly to your offensive one, then you’re picking the more difficult and complicated road. It will work, but you’ll never end up feeling comfortable while defending if you base your defense on what your opponent does in attack. 

Organizing your defensive efforts around positions that allow you to deter differnet types of attacks, while compromising the attacking person’s superior position is what you’re after. These safe zones should be the foundation of your defensive game, but you must not forget that having each of them alone is far from enough. 

How, and more importantly when you move between them is where the true skill of an expert defensive grappler lies. If you ever want to have a hope of becoming a high-level grappler, you’ll need to attain it as well. One option that lays out a very simplistic defensive system you can use, is the Defensive Connection Chain Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD.

Marcos “Lekinho” Tinoco

As a Marcelo Garcia black belt, Tinoco is a name associated with a level of Jiu-Jitsu and the Brazilian does not disappoint in delivering exactly that. His competitive record, which includes at least one title in almost each of the toughest competitions in the world (except for ADCC), speaks for itself. 

Marcos has been with Marcelo Garcia since brown belt, representing the army of modern-day black belt assassins that have come out of MG Jiu-Jitsu in New York. Initially, Tinoco started training with Juarez Soares and the GFTeam in Brazil. After meeting his wife and swapping Brazil for the US, Marcos ended up at the MG Academy, a year before he got his black belt from Marcelo. 

Tinoco’s competition record is more than impressive, with the 35-year-old already claiming nearly 80 victories. Popular as a deadly effective points fighter as opposed to his mentor;s submission-heavy style, Tinoco made a name for himself in the highest levels of BJJ. 

Some of the victims of Marcos “Lekinho” Tinoco’s style throughout the years include grappling titans such as Tommy Langaker, Romulo Barral, Murilo Santana, and Oliver Geddes. In the Defensive Connection Chain Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD he demonstrates exactly why he was able to be so dominant in world-class BJJ tournaments.

Full Marcos Tinoco DVD Review: Defensive Connection Chain

In this Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructional, Marcos Tinoco shares just over two hours of material, divided between four volumes. The Defensive Connection Chain Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD does not offer too much in terms of innovation, but it does help connect some well-known BJJ concepts and positions. 

Part 1 – Bottom Positions

In the opening salvo of this instructional, Marcos Tinoco goes over a variety of different escapes, mostly focusing on how to move when on the bottom. His system revolves around defensive checkpoints which help him take a break as he moves through grappling defense. 

The starting focus in the Defensive Connection Chain: A Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD is side control, with chapters covering reversals, elbow escapes, and guard recoveries. Marcos also covers side control follow-ups you may end up in, such as knee on belly and mount, with a bunch of defensive options that tie into the original side control/North-South escapes. 

Part 2 – Dealing with the Closed Guard

Arguably, the most useful section of this Marcos Tinoco DVD is the second volume, which covers how to position yourself side the closed guard so that you’re invulnerable to attacks. Strong defense inside the closed guard is the best way to force the opponent to open it, making it easier to pass. 

The list of movies Tinoco shows how to defeat starts with the Kimura, taking us through hip bump sweeps and addressing the sneaky scissor sweep with direct counterattacks. Most of his tactics are nothing new, he just connects them all into a logical system. 

Part 3 – Half Guard 

In terms of the half guard, I appreciated that Tinoco goes over both top and bottom tactics to deal with it. He addresses sweeps as well as wrestling up from guard with sneaky moves that end up with even sneakier submissions, like lapel armbars. 

Throughout the deconstruction of the dangers of half-guard and how you can defeat them, Tinoco also covers the deep half-guard, a subject many instructors fail to recognize as dangerous. 

Given how close the bottom half guard is to the mount position, Tinoco offers ways to connect some of the previously used mount defenses. In this part of the Defensive Connection Chain DVD, though, he expands on it to include armbar and choke defenses. 

Part 4 – Open Guards

The final part of the Defensive Connection Chain Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD continues where the last volume stops, addressing the dreaded head and arm (a.k.a. Arm triangle) choke from the mount and how to defend it. 

Before concluding his instructional, Tinoco goes over the spider guard as one of the timeless threats from the bottom in Gi Jiu-Jitsu, offering hope to those suffering from triangles, Omoplatas, and sweeps. Dealing with the lapel guard also finds a place in this portion of the instructional. 

Defense As a Flow Concept

Everyone raves about flow in Jiu-Jitsu, but when you ask people about what they mean by it, you get either idea about effortless transitions between top positions or fluid guard juggling. But what about defense? Can you even think about ‘flowing’ when you’re trying to fight from a bad spot in BJJ?

If you organize your defense around checkpoints, which allows you to transition back and forth, then you’re building a system that allows you to move when you want, rather than being hopelessly pinned. The more checkpoints you introduce to the system, the more you can move since the distance between the two is generally shorter. That’s how defense begins to flow.  

Having checkpoints ready, and being able to stop direct attacks is not enough. You want to be able to move towards a position that allows you to attack and for that, you’ll need to figure out when to move in between positions. 

This is where the crucial concept of timing your movement comes into play. The Defensive Connection Chain: A Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD is a solid resource to help you get some ideas.  

Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD Review: Defensive Connection Chain
Free Technique Sample: Defensive Connection Chain Marcos Tinoco DVD

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Become Fearless on the Mats! 

The best way to become attack-proof in BJJ is to be comfortable being in the bottom of a mount, having your back taken, or being deep on the receiving end of an Ashi Garami. Achieving requires you to spend a lot of time in all those situations, but also have a blueprint that is proven to work at all levels of the game. 

The Marcos Tinoco BJJ DVD “Defensive Connection Chain” can help you with the second aspect of this conundrum. It offers several different positional tactics, and, even though the focus is on defensive positioning, but rather on how to break up offensive ones, it is a helpful resource to start you on the path to an effective defense. 

Learn 4 Kimura Submission Defenses And Escapes

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Unsweepable: The Ultimate BJJ Defense Against Sweeps

 

Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD Review: Dynamic Back Control

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD Review: Dynamic Back Control

Back control is one of the most coveted positions in Gentle Art, but people rarely use it to the full extent of its potential. Such a narrow-minded approach is solely the fault of caches who just regurgitate what they’ve been taught, going on for generations now. Of course, not every coach belongs in this basket. 

Some people make it a point to offer versatility to proven aspects of grappling, and the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD claims to have a solution to this. Given that Bradley is a feared crucifix expert, proven at the highest level of competition and in one of the toughest gyms in the US – Daisy Fresh, there might just be substance to his claims. 

Key Takeaways

  • 4-part No-Gi DVD with with a total running length of 2 hours.
  • Expands on traditional back control by introducing effective variations.
  • Expert instruction on the Crucifix and Truck positions. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

BRADLEY SCHNEIDER BACK CONTROL DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider DVD Review
TRAILER: Bradley Schneider Dynamic Back Control DVD

The Dynamics of BJJ Back Control

One issue I see persisting in BJJ is the inability of people to purposefully decide whether they should move or stay still. For the most part, the wrong decisions dominate exchanges, resulting in plenty of failed attempts at, well, everything. 

The same is true for the back control. For the most part, people have the impression that getting behind someone and getting your hooks in guarantees you a smooth ride until the round or match ends. Once the opponent starts moving and shaking you off, though, it quickly becomes apparent that you can’t just chill out with your hooks in. 

Staying behind someone is similar to trying to hold on to an Ashi Garami – you share a spiral with the person you are attacking, and they have the advantage in spinning, so you need to know not just how to follow, but also how to intercept. 

Plenty of instructionals out there cover this subject. However, if you want a breath of fresh air in terms of what back control is and how you can diversify it, take a look at the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD.

Daisy Fresh Team’s Own Bradley Schneider

The Daisy Fresh BJJ Team. For anyone who has seen the documentary series, even mentioning the phrase ‘Daisy Fresh’ has them standing at attention like possums. The team has been growing since the early days of Heth Petigo’s original crew led by Andrew Wilrze, and plenty of high-level grapplers have represented teh laundry mat team over the past 5 years. 

One that is a true stand-out from a team of savage grapplers, is Bradley Schneider, a black belt under Dante Leon and a true beast on the mats, particularly in No-Gi. Bradley is a modern-day expert in back control, something we dont;’ see as often these days as we did just a decade ago. 

With so much on offer to specialize in, Bradley has taken it upon himself to return to glory what is, according to me, the back control variation – the crucifix. The Fight2Win heavyweight champion and No-Gi Pan Ams Champ (at the brown belt) is one of the best No-Gi competitors of today and one to keep an eye on. 

His instructions, such as the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD should also be on your radar if you are a serious competitor. 

Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD Review: Dynamic Back Control

This Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD consists of four volumes, with a running time of jsut over 2 hours. All the material in the Dynamic Back Control instructional is demonstrated in No-Gi, which means it is directly applicable to Gi Jiu-Jitsu as well.

Part 1 – Fundamentals of Back Control

As this four-part instructional begins, Bradley decides to take all the stuff we think we know about back control and run them through a funnel, leaving only what is exceptionally effective behind. 

First up, he talks about the ‘traditional’ way of attacking from back control, looking at Straight Jacket tactics such as leg traps, grip fighting sequences, and control methods such as the body triangle. A lot of attention is placed on movement, and how you need to dynamically follow your opponent if you want to stay on their back. 

The second half of this Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD targets submissions from the back, beginning with the Rear Naked Choke and evolving towards armbars, rear triangles, and the coveted Thunder Lock. Throughout it, Bradley constantly places lots of emphasis on grip fighting that helps you achieve your goals. 

According to me, the best part of this volume comes at the very end. In the final few chapters, Schneider touches a bit on back mount defense, giving you insights into what you can expect people to do against the body triangle, and the dreaded Straight Jacket. 

Part 2 – Attacking the Turtle

A part I don’t completely agree with, if it was intended to be useful in modern Jiu-Jitsu and against modern iterations of the turtle position. The first part of this volume explores how to break down the turtle and end up with back control. All the ‘traditional’ back takes in this volume are mostly a waste of time. 

I enjoyed the portions on using the Truck position against the turtle, although that too has been proven to be very difficult to obtain against a strong defensive turtle player. The crucifix, on the other hand, remains a strong threat, provided you can deal with the opponent’s structure, which takes us full circle back to grip fighting. 

A few wrestling-inspired mat returns featuring gator rolls to break the turtle down and wrap up this part of the DVD. 

Part 3 – Truck Mastery

The truck actually gets almost a full volume in this Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD. Apart from trying to use it against a solid turtle position, the Truck remains one of the most effective, yet underestimated and gravely underused positions in grappling. 

Bradley Schneider covers the essentials of positional control from the truck, as well as the main submission options, such as the calf slicer and crotch riper (a.k.a. The Banana Split). He takes things a step further, combining entries to and from the back, including using the Twister as a checkpoint. 

Part 4 – Bradley’s Signature Crucifix

The final part of the Dynamic Back Control BJJ DVD is all about Bradley’s preferred way of dealing with the back, which is the Crucifix. Schneider sin notorious for his expert use of the position, only the second grappler to be feared because of it after the legendary Marcelo Garcia. 

After explaining how he likes to prevent people from slipping and rolling out of his crucifix, it is all about submissions with Bradley. Armbars, short chokes, a reverse Omoplata, and a route to the back and the Truck show exactly why Schneider is so scary when he gets to this ‘divine’ position during matches. 

True to his promise of deeply exploring back control, Bradley also offers some escape options against the crucifix in the final few chapters of his DVD. 

There is More Than Just One Back Control

What exactly is back control in Jiu-Jitsu? For most people, the position that results in earning 4 points in a competition is the only back control worth exploring. However, that is a very one-dimensional way of looking at control that opens up so many submission options, that you might end up not needing points anyway. 

Eddie Bravo was the first to introduce such positioning, and a couple of his signature ‘dead zones’ in the form of the Twister and the Truck. While I don’t expect Eddie’s work to ever end up earning points in IBJJF competitions, that does not mean that es should shun these positions in favor of points earned by hugging someone’s hip from behind them using your legs. 

In all fairness, the crucifix is also part of this category, being my personal preferred method of controlling the back, as opposed to the traditional hooks and seatbelt control. It all comes down to goals – if you want to control someone from the back, you will use everything at your disposal to achieve it. 

If, on the other hand, you’re interested in getting points from the back, then the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD is not for you.

Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD Review
Free Sample: Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider DVD

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Conclusion

Get out of your comfort zone in terms of the back mount position in BJJ and start thinking about how you can actually control people from the back as opposed to clinging to them like a wet backpack. The options are already there, you just need to start integrating them into your existing back control game. 

Picking up the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD is a great way of getting a new perspective on back control in BJJ. Since it addresses both traditional and more open-minded methods of becoming a back mount expert, you can compare how effective they are yourself. A very smart investment, particularly for competitors!

All Back Attacks DVD Instructionals

Improve Back Control With The Body Triangle

Sneaky Alternative BJJ Back Attacks For Stubborn Opponents

Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD Review

No matter how many guards passing instructional get released, people are still going to have issues with getting past the legs in BJJ. The sheer number of options for both top and bottom player introduce too much confusion to this aspect of grappling and pouring more information just makes everything worse. 

The Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD attempts to put everything into order in a way that works for everyone. Don’t be deterred by the word “fundamentals” as what Kron shows is basic, but in terms of directly applicable concepts rather than specific techniques. 

Key Takeaways

  • 4-part Gi DVD with just over two and a half hours of passing instructions.
  • The focus is on beating guards rather than learning pass sequneces.
  • Covers numerous scenarios of pressure passing from different distances.
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.

FUNDAMENTALS OF PASSING KRON GRACIE DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Review Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD
Trailer: Fundamentals Of Guard Passing DVD by Kron Gracie

One of the Hardest Things in Jiu-Jitsu

Being caught in the guard, any guard, during grappling exchanges is one of the biggest nuisances in Jiu-Jitsu. A pet peeve of most grapplers, especially those just starting is figuring out how to make guard passing effective, while not falling into one of the numerous guard traps that the bottom person has waiting. 

The general approach to passing guard(s) in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu usually has us practice specific passes against specific guards, which ends up leaving people with a bunch of information that is difficult to recall under the pressure of live rolling or competing. This is one of the key reasons why guard passing is such a daunting task to complete. 

Usually, this approach results in frustration at the ineffectiveness of the approach, and people decide to focus further on one of the two areas described above – deconstructing the threat of guards or spending endless hours drilling passing motions. 

However this will only get you so far in BJJ, as once you reach the purple belt level, and go beyond it, such a divided approach becomes useless. So, why not start tackling the issue from a different perspective and begin thinking about a more general approach?

Finding the answers to the foundational questions that guard players present is the smartest way to try and organize such a huge area of BJJ as guard passing. The Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD can help with that. 

The Turbulent Legacy of Kron Gracie

Kron Gracie… Where do I start? If you were a part of the BJJ scene anywhere in the world about 10 years ago, you knew the name Kron Gracie, and you knew it well. When he transitioned into MMA, trying to follow in the footsteps of his father Rickson, everyone expected Kron to be the next big thing from the Gracie family. Sadly it didn’t work out that way. 

By 2013 Kron only had an IBJJF European Open Title and got himself to ADCC gold despite being a black belt since 2018. Somehow, the 36-year-old never took the fire he had as a purple and brown belt, when he conquered the Worlds, and Pans, to his black belt performances.  

After initial success in MMA, which he began in 2014, fighting in Rizin and winning his 3 first fights via submission, he moved on to the UFC in 2019. Since then, though he has managed only 3 matches, winning his debut by submission but losing his next two fights to Cub Swanson and Charles Jourdain via decision. 

Kron’s grappling proficiency remains at the highest levels without a doubt. However, whether or not he is up to par with the latest developments in the sport, remains to be seen. So, if you’re not sure whether you should pick the Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD up, keep reading for an in-depth review. 

Full Kron Gracie DVD Review: Fundamentals Of Guard Passing

Despite being just as effective in No-Gi as he is with the kimono, Kron Gracie prefers to do his BJJ like his Father and grandfathers did – with the Gi. So, this Gi instructional is divided into four volumes, three of which present information in a very conceptual and methodological way, and the last one offers key tips and tricks for common issues. 

The Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD contains almost two and a half hours of genuinely useful material for anyone interested in mastering guard passing: 

Part 1 – Dealing With the Sit-Up Guard

As the Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD kicks off, Kron’s first series of passes are Torreando pass variations. There is merit to starting to pass loose and far and going forward methodically, leading to pressure as you get closer. Kron captures that perfectly in this introduction. 

The majority of this volume, though, offers a roadmap for navigating the sit-up guard instead of looking at specific passing moves. The sit-up guard is a genuine threat in both Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, and Kron covers just about anything that you might face, showing how to beat the position using the Gi and smart movement. 

Part 2 – Stacking and Knee Shield

Part two of the Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD explores passing from a distance closer to your opponent, which merits a different passing style. Gracie starts off with solving the shin-to-shin guard, before moving on to offer quick tricks to break teh spider and lasso guards. 

The main feature in this part of the instructional is stacking as a position that allows you to destroy a bunch of guards and choose a side to pass to. Kron offers variations to the stack, like the half stack, which is incredibly useful against modern inverted guards.

Towards the end of the volume, Kron gives some attention to the knee shield, a position that is virtually unavoidable in BJJ, especially with the Gi. After several interesting ways to render the shield useless, Kron also provides a way to incorporate the reverse half guard into your passing game. 

Part 3 – Deep Half & De la Riva Passing

The second half of the Fundamentals Of Guard Passing instructional addresses a position we don’t often see feature in passing DVDs – the deep half guard. Most grappling instructionals explore the guard itself but do not offer solutions to the complex and numerous threats lurking in the deep half.

Kron begins by using a body part most skip over when trying to pass the deep half – the neck. Using very effective grips, he introduces a choking threat to the pass, allowing you to capitalize on either or both of them. 

The timeless De la Riva Guard also gets lots of attention, as well as all the guards that combine with it naturally, such as the X guards and the single-leg X. Instead of offering a single passing sequence, Kron ensures you’re aware of the combined threats of these guards and you can neutralize them easily. 

Part 4 – Exploring Common Passing Scenarios 

As we enter the final portion of the Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD, Kron moves away from the methodical, system-based teaching we saw in the previous three volumes. Instead, he offers individual chapters in this DVD, with each targeting a common problem passers face, and how to deal with it.

Some of the standout chapters include valuable information on bodylock passing, why Kron dislikes explosive passes,  solving the half-butterfly guard leg lock threat, and how to handle flexible opponents who like to invert.

Modern Gracie-Style Passing

If you’ve ever rolled with a member of the Gracie family or someone who has trained under them their entire life, you know what I mean by Gracie-style passing. Any guard you put up gets unmistakably shut down, and for the most part, you don’t even know it. 

The sneaky tactic of killing guards before going into passing is what sets expert passers apart from everyone else, and the Gracies were true masters of this grappling trait. One of the key concepts to consider when trying to develop a Gracie-style passing game is awareness of the guard’s threats. 

Instead of trying to solve guards one by one, it is much more effective to understand the threats any guard offers – sweeps, submissions, and transitions toward the back. By figuring out body positioning and grip placement, you can achieve safety inside anyone’s guard, putting you in the best possible position to pass. The Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD addresses this aspect in great detail. 

This brings us to the next trademark of Gracie passing – pressure. Even when passing loosely, the Gracies look to place all their weight on the opponent’s legs and/or hips and chest, trying to move forward as slowly as possible. Developing this skill, even if you are an explosive passer is going to provide you with everything you need to deal with any guard. 

Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD
Free DVD Technique: Kron Gracie Fundamentals Of Guard Passing

KRON GRACIE GUARD PASSING BJJ DVD DOWNLOAD

Become a Notorious Pressure Passer! 

One of the most difficult things you’ll have to do in BJJ is get past the guard. There are different approaches to this huge issue, and none is foolproof. The one approach that is applicable to a wider range of people is to teach them how to deflect guard attacks before passing, rather than develop passing techniques one by one. 

The Fundamentals Of Guard Passing Kron Gracie DVD offers an insight into how one of the most popular representatives of the family arranges his guard passing system. If you want to be able to deal with any guard, not just the ones you know, you should invest in it and study the approach laid out inside. 

BJJ Guard Passing – Why It Doesn’t Work And How To Fix It

Pressure Guard Passing With The BJJ Body Lock

Pressure Passing For BJJ: The Stack Guard Pass

Vanessa Waltz DVD Review: Keylock Trap System

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Vanessa Waltz DVD Review: Keylock Trap System

You’ve heard about the Kimura Trap system and you know it works, either by doing it to others or being hopelessly trapped in it yourself. This proves the potential of a bent arm trap system, and yet, we take the Kimura Trap for granted, and not many people have ventured to explore different bent arm traps in Jiu-Jitsu. 

The Keylock Trap System DVD By Vanessa Waltz is an instructional that focuses on bending the arm in the opposite direction of the Kimura and using it as a very versatile trap system. Yes, I am talking about the Americana, and the different ways in which you can use it to enhance all top positions in the Gentle Art.

Key Takeaways

  • Four-part No-Gi DVD containing over 2 hours of quality grappling instructions.
  • Presents an innovative way of using the Americana for more than submissions.
  • Covers a way to set up, control, and move around with an intricate trap system.
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

Click Here

VANESSA WALTZ KEYLOCK TRAP SYSTEM DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Keylock Trap System Vanessa Waltz DVD Review:
Trailer: Keylock Trap System Vanessa Waltz DVD

The Art of BJJ Traps

I remember that the first time I realized the value of BJJ traps was in 2012 when I was watching Cyborg’s first Tornado Guard instructional. He was making an analogy for some move (I don’t remember specifically) about leaving seeds out for a bird and hiding behind a rock with a machine gun. Exactly how I picture Cyborg hunting. 

Jokes aside, setting traps is the most effective way of setting up successfully pulling off grappling attacks. Instead of tightening with an obvious attack that your opponent can recognize and defend, you set up a series of attacks, for example, submissions, that they can’t see coming.

If you take a look at any top-level grappler you’ll see them use this strategy to do takedowns, sweeps, passes, submissions and every other attacking move there is. Even when Gordon Ryan predicts how he’ll finish an opponent, he uses trap setups to achieve his end goal. 

This area of BJJ needs a lot more dedicated attention, and for the most part, that is down to instructors. If you feel like you’re lacking useful information on the subject from your instructor, turn toward the Keylock Trap System DVD By Vanessa Waltz. It will help a lot! 

Gracie Barra Professor Vanessa Waltz

Vanessa Waltz is a first-degree black belt under her husband, GB Professor Brain Waltz. She is a true BJJ fanatic, completely devoted to her Colorado Springs gym, even to the point of training almost fully throughout her pregnancy! 

She began BJJ in 2003 and ended up using it in a life-threatening situation just months later. It prompted her to really dedicate herself to the sport and she found her home with Gracie Barra in 2011 as a purple belt. 

Apart from being a full-time instructor, as the co-owner of Gracie Bara Colorado Springs, along with her husband Brian Waltz, Vanessa also enjoys competing whenever she can, especially without the Gi. Style-wise, she is crafty and unorthodox, using mechanical advantages you likely never thought of before. The Keylock Trap System DVD By Vanessa Waltz is the perfect example. 

Vanessa Waltz DVD: The Keylock Trap System Full Review

The Keylock Trap System DVD By Vanessa Waltz is a four-part BJJ instructional, with techniques demonstrated without the Gi. Everything laid out in the 2+ hours of material is directly applicable to Gi Jiu-Jitsu though, and the entire set is immensely useful for those who take BJJ competition seriously. 

Part 1 – The Power of the Keylock

The Keylock Trap System Vanessa Waltz DVD begins with a short introduction that covers the basics of the Americana in terms of mechanical details. This is the last you’ll see of the ‘traditional’ Americana keylock in this instructional, as all following material is very creative and highly useful, building on those fundamental Americana principles.

Waltz presents how you can use the Americana position as a control position rather than just a flash submission that works opportunistically. Essentially, Vanessa sets up her Keylock Trap from the top, using it as a very effective pinning position from side control, mount, and knee on belly.

After laying down the basics, Vnaessa covers creative ways of recognizing keylock attacks everywhere, like during arm triangles, back attacks, and from the rear triangle position. 

Part 2 – Setting The Keylock Trap

Once the basics are out of the way, it is time for attacks. Vanessa Waltz is extremely submission-oriented, looking for the tap everywhere, which is how I presume her system emerges. In this part of the Keylock Trap System DVD By Vanessa Waltz, we get to see a bunch of submission attacks that work together as a system. 

Waltz starts with the Enigma Keylcok, offering shoulder and wristlock combos as she does. A particularly useful chapter is the one on separating the same side elbow during the setup of the trap system. 

Both far and near side arm attacks feature in the form of shotgun armbars, and bent shoulder locks, mostly from the Kesa Gatame side control position. The volume ends with a few North-Soouth Keylock Trap options as well as more details on pinning the arm. 

Part 3 – Keylock Trap Submissions

As this Vanessa Waltz DVD progresses, she presents the different positions you can transition between while retaining the Keylock Trap. This portion looks at attacking while switching between back and side control, effortlessly switching between chokes, such as the rear triangle, D’Arce, and North-South choke. 

This volume also features some of the most powerful submissions in the entire instructional, such as the Scorpion Deathlock, Honeyhole integrations, and the stirrup armbar. Mount options emerge towards the end of this volume, in the form of the Samurai Choke and mounted triangle. 

Part 4 – Rear Attacks

Wrapping this incredibly creative and attack-oriented instructional up is a section on how to use the keylock Trap to control and submit from the back. The final part of the Keylock Trap System DVD By Vanessa Waltz shows some signature moves and ‘fancy’ transitions. 

The Gift Wrap position, and how it works combined with the Keylock trap is undoubtedly the most important part of this volume. Among the chapters, Waltz also offers options on Cryangles (leg in triangles) from the cradle, setting up a No-Gi Ezekiel choke from the back as well as some smooth passing using the Keylock trap to set up Bolos. 

Make Americanas Great Again

The Americana is a somewhat forgotten submission in BJJ these days. Thought of as the big guy/girl submission, we usually see it when larger people grapple with smaller ones, mostly due to how easy it is to get for the bigger person.

There were a few attempts by notable experimenters, such as Nino Schembri to introduce Americanas from bottom positions, but that did not pan out at all. So, for the most part, people only think of the Americana as a bent armlock to do from the mount or side control. 

More experienced grapplers might use it as bait, to make sure they control these positions without too much effort, or to set up neighboring submissions, such as arm triangles or armbars. But that is not all the Americana can do for you. 

Simply thinking about pinning the forearm of a bottom player to the mats, while their arm is bent at the elbow (the sharper the angle of the bend, the better) will open up a host of new opportunities for you, allowing you to transition between back, mount and side control at will. 

Eddie Bravo had some strides in the field, during some of his early Monkey Mount work, and now, Vanessa Waltz has taken it upon herself to take the Americana further than anyone else before. Her Keylock Trap System DVD delivers as promised! 

Review: Keylock Trap System Vanessa Waltz DVD
Free Sample From The Keylock Trap System Vanessa Waltz DVD

KEYLOCK TRAP SYSTEM VANESSA WALTZ BJJ DVD DOWNLOAD

Key in Lock!

What’s left to say except that you need the Keylock Trap system in your life! I have actually seen some of Vanessa’s earlier work on the subject before, and it inspired me to explore a position that later turned out to be a signature system that I now use on a daily basis. 

The Keylock Trap System Vanessa Waltz DVD is instrumental for everyone trying to be a legitimate competitor, Gi or No-GI. Who wouldn’t want a system that allows you to reap points from all top positions past the guard, and submit the bottom person at will using at least a dozen of different submissions? Be smart, grab this one now! 

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Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD Review
The Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD is an instructional by one of John Danaher’s senior black belts who prefers to fly under the radar. As one of the most technical students ever to train under Danaher, Brian Glick has a teaching style and an understanding of BJJ that rivals those of his mentor.
Since you’re going to end up playing half guard whether you like it or not, having a strong half guard game is essential if you want to have a good time on the BJJ mats. While you have plenty of choices in terms of half guard variations and different DVDs targeting each, going the route of developing a general understanding of the position is the most effective tactic available.

Key Takeaways

  • 8-part No-Gi BJJ DVD with 6+ hours of material delivered by a Danaher black belt
  • A half guard system based on key skills, common problems, and smart tactics.
  • Directions on how to best study the material and tie it together as a system. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 10 out of 10.

BRIAN GLICK HALF GUARD MASTERY DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Review: Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD
See Trailer: Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD

Why Every Grappler Needs the Half Guard

Like it or not, you’re going to play half guard in BJJ. You may not want to use the position as your main guard, but you’ll often find yourself forced into it by a top player with smart passing tactics. In fact, forcing half guard from the top is one of the best stalling tactics passers have at their disposal.

So, since you’re going to spend time in the half guard, why not pick a half guard variation and make it your own? The position allows you to make passing a nightmare for the top person, it offers direct access to both lower and upper body submissions and opens up sweeps in every direction. Plus it works just as well with and without the Gi.

At the end of the day, the half guard is just a more practical and much more versatile version of the closed guard. Granted, playing it can be boring and difficult at times, but if you truly want to excel at any other guard, you’ll need to understand how to play the one guard that is the final frontier between you and a strong passer.

Danaher Black Belt Brian Glick

Brian Glick is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under John Danaher as well as a Judo black belt who resembles his mentor and coach Danaher in many ways. Glick is a very cerebral person, focused on dissecting Jiu-Jitsu to its most foundational components and figuring out how it all works together.

Glick, one of those grapplers who has never competed, teaches BJJ full-time in Brooklyn. Danaher singles him out as one of his senior black belts and a hidden gem among his most notable students. Having withstood the very violent early days of Jiu-Jitsu in the 90s, marred by dojo challenges and serious injuries, a small-framed Glick emerged battle-clad with buckets of grappling knowledge.

Being a small grappler in the early days of Jiu-Jitsu in America was no easy feat, and it forced Gloick to understand BJJ a lot more than any of his contemporaries.  Having trained MMA with GSP and Chris Weidman, and grappled full-time with the DDS, Danaher uses Glick as the prime example of the transformative powers Jiu-Jitsu has.

In the Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD you’ll notice how much of an influence John had on Brian, in the way he delivers information, the structure of the instructional, and the depth of analysis in every single chapter.

Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD Detailed Review

The Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD is an eight-part No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructional featuring over 6 hours of ultra-high quality material demonstrated by one of John Danahers most valued students.

Part 1 – Half Guard Mechanics

As the DVD begins, Glick presents the half guard by explaining why he loves to use it and why it is essential for anyone involved in grappling. As part of his introductory volume, he talks about some key mechanics that make the half guard tick, such as posture, inside position, distance, and the importance of where you place your head.

He also portrays the three essential skills you need to make it work, all of them regarding the lower leg, a.k.a. the one you have wrapper around your opponent’s leg. Glick talks a lot about the importance of the lower leg shift, the knee lever, and shelfing as the main means to set up a successful half guard game.

Part 2 – Tight Waist

As we move deeper into the Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD, the attention is directed towards setting up and making the most out of the tight waist position from the bottom half. Glick explains this using a trilemma sweep example by focusing on solving three key problems:

    1. The posted arm;
    2. The leg post;
    3. The Guillotine threat.

Once those are no longer of any concern, you can use the tight waist to finish your attacks, which diversify from roll-through sweeps to ankle picks by leveraging the three key skills explained in the first volume. I found the discussion on using momentum to be particularly eye-opening.

Part 3 – Duck Under

While you might not perceive that duck under as a move that you can use from the half guard, this wrestling staple actually has a huge advantage to offer. Given that we use stuff like arm drags and 2-on-1 from the half guard anyway, it makes sense that the duck under would find applications as well.

Most of the focus in the opening sections of this volume explores head positioning, and the optimal angles for a successful duck under. Once again, Brian ties in all the stuff presented earlier, introducing the tight waist control to provide versatility.

In fact, the second portion of this volume focuses a lot on solving the issues that arise when the top person uses common tactics to deal with your tight waist. The main culprits are a strong Whizzer, the knee cut pass, and the back step.

The volume ends with skill integration samples that can be used as drills. The feature uses the tight waist to sweep in combination with the duck under, ankle picks, and roll-throughs – the sweep trilemma.

Part 4 – Knee Lever

A crucial concept of playing half guard is understanding the knee lever principle which is a lot more difficult than it sounds. There are a lot of mechanics involved, but Brian manages to dumb it all down, despite going in great detail to explain how and why it works.

Initially, this volume of the Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD addresses the different directions of Kuzushi you can create using the knee lever, before looking at some grip combinations that enhance the move in different situations.

As this part edges towards its end, Glick offers his thoughts on how to manage scrambles that often emerge as you play with the knee lever, and how the height of your head is crucial in winning those scrambles. A few more troubleshooting tips end this portion, margin the halfway point of the DVD.

Part 5 – Whizzer Solutions

Another problem that every half guard player faces, whether they want to play underhook half guard or not, is the Whizzer, a.k.a. the overhook. Brain uses the Dogfight position to explore Whizzer solutions, offering great insights into a very useful position.

For the most part, Glick attempts to use the principles he already laid out to help solve the Whizzer situation when you are side by side with the opponent. Hip height, knee position, and the mandatory limp arm are concepts you can’t even think to grapple without. Brian also talks about a sneaky little trick in using your knee to dominate the exchange.

Once you learn how to neutralize the threat of the Whizzer, there is no need to get out of it, and Brian offers counters instead. I’d single out the Cowcatcher as my personal favorite, but going into single legs or using an outside scoop might work better for others. It is good to have options, though.

Part 6 – Troubleshooting

At this point in the Brian Glick DVD instructional, I had some questions and concerns, regarding some of the presented material. Luckily, Brian anticipated that and devoted an entire volume to troubleshooting common issues before moving further.

In the sixth portion of the DVD, Glick covers how to solve reverse over and underhooks, details on the sit-out, shielding in smash positions, and recovering to an offensive position. He also shows a cool roll-through variation that I find better than the original.

Part 7 – Half Guard Concepts and Principles

The penultimate part of this instructional is all about the conceptual framework that is responsible for the half guard’s effectiveness. Once again, the three essential skills make an appearance, as Glick uses them to guide us to the principles of playing half guard.

He uses different entries into the position to pinpoint the importance of key concepts, both from other guards and as a means of escaping pins. Once again, he goes over the key problems you’ll face, and how you can use the trilemma attack to destabilize the opponent before you finish the sweep using the essential skills of shelfing, knee lever, and lower leg shift.

All in all, this part of the instructional is a framework of how the entire system operates and how to best approach studying the half guard using Glick’s methods. As this volume unfolds, so does Brian’s half guard game, introducing leg locks, and wrestling up to the system.

Part 8 – Body Positioning

As we reach the very end of this Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD, he continues with the principles of how to study his material and make sense of it before you try stuff out on the mats. Here, the big picture regarding the Dogfight position and the Whizzer is in the spotlight.

Once again. Glick goes over everything he said about naturalizing the Whizzer, finishing sweeps, and getting superior positioning from the side-to-side position after successfully using the tight waist half guard. he also ties the stout into the system, rounding everything off in a way that makes half guard easy, logical, and fun to play.

How Long Do You Want to Train BJJ For? 

If you are into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for the medals and glory of competition, you’re going to have a short-lived career in one of the best things you can do in life in the modern age. That, of course, is ultimately your choice.

However, if you are into Jiu-jitsu to try and understand, perhaps even solve some of BJJ’s great mysteries, then your goal is longevity. This is a much deeper and more meaningful goal to have, in my opinion, and one worth exploring more than simply being a competitor

Of course, the two are not mutually exclusive and you can still be a top competitor and grow as a grappler at the same time aiming to be able to roll for as long as possible, With longevity in mind, though, your game cannot be based on explosive motion and endless movement.

Instead, you’ll need to focus on a slower, more control-based game in every aspect of grappling. The half guard is the perfect example of a versatile position you can use to be able to do KJiu-Jitsu at a considerably high level for life, at least when it comes to bottom positions.

And no, you shouldn’t pick it up as a focus point after your competitive career is over. Why rack up injuries and abuse your body when you can be effective and smart from the beginning? The Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD is a great resource to set you up with a foolproof bottom game that will allow you to train BJJ for life. Think about it.

Brian Glick BJJ DVD Review: Half Guard Mastery
Free Sample: Half Guard Mastery DVD

HALF GUARD MASTERY BRIAN GLICK BJJ DVD DOWNLOAD

Simplify The System!

Adding half guard to your guard game is going to offer a safety net based on simplicity and effectiveness that you can use whenever all your other guard attacks and tactics fail to materialize. Before you get passed, you’ll have one last chance to respond, and if you decide to study the Half Guard Mastery Brian Glick DVD, your response will be one that the opponent is going to hate!

A very, very smart investment in your longevity as a grappler and your effectiveness as a competitor. Even though I started this review as a skeptic, I am now a firm believer in the half-guard approach Brain Glick offers in this instructional.

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Timeless Knee Shield: A Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Timeless Knee Shield: A Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD Review

How good is your knee shield half guard? Do you feel like you can use it to stay in the half guard for as long as you want, while you can set up traps and attack combinations to use at your convenience? If you need help with the position, we have just the resources for you.

It is called ‘Timeless Knee Shield’ and is a Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD that offers insights into one of the most effective staple positions of the sport. What sets this instructional apart from others is that the person doing the demonstrations is not just a BJJ World Champion, but also a proven world-class half guard player.

Key Takeaways

  • Four-part No-Gi instructional roughly two hours of material.
  • Full systems for common upper body submissions like triangles and Omoplats.
  • Features sweeping, back takes, and guard transitions that tie in with the submissions. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

TIMELESS KNEE SHIELD RAFAEL LOVATO DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Review Timeless Knee Shield: A Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD
TRAILER: Timeless Knee Shield Rafael Lovato DVD

The Only Half Guard Concept You Need

Half guard is the one position I keep getting asked about by people of all ages, and all levels. Almost every week someone has a half guard-related question, that is how much people like to play this guard and all assorted positional variations.

There are two key things to remember about the half guard, at least in terms of leg placement. The leg that is in between the opponent’s legs, a.k.a. the passive or ‘hook’ leg needs to go deep. By that I mean deeper than you think, and even a bit more than that, if you want to be sure the opponent can’t just easily pass by moving away.

Next, you need to pick the optimal position of the second leg, the free one which you can keep moving from one place to another, depending on your needs. One position that offers everything you’ll ever need from the half guard is using the top leg as a shield, by placing your shine in between you and the opponent.

The knee shield can be placed all across the opponent’s chest, with either of the shoulders and the shin across the stomach being the three most utilized (and effective ones). In the Timeless Knee Shield Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD, you’ll get to learn all the key things for all three of these top leg positions.

The BJJ Nice Guy – Rafel Lovato Jr.

After Conor McGregor’s antics in the UFC made him a living legend, he proved that Chael Sonnen’s bad-guy act works better than trying to be a respectful martial artist, such as GSP for example. Unfortunately, this trend poured over into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well, with people like Gordon Ryan using it in a smart way to gain attention, and others, like Dillon Dannis failing miserably at it.

Among the bunch of folks trying to capitalize on being ‘bad boys’, the few nice guys that stick to the values they believe in do make a mark in the sport. The ultimate nice guy in BJJ has to be Rafel Lovato Jr., a legendary grappler who is anything but nice if you’re his opponent on the mats or in the cage.

With a grappling record of 125 wins (with a 54% submission rate) and 67 losses (only 10 by submission) and a professional MMA record of 11-0, the former undefeated Bellator World Middleweight Champion has made history on more than one occasion in his career.

The Carlos Machado black belt decided to retire from grappling at the 2022 ADCC, being forced to vacate his Bellator title earlier because of health issues. Rafel has since dedicated himself to teaching in his Academy while offering lots of timeless knowledge in his instructionals, a standout being the Timeless Knee Shield: A Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD.

Timeless Knee Shield Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD Review

The Timeless Knee Shield: A Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD is a No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructional containing roughly 2 hours of high-quality material on the subject of the knee shield half guard. Rafel spreads his desaturations over 4 volumes, each covering a specific aspect of the full knee shield game, and masterfully bringing them all together:

Part 1 – Triangles and Omoplatas

The Timeless Knee Shield Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD starts very strong, covering a true timeless submission combo – the triangle and Omoplata. Across 30 minutes Lovato offers precise details on how to finish each of these staples of BJJ, but also how to integrate them together in relation to the knee shield guard.

Lovato guides us through the best way to introduce submission dilemma attacks from the knee shield when the opponent postures, or tries to go forward too much. He ties everything in with the powerful shoulder crunch position as well, ending with a very tight spiral armbar finish.

Part 2 – Kimuras and Armlocks

One of Lovato’s signature submissions is the Kimura, a move he has used successfully a dozen times against the very best in the world. In the second volume of the DVD, Rafael explores the pretty obvious Kimura from the knee shield, showing us how to make it work even when the opponent can see it coming.

Sticking to a multi-faceted game, Lovato ties in the Kimura finishes and set-ups with the previous threats of triangles and Omoplats, adding depth and options to an already versatile attacking knee shield system. The popular snap submission Choi Bar also makes an appearance in this part of the Timeless Knee Shield Rafael Lovato DVD.

Leaving no knee shield stone unturned, Lovato adds the final piece of the puzzle to this system by showing how to cover the only side left for the opponent to exploit with a guillotine choke threat.

Part 3 – Sweeps and Back Exposure

The first half of this  Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD covers submissions from the knee shield position, with the second half focusing on transitioning and sweeping.  Creating movement from the knee shield half guard is crucial for success, and Lovato chose to do drags.

Dragging an opponent’s arm across your chest, or theirs opens up immediate sweep threats while simultaneously exposing the back. Another world-quality dilemma attack that provides not just follow-up submission options, but also opens up transitions to other guards, such as the butterfly and X-guard.

The low knee shield guard, a.k.a. the Z-guard makes an appearance here, as one of the alternative guard positions to use to amplify the power of the knee shield. A few effective hook sweep-triangle combos wrap this volume up.

Part 4 – Leg Locks and Signature Sweeps

As we reach the final part of the Timeless Knee Shield: A Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD, sweeps still play a pivotal role in the instructional. Lovato uses half of this volume to foe over his favorite John Wayne sweep in great detail, tying it up with all the stuff he demonstrated in earlier volumes.

Given the closeness to butterfly positions, Rafael does not skip over the potential of the knee shield in terms of leg lock entries, dedicating several chapters to integrating Ahsi Garami into the system. The instructional ends with a simple way of opening up the dreaded Coyote half guard from the knee shield, as if we needed more variety from Lovato.

Versatility in Simplicity

The most powerful positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu have become staples of the sport for a reason – they work and have been working for tens, maybe even hundreds of years. however, we see people avoiding these positions on account of them being ‘boring’ and too ‘simple’.

This is the best way to shoot yourself in the foot in terms of grappling. While there are positions and transitions that are visually stunning and effective, the efficacy of the ‘boring’, and ‘old’ positions, remains unmatched. The biggest conundrum is that people will revert back to closed guard or half guard variations, for example, once they feel the pressure in competition even though they prepared using De la Spider Inverted X-guards for months.

At the end of the day, less is more, and in a sport where literally every movement you make counts, moving more just for an artistic effect is always going to come second to restricting your movement only to the bare essentials. After all, we’re after the effects of performing a motion, rather than the performance itself.

One of the most basic guard variations people tend to ignore on behalf of flashier ones is the knee shield, used in different configurations from the half guard. Appropriately named Timeless Knee Shield, this Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD attempts to re-introduce the position to the general public as much more than just a boring fundamental.

Timeless Knee Shield: A Rafael Lovato DVD Review
Check Out A Free Timeless Knee Shield: Rafael Lovato DVD Sample

TIMELESS KNEE SHIELD RAFAEL LOVATO BJJ DVD DOWNLOAD

Shields Up!

Playing half guard is not always a choice, as many times passers like to force it so that they can control the exchange completely. Why not be ready with an entire system of submissions and sweeps to mess up their plans and draw them deep into a quicksand of traps?

The Timeless Knee Shield Rafael Lovato Half Guard DVD is the ultimate resource to help you make sense of this half guard variations and develop a deadly game from it. Since the guard is perfect for both Gi and No-Gi, you’re getting one half guard variation to use against anyone with loads of success!

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Chris Paines DVD Review: Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Chris Paines DVD Review: Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense

If you’ve ever wondered how important exactly defense is in BJJ, or what is the ultimate purpose of defending in grappling, then we might have some answers for you today. Our focus is a new Chris Paines DVD instructional covering the highly entertaining and somewhat mysterious subject of Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense.

If you have rolled at least once in your life, you know how important offense and defense are in the sport. Essentially, you’re doing one of them at all times for most of the duration of every match and roll.

But, how do these opposing aspects of BJJ relate to one another, and how can you make the most out of understanding that relationship? These are the answers we’re looking for today.

Key Takeaways

  • 5-part No-Gi DVD with just under two and a half hours of game-changing concepts.
  • Covers the principles of offense and defense in BJJ from both top and bottom.
  • Defines and simplifies how and when you can turn defense into attacks effectively. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

CHRIS PAINES DEFENSE TO OFFENSE BJJ DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Chris Paines DVD: Turning Defensive Cycles Into Offensive Cycles
Trailer: Turning Defense Into Offense Chris Paines DVD

The Art of Attacking While Defending

Why do we defend in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? The short-term answers that most of you are probably thinking about are along the lines of “preventing submissions” and “recovering superior positions”. The long-term goal, most people are not connecting with defense is attacking.

defense serves as a means to help you establish positions you can launch attacks from while being safe from the opponent’s offense at the same time. Without defense, it would be a battle of attacks that will benefit whoever is in a superior position.

So, while the initial answers are correct, in a way, they all lead to the same goal – gaining an offensive edge over your opponent. Having an attacking mindset while you are defending bad positions and even submission attacks, means you are working towards a very clear goal and you’ll start recognizing options to launch those attacks much earlier than conventional Jiu-Jitsu behavior has taught you so far.

I’ve only seen sporadic mentions of this crucial concept in Jiu-Jitsu until now when an instructional directly covering the subject became available. Is the Chris Paines DVD: Turning Defensive Cycles into Offensive Cycles going to deliver, though? Check out the review that follows:

British BJJ Mastermind Chris Paines

I’ve had the pleasure of attending some of Chris Paines’ classes and I’ve always left with more ideas, material, and questions than a year of BJJ training. The man is simply not afraid to challenge all the stuff we’re taking for granted, in, what I interpret to be, an attempt to simplify Jiu-Jitsu.

Chirs is a fairly recent black belt, under defensive expert Priit Mihkelson, and you already probably know of him. A few years ago, one of Chris’ classes exploded in the BJJ World, available for free on YouTube and dubbed “How to defend everything“. And that is not even his best work!

Chris has been meticulously growing and breaking down Jiu-Jitsu since then, some of it available on his YouTube channel, but most of his most cohesive knowledge of grappling put into instructional format. The BJJ and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu black belt, one of the lead instructors at Fighting Fit in Staffordshire has several enticing and highly informative instructional to his name.

Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense is the latest Chris Paines DVD, and one that arrives with almost perfect timing, as I spend the last 9 months trying to teach this elusive skill to my advanced class.

Detailed Chris Paines DVD Review: Defense Into Offense

If you’ve ever seen Chris teach or you’ve watched any of his DVDs, you know that you’re in for an unorthodox experience. Chris likes to “dumb down” Jiu-Jitsu using lots of analogies you probably never thought of, which ends up being an extremely effective way of delivering key points to a large audience.

The Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense Chris Paines DVD is a 5-volume No-Gi BJJ instructional that features just under 2 and half hours of very informative and original material.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKbx5jmx2tE&pp=ygUcY2hyaXMgcGFpbmVzIGRlZmVuc2l2ZSBjeWNsZQ%3D%3D

Part 1 – Why We Do Jiu-Jitsu

This incredible Chris Paines DVD opens up with an introduction, during which Chris decides to cover the subject of why we do BJJ from the perspective of gaining and taking away power. It is a slightly strange way of explaining the sport, but when you stop and think about it, it just makes so much sense!

Paines builds on his fundamental concept of Jiu-Jitsu, at least in the realm of defensive and offensive cycles, by addressing another staple of success in the Gentle Art – balance. He explains precisely what it is, how to keep a hold of it, and how to take it away from your opponent.

Part 2 – Guard Essentials

Defensive guards first emerged as a concept when Ryan Hall decided to issue a series of DVDs on the subject more than a decade ago. Since then, the concept remained a part of the sport but has never really been addressed in-depth.

Chris who has a very strong defensive background courtesy of the work he did with Mihkelson, has attempted to deconstruct both the defensive and offensive prowess of guards by breaking them down to their bare essentials.

That is exactly what he shares in this portion of his Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense DVD, starting with one of the staple concepts of wrestling – the tree trunk/pole concept. A lot of attention goes towards hand-fighting the key components of defense, and offense and combining both of them.

Chris covers open guards in this volume, addressing both how to use them as a guard plater and how to set yourself up to pass them.

Part 3 – Just Stand Up

Sticking to the tree trunk concepts which he dubbs “Bonsai”, Paines goes into one of the most useful, yet frustrating concepts of modern BJJ – standing up from guard. It is highly useful because it introduced another dimension to BJJ, one previously heavily used in wrestling.

Frustrating, because it can be extremely difficult to stand up while someone is not allowing you to, effectively focusing only on that task to the detriment of actually grappling. This usually results in chaos and loss of positions. Paines goes over the hand-fighting principles that are essential for standing up safely and effectively, before addressing some key defensive postures from bottom positions.

This part of the Chris Paines DVD mostly covers the defensive cycle, targeting the use of the turtle position and its relation to the ‘running man’ defensive posture. Chris’ goal is to guide us to standing without risking joint locks and chokes, all the while opening your own counter-submission opportunities.

Part 4 – Distance Management

past the halfway point of the Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense instructional, Paines switches his attention almost exclusively to offense, by presenting different methods that annoy people who attack you so much that they end up doing their worst, allowing you to capitalize.

That is exactly what his ‘sugar in the gas tank’ concepts cover – how to stop people dead in their tracks while they’re attacking you. The vital aspect, you guessed it – hand fighting. This time, however, it is distance that makes offensive hand fighting possible and Chris does a marvelous job explaining how it works in BJJ.

The turtle position features a lot in this volume again, with the focus now on the spine – both yours and that of your opponents. More precisely, Chris talks about alignment and misalignment of the spine and how it affects grappling.

Part 5 – Pressure

Wrapping this Chris Paines DVD up is a volume covering pressure, which, as I’ve discovered during my own experiments, can come from the bottom person (a.k.a. the one defending) as much as the one on top.

Paines’ final volume covers the use of shot points and counterweights, as the main components of having a pressure-based game that stops attacks and allows you to turn the tables in just a few moves. The cherry on the top, and the final chapter in the story, is a section covering Apex chokes.

Turning Defense into Offense 

One of the most difficult things I’ve ever managed to achieve in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is to figure out how to turn the tables when I am defending. The challenge was not to initiate scrambles while I was defending, nor look for low-percentage submissions, like bottom-side control Amaericanas. It was to play defense in a way that slowly and methodically opens up high-percentage attacks with the attacker remaining oblivious to my intentions, but unable to achieve anything.

Suffice it to say, I spent countless rounds tapping out to silly stuff and stewing under the pressure of top players until things started to click. Of course, I had help along the way, and Chris was actually one of the few people who covered this subject in some of his earlier work.

Having the ability to defend confidently puts you in a position where you never feel panicked or threatened again – you’re in control even when you’re “losing” which is a very powerful position to be in. Once you master that shift in the grappling mindset, you will find out that attacking from defense is actually much closer than you thought.

Chris Paines DVD: Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense
Free Chris Paines DVD Technique: Turning Defensive Cycles Into Offensive Cycles

DEFENSE TO OFFENSE CHRIS PAINES DVD DOWNLOAD

Attack, Attack, Attack!

You might say I am biased toward Chris Paines’ work in grappling because I am a fan of intelligent approaches to the sport that challenge unnecessary fluff which has overtaken the sport lately. That said, I really can’t see how anyone would go wrong with picking up the Turning BJJ Defense Into Offense Chris Paines DVD.

While you will need a solid foundation of defense, an you can only get that by placing yourself in bad spots and finding ways out, this resource is immense in providing a conceptual framework of where all your defense leads. I’d jump on this as soon as possible so that you have more time than your opponents to break it down and use it.

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Rener Gracie Tries To Rebrand And Patent The Gift Wrap as SafeWrap

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Rener Gracie Tries To Rebrand And Patent The Gift Wrap as SafeWrap

Controversy strikes again in the BJJ World, and unsurprisingly, it is the Gracie family behind it, once again. In what appears to be the latest effort to cash in as much as possible on Jiu-Jitsu, Rener Gracie officially filed to trademark a grappling move that everyone has been using for decades.

Namely, the Gracie University co-founder decided to submit a request to patent the Gift Wrap position, a staple of grappling and MMA, rebranding it as the SafeWrap, giving him sole proprietary rights over the use of the term. As expected, this move did not go unnoticed, nor did it go down well with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community.

Rener Gracie Tries To Rebrand And Patent The Gift Wrap as SafeWrap

The Gift Wrap Position in BJJ

For those who have been grappling for at least a while, the Gift Wrap position in BJJ is nothing new. It is a highly efficient position which is the perfect checkpoint between mount and back mount, allowing for a myriad of attacks through exceedingly uncomfortable control.

The Gift Wrap works when you can literally make the bottom person give themselves a hug with one of their arms. The goal is to get one arm into a position similar to the rear naked choke, just done with the opponent’s own arm around the neck, rather than yours.

In order to achieve that position, you should be either mounted on top of an opponent who is turning sideways or behind them in any way or form. As you wrap their arm around them (hence the name of the position) you aim to control the wrist of the arm with one of your arms, so that they can’t pull it out.

The end goal of the BJJ Gift Wrap is to control, as it does not deliver a direct choking threat to the opponent on the bottom. However, you can use it for certain punch chokes and wristlocks if you really want to, although I find it to be the most useful for rear triangle entries.

We witness the position a lot in MMA matches as well, as it is one of the staple ground-and-pound positions that once achieved, can determine the outcome of the match. As such, it is also highly useful in self-defense, which is most likely why Rener Gracie decided to patent the Gift Wrap as the SafeWrap in an attempt to further portray BJJ as the cream-of-the-crop martial art for self-defense.

Rener Gracie’s SafeWrap

The SafeWrap, a.k.a. Rener Gracie’s attempt to patent The Gift Wrap is sort of a mix between the Gift Erap position and Danaher’s Straight Jacket back control system. Actually, one of my students, now a brown belt, has been using this combination for a few years now, as he discovered it during his exploration of the Gift Wrap. Too bad he didn’t think about trademarking it.

The SafeWrap position that Rener Gracie is trying to “pioneer” is actually a modified Gift Wrap that has been created for specific use by law enforcement. It involves two officers handling and immobilizing a suspect, with one targeting the upper, and another one the lower body of the suspect.

The upper body control is literally the Gift Wrap position merged with Straight Jacket elements to provide control over the second arm, either placing it across the chest or across the back of the recipient.

Meanwhile, another officer controls the legs of the opponent. looking to cross them at knee level, reminiscent of most Honeyhole or 50/50 shoelace entanglements. Rener Gracie had NYPD officers try out the move on both sides of it, and provide their testimonials as he shamelessly tries to promote it:

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu has been leaking into law enforcement curriculums lately, which is a move saluted by everyone who has spent even a day training in grappling. However, is there really a need to blemish the practical use of Jiu-Jitsu in law enforcement with such transparent cash-grabbing actions as trademarking a move that literally everyone should actually know and be able to use for free?

Can Someone Trademark a BJJ Technique?

By law, trademarking follows a very specific procedure that, when followed closely, technically allows anyone to protect a specific sports move as a trademark or patent. Three things are crucial for any innovation to be considered eligible for a patent:

  1. Patentable subject matter – Defined by a specific code.
  2. Novelty – A move/method that is new and not recognized by anyone else in the field.
  3. Non-Obviousness – The move/method does not resemble an existing one in the field.
  4. Utility – The invention has to be useful.
  5. Enablement – Refers to a written description of the specification in the patent claim application.

Technical terms aside, Rener Gracie’s effort to rebrand and patent the Gift Wrap as the SafeWrap fails in two points (novelty and non-obviousness) to begin with, and might not even be recognized as a valid one.

Yoga guru Bikram Choudhury saw a similar application rebuffed by the Court of Appeals when he tried to trademark a Yoga sequence as his own. After all, the legal stand of the United States Copyright Office is that “a selection, coordination, or arrangement of functional physical movements such as sports movements, exercises, and other ordinary motor activities does not represent the type of authorship intended to be protected as choreographic works under the US Copyright Act.”

As per the above, trademarking a specific BJJ move or technique should be impossible, but I guess we’ll see whether Rener managed to squeeze his SafeWrap by somehow. It wouldn’t surprise anyone who is familiar with his business model.

SafeWrap: Rener Gracie Tries To Rebrand And Patent The Gift Wrap

Did Rener Gracie go Too Far (Again)?

I really think that there is absolutely no need to introduce trademarks and similar legal frameworks to the sport. The Gracie family already has the tightest financial grab on the sport, whether it is through Gracie Barra, the Gracie University, the IBJJF, or any individual Gracie gym, fighter, or other marketing effort around the world.

In the last decade, we’ve seen a shift in BJJ that sees more people adopt the term Jiu-Jitsu, not really caring about origins or founders. The sport has already undergone so many modifications and evolved so much past the original Gracie Jiu-Jitsu that there are folks who train now that barely even know about the Gracie family.

At the end of the day, we train Jiu-Jitsu because it is fun, and it might come in useful someday. Some of us, myself included have gyms and live from the sport by giving back to the community through classes. Imagine what would happen if we all tried to patent moves that have been around for millennia.

The attempt to rebrand and patent the Gift Wrap position as the SafeWrap is Rener Gracie’s most desperate move yet, making even less sense than giving people belts online. It is time it all stopped.

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