Monthly Archives: July 2012

Stretching for Jiu Jitsu, Part 2: The Neck

Best Protect Ya Neck * Whether you’re a giraffe, a former member of Wu Tang, or just a humble Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player, it’s hard to overstate the importance of your neck. The neck gets enough stress from daily wear … Continue reading

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Three Ways Out of Bottom Side-Control

If You’re in a Bad Position, Advance In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, being flattened out on the ground is usually lousy (and worse when it’s against a larger competitor). From any bad position, though, your only option is to take a … Continue reading

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Stretching for Jiu Jitsu, Part 1: General Concepts

This Is About You: A Disclaimer of Sorts When I call this a disclaimer, I do mean, in part, that you ought not sue me if you injure yourself stretching. More importantly, I mean that stretching must be a deeply … Continue reading

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Three Ways to Pass Half Guard

Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell Is Top Half Guard Half guard: it’s not a terrible place to be stuck, as long as you’re on top. You don’t have much to fear besides being swept, though there are plenty of sweeps … Continue reading

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Further Notes on the Heel Hook

A Move So Destructive that You Often Can’t Use It In our last post – a tutorial on the heel hook from the 50/50 position – we also talked about how the heel hook has a high potential for serious … Continue reading

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RI BJJ Tutorial: The Heel Hook Submission

Maybe the Most Dangerous Move in BJJ The heel hook: its very name inspires fear in the hearts of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu players. It’s a submission that can wreck a leg in the blink of an eye. Call this a … Continue reading

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Elbow-Knee Escape from Mount: The Crazy Version

Variants on a Basic Mount Escape (continued) Bottom mount is rotten. It’s worse if you’re a small competitor. Coach / Competitor Dan “Micro” Faggella is small, but he’s also gnarly at Jiu Jitsu. That means a couple of things. First, he … Continue reading

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Variations on a Basic Escape from Mount

So You Want to Work Your Mount Escapes, Huh? Well, good. Bottom mount is one of the lousiest positions in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. You have no submissions and limited mobility; to make matters worse, your opponent’s weight is on you and … Continue reading

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A Big Weekend for Grapplers both Local and Legendary

UFC’s Diaz Brothers to Headline 2012 Gracie Open On August 4th, Pleasant Hill, California, will be home to the annual Gracie Open grappling tournament. While the event is open to all comers, the tournament’s biggest draw is the matches scheduled … Continue reading

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2012 Gracie Open Should Be a Treat for BJJ and MMA Fans

Upcoming Grappling Tournament to Feature UFC Stars Gracie and Diaz are two of the biggest names in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and professional Mixed Martial Arts. Early next month, the family names come together as UFC fighters Nick and Nate Diaz are … Continue reading

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