Leg Lock Destruction BJJ DVD Review By Kyle Boehm

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Leg Lock Destruction BJJ DVD Review By Kyle Boehm

How do you know if a leg locks instructional is worth exploring? Well, first of all, you need to look at how is the person demonstrating the techniques. If it is a proven competitive leg locker, or a renowned coach, preferably one who has coached high-level leg lockers, you are great.

The difference though, is in the delivery. What you want from a leg lock instructional, given how much material is available out there, is simplicity. At this point, paralysis by analysis is a real problem in Jiu-Jitsu, and any resource that reduces clutter is very welcome.

Our attention in this quest was to explore the Leg Lock Destruction DVD put together by one of the most formidable leg lockers of our time, Kyle Boehm. Let’s dive deep and see what Kyle has to offer in it.

Key Takeaways

  • No-Gi DVD containing two volumes with nearly two hours of leg locks.  
  • A system that keeps you switching Ashi Garami positions constantly.  
  • Entries, attack combos, escapes, and proven effective counter-leg locks. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

LEG LOCK DESTRUCTION DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Review : Leg Lock Destruction DVD By Kyle Boehm
Trailer: Kyle Boehm Leg Lock Destruction DVD

Are Leg Locks Still the Great Equalizer in BJJ?

Do you know how leg locks got their bad name in BJJ? During a 10 vs. 10 BJJ gym challenge in Brazil, Helio Gracie’s students lost to Oswaldo Fadda’s students as a result of footlocks. Helio dubbed them a “suburban technique” (Técnica de Suburbano) afterward resulting in people throwing shoes at those who attempted them in BJJ tournaments.

This just proves how effective they have been since the early days of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After the leg lock revolution that the Danaher Death Squad introduced, leg locks were the most popular thing to do for a while. Now, everyone sees them as something that is a vital part of BJJ, and not everyone is drawn to practice them as much.

This raises the question of whether or not they lost their power and potential, now that they are no longer an obscure “suburban” move but rather a staple of the sport. As one of those who were completely drawn to the rabbit hole that is leg locks, I can attest to them being just as useful now, if not more, as they were about a decade ago.

What you have at your disposal these days are options. Before, there was only the Danaher system. Now, you can diversify your leg locks in a bunch of different ways, as people have taken to them and turned them into signature moves.

An example that comes to mind is one of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu’s most active and recognizable competitors, Kyle Boehm, a modern-day leg locker who knows a thing or two about Leg Lock Destruction.

Kyle Boehm: One of the Best 10th Planet Grapplers

Kyle Boehm is a BJJ black belt in the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, under John Botello. He has been an avid competitor since his colored belt days and has carried over that momentum into his pro career after getting his black belt in 2019.

While still a young black belt, at least time-wise, Bohem already has some impressive performances on the biggest stages, such as ADCC and EBi, as well as some big titles to his name, such as the BJJ Fanatics Grand Prix Champion and King of the Mats Invitational Champion.

Spending a lot of his time between his coach, Botello, and the two most distinct competitors from 10th Planet – Geo and Richie Martinez, Boehm emerged as the perfect blend of competitive drive and deep grappling knowledge.

His style is all about efficiency, slightly different from everyone else at 10P, with a heavy emphasis on leg locks, particularly outside heel hooks. So far, he has 19 submission victories at a pro level, 12 of which are by way of heel hooks.

Given that he’s gone against grapplers such as Kaynan Duarte, Tex Johnson, Nick Rodriguez, and Craig Jones, he is exactly the person you want to be learning leg locks from.

Kyle Boehm: Leg Lock Destruction DVD Review

What you get with the Leg Lock Destruction BJJ DVD By Kyle Boehm is a 2-hour long resource on how to constantly stay in a leg-locking position and always present a threat to the opponent. Most of the focus in this No-Gi instructional is on heel hook finishes, Boehm’s favorite, with tens of different top and bottom setups and transitions examined in detail:

Leg Lock Destruction Kyle Boehm DVD Review
Kyle Boehm Leg Lock Destruction DVD Review

Part 1 – Ashi Garami Transitions

As the Leg Lock Destruction DVD kicks off, Boehm starts off with entries that Kyle compares to wrestling mat returns – he forces the opponent’s hips to the ground from top and bottom, opening up different leg lock attacks.

he starts in the Straight Ashi, which he calls the standard Ashi Garami, covering how to get the position against a bunch of different positions from the Headquarters to following up on takedowns and arm drags from the butterfly guard.

The Outside Ashi, reverse Ashi, and Cross-Ashi positions follow suit, with Kyle showing how to transition in between them once you get to the standard Ashi Garami. A bit of 50/50 works appears at the end, providing even more versatility to the system. Throughout, Kyle Boehm covers both top and bottom entries.

Part 2 – Mechanics of Counter Leg Locks

The second and final portion of the Kyle Boehm DVD explores finishing, focusing on the breaking mechanics of heel hooks. That said, Boehm also shares his tips and tricks on finishing toe holds, kneebars, Achilles locks, and even calf slicers.

At all times, he uses the transitions between the different Ashi Garamis to ensure he never loses the opponent’s hips, and they never leave the mats. A big part of this portion is the Game Over position, the most underrated leg-locking position in all grappling martial arts.

A particularly enticing part of this instructional is the chapters on counter leg locks, which Boehm covers in detail, tying them to the Ashi positions covered earlier. He also shares some highly effective escape strategies, as well as a positional hierarchy and the theoretical framework that makes the system tick.

The Best Time to do Leg Locks

In my opinion, now is the best time to do leg locks in BJJ. There are more than enough resources out there, both instructional and matches to analyze to find out exactly what suits you.

Moreover, people are no longer afraid of leg locks, which actually works in favor of leg lockers. It means that now you can set yourself deeper into an Ashi Garami and switch between different styles of leg locks, from Dnahaer-style control to looser digital finishes like Lachlan Giles, or a more scramble style like the one Kyle Boehm shows in his Leg Lock Destruction BJJ DVD.

At the end of the day, you now have the knowledge not just to attack leg locks, but also set traps using them. The only thing more devastating than a BJJ leg lock is a counter-leg lock, the mark of high-level grapples and inescapable once set up correctly.

All it takes is keeping an open mind not falling for the latest fad in grappling that is not yet polished, and sticking with moves that are proven to work and provide heaps of versatility when it comes to making them your own.

Kyle Boehm Leg Lock Destruction DVD Review
Free Technique: Kyle Boehm Leg Lock Destruction DVD

DOWNLOAD KYLE BOEHM DVD LEG LOCK DESTRUCTION

Grab A Leg!

The Leg Lock Destruction BJJ DVD By Kyle Boehm is an invaluable resource for those who already have leg-locking experience and want to tie everything together without too much fluff and complexity. It is straight to the point, containing hours of super useful material that is actually a great fit for anyone, including those with no previous leg lock knowledge.

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Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD Review: Mat Return After BJJ Injury

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD Review: Mat Return After BJJ Injury

What is the worst part of having a BJJ injury? Ask any grappler and you’ll get the same answer that has nothing to do with the injury itself – the problem is having to take a break from training Jiu-Jitsu.

Everyone has tried to figure out Mat Return After BJJ Injury, with most people ending up more injured than before. The resources on the subject are scarce, and physical therapists and physicians who also happen to be training are even scarcer.

Now, a very well-thought-out and presented Eugene Tsozik and Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD solves both these issues.

Key Takeaways

  • Three-part Gi instructional containing material with a running time of 4 hours.  
  • Covers the whole journey from acute injury all the way to full training.  
  • Contains injury screenings, movement exercises, and partner drills. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 10 out of 10.

MAT RETURN AFTER BJJ INJURY DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Mat Return After BJJ Injury Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD Review:
Check Out the Trailer – Mat Return After BJJ Injury Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD

Dealing With BJJ Injuries

The harsh reality of training actively in any sport is that you will end up injured on more than one occasion. With Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu it is even more probable that you’ll end up nursing small twists, bumps, and injuries often, if not all the time you’re on the mats, given that you train frequently.

The issue with injuries in BJJ is that people tend to be impatient with resting as long as it takes for those pesky injuries to heal to a level where they won’t be reactivated by sparring. Everyone I know has come back to train while nursing an injury, with me being the worst example, as I have not let one BJJ injury, bug r small, settle down before getting back on the mats.

Just to paint a picture I taught a class two days after suffering an LCL tear on my knee – and that’s just one example. So, since nobody is going to listen to the doctors, and rest for the appropriate time required for a complete recovery, then we have to figure out a way to train safely with said injuries.

There is a way to do this, albeit not as optimal as resting and recovering. The Michael Piekarski BJJ we are looking into today is one of the rare instructional on how to deal with BJJ injuries, and more importantly, handle a mat return with one without making it worse.

Michael Piekarski & Eugene Tsozik: BJJ Physical Therapists

Michael Piekarski a.k.a Doctor Kick-Ass is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who also has a doctorate in physical therapy. He is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist with extensive experience working both with inpatient and outpatient clients, lately focusing mostly on grappling and MMA athletes in an outpatient setting.

Eugene Tsozik, known as the Jiu-Jitsu Therapist is also a black belt in BJJ, and a doctor of physical therapy, currently working in the UofL Health Frazier Rehabilitation Institute. He also trains Jiu-Jitsu daily, with 14 years of training under his belt, which have helped him understand human motion better than most other physical therapists out there.

Detailed Mat Return Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD Review

This interesting BJJ DVD instructional contains well over 4 hours of content, divided into three parts. each part has many chapters, going over a couple of dozen per volume. It is a Gi DVD, containing joint and movement screenings, advice on practicing safely both solo and with a partner, and a complete guide on coming back on the mats after an injury.

Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD Review: Mat Return After BJJ Injury

Part 1 – Understanding Injuries

The first part of the Mat Return After BJJ Injury DVD focuses on how to figure out what is wrong. Sometimes, we feel pain in specific body parts, say, the elbow, but the source of the pain might be in the shoulder, neck, or even the hip. This is exactly what physical therapists do when screening you for injuries.

Eugene and Michael begin by presenting the major red flags you should never ignore, before going into each key body part individually. They demonstrate how you can do a joint-by-joint screening starting from your neck and going all the way to the ankles. Super helpful content!

Part 2 – Grappling-Specific Movement

The middle portion of the instructional focuses on movement, building off the information gained from the previous scan regarding a possible injury. Here, the Jiu-Jitsu therapists look at some key movements used in BJJ and how they relate to specific injuries.

The chapters include a detailed exploration of spine rocks, rolls, planking, deep squats, kneeling positions, etc. The content outlines movements, explains how they make certain injuries better or worse and starts putting them into a grappling context.

The final portion of this volume of the Eugene Tsozik and Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD features very precise desaturations of key BJJ movements. Some examples include hip switching, shrimping, get-ups, bridging, and even Granby rolls and some specific passing motions like Torreandos and stepovers.

Part 3 – Drilling With A Partner

The final section of the Mat Return After BJJ Injury grappling instructional is all about returning to contact on the mats with the help of a partner. Every time you introduce another person’s movement while injured the risk of aggravating it goes up.

This part has lots of chapters, covering everything from standing grip fighting to pinning, escaping, guard work, and submission training. Some of the more interesting chapters include different Granby rolls, triangle drills, lasso guard drills, and lots of pummeling work.

That brings us to what I consider to be the barest part of this DVD. As the instructional draws to a close, Michael and Eugene talk about dangerous positions, an how to do basic tests before each practice so that you can gauge how your injury recovery is going.

Getting Back On The Mats

What you need to ensure a smooth return to the mats after an injury is to find the delicate balance between training as soon as possible in a smart way and giving the injury the minimum time needed to heal up to a certain point.

The best part about BJJ is that there are so many different positions and safety checkpoints, that you can freely train and not feel or aggravate an injury. The key aspects are recognizing exactly what your injury is about, and then finding out the best position to keep it from flaring up.

A great example is the half guard. Did you know that the half guard emerged because Roberto “Gordo” Correa came up with it because he had a knee injury, and decided to hide his injured leg in between his training partners’ legs when rolling?

This clearly shows that it is not too difficult to train with a grappling injury, as long as you understand how to set up your training. A resource like the Mat Return After BJJ Injury DVD is perfect to help you figure this out. Oh, and don’t forget to be extra picky about training partners!

Review: Mat Return After BJJ Injury Michael Piekarski DVD
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The Most Important Mat Return

IF you have the luxury of having a physician who also happens to train in BJJ, or has trained at some point, you’re in luck, as most doctors automatically prescribe the time of the mats. The Mat Return After BJJ Injury Eugene Tsozik and Michael Piekarski BJJ DVD features not one, but two grapplers who are also physical therapists.

Considering that this subject is rarely covered in instructional, along with the proven track record and success stories behind both coaches and the fact they both grapple, means that you should add it to your collection. Yes, even if you are healthy and well because that is only temporary in BJJ!

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Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD Review: Timeless Closed Guard

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD Review: Timeless Closed Guard

If you want to learn how to play guard at the highest possible levels of the game, learn from a top-level guard passer. If you’re struggling to think of one that is active as a competitor, and has been competing at the highest levels for decades, allow us to point you to Rafel Lovato Jr.

The inventor of the most widely used passing checkpoint – the Headquarters, now shares some of his World CHampionshp level guard technique in the latest Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD dubbed Timeless Closed Guard. Is it just hyped up because of Lovato, or is it really an instructional you can’t miss out on? Check out our review and decide for yourself!

Key Takeaways

  • 4-part No-Gi DVD with over 2 hours of world-class closed guard material  
  • Lovato shows closed guard variations and back-and-forth open guard transitions
  • Each volume offers a self-sustaining mini closed guard system.
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

FULL TIMELESS CLOSED GUARD DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Timeless Closed Guard Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD review
TRAILER: Timeless Closed Guard Rafael Lovato DVD

A Throwback to the Best Guard in BJJ

What is your favorite guard to play in Jiu-Jitsu? If people started answering now, how many do you think would say that they enjoy the closed guard? Mostly older grapplers and brown/black belts, or complete beginners. And that is a shame.

The closed guard is an incredibly powerful weapon for grapplers of any experience level, build, sex, or age. It simply is timeless, just like the Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD we’re reviewing today claims.

The question is, and I truly do not have an answer to this, why do people ignore the power of the closed guard so much? For me, ti is a staple that allows choosing to either keep things Gracie-style simple or go into the most complicated positions and attacks, all the while having a great fall-back.

Whether you close your legs around an opponent’s waist, or one fo their legs, you’re ending up with one of the most powerful and versatile positions available in Jiu-Jitsu. Ignoring it is beyond dumb.

One of the Greatest BJJ Heavyweigths: Rafel Lovato Jr.

Rafel Lovato Jr’s journey through the world of martial arts has been a very long and inspiring one. From being the first non-Brazilian grappler to win the Brazilian Nationals in his category at black belt, to winning the same tournament’s absolute a while later, with the same accolades.

A black belt under Carlos Machado, which many people do not know on account of his close relationship with the Ribeiro brothers, Lovato has been a staple name of the BJJ world for the past couple of decades. He won just about everything of note in BJJ short of the ADCC, before moving on to become the Bellator middleweight MMA World Champion.

An unfortunate diagnosis of cerebral cavernoma forced Lovato to vacate his title, as doctors prohibited him from competing. He carried on competing in high-level grappling tournaments, announcing his retirement in the 2022 ADCC after reaching the semi-finals and suffering a defeat to the eventual champion Kaynan Duarte.

Timeless Closed Guard Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD Review

This Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD exploring the closed guard is a No-Gi instructional, with the material equally divided between four volumes. Each volume lasts just above half an hour, and concludes a mini system that can work on its own, or in combination with the others:

Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD Review: Timeless Closed Guard

Part 1 – Overhook Attacks

The first part of the Timeless Closed Guard instructional by Rafael Lovato revolves around some of the best-known closed guard basics. He covers the hip bump sweep, connecting it with an intricate submission-heavy overhook control from the closed guard.

He then shares the best details I have seen so far on how to use the position to set up a triangle. Of course, since this is my preferred way of doing it, you could say I am a bit biased. Or a lot.

Anyway, he also pays lots of attention to the kimura and guillotine, combining them with the triangle in an ultra-tight overhook closed guard that directly launches into the hip bump sweep if the top person pulls their arm out.

Lovato wraps this volume up with a very tight spiral armbar finish to introduce yet another direction of movement.

Part 2 – Williams Guard

The second portion of this Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD keeps focusing on the overhook position, polishing up the guillotine setup and finish. From there, Rafael launches a deep direction of the Williams guard, in my opinion, the best closed guard version out there. Seriously it feels like cheating!

Lovato teaches the mechanics, and the all-important grip intricacies of the position, including several snake grip variations, and launches into submissions again. Willimas guard Kimuras and trap armbars are his main focus, interrupted by an underhook pendulum sweep for variety.

Part 3 – High Guard Armbars

21% of Lovato Jr’s submission finishes as a black belt are down to armbars. In this volume of his Timeless Closed Guard instructional, the legendary grappler shares a bunch of different setups and finishes, using the collar tie and elbow grip high guard.

Among the armbars that find their way into his selection are the world-famous rolling Ronda Rousey armbar, and the Bellator armbar that Lovato used a lot in the cage. My personal favorite was his take on killing the stack as a means to block your armbar. That one is never going to work again.

Part 4- Open Guard Crunch

Lovato is a very well-rounded grappler who loves sticking to basics, but that doesn’t mean he has no flashy and modern tricks up his Gi sleeve. The final part of the Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD goes past the closed guard, exploring how to get in and out of the most effective open guards that are readily available.

Lovato picks the butterfly guard and K-guard as his primary options, centering his game around the dreaded shoulder crunch position using both guards. Apart from a detailed breakdown of the lumberjack sweep, Lovato shares a few more armbar traps he loves to set up using the shoulder crunch.

The BJJ Position You Can’t Avoid

Next time you’re on the mats, whether it is competition or rolling, take a moment and watch a round. Take note of how many times you see the closed guard pop up. I guarantee that it will, as it remains the most used guard in the entire sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Gi or No-Gi, BJJ or MMA, you’re going to see people gravitating to the closed guard. Those who have trained for longer do it out of a force of habit, having spent so much time perfecting it as newbies.

Present-day newbies, who might not have encountered the closed guard so much still end up in it, as it appears intuitively, particularly when they are being pressured and bullied by the top person.

The point here is that the closed guard never left BJJ, and is still a huge part of the sport, it is just not practiced enough. While it may seem boring, it is extremely effective, and with all the variations that exist, such as the high guard and Willimas Guard, it actually presents a very interesting and fun challenge when it comes to mastering it.

Why not give the timeless closed guard a shot? You need it, that much I can guarantee!

Timeless Closed Guard DVD by Rafael Lovato
Click for a Free Sample: Timeless Closed Guard DVD

TIMELESS CLOSED GUARD RAFAEL LOVATO BJJ DVD DOWNLOAD

Close your Guard!

There are countless resources out there covering the closed guard, and you’ll hardly find a bad one. The options from the closed guard, as any other guard are down to sweeps and submissions, but from the closed guard you also have the luxury of time as you can easily stall and set your own pace.

Throw in the highly useful, effective, and above all, fun-to-play closed guard variations in the Timeless Closed Guard Rafael Lovato BJJ DVD, and you have one of the best instructional available on the subject. Do yourself a favor and pick it up, as both students and professors will learn tons from this one!

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REVIEW: The Fishnet System DVD By Shane Fishman

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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REVIEW: The Fishnet System DVD By Shane Fishman

The lockdown half guard is one of the most annoying and sticky situations to find yourself in when rolling or competing in BJJ. And, it’s great! My personal go-to against bigger and stronger grapplers who for top half guard on me, I really enjoy any type of lockdown instructional that will broaden my horizons.

The Fishnet System DVD is an instructional by Canadian black belt Shane Fishman that offers a twist on the classic lockdown, providing an intricate trap system you can use to sweep or take the back. It is a Gi instructional that contains some great ideas, although whether anyone can use them immediately is something the jury is still out on.

Key Takeaways

  • Two-part BJJ DVD with the Gi, with a running length of about one hour.   
  • Delivers a new version of the lockdown half guard that is very offensive.
  • Rolling commentary is included in the instructional. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.

GET THE FISHNET SYSTEM DVD HERE!!!

Shane Fishman The Fishnet System DVD review

Check Out The Trailer: Fishnet System DVD

Setting Traps From Guard

Are you truly using the guard, regardless of which one you prefer, to its fullest potential? The BJJ guard is one of the most versatile weapons at your disposal but many people only see it one-dimensionally – as a position to attack.

The guard’s primary and most important role is to help you prevent the top person from getting past your legs. That, exactly is where the power of the guard lies. Let me ask you this: how many times have you pulled off an armbar against an opponent who is stalling and repelling your attacks? Yes, I know.

Instead, why not use the guard to bait the top person into passing? Don’t worry about the pass, guards are built to withstand them as long as you respect their mechanics. Once they’re trying something, your opponent becomes a lot more vulnerable to attacks.

But still, you should be patient and wait. Instead of going move for move with the top person, set traps up for them so that you entangle them to a point they can’t break out of. Then you can do whatever you want, which is something the Fishnet System DVD promises to teach you. Let’s see if it can.

Canadian BJJ Black Belt Shane Fishman

Shane Fishman is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt associated with the East Coast Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Dublin. He is one of those grapplers who likes to innovate a lot, giving birth to new positions, moves, and techniques. His Fishnet guard is the perfect example of what he is all about.

A fan of both Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, Shane has been focusing all his power on creating, rather than having teaching or competing as his main goals. Don’t get me wrong, he does both and excelled at them, but he is more of a mad BJJ scientist than a competitor or coach. And we need those in the sport.

As a competitor, though, Shane is highly underrated. His latest Polaris outing, where he finished his opponent with a Twister at the highest level of the sport.

Detailed Review: Fishnet System DVD by Shane Fishman

The Fishnet System DVD presents Shane’s signature half guard that he dubbed the Fishnet. Developed under the influence of great half guard players like Jake Mackenzie and Felipe Pena, Finshamn has created a half guard that comes off strange at first sight but works incredibly well.

His entire idea is to constantly keep the opponent guessing by threatening sweeps, submissions, and back takes simultaneously, while not risking giving passes away. Here is what you can find inside the instructional:

Part 1 – Fishnet from X Guard(s)

Shane Fishman starts with a short intro to the system, before immediately demonstrating his Fishnet system through the familiar X-guard position. The Fishnet guard is sort of a blend between the Lockdown half guard and Lucas Leite’s Coyote Half Guard, done mostly when both grapplers are lying sideways.

It seemed strange to me at first, but it does make sense, as it is a transitional control more than a positional one. That is why Shane explains it by using other guards such as the X-guard as his position is a checkpoint halfway into a sweep that allows for you to choose whether to finish it, get the back, or grab a submission.

In this first volume, he shares lots of sweeps and backtakes, after exploring how to slap on his Fishnet lockdown from different X-guard variations. There are some sprinkles of deep half guard and baby bolos in there toward the end as well.

Part 2 – De La Riva Fishnet

The second part of the Fishnet System DVD takes us to outside-based guards, exploring the De la Riva guard and its relation to the Fishent more than anything else. Shane goes over the reverse half guard as his go-to form a DLR guard, linking them both together via the fishnet, which, as we know offers lots of sweeping and back-taking options.

I appreciate that he went over some of the key issues that arise when trying to do all these transitions, as I got tangled a few times trying them out during rolling. He also includes some 50/50 details that help bring together the Fishnet and the X guards.

A sneaky Omoplata and a defensive way of using the Fishnet vs the knee on belly position pave the way for the final chapter of the DVD, which is some much-welcomed rolling commentary of Shane executing his system in live sparring.

Creating Dilemmas From Guard

At the end of the day, we come back to the dualistic offensive nature of the guard. For the most part, you can either submit, or sweep from the guard, and I am bunching back takes with sweeps here. The problem is, that the top person knows what your options are.

So, it all comes down to how good you are at setting up simultaneous attacks while retaining your guard so that they can’t pass. Once you have an Omoplata or Triangle on, it is fairly easy to threaten sweeps and submissions at the same time, but getting there is where most people mess up.

The approach Shane Fishman has in his DVD is one that I can relate to – setting up traps that progress into other, deeper traps until an opponent finds themselves in one of the sweep-submission dilemma scenarios. This beats obvious, often telegraphed entries by far, offering you a lot more relaxed way to play guard with great success.

Shane Fishman The Fishnet Sweeping and Back taking System DVD
Free Technique: Shane Fishman Fishnet System DVD

SHANE FISHMAN’S FISHNET SYSTEM DVD DOWNLOAD 

Time To Go Fishing!

Is the Fishnet System DVD by Shane Fishman a resource worth exploring? If you want to become a trap setter from the guard, then yes, it has some very interesting ways of providing you a safe spot to chill in that most people won’t expect.

If you are looking for a competitive guard game plan, on the other hand, you’re better off searching elsewhere. It is not that the stuff n here won’t work, but they might land you in more trouble than benefit you unless you have a strong background at winning scrambles.

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Santeri Lilius DVD Review: Smash Or Pass: Knee Cut The World

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Santeri Lilius DVD Review: Smash Or Pass: Knee Cut The World

Being on the receiving end of the knee cut pass is a very painful experience that, once you experience it, you’ll most likely wish to never have to go through again. Unfortunately, it is one of the most utilized positions in BJJ, so there is no way to avoid it. What you can do is pick it up and add it to your game so that you can be the one everyone is afraid to give to position to.

There are plenty of resources out there on how to knee cut through people’s guards. the only problem with most of them is that they focus on getting to the knee cut and how to slide by once you’re there. There is a Santeri Lilius DVD now, dubbed “Smash Or Pass: Knee Cut The World” that attempts to tackle the subject of how to retain the position, and start setting up your next steps while keeping your opponent in agony. Let’s see if it can.

Key Takeaways

  • No-Gi BJJ DVD spread over two volumes, each lasting around 45 minutes. 
  • How to be heavy and annoying without passing from the knee cut.
  • A modern take on using the headquarters passing position for pressure.
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.

SMASH OR PASS: KNEE CUT THE WORLD DVD AVAILABLE HERE!

Smash Or Pass: Knee Cut The World Santeri Lilius DVD Review:
Trailer: Knee Cut The World Santeri Lilius DVD

Smash Or Pass – An Important BJJ Dilemma

The coveted top position in Jiu-Jitsu brings about plenty of opportunities to place the bottom person under a lot of pressure, eventually forcing them into giving up exactly what they want. it is why people chase every top position past the guard constantly, and why these positions earn you the most points in a BJJ match.

But why not use the principles that make top positions so powerful in grappling and apply them to a bottom opponent playing guard as well? Instead of only approaching guards one-dimensionally, thinking about blowing past them (which rarely works, by the way), why not use them to place pressure on the bottom person?

The best way to achieve this pressure is by making them carry your weight. Yes, chest-to-chest contact or knee on the belly are perfect ways to achieve this, but so is the Headquarters position which is on the other side of an opponent’s guard.

Essentially what you want is to smash and tier out the bottom person’s legs, either by carrying your weight or by focusing it on the thigh or shin of an opponent’s leg. The knee cut pass is the perfect example of this, which also happens to be the main subject in the Santeri Lilius DVD we have up for review today.

Finnish BJJ Talent Santeri Lilius

So, Santeri Lilius has an interesting story He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under London-based Roger Gracie, originally from Finland, now heading his own gym Llilius Barnatt Martial Arts Academy in Costa De Sol, Spain. Quite the international character, which fits perfectly with his around-the-globe competitive performances.

Santeri earned his black belt from Roger Gracie back in 2015 and has remained active on the competition scene to date. He won the No-Gi Europeans in 2022, as well as the ADCC European trials in 2022 and 2023. On top of that, he has won just about every major tournament hosted in Europe and won bronze in the 2022 No-Gi IBJJF Worlds.

Style-wise, Lilius is an aggressive grappler who likes to attack surprise submissions, with the Estima lock being his bread-and-butter technique. He prefers to surf the top rather than grapple off his back, which only gives more credibility to this Santeri Lilius DVD which revolves around the knee cut pass.

Smash Or Pass Knee Cut Santeri Lilius DVD Review

The “Smash Or Pass: Knee Cut The World” Santeri Lilius DVD is a somewhat short, two-part BJJ instructional containing about an hour and a half of material. It is a No-Gi instructional, organized well and taught by a very experienced grappler who presents an original way to approach your positioning from the top in relation to the opponent’s guard:

Santeri Lilius DVD Review: Smash Or Pass: Knee Cut The World

Part 1 – The Headquarters Position

In the opening sections of the Santeri Lilius DVD, the headquarters position, popularized by Rafel Lovato Jr. takes center stage. After a short overview of what you can expect to see in the DVD, which I always appreciate as a chapter, Santeri shares his take on the popular passing checkpoint.

Unlike Lovato’s early efforts with it, Santeri prefers not just to control the leg of his opponent, but also to make them carry enormous weight, smashing them constantly without forcing a pass. A typical heavyweight strategy.

He calls the position the “slow and steady” headquarters, literally sitting in it until he can comfortably make the most out of the cracks in the guard that appear under the pressure and establish a knee-cut position. To that extent, he divides the headquarters position into active and passive, only moving to the knee cut when he has the active version.

Part 2 – Attacking Off the Knee Cut Pass

In the second part of the Smash Or Pass: Knee Cut The World instructional, Santeri Lilius goes over what you can do from the knee cut position before you pass. He really adheres to the subject matter of smashing as much as possible before passing.

Lilius very intelligently uses the knee cut position to open up the inside space of an opponent’s arm, aiming to sneak in an underhook. That gives him a launching pad for armbars, but also a very solid connection to prevent guard recovery.

Once again, slow and steady wins the game, with Santeri offering versions of the otherwise explosive knee cut pass that slow-cook the opponent. He keeps his hips pretty light in the position, mostly causing pressure and pain with his shin. this opens up elg pummeling that Santori uses to get to mount or even switch the knee cut side.

The instructional wraps up with a set of knee cut drills that, unfortunately, do not differ from the ones you probably know or do. In that sense, I find these to be utterly ineffective, although the rest of the content in the DVD is solid.

The Versatile Knee Cut Position

The knee cut position is much more than just a way to pass someone’s legs. In fact, I see very often how people rush through it, taking it for granted and actually messing up their pass. Do it too early and you’ll get your back taken, move too late and you risk guard recovery.

So what is so good about this position? It offers an aspect of grappling that not many positions can offer – the option to stay perfectly still and not do anything. Choosing to do this results in immense pain experienced by the bottom person on account of the leg you have trapped with your shin.

If you are evil enough, you may even utilize knee-on-belly concepts to make sure the bottom person’s leg is getting extreme punishment. Both the thing and the shin are great places to place this smashing pressure, as you ride it out and wait for your opponent to literally pull you into a pass

So, next time you’re knee cutting, stop the rush. Hang out for a while in the position, and see what happens. You’ll be surprised at how many options arise apart from sliding your knee for a pass. The Smash Or Pass: Knee Cut The World DVD contains around an hour and a half of different ideas on how to be a real nuisance from this position.  

Santeri Lilius DVD: Knee Cut The World
Free Technique: Smash or Pass Knee Cut The World DVD

DOWNLOAD DVD SANTERI LILIUS KNEE CUT THE WORLD

Knee Cut The World!

The knee cut might not be your favorite pass. It absolutely is not mine, but I still like to utilize it. It is very useful even if you don’t want to pass, and just want to expose the opponent’s legs for Ashi Garami entires. Or for hanging out and making them feel miserable and leaving them nursing huge bruises on their thighs.

This Santeri Lilius DVD effectively merges a powerful passing movement with a very reliable pre-pass position to provide a great way to retain the top position while keeping all your options open. Getting those pressure taps is a guilty pleasure you get for free, so if you like to be sadistic with your passing or pinning, I suggest you check it out.

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Breaking The Triangle: A Joshua You BJJ DVD Review

By
Ognen Dzabirski
-
Breaking The Triangle: A Joshua You BJJ DVD Review

There is not one person taht trains Brazilian Jiu-Jits or MMA that has not been frustrated by the triangle choke. It is a very unforgiving position to be caught in, offering a myriad of different attacks in addition to the main threat which is a very powerful choke using your legs. Well, it WAS an unforgiving position.

The”Breaking The Triangle” Joshua You BJJ DVD is a great resource that offers an insight into the modern approach to defense that renders old-school BJJ positions like the triangel more or less powerless. Instead of panicking your way out immediately, now you get to figure out how to chill inside a triangle, choosing to open it up and pass, or even better, submit the bottom person indirectly. Yeah, you read that right.

Key Takeaways

  • 3-part No-Gi DVD by 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu defensive expert Joshua You. 
  • Features an original organization system using letters from the alphabet. 
  • Explains defense vs. escapes and contains viable submission counterattacks.  
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

BREAKING THE TRIANGLE DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

A Joshua You-Breaking The Triangle

Trailer for Breaking The Triangle Joshua You DVD

Beating The Triangle Trap

Getting stuck in a triangle is about a lot more than just being choked out. Okay, the strangle is the elephant in the room, presenting the most dangerous outcome. However, chokes in BJJ require time to work, which means you have tens of seconds, and if you position yourself well, even minutes to find your way out.

That brings me to the crucial piece of information on triangles which is present in the “Breaking The Triangle” DVD, but I also have to point out here: defense and escaping are two very different things.

The triangle is not as straightforward as people think. Let’s put it like this – think of the triangle as a guard you can use to sweep and set up armlocks and chokes, instead of just a structure that allows you to strangle someone. Now you understand how much potential the position has.

Beating a triangle is not like stopping an Ezekiel choke. You have to consider how to fend off the choke, prevent the opponent from sweeping you, considering they have one of your arms trapped, and also be wary of follow-up submissions like punch chokes and armbars.

Only when you can defend against all of these attacks can you think about moving and escaping. This will require careful weight placement and choice of directions, as it is even easier for the bottom person to attack when you start moving inside their triangle with no clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve.

10th Planet’s Chef BJJ

A 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Eric Ramey. Despite getting his black belt only a couple of months ago in May of 2024, Joshua, a.k.a. Chef BJJ has a wealth of grappling knowledge, skill, and unmatched passion for the Gentle Art. He is completely in love with the sport, teaching full-time at his own Chef BJJ in West LA and helping out at Ramey’s 10 Planet Thousand Oaks.

He is very strong at defense, particularly an expert on the turtle, and he has developed into a kind of defensive guard. He leaves people to pass and countersuits from everywhere. He has taken submission counters and re-counters to a whole new level, fortifying his air-tight defensive game with dangerous finishes.

In his “Breaking The Triangle” DVD, Joshua demonstrates lots of his defensive prowess that makes him as close to unsubmittable and unpinnable as you can get in grappling. What is different in Joshua’s game is that he is not just a defensive expert; he remains very dangerous everywhere, especially when he is on the defense.

A Joshua You BJJ DVD Review: Breaking The Triangle

“Breaking The Triangle” is a three-part Joshua You BJJ DVD that features a never-before-seen structure. Chef arranges his entire triangle choke defense and counter-attacking system alphabetically, with each chapter in his instructional marked by a letter.

He goes all the way to the letter “L”, but does add a numbers system to certain letters when he shares additional important information. Given his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu background, this is understandably a No-Gi BJJ instructional.

Breaking The Triangle: A Joshua You BJJ DVD Review

Part 1: A to D – Killing the Triangle Choke

As “Breaking The Triangle” kicks off, Joshua spends a short amount of time explaining his letter-based organizational system and immediately gets to the point. He opens with several “classics” like the pendulum escape, knee pin, and even faking mount access to deal with a closed triangle choke. Each of these is defined by the letters A-C.

While I am not a fan of going forward inside a triangle choke, Chef’s neck stack, designated ‘D” makes sense. Instead of thinking about getting out by going forward, Joshua focuses on putting pressure on the neck, resulting in either a submission for him or an escape because the bottom person decides to let go of the triangle. A smart combo.

Part 2: E to I – Counter Submissions

As the Joshua You BJJ DVD unfolds further, Chef goes on to explore a truly original series of ankle locks he likes to use to submit an opponent who has a triangle on him. There are five different scenarios for this ankle lock, which Joshua organizes as 1-5 under the letter “E”.

The second part of this volume is all about body positioning during triangle defense, dubbed “F”, with Joshua demonstrating what happens when you move your weight in all directions.

As he gets to “G”, “H”, and “I”, he goes into actual escapes, showing details on how to do triangle mount rescue, get out using the North-South, and a sneaky signature escape dubbed the “Insta do not do”.

Part 3: J to L – Escape Directions

In the final part of “Breaking The Triangle,” the subject matter is a blend of escapes and counter-submissions, which more or less kills off the choke entirely. “J” stands for these combinations that offer a quadrilemma of options, with two escapes and two submissions joining forces to create a loop-based system.

I particularly enjoyed Joshua’s exploration of movement and the directions in which he creates motion, as well as the ones he likes to avoid. Plenty of information on moving and turning left and right is what the letter “K” is all about in this DVD.

Wrapping up with the letter “L”, Chef goes over the defense and escape options for triangel variations, mostly concerning the rear triangle and no arm triangles. He finishes with an overview of the entire system.

Chilling Out in Triangles

Learning how to deal with triangles from a defensive expert like Joshua You is extremely valuable when you’re looking for a complete system to beat specific positions. Essentially, what you can figure out using this Joshua You BJJ DVD is how to chill inside the triangle until you feel like passing or submitting the person attacking you!

The availability of direct counter-attacks in the form of submissions, such as the ankle locks Joshua does, is a very valuable and very underused method of breaking open the triangle. Moreover, he is not the first to find the triangle a “safe” spot for launching a top game, with Wim Deputter enjoying pulling off the “King’s Gambit” pass while stuck inside a triangle.

At the end of the day, having a system that helps you stay calm inside a triangle choke and not rush to bad decisions offers very important peace of mind. Staying collected means you’re not just safe from tapping and able to play your own counter-attacking game, but also taking a mental toll on an opponent who believes closing a triangle is all they need to get you to tap.

A Joshua You BJJ DVD Review: Breaking The Triangle
Free Breaking The Triangle Technique

DOWNLOAD DVD: BREAKING THE TRIANGLE by JOSHUA YOU 

Time To Break Out!

If you are looking for ways to become the ultimate counter-fighting grappler, you need to keep working. Joshua’s DVD instructional is not going to turn you into the person who taps everyone out from defensive spots a.k.a. him. What “Breaking The Triangle” is going to teach you is to use the opponent’s position against them by rendering immediate threats useless and not rushing to get out.

This instructional is not just organized in an original manner, it delivers information that the BJJ world desperately needs to move forward. For some reason, the take on defense is still the old “gotta get out ASAP” approach, which fades in comparison to what you can do using systems like Joshua You’s “Breaking The Triangle” DVD.

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Alex Smith DVD Review: Offensive Closed Guard Fundamentals

By
Ognen Dzabirski
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Offensive Closed Guard Fundamentals Alex Smith DVD Review

Okay, you got into the closed guard. Now you can relax a bit and work slowly. Oh, wait, what’s going on, the top person is not sitting still and you can’t take a break? Suddenly your lsoes guard is open, your guard as a defensive wall is gone and you’re battling with all your power to prevent side control. Sounds familiar?

Just like the mount position, or the back mount, the closed guard in BJJ is only as good as what you do with it. Unless you’re attacking from the position the moment you wrap your legs around the opponent’s waist, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. Perhaps you need an Alex Smith DVD to help.

Many people need to understand the closed guard is mainly there to attack form, which is what the Offensive Closed Guard DVD attempts to do. Can it fulfill its goal and return the closed guard to the status of a dangerous attacking position it deserves? Let’s see.

Key Takeaways

  • 2-part Gi BJJ DVD covering fundamental attacks from the closed guard 
  • Move breakdowns, transitions, drills, and full closed guard strategies. 
  • A system of pairing sweeps and submissions to create dilemmas. 
  • BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

 OFFENSIVE CLOSED GUARD ALEX SMITH DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Alex Smith DVD Review Offensive Closed Guard Fundamentals

Preview the Alex Smith Offensive Closed Guard DVD

The Timeless Threat of the Closed Guard

I love the closed guard. That is how my BJJ journey started almost 14 years ago. That is how it is now. However, for the better part of this period, I really did not like or use the closed guard. I just hated having to deal with it in rolling and competition, much like you.

It took reaching late brown belt for me to rediscover the power of the position that I deemed “too simple” to use. I get that this outlook on the closed guard is a phase everyone goes through, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is still the most trusted position in BJJ to this day.

Just think about it – how many times are you caught in the closed guard, or use it yourself in one rolling session? How about tournaments? One thing I always have my competitors drill as part of competition class is who to hold and how to pass the closed guard – it is everyone’s fallback in tournaments.

Mastering the closed guard does not mean you need to have a game centered around the position, even though that is not the worst idea in the BJJ world. All you need is a quick and proven system of submissions and sweeps to tap into once you inevitably enter there.  The Offensive Closed Guard By Alex Smith DVD focuses on exactly those techniques.

Senior RAF Aircraftman Alex Smith

Alex Smith is one of the standout black belts teaching in Roger Gracie’s London academy and for more than one reason. He is a highly accomplished black belt under Roger’s black belt Kev Capel and is currently in charge of fundamentals classes at the RGA in London.

This shows that  Smith has a talent for teaching, as well as the patience to take new people through Jiu-Jitsu over and over again. The 33-year-old is a competitor himself, still actively competing in the Master’s division.

In addition to being an exceptional grappler, Smith was a part of the RAF as a Senior Aircraftman, where he captained a team of grapplers as a purple belt to win the UK Armed Forces Martial Arts Inter Services. He has recently expanded into the world of digital instructional, with the latest Alex Smith DVD up for review today.

Detailed Review: Offensive Closed Guard Alex Smith DVD

The Offensive Closed Guard By Alex Smith DVD is a Gi BJJ instructional with 2 hours long material divided into two volumes, about an hour each. In it, the Roger Gracie Academy instructor shares a very cohesive, competition-ready game on how to use the closed guard as a launching pad for relentless back-to-back attacks.

Offensive Closed Guard Fundamentals Alex Smith DVD Review

Part 1 – Guard Retention and Sweep-Submission Combos

The first part of this Alex Smith DVD begins by explaining how crucial it is to stay in the closed guard once you attain it. Alex points out the key grip battles, and talks about the same things everyone does from closed guard- braking posture, managing distance, and opening elbows.

What he does differently is to only present these foundational closed guard mechanics from an attacking standpoint. Namely, he favors sweep and submission setups over guard retention so much, that he even goes into some risky setups, such as flirting too closely with getting stacked.

What he does demonstrates to almost perfect is sneaky, and above all, effectively effortless combined attacks, starting with armbars, and moving to collar chokes and triangles, all the while weaving in sweep threats.

Part 2 – Arm Drags

In the second, and final portion of the Offensive Closed Guard By Alex Smith DVD the opening focus is on how to counter opponents’ defenses when you attack with the combinations from the previous part.

After that, he goes into a subject that is even more forgotten and rusty for most than the closed guard is – arm dragging from the closed guard. Once the pinnacle of back exposure from the guard, Alex now rekindles this attacking avenue by pairing it with solid sweeps and the shoulder crunch butterfly guard.

Chaining Closed Guard Attacks

The Offensive Closed Guard By Alex Smith DVD perfectly captures the essence of what I try to get my students to achieve with the closed guard – always attack, but never threaten with just one attack. The benefits of this strategy are twofold.

First, you can retain guard without struggling to prevent passes if you give your opponent a more immediate problem than your guard. That comes in the form of sweeps and submissions, which will keep them busy, and therefore, stationary.

Second, when you pair two submissions together, or even better, a submission and sweep, you significantly increase the chances that one, or even both will work. Do this with all your closed guard attacks and you’ll quickly develop a game that is incredibly difficult to deal with.

Alex Smith BJJ DVD Offensive Closed Guard
Free Technique: Alex Smith Offensive Closed Guard

DOWNLOAD DVD ALEX SMITH OFFENSIVE CLOSED GUARD 

Keep it Closed!

Every now and again, you’ll end up in your closed guard, whether you want to or not. When the moment inevitably arises, why not be ready to get out of the position ASAP by finishing a sweep or submission attack immediately?

That way, even if you hate the closed guard you can be both effective with it, and out of it in the same motion. If you love it, the endless possibilities that arise from having an offensive mindset and mechanics to your closed guard will open a whole new dimension to guard play for you.

With countless instructional targeting the closed this Alex Smith DVD really does offer something different – a very basic yet effective way of setting up the Offensive Closed Guard. Of course, we’d expect nothing less from the head fundamentals instructor at the Roger Gracie Academy.

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Kendall Reusing DVD Review: Gi Top Position Submissions

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

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

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

Key Takeaways

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

GI TOP POSITION SUBMISSION DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

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

Using the Gi for Submissions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gi Top Position Submissions: Kendall Reusing DVD Review

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

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

Part 1 – Side Control Gi Submissions

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

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

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

Part 2 – Mounted Gi Finishes

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

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

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

Part 3 – The Kendal-Cana

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

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

Top Position Submissions

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

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

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

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

DOWNLOAD DVD KENDALL REUSING GI TOP POSITION SUBMISSIONS 

Get a Grip on It!

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

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

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BJJ DVD Review: Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie

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

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

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

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

Key Takeaways

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

GRACIE MOUNT DOMINANCE DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

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

Conquering the Mount(ain)

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

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

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

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

Rayron Gracie, the New Gracie Family Hope

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

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

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

Detailed Mount Dominance Rayron Gracie DVD Review

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

BJJ DVD Review: Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie

Part 1 – Getting to Mount

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

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

Part 2 – Low Mount Chokes & Mount Progressions

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

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

Part 3 – Mid Mount Attacks

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

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

Part 4 – High Mount Dominance

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

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

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

Getting Mount is Just the Beginning

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

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

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

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

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

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Mount Up!

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

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Ankle Pick Anthology: A Keelon Jimison DVD Review

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

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

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

Key Takeaways

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

ANKLE PICK ANTHOLOGY AVAILABLE HERE!!!

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

Why Low Takedowns Work in BJJ

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

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

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

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

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

Who is Keelon Jimison?

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

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

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

Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD Review

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

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

Ankle Pick Anthology: A Keelon Jimison DVD Review

Section 1 – Introduction

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

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

Section 2 – Stance and Motion

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

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

Section 3 – Scoring

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

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

Section 4 – In-Match Tactics

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

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

The Role of Level Changes 

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

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

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

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

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Pick it Up!

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

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

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