Getting a black belt in BJJ takes the better part of a decade for most people. Actually, it often takes more than a decade. During this time, you’ll meet lots of people on the mats and make lots of friends.

At your academy, those that you’ve known from day one, are no longer just training partners – they’re friends, and good ones at that. In some circles, this is even perceived as a family. No matter how you name them, the bonds that form between teammates after years of training together are strong.

But, are they strong enough to make you stay at your academy even if it is not the best option for you, due to various reasons? The term Creonte is the source of much controversy in the Jiu-Jitsu world where respect is a huge part of the culture. However, respect is not always bound by loyalty, and being a Creonte means being disloyal but not necessarily disrespectful.

From training at multiple academies at once to switching to another team, you can become a Creonte in a matter of hours. Are you too afraid of being labeled a Creonte, or do you have no problem with such a tag?

What Does Creonte Mean?

Let’s start with a very popular nickname for “disloyal” people in Brazil. The common term, that quickly caught on in BJJ gyms is “Creonte”. Some claim that the nickname is something that Master Carlson Gracie made up.

You’d expect a character like Carlson to have a made-up name for people who would leave his gym and go to another. The story has Carlson adopting a name from a popular Brazilian soap opera called Mandala. It featured a character who was constantly switching allegiances and being repetitively disloyal.

In the sense of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, labeling someone a Creonte means calling them traitors. While betrayal is a strong word for something as benign as visiting another BJJ academy, the phrase, along with strong feelings for the barer, exists as a part of BJJ to this day.

Creonte Culture in BJJ Gyms

Gym policies such as the one Carlson Gracie had unfortunately still exist today, banning students from cross-training and labeling them Creonetes. When you’re a student training at a BJJ academy, you might run into this “no training at a different place” policy. This is actually quite common in the world of BJJ.

Some gyms take that matter as far as prohibiting attending seminars that take place in your town, just because a different academy is an organizer. Imagine having Rafel Lovato Jr. teach a seminar and you can’t go or you’ll be labeled a Creonte.

Some folks even give themselves the right to frown upon positive social media engagements regarding other academies. If you congratulate someone for their success in competition, for example, you might once again end up a Creonte.

If you’re part of such an academy, you might want to consider your future, even at the expense of becoming a Creonte. McDojo gyms are quite famous for employing the threat of Creonteism as a means of keeping their students from leaving.

Bailing on an academy in need for selfish reasons is not a respectful thing to do in any circumstances. However, looking for the best option out there for you, while being straightforward about it is a different thing. This is just one example of why the lines surrounding the term Creonte are blurred at best.

Creonteism In Jiu-Jitsu Competition

When it comes to tournaments, the Creonte situation gets a bit messier. Competition means you can end up standing opposite anyone, teammates included. In most cases of students from the same academy, the outcome is a gentlemen’s agreement.

In most instances, people go for a roll more than a fight, staying safe and playful. However, if you’re training at three different academies, you’ll need to at least be crystal clear about which one you’re going to represent. Now, if all three academies are comfortable with your choice there’s no issue here. however, examples like this are quite rare in the BJJ community.

In essence, I feel there’s no need to brand someone a Creonte if they train at multiple locations but only compete under one banner. After all, BJJ is about exchanging experiences, not about working in secret.

If you think a student training at multiple locations is going to uncover heavily guarded secrets, you’re completely mistaken. In a local competition scene, competitors face each other so often that it doesn’t matter if they train together or apart. They’ll still know what their opponent likes to do.

Loyalty In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

So, what does loyalty actually mean in terms of grappling? Does it mean blindly following whatever an instructor says? Or, does it mean respect and logic above any emotion?

In truth, loyalty doesn’t just happen because you train at an academy and pay for the pleasure. That’s anything but loyalty. That’s just business and if you’re conditioned by such constraints, you’re in a McDojo. Run far and run fast.

This brings us to another burning subject. Are you really a Creonte if you bail on a McDojo? The instructor is certainly going to portray you as one, no doubt about it. However, do you really owe such a place any loyalty? McDojo gyms are actually not legitimate among the real members of the BJJ community, so what does that make you?

Moving away from the McDojo example, let’s look at a more legitimate one. You’ve been at an academy for a while. You have friends, learned a lot, and competed on multiple occasions. However, for one reason or another, you need to switch academies.

Regardless of the reason, are you really a traitor? Have you let your team down because you of moving because it really makes sense for you?  If BJJ is truly about respect nobody should stand in your way. Furthermore, people need to support your decision and look forward to seeing you on the open mat or at a competition. That’s the adult thing to do. Not frown and call each other names.

In terms of training at a few neighboring academies on a regular basis, I can see the contradiction. These are all different competition teams, often in direct rivalry due to the vicinity.

Training regularly in two or three such academies is going to make it tough for you to choose a team as well. But the inability to visit a seminar, or an open mat, without becoming a Creonte is just plain dumb.

Honestly, a successful academy with a coach that knows what they’re doing should not have Creonte philosophy. If an instructor knows how to motivate students, keep them happy, and treat them fairly they’ll return on their own. There’s no need to use scare tactics in public branding.

You’re NOT a  Creonte for Switching Teams

NO! No one has the right, no matter how “hurt” they feel, to call you a betrayer for changing the spot where you train BJJ. If you change gyms, that means you were not happy with something in your last gym. Maybe, you were happy, but you think you will be happier in a new one.

There are numerous reasons for changing a gym and there is no one you have to give an explanation to why you did something. Perhaps some of your closest friends are in other gyms, or a gym is closer to your home. You just did it because you think it’s better for you and that should be enough for everyone to understand your move.

BJJ Gym Owners Don’t Like to Lose Students

When someone decides to open up a BJJ school, they decide to put all of themself in that venture. most likely, they’re not doing it for the money, since there’s not a lot in coaching. However, income does drive desire, and making some money from a BJJ academy inevitably leads to wanting more

Seeing as BJJ is not an Olympic sport, BJJ gym owners can’t get a lot of money from the town, or country so, monthly membership fees are something that gym owners are “living” from. That’s the main reason why they feel bad when someone leaves their gym.

However, business should not come at the expense of the student’s education in Gentle Art. Going for cash only creates a culture where the level of BJJ suffers, and such gyms tend to lose long-time students who need another challenge, which hurts the most.

That, however, does that give them the right to call someone a traitor and betrayer, or anything derogatory. There’s just no point and it won’t solve a thing!

Who’s Guilty of Your Wish to Change Gym?

The interesting thing here is how instructors and gym owners never question their selves, whether it is their fault you left. They just name someone Creonte and leave it at that.

Why is it never Instructors fault? There is no rule saying you should stick with your first instructor for the rest of your life. If you truly want to learn BJJ, you want to pick the brains of as many coaches, instructors, and top competitors as possible, which by definition means cross-training at many gyms.

What if you think you can’t progress in your gym as much as you would progress in another one? What if you are still training there because you want to be loyal?  Or worse, you don’t want people to talk about you as Creonte?

These are not valid reasons to stick to a gym and it is not your fault for wanting something better elsewhere. Being loyal doesn’t mean you have to work against yourself.

Rickson Gracie’s opinion on “Creonte”

There is a popular Rickson Gracie interview where he said, “Why should I waste my knowledge on a student who seems disloyal?” If you think about this sentence a bit deeper all you can notice is hypocrisy in it.

Every student’s money is worth the same. And if the instructor is taking someone’s money he is obligated to treat him as same as anyone else in the class. He may like him or dislike him but he is taking his money and he should have that in memory all the time.

The only fair thing the instructor can do is to say to the person to leave and never come back. If the instructor is taking someone’s money and he doesn’t want to share his knowledge with him then that is a fraud, and, once again, you’re probably in a McDojo. Even if the instructor’s last name is Gracie.

Final Thoughts about Creontes in BJJ

The point is that you should be loyal to those who are loyal to you. You should be fair to those who are fair to you. And you should respect those who respect you. You should not respect instructors who like you for the first two weeks and after that, they forget that you exist.

Being loyal is not a one-way street, it’s mutual in every aspect of your life so is in BJJ. At the end of the day, you should be your own top priority. That’s why you are there and for your money, you can choose what you think is the best for you.

You’re not obliged to give your money to anyone. If you’re unhappy, the only thing that will happen will be for you to stop training. You will feel stupid in a few years when you find out you wasted so much time in the wrong places and the wrong people, even if they called you a BJJ Creonte. So what?

What I want to say is that being loyal and being stupid should never go together!

BJJ McDojo Gyms EXPOSED by Former Instructor

Training At Different BJJ Gyms – Acceptable Or Not?

Is BJJ Running the Risk of Creating McDojos?

Related Articles:

The Warning Signs Of A McDojo
Rickson Gracie: Moder BJJ Black Belts Reminds me of Karate practitioners Clueless of Jiu-Jitsu
Rules Of Thumb For Visiting A Foreign Jiu-JItsu Academy
The Most Common Excuses For Quitting BJJ
10 Obvious Reasons Why You’re still a White Belt
You Think You Deserve a New Belt? Go Ask Your Instructor About It! Maybe he’s Wrong!
Things To Look For When Choosing A BJJ School
BJJ White Belt Survival Kit: 5 Essential Tips For Beginners

The post Creonte Culture – Loyalty, Disloyalty, and Traitors in BJJ appeared first on BJJ World.

One such innovative attempt, which I think is a success, is the BJJ Trendsetters Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD. Courageously named, this resource introduces the chaos of wrestling exchanges to the guard vs pass battle in BJ that we’ve always seen as chess more than a wrestling match. It is time to think again!

Key Takeaways

• A 3-volume No-Gi BJJ instructional with one and a half hours of material.
• Delivers a blueprint for passing No-Gi guards by relying on wrestling tactics.     
• Methodical organization and an effective passing system by a very promising young BJJ coach on the rise.
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

DIMA MUROVANNI RUMBLE PASSING DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Passing Confusion

Passing the guard in grappling is going to be confusing, tough, and almost never work out the way you want it to. Welcome to BJJ.

The more experience the bottom person has with playing guard in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the worse off you’ll be trying to pass, even though it seems like being on top gives you an edge. Good guard players are patient, drawing you into traps without being obvious and leaving you confused as to why your passing is stalling.

Once you’re asking yourself what’s gone wrong, the guard player is free to launch attacks of their own, completely disrupting your flow and beginning to dominate the exchange. Smart guard players will also try to avoid getting trapped in guards and not spend a lot of time trying elaborate passing systems.

If there’s one thing that works in BJJ, it is simplicity, and one way of introducing simplicity is by way of chaos. Well, controlled chaos, to be precise, just like the one you can find in the Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD.

BJJ Trendsetter Coach Dima Murovanni 

The name Dima Murovanni is spreading like wildfire through the BJJ World, mostly a sa result of the stardom of Jozef Chen. Young Chen is a grappling phenom now representing the B-team and is probably the best brown belt in the world at the moment.

Chen spent a lot of years training at the BJJ Akademie in Berlin, where Dima is one of the head coaches. Murovanni discovered BJJ in 2017, signing up at the popular BJJ Akademie with the goal of competing at, and potentially winning the ADCC. A bunch of serious injuries change his trajectory, sidelining him from competition.

Dima found a new role in the gym as a coach, given his methodical mindset and Danaher-like obsession with everything grappling, despite having only about 7 years of experience so far. Murovanni also made a connection with the B-team, allowing his student Chen to train there, while providing a much bigger team for Dima to coach.

Currently a brown belt under head BJJ Akademie coach Robert Nestor, Dima is now ready to showcase his teaching style and approach with the BJJ world, through his first-ever Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD.

BJJ Trendsetters: Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni Detailed DVD Review

The Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD is a three-part No-Gi BJJ instructional that presents an innovative passing system by an up-and-coming BJJ coach who might just rival Danaher in his grappling brilliance:

Part 1 – Presenting Rubmle Passing

As the Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD opens, Dima talks about his inspiration for this style of passing which he draws from wrestling. He begins by comparing how wrestlers and BJJ grapplers engage and outline exactly where wrestling can help improve Jiu-Jitsu guard passes.

In a very German-like fashion, Murovanni builds a clear methodology, starting with te goals of rumble passing and then presenting a series of rules to abide by if you want the system to work. They all make sense, as they define hand placement, head positioning, stance, and key concepts you already know, like protecting inside space.

A very informative section on managing range a sa passer brings the first volume to an end. All in all, a very good start from Dima.

Part 2 – Grips and Motion

The second part of the instructional goes deeper into the tactics that make Dima’s rumble passing so successful and quick to master. This part is all about grips, focusing on how to break grips before placing different grips of your own onto the guarded opponent.

Murovanni ties in stance, motion, and range management beautifully with the grip fighting tactics, using a wrestling mindset in terms of aggression and the constant progress of grip fighting. He ploys methods such as fake grips and mercy grips to ensure he creates the key openings for risk-free passing.

The second part of this Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD ends with several chapters covering knee cut passing, through exploiting the use of split squat stance and the principle of leg stapling.

Part 3 – Jumping With a Purpose

Finally, as the Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD reaches the final volume, the passes materialize completely. The super methodical buildup opened the door for safe jumping (a sentence rarely used in BJJ) that gets you past guards based on a system rather than athleticism and luck.

Depending on the grips, Dima shares different directions and ways to literally jump over the guard and get a pin, even without the chest-to-chest connection. He also manages to bunch up seated and supine guards into a few short chapters by sharing strategies that force the bottom person to play whichever guard suits him best.

Finishing the instructional in style, Dima Murovanni shares his thoughts on training intensity, an aspect of his coaching skillset that made him really popular among top-level athletes, like Brianna Ste-Marie, Jason Rau, Owen Jones, and Margot Ciccarelli.

Pass Like a Wrestler

If there is one thing BJJ guys hate more than anything it is a wrestler who also understands Jiu-Jitsu. The Hail Mary to deal with an athletic and knowledgeable wrestler in BJJ is to accept he’s going to dominate takedowns and that trying to sweep one is probably a waste of effort.

One thing wrestlers never really do too much is pass effectively, since they’re afraid to lose the pin, and often get stuck in subs. Well, Dima’s approach shows you how you can utilize everything wrestlers do, without wrestling a day in your life, and actually get past most BJJ guards, at least without the Gi.

Passing is confusing enough with all the guard variations that exist, and one way to simplify it is to transfer all the chaos to the bottom person. Using weight distribution, motion, grips, and perfectly timed jumps you can cause havoc in any guard player’s game and cruise past their legs.

Such an approach to passing helps shorten the learning curve significantly. Andrew Wiltze demonstrated something similar with his take on passing, and Dima’s system has already taken young grapplers such as Jozef Chen and Linus von Schenck to victories against much more experienced, world-class black belts. The blueprint is in the Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD.

FULL DOWNLOAD: DIMA MUROVANNI RUMBLE PASSING DVD

Let’s Rumble Pass! 

Joining the BJJ Trendsetters club that Dima is leading at the moment starts by picking up the Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD. Somehow, Murovanni has managed to bring the best of wrestling for BJJ passing to the sport, without asking people to learn wrestling or dedicate years to only honing their passing skills. This, somewhat of a cheat passing DVD, is a great way to improve anyone’s passing game, regardless of belt, age, or experience.

Guard Passing Drills That Can Teach You Jiu-Jitsu Fast!

All BJJ Guard Passing DVD and Digital Instructionals GI & No-Gi

Toreando Pass Mastery – Everything You Need To Know

The post 2024 BJJ Trendsetters: Rumble Passing Dima Murovanni DVD Review appeared first on BJJ World.

While Brazilian Jiu Jitsu belts are probably the hardest belts to earn in martial arts some people simply didn’t have any problems earning their black belts in “no time”. Sometimes, people are just out of this world when it comes to certain qualities and Jiu Jitsu belt ranks.

In BJJ, there are not many examples of true grappling savants, but those that have done it, deserve all the recognition they can get. Some people just seem to fly through the BJJ belt system and earn their Jiu Jitsu black belt in no time. Actually, some examples have earned Jiu Jitsu black belt faster than most people get from white to blue belt while also following BJJ belts in order.

Most of the people on this list are household names in the world of Jiu Jitsu. They’re famous competitors, teachers, and role models for everyone involved in the sport. Should the aim of every grappler be to achieve their Jiu Jitsu black belt as fast, or faster than them? Perhaps.

But be prepared to fail, not in achieving your Jiu Jitsu black belt, but in doing it in such a fast time. Because, the people on this list gave everything they had, and more to become the savants of our generation.

The Fastest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Promotions

Without much further ado, let’s jump straight into the who is who of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Here is the list of the fastest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black belts in the history of the port.

1. Travis Stevens (Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in 18 months)

Stevens is a Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under John Danaher. Travis Stevens was a US judo Olympian and that’s the main reason he got his belts so fast. He was white for a few weeks, then blue for one month, and purple for a few months.

Make sure you check out Travis Stevens’s BJJ Instructionals as there are a lot of them out there. Takedowns, chokes, wristlocks… Travis did his best to combine Judo and BJJ and he did it very successfully. He ran through the BJJ ranking system and it’s completely deserved considering everything he did in Judo.

2. Caio Terra – (BJJ Black Belt in 3 years)

As far as legendary black belts go, Caio Terra is surely on top of everyone’s list. He is a Black Belt by Reyson Gracie and Paulo Strauch. Caio dominated everyone in the local Brazilian scene and soon became one of the best fighters ever in his weight category.

Caio is arguably the best rooster weight the world has ever seen today. He is also the face of small people’s success in the absolute division. The original giant slayer got his BJJ Black Belt in less than the time most people earn four stripes on their white belt.

3. BJ Penn (Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in 3 years)

The legendary MMA fighter and UFC champion is a Black Belt under Andre Pederneiras of Nova Uniao! He first started training at Ralph Gracie’s academy where he stayed until purple belt. After that, he decided he wanted to train in Brazil and Ralph was against that decision. BJ Penn, however, decided to move anyway. In 16 more months, he earned his Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under the one and only Andre Pederneiras.

4. Mads Burnell (BJJ Black Belt in 3 years)

Burnell is a BJJ Black Belt under Chris Haueter. Hauter is a legend of the sport and a part of the original Dirty Dozen. For those uninitiated, those are the first 12 non-Brazilian black belts in the world. Danish MMA talent Mads Burnell got his belt from Chris Hauter after 3 years of very intense training. Furthermore, he was only 21 at the time.

5. Geo Martinez (Jiu Јitsu Black Belt in 3 years)

Another one of the three-year mark black belts. Geo is a BJJ Black Belt under the famous Eddie Bravo of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. Interestingly, Geo is a very talented former breakdancer who turned his attention and skills towards grappling.

Breakdancing obviously helps, but becoming a Black belt in only 3 years is still quite the feat. He placed 4th at the ADCC and won a couple of EBI tournaments.

6. Gabriel Moraes – (BJJ Black Belt in 3,5 years)

What’s very interesting about Moraes is that he bypassed purple and brown belts in the adult belt system. He got his black belt in 2004 and went off to win the IBJJF Worlds the same year. The previous year, he also won the world, but as a blue belt. Admittedly an astonishing, yet somewhat controversial achievement.

7. Mike Fowler – (Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in 3,5 years)

Fowler is a BJJ Black Belt from Lloyd Irvin. He is a very successful competitor who followed Irvin’s “Grappling Blue Print” program. To say that the blueprint works would be an understatement. However, Fowler’s success isn’t just due to Irvin’s guide. His talent and hard work are second to none and he is a legit Jiu Jitsu black belt from the day he was promoted!

8. Lloyd Irvin – (BJJ Black Belt in 3,5 years)

Irvin himself is one of the fastest black belts in the history of the sport as well. A BJJ Black Belt under Leo Dalla, he was a very fast learner. Actually, he only needed 1 month to get his blue belt. After his coach, Leo Dalla left for Brazil, Lloyd was left to learn on his own.

He opened his academy and now he’s teaching all over the USA and in Brazil. He eventually got his Black from Leo Dalla after a total of 3.5 years of training.

9. Fabiano Scherner – (Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in 3 years)

Fabiano is a UFC veteran who currently runs a Gracie Barra academy in Oregon. He is one of the fastest black belts and one of the top coaches of today as well. He is by far the most superior coach for masters division competitors.  Fabiano Scherner is also the author of one of the best BJJ Instructionals for older practitioners: Mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu After 40.

Best BJJ Belts For 2024 – Reviews and Guide

10. Richie ‘Boogeyman’ Martinez – (Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in 4 years)

Another of Eddie Bravo’s black belts, Richie is the brother of Geo Martinez. Today a 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu coach himself,  Boogeyman, as his brother, is a former breakdancer. Breakdancing seems to be the common denominator of lightning-fast BJJ success.

Moreover, just like his Brother Geo, Boogeyman got his Black Belt very fast. He’s also was a successful MMA fighter fighting under the TITAN FC banner. lately, the Boogieman is very active in the No-Gi competition scene, especially sub-only events like EBI.

11. DJ Jackson – (BJJ Black Belt in 4 years)

DJ Jackson won world championships in all belt levels. Jackson is an IBJJF No-Gi world champion in blue, purple, brown, and black belts. Furthermore, he is also a Gi world champion in purple and brown.

No wonder he got his black belt in the time most people barely get their blue. Training multiple times a day and competing everywhere and anywhere might have had something to do with that.

12. Orlando Sanchez (Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in 4 years)

Sanchez, AKA the Cuban Tree Stump, was a BJJ Black Belt under Ze Radiola. He was a famous Gracie Barra competitor, working under Ze Radiola’s new banner ZR Team. Sanchez won everything in his path as a brown belt, earning his black in 2012.

13. Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro (Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in 4 years)

One more BJJ Black Belt under the legendary Andre Pederneiras. He was a very talented grappler, even as a kid. Shaolin started training at only 14 years of age and won everything in the lower belt divisions. He was promoted to black when he was 18. Although four years might not seem like much, in BJJ terms it is nothing short of miraculous.

14. Gunnar Nelson (BJJ Black Belt in 4 years)

BJJ Black Belt under none other than Renzo Gracie. Gunnar is a professional Jiu Jitsu and MMA fighter originally from Iceland. He was promoted to black belt by Renzo Gracie and is the youngest European ever to be promoted in black.

At the time of his BJJ black belt promotion, he was only 21 years of age. Although his BJJ prowess for MMA never lived up to expectations, His Jiu Jitsu game is still an awe-inspiring one.

15. Nic Gregoriades (Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in 4 years)

Gregoriades is a Roger Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt. Actually, he is the first-ever black belt given by Roger. Gregoriades is a highly technical black belt who’s known for his love of concepts. His conceptual approach to the game is only rivaled by our next, and last ultra-fast BJJ black belt.

16. Kit Dale (BJJ Black Belt in 4 years)

Black Belt Under Yuri Simoes. Kit Dale likes to say that he’s the fastest Black Belt without any grappling experience before BJJ. He is also a wizard in regard to the conceptual approach to gentle Art. Moreover, he is the author of many high-level BJJ Instructionals. If you haven’t checked them out so far, you definitely should as they are pure gold.

You can also check the list of BJJ RED BELTS and BJJ CORAL BELTS. There are more than you think!

BJJ Red Belts – Full List UPDATED 2023

BJJ Coral Belts

BJJ Dirty Dozen BJJ Female Black Belts

The post 16 Fastest Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Promotions In The History Of BJJ appeared first on BJJ World.

The Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD steps in as your coach, who should be handling planning, allowing you to figure out how to put together a practical game plan for Gi and No-Gi BJJ on your own. The best part about this DVD is that it offers a measurable blueprint so that you can assess how far you’ve come. Check out the full review:

Key Takeaways

• An hour-long DVD instructional covering the theory behind building a BJJ gameplan  
• Over 3 volumes, you’ll learn the 5 building blocks of a successful BJJ game.  
• Includes Gi and No-Gi building blocks and a 6 months growth blueprint perfect for students of all levels. 
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

KENDALL REUSING MINDSET GAMEPLAN DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Learning Grappling Theory?

The question mark above is there because I am still not certain that everyone needs to spend time devising complex theories in terms of how they set up their BJJ game. Coaches? Absolutely. Recreational athletes? Perhaps, since they have time and not much in terms of training demands. Professional athletes? Nope, definitely not.

Let me explain. The training demands on professional athletes, whether they are grapplers or part of any other sport, are so huge that most of the day is training, recovery, nutrition, and talking strategy. The emphasis here is on the word “talking” strategy, as this is where coaches and instructors play the pivotal role.

I believe that dedicating time to figuring out how to grow your game plan, draw flowcharts, and build excellent sheets is something that a pro cannot waste time on. It is essential, yes, but that is exactly why coaches who oversee pro athletes have to be able to build this for the athlete and only adjust it using feedback.

The Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD offers a simple way to approach building the backbone of a BJJ game plan, from a theoretical standpoint. It also shows how you can implement it, and if you’re a coach this is a must-watch. The best way BJJ students can use it is to begin utilizing the concepts early in their careers, given that they aim to be world-class competitors.

GBs “Queen K”: World Champ Kendall Reusing

Kendal is a BJJ black belt under Tom Reusing, who happens to be her father. She is also a two-time Polaris open-weight world champion, three-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion, has one No-Gi IBJJF Pans title and  SHHIF World Title and gold at the 2021 ADCC Trials to her name. She has also won 4 US Nationals in high school, as well as the California State Championship in wrestling.

Reusing embodies the Gracies’ way of approaching Jiu-Jitsu, being exposed to it from the earliest age through her father, a Nelson Monteiro black belt. Kendall began training at the age of 5 and complimented her training with lots of Judo and wrestling along the way. The result, as expected is a world-class grappler who, at the age of 26 still has boundaries to push in the BJJ World.

Kendal took a brief hiatus from BJJ to focus on wrestling while she was part of Team USA during her college years but quickly returned to the sport she grew up with. A member of the Gracie Barra team, Reusing has an impressive record of 38 wins and 17 losses as a black belt.

Obviously raised to compete, she now shares her knowledge on how to put together a game plan for grappling, through her Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD instructional.

Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD Review

as part of the Kendall Reusing Jiu-Jitsu Roadmap series, the Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD offers a theoretical blueprint and methodology on how to build your competition game.

It covers Gi and No-Gi strategies, how to put your plan to paper, and how to implement everything in training. The instrucitonal has 3 volumes and lasts around an hour.

Part 1 – Building a Game Plan Like a Pro Athlete

As this unusual but promising Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD begins, Kendall immediately shows she knows exactly what she is talking about. Reusing begins by shortly introducing the importance of building an ever-evolving game plan for BJJ before explaining how to develop one.

She has a 5-stage process that she presents in reverse order, placing emphasis on submissions, working backward through gaining to position and moving through pins, merging takedowns and guard pulls, and all the way back to the initial moments of standing without an engagement.

Part 2 – Introducing the BJJ Tree

Teh second part of the Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD is somewhat short, as she only focuses on deconstructing the concept of the BJJ tree that is the foundation of her game-building approach.

The tree analogy is actually very useful, as Kendal suggests you shouldn’t discard what you already know and use it in BJJ in favor of introducing new stuff. As you grow your BJJ arsenal, so should your gameplan tree, but you should always keep watering your foundational game consisting of the trunk and biggest branches.

A very cool and applicable analogy that makes a lot of sense, especially when Reusing pairs it with her training approach that she says will help you improve faster as long as you stick to your game plan using different training partners.

Part 3 – Gi and No-Gi BJJ Game Plans

Teh final portion of the Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD covers the key question of how to have one game for both Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu. While it is impossible to replicate the same game, Reusingni guides us through the essential adaptations we need to make to ensure the game plans are not completely different and still highly effective.

She also shares something she only shared in a 1-on-1 setting so far, and that is how to set up a personalized growth plan in regard to your game, and how to measure your progress over six months.

Building Your Game Plan 

Developing a clear set of directions is a must if you are a competitor. Once again, your coach should be guiding you through this, especially if you are a complete beginner or a professional. It is a lot easier to perform when you have defined directions to follow and in the case of advanced competitors, alternative routes to the same destination.

I had to figure stuff out on my own as a competitor, but I can safely claim that my game changed significantly when I decided to focus on a select few things that tied in together rather than just winging it at a tournament. I was a blue belt at the time and I never really stopped devising game plans since, although most of the plans these days are for my students.

A good game plan is the difference between professional and recreational athletes and you can mimic, or even surpass professionals in that regard. If you’re still trying to figure out how BJJ competition works, the Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD is going to help you form a foundation for your game in years to come.

In a perfect world though, a coach would take on this responsibility, leaving you more time to prepare for your matches.

FULL DOWNLOAD: KENDALL REUSING MINDSET GAMEPLAN DVD

Grow Your Jiu-JItsu Tree! 

The Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD is a useful resource to show you that there is a lot more to the physical aspect of training BJJ. Strategizing is not easy, it takes lots of time and effort to put together, which is exactly why pros have coaches doing it for them.

If you’re not yet a pro or do not have access to a serious coach, this blueprint is going to help you build an effective BJJ game plan for both Gi and No-Gi. After all, Kendall has been competing for most of her life and knows exactly what she is talking about.

How To Set Up A Rock Solid Game Plan For BJJ Competition

Jiu-Jitsu Techniques For A Complete Competition Gameplan

How To Make The Low Single For BJJ A Part Of Your Takedown Game

The post Kendall Reusing Mindset Jiu-Jitsu Accelerator DVD 2024 Review appeared first on BJJ World.

Giancarlo Bodoni is not just a meathead grappler (sorry Gordon) but also seems to be a very intelligent fellow who likes to think on his own accord. That makes him a formidable opponent, but also exactly the person you want to teach you. And when it comes to Ashi Garmi, having Bodoni explain the latest developments is like learning physics from Hawking.

Key Takeaways

• A 5-hour long No-Gi DVD instructional with eight volumes of Ashi Garmi material. 
• Covers the latest developments in the No-Gi Ashi Garami game.  
• New Ashi positions, baiting tactics, transitions, finishes, and lots of sweeps. 
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 10 out of 10.

ASHI GARAMI GIANCARLO BODONI DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Ashi Garami is About More Than Leg Locks

So you’re not a leg locker but you’re reading the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD review. Don’t worry we won’t tell. Even better, you’ll learn something about the Ashi Garami that has a lot to do with playing guard and not much to do with leg locks.

For those thinking outside the box, Ashi Garami is a set of positions that go far beyond just a huge potential for leg locks. The entanglement itself is a great way to understand the 50/50 situation that happens during sweeps when both players are on the mats with their hips.

If you’ve ever competed at a high level, you know that this is where sweep battles are won and lost. Now imagine having the best possible tool designed to keep the other person with their hips to the mats, as you comfortably gain the top position and two points. Well, there is, and it is the Ashi Garami. And let’s not forget that you can submit from there as well.

The Grappling Pedigree of Giancarlo Bodoni

Born in 1995 in Miami, Giancarlo has spent a lifetime practicing martial arts. He was 5 when he first enrolled in a Karate class, and the ball just kept rolling from there. Going through most of the usual martial arts for a 90’s kid, Bodoni spent time in Taekwondo, as well before discovering Gracie Barra.

Yeah, you read that right. Bodoni spent a lot of his early days gaining a fundamental understanding of Jiu-Jitsu under Gracie Barra’s Rillion Gracie. It was only after a visit to Brazil that Bodoni discovered the GFTeam, and it took moving to Charlotte to end up at Alliance, that gym that introduced him to the BJJ world.

Under the tutelage of Lucas Lepri, Giancarlo Bodoni made all the right splashes as a brown and eventually black belt, both grades awarded to him by Lepri himself. The Alliance association crafted a path for Bodoni to meet Bernardo Faria, who then led him toward his current home – Danaher’s New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team.

As we go on to explore the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD, it becomes apparent just how far he has come but has a teacher and a competitor.

Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Review

Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is a No-Gi instructional organized in 8 different volumes, each lasting differently. The total running length of the video material is almost 5 hours, and the information inside it is incredibly useful to anyone involved in BJJ.

Part 1 – All About Kuzushi

This Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is one of the best Ashi Garami instructional I have ever seen. That much is apparent from the very first moment, where he spends the better time of half an hour talking about the most important aspect of effectiveness from Ashi positions – off-balancing.

Clearly influenced by the Danaher leg lock philosophy, Bodoni places a lot of emphasis on how he destabilizes his opponents, as well as the direction he wants them to take. In addition to talking about Kuzushi from the bottom, Bodoni also covers his general approach to playing the Ashi Garami game in No-Gi.

Part 2 – Testing The Connection

I particularly enjoyed this art of the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD, where the young grappling prodigy emphasizes how key solid connection it to have any sort of tangible success with the Ashi Garami. he shares a very useful connection test that can work as a great drill to get you tighter with your Ashi.

Aslo featuring in this volume are integrations of Kuzushi with the connection in the elevator drill, as well as direct sweeping options. Bodoni promises efficiency and states that sometimes it is far more efficient to sweep from Ashi rather than hunt for leg locks.

Part 3 – Sweeping From Ashi

On the subject of sweeping form Ashi Garami positions, Bodoni shares a whole host of those in the third volume of the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD. He begins with a very neat ankle pick and talks about using misdirection to increase the effectiveness of off-balancing.

A couple of sweep options in the tripod and double shin sweep follow a very informative chapter on leg placement, which outlines how to retain inside position when the top persons trying to establish a straight or cross hamstring passing checkpoint.

Part 4 – Butterfly Ashi

The most creative and innovative aspect of this Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD (and this is coming from a leg locker with a 10-year pedigree of chasing feet) is the fourth volume. The butterfly Ashi is a hybrid position, which Bodoni is taking to new heights as his own specialty.

While the position has a ton to offer, he only touches on the most crucial aspects in this part, covering how to switch between the legs and set up a few more sweeps marking the halfway point of the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD.

Part 5 – Countering Top Maneuvers

The second most useful volume in the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD, which I found to be super rich with useful information. Namely, in this one Bodoni deconstructs what the top players are usually trying to do, and how to turn the tables before they even begin establishing their game.

Over the course of 40 minutes, Giancarlo goes over applications and modifications of the Ashi Garami when the top person changes levels, as well as how to turn their backsteps and shin pin passes into leg lock-rich traps.

Part 6 – Ashi Garami From Top

Another highly useful portion of the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD, particularly to those that compete a lot in No-Gi. Everyone who has ever been caught in a footsie battle knows how frustrating it can be until the lone person decides to get the top position – and Bodoni shows how to be that person.

Of course, he demonstrates not just how to get on top efficiently, but also be safe from Ashi Garami attacks as well. And, since this is an Ashi instructional, Bodoni also shares some cool leg lock finishes from the top, featuring both belly down and belly up positioning.

Part 7 – Dealing with Defenses

the one thing that every seasoned leg locker is mostly battling these days is awareness. As leg locks became a staple of grappling, everyone started practicing and defending them. While Bodoni’s instructions of Kuzushi, connections, sweeps, and transitions can get you Into Ashi, finishing requires just as much work, if not more.

This portion of the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD explains how to keep the pressure on as you transition different Ashi Garami positions and how to interchange linear and twisting leg locks for maximum efficiency.

Part 8 – Baiting and Transitions

The final part of the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD goes over the key transitions between Ashi Garami attacks. Bodoni shares a lot of baiting tactics here, that misdirect your opponent as you hunt for stronger Ashi positions and devastating finishes without easing off.

I love the tactic of coming up to improve connection before heading back to the mats for optimal finishing mechanics. A fine knee bar brings this incredible Giancarlo Bodoni No-Gi instructional to an end.

A Gateway To Attacking From Guard

The Ashi Garami is no longer a position that only specialists consider worthy of exploring. It also transcends the entire Gi and No-Gi BJJ debate, as it is extremely applicable to both. Don’t get me wrong, you can still play footsie as much as you want and the Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is definitely going to put you ahead of the curve.

However, you will also benefit from this instructional as a Gi fighter who does not use leg locks and likes to win on points. The concept of using Ashi to play guard changes the landscape of the bottom Jiu-jitsu game.

The fact is that sweeps are an integral part of the Danaher Ashi Garmi system, as he emphasizes breaking the opponent down to a hip before setting up finishes. Well, that breakdown is essentially a sweep, with all that’s missing is gaining top position.

Furthermore, sweeping from different Ashi Garami positions also opens up new passing positions to consider, as it will place you in a position you don’t usually end up in during passing. Not to mention how effective it is at helping you recognize both leg lock and sweep threats very early on.

FULL DOWNLOAD: ASHI GARAMI GIANCARLO BODONI DVD

Chase Efficiency! 

If there is one theme that runs throughout this Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD it is that you need to be efficient with everything you do. Leg locks are not working from the Ashi Garmi? Sweep and get to the top then. You can always go back and finish from improved positions.

This is just one of the key aspects that Bodoni shares in his Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami DVD. The instructional is truly one of the best video learning resources I’ve seen in BJJ in 2024 and deserves to be in your collection since it teaches so much more than just leg locks.

10 Best Leg Locks DVDs and Digital Instructionals

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CJI vs ADCC 2024: Top Lessons From an Action-Packed Weekend

The post Efficiently Executing Ashi Garami Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Review appeared first on BJJ World.

The Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap Series DVD seems like yet another wrestling instructional, albeit the subject is one that is extremely beneficial for Jiu-Jitsu grapplers – the knee tap takedown. However, as you’ll see from our review, this short instructional turns out to be much more than a takedown combo blueprint.

Key Takeaways

• BJJ No-Gi DVD with 2 short volumes reaching barely an hour of material.
• Extends past just knee tap setups and covers how to learn movement that lets’ you master any technique first.  
• Includes follow-ups to the knee tap, such as passes and submission finishes. 
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

SAM SCHWARTZAPFEL KNEE TAP SERIES DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

The Most Efficient Wrestling Takedown for BJJ

I am a fan of trips and upper-body takedowns rather than shooting, as many of my damaged body parts won’t allow for anything else. It is not that I don’t go for the occasional single, very rarely double though, if I create the right opportunity.

One of the moves that still falls under the category of leg takedowns, even though it is mostly upper-body work, is the wrestling knee tap. This incredible takedown is the epitome of off-balancing (popularly known as Kuzushi) and requires no shooting or crazy athleticism to pull off against skilled opponents, making it a great choice for anyone.

An even better aspect of the knee tap is that it doesn’t feature a major level change, so it leaves you in a clinch position, most often with an underhook, to recover and try again if you fail with your initial attempt. That underhook is also o massive at providing you impeccable top positioning immediately after you finish the takedown.

The knee tap is a very easy-to-master move that both older, beat-up grapplers and complete newbies can quickly add to their arsenal, introducing lots of diversity to their standing game. The Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap Series DVD is an incredible resource on how to set up your research plan to master this effective wrestling move for BJJ.

The Indestructable Sam Schwartzapfel

One reason you might not know who Sam Schwartzapfel is (outside of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu circles) as he is “still just a brown belt.” With a huge wrestling background though, and a competitive career reaching back more than a decade, the Eddie Bravo brown belt has put the professional No-Gi scene on notice.

The remarkable story of Sam has been inspiring to say the least, with Schwartzapfel returning to the sport he loves even after suffering a horrific car accident that left him in a serious condition. The accident prompted Sam to rethink how he moves, creating a crazy effective system for grappling that he uses to dominate now.

He puts safety first and has come up with a way to train BJJ and compete at a high level without taking any unnecessary risks while still being super efficient. Sam has a pretty well-rounded style that is surprising even to the creative folks over at 10th PLanet, and we now get to see a part of it in the Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap Series DVD.

Detailed Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap Series DVD Review

My Sam Schwartzapfel DVD Review Knee Tap Series DVD review was a lot more fun than I anticipated. Not knowing who Sam was before, I was surprised and inspired by his story, but also by the way he approaches Jiu-Jitsu and this DVD. This two-part No-Gi instructional lasts around an hour but is essential for anyone looking how to practice BJJ for a lifetime, even though you expect a wrestling DVD when you read the title

Part 1 – Learning Essential Movement

This DVD is anything but your round-of-the-mill BJJ DVD. Sam begins by talking a lot about his accident and instead of making this a wrestling instructional, which he is extremely good at actually starts by addressing a huge aspect of 10P Jiu-JItsu first – their warm-up system.

Sam focuses on the fundamentals of movement and how they relate to efficiency in this volume, demonstrating how he changed his own game to transform it from the 10Th Planet system into his own, simplified version. Some key aspects he covers include hip heisting and hip walking, but the best chapter is the one on how to develop moves that will help you execute a specific move, such as the knee tap easily.

This part of the Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap Series DVD feels like an early Eddie Bravo instructional, with folks dropping in to chat with Sam as he demonstrates. All that is missing is a band playing.

Part 2 – Knee Taps for BJJ

The second portion of the Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap DVD holds a bit more in terms of techniques and combinations. Schwartzapfel’s goal is to integrate BJJ with wrestling, rather than just show wrestling so what he does is, he provides instinctive and effective follow-ups to the knee tap tailor-made for Jiu-Jitsu.

For example, he has an armbar entry straight off the takedown, as well as some key follow-up pins and passes. He bases most of his entries and follow-ups on an initial underhook control, which is the best way to set up a wrestling knee tap.

A section on leg lock defense to deal with counters and the notion of doing things with a clear purpose, rather than just moving wraps up this short, but very useful instructional.

A Tap That Wins Matches

The knee tap is a move that will help you win plenty of matches, even though it may not and you all the takedowns you attempt by doing it. Apart from being a viable and useful takedown for BJJ, its real value lies in opening up follow-up opportunities that are even more effective.

For me, and probably most older grapplers out there, those are trips and sweeps coupled with a safety net of a guard pull straight into your favorite sub. It also offers a bunch of transitional options for those who like to mingle Judo in their standing game, as creates such a powerful Kuzuhi that people will then fall prey to virtually any takedown or throw you attempt.

Finally, there is the control option. Most takedowns use lots of forward or spinning force to execute, which crates that problem of inertial movement that the bottom person can use for a reversal. The underhook, featuring heavily in this Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap Series DVD, which stays in place during the knee tap ensures a stable top position after the takedown, even if you end up in someone’s guard.

FULL DOWNLOAD: SAM SCHWARTZAPFEL KNEE TAP SERIES DVD

Tap ‘Em Out! 

Mastering the knee tap is going to give you a very powerful weapon to use in both Gi and No-Gi, as you’ll achieve that crucial Kuzishi more effectively than by using only upper or lower-body-based takedown systems. Moreover, it provides incredible direct pin and submission follow-ups.

The best part about this Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap Series DVD is that it goes beyond just showing moves and combos. It teaches a whole new approach to BJJ, leading you to explore the motions behind a move and then practice them with the purpose of making that move work flawlessly for you. One of the best BJJ DVDs I’ve seen in 2024.

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The post Sam Schwartzapfel Knee Tap Series DVD 2024 Review appeared first on BJJ World.

Some people in the BJJ world, athletes and fans alike, preferred the ADCC, while plenty flogged over to the new kid on the block, CJI to see if he was the cooler one to hang out with. Let’s go through the major lessons learned from last weekend, but don’t expect a verdict on CJI vs ADCC – that one is up for you to decide. Here’s all you need to know:

CJI vs ADCC – The Tale Of The Tape

ADCC a.k.a. the Abu Dhabi Combat Club started in 1998 as the premier No-Gi event often equated to the Olympics in terms of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It was the first (or one of the first) tournaments to invite only the best athletes in the world and give them a substantial sum for winning their division – $10.000.

The thing that sparked the formation of CJI as a response to the treatment that the ADCC has of athletes, was precisely the prize money. Fast forward to 2024, some 26 years later than the very first ADCC, and the prize money for the winning athletes never changed.

In a landscape of professional Jiu-Jitsu and god knows which inflation since the change of the century, simply put, 10K does not cut it any longer. Craig Jones called ADCC head organizer Mo Jassim on this multiple times and eventually opted to put together his own tournament creating the CJI vs ADCC rivalry.

The very first edition of the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) was held in Vegas last weekend (August 16 and 17, 2024) and it showed that it offered athletes a lot more than just a bigger cash prize compared to the ADCC.

CJI offered each athlete who opted to respond to the invitation a $10.001 sign-up prize, plus a staggering $1 million for the winner of each of the two divisions (-80 kg and +90 kg). After pouring out the cash at the JRE when he announced the tournament, everyone started asking where does the money come from?

Lots of rumors circulated, from Zuckerberg backing Craig to a crypto casino being behind the millions in cash prizes and all event-organizing expenses, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter.

I’ll leave the financing details to Chael to explain, but the undeniable truth is that Craig Jones just made a couple of high-level grapplers millionaires, changing BJJ forever.

What We Learned From the CJI vs ADCC Grappling Weekend in Vegas

The past weekend, apart from providing lots of material to break down and learn from for the BJJ nerds such as myself, even more entertainment for the casual BJJ fanatic watching, and a hope of reaching millionaire status for competitive grapplers worldwide, provided us with a lot to think about in terms of the state of the BJJ world after the CJI vs ADCC weekend:

Craig Took Professional Jiu-Jitsu to Anotaher Level

Like it or not, the CJI was just what we needed. Everyone that even thinks about becoming a professional grappler these days, has to consider the stark reality that BJJ is not a sport that pays well unless your first name is Gordon and last name is Ryan.

What Craig offered to the world is hope that grapplers can make lots of money doing what they love – performing on the mats. If the first CJI came out with a $1 million prize money, I expect future events to offer more and even host more divisions so that more athletes get a chance to really earn significantly from BJJ.

Ffion Davies is Scary Good!

The one thing I was incredibly impressed with was Ffion Davis‘ performance in her CJI super fight against Mackenzie Dern. I know that Dern’s focus is on MMA, but as a UFC fighter, and having won a UFC fight just 2 weeks prior, she is in great shape and has access to world-class training on a daily basis.

Ffion came out with an aggression that we used to associate with Dern, and relentlessly pushed until she not only took Mackenzie down and controlled her, but also got what was the best submission of the entire weekend for me – a Scorpion Death Lock!

Gordon Looks Tired

Let’s switch over to the ADCC for a bit. Gordon Ryan only had two fights scheduled this time, with each coming on a different night. While not at all easy, as he battled last time’s winners Felipe Pena and Yuri Simoes, both fights saw Gordon gas out and struggle significantly.

Of course, we all know his stomach is giving him lots of trouble, and he revealed a torn LCL after winning both fights, but the King we saw at the 2024 ADCC is a far cry from the version that scared everyone two years ago when he manhandled Galvao.

This leads us to the inevitable question: is the GOAt done? And I don’t mean a mock retirement like a few years ago, but for real this time. The CJI vs ADCC did suggest who could follow in his footsteps.

Belts Don’t Really Matter Anymore

Yeah, we knew this already, but it really did reach another level at the ADCC. Allow colored belts to match up with black belts, and you’ll likely see a better match than coupling two black belts together.

We saw the perfect example of this in Meregali’s performance at the ADCC. The Danaher protege lost his match to purple belt Michael Pixley by way of submission (Darce choke). Granted, it seemed that Meregali injured his shoulder or elbow as he posted awkwardly during the throw that preceded the Darce, but that should not take anything away from Pixley.

In case you missed it with UFC and CJI, this huge upset is the biggest thing that happened on Day 1 of ADCC 2024.

Nicholas Meregali, the tournament favorite (and Gordon Ryan’s teammate), was thrown and darced by Michael Pixley.

pic.twitter.com/Y8GHzSoCXg

— Anton Tabuena (@antontabuena) August 18, 2024

ADCC Will Have to Catch Up To CJI

Organization-wise, ADCC was a far cry from CJI. To begin with, the ADCC’s reluctance to deal with matches going out of bounds was hugely annoying, as opposed to CJI’s Karate Combat-like pit, which proved to be the best surface for professional grappling we’ve seen to date.

Also, we saw a lot of struggling with the ADCC announcement team, as they miscued matches, introduced athletes who weren’t on stage, and even ones who were competing at the CJI at the same time. There is more, but you get the winner in this CJI vs ADCC aspect.

CJI, on the other hand, had a great team led by commentator Brandon McCaghren that did the event justice, with the only real; remark being time management – day one went on for more than 10 hours, and it didn’t have to.

Unified Refereeing Rules

We saw a lot of chaos in terms of refereeing in the CJI vs ADCC weekend. While not leaving it in the hands of the judges sounds cool, it is a lot harder to put into practice than writing it on the wall of a gym.

This weekend felt like the early days of MMA when they attempted to apply a hybrid of the old boxing scoring system (which more or less is still in effect today). It is obvious that we need to unify the circumstances that lead to victory in submission-based events that end up going the distance.

Overtime always seemed like a good idea in EBI, but it didn’t turn out to be so great during the CJI vs ADCC weekend in Vegas.

You Can Make Millions From Jiu-Jitsu (Finally)

Yup, you can now decide to leave everything and dedicate yourself to grappling. of course, you’ll need to train your ass off, compete for a ton and hope that all those competitions end up rewarding you with some petty, ADCC-like prize money until you can reach the big stage.

Not for everyone, I know, but finally, we saw people win big by doing nothing except grapple and it is a dream come true for most people involved in BJJ, even though we didn’t win anything.  After the CJI vs ADCC weekend, the future seems very bright!

Rafel Lovato is a True Highlander

Rafel Lovato Jr. cannot retire. He tried it, but it didn’t work, and we’re glad it didn’t stick. The legendary grappler came back for the 2024 edition of the ADCC after announcing his retirement two years prior in the same event.

Not only did he feature again, but he dominated. At the young age of 41 cruised through the -99kg division, eventually running into a wall called Kaynan Duarte in the final of the division. The timeless Lovato took home the silver, and I’m sure we’ll see him again although it remains to see who he chooses between CJI vs ADCC.

We’re Taking BJJ Too Seriously

The whole CJI vs ADCC thing was really comical to witness from the stands. While you had the seriousness of the ADCC on one side, with everyone acting like it was a major UFC event or something, on the other side was Craig Jones, trolling everything and everyone in every way possible, blending in laughs with all the action.

It was a very welcomed refreshment in terms of the aura we associate with professional BJJ. Grappling should be fun over anything, and it can only be fun if we don’t take it seriously. CJI managed to dial it in perfectly, making it seem like it was a jiu-Jitsu Globetrotter Camp event. I can’t imagine what the afterparty looked like.

Nicky Rod is a Force to be Reckoned With

The winner of the +80 kg division in CJI was B-team’s own Nicky Rod. Saying it is a deserved victory is an understatement, as Nicky seemed scary on his way to the $1 million bucks. He dismantled  Owen Livesey and Max Gimenis quickly on day one, repeating the same with Adam Bradley and Fellipe Andrew on day 2 to win the coveted prize money.

Of course, he called out his nemesis Gordon Ryan at the end. To be honest, I’m not sure Gordon could’ve handled Nicky if they fought on the same event this time. Maybe in a CJI vs ADCC super fight someday.

What Happened to Nicky Ryan?

One worrying thing that stood out at CJI was the performance of Nicky Ryan. While most of the B-team performed well, even though some fan favorites like the up-and-coming Josef Chen didn’t get far, it was Nicky Ryan’s performance that stood out like a sore thumb.

Nicky looked like a guy who came over for a few rolls on the open mat and was surprised that a highly competitive wrestler wanted to go all out with him. Ryan lost to the highly impressive Andrew Tackett and left a huge question mark over his grappling future.

Who Will be The Next GOAT?

I firmly believe that if Gordon Ryan does not get healthy, the spot of the GOAT is going to be wide open, with many strong contenders coming out to claim it. The double gold (-99 kg and absolute division) winner of the ADCC, Kaynan Duarte is the leading name, of course, but Nicky Rod is not far behind.

We also have to mention Kade Ruotolo, the other millionaire after last weekend’s performance, as well as the emerging talents such as Andrew Tackett and Mica Galvao.

Best Match of the Weekend?

I’m going to go ahead and claim that the match between Kade Ruotolo and Andrew Tackett in the semi-final of the -80 kg divisions at CJI gets the match-of-the-weekend accolade. It was a grappling masterclass by two extremely talented athletes who, I’m in no doubt, will keep providing us with lots more grappling entertainment in times to come.

Full CJI 1 Results

The full Day 1 of the CJI event streamed live on YouTube and you can watch the full 10+ hours here, or go on to read the results:

Over 80kg First Round:

• Nicky Rod defeated Max Gimenis via submission (rear-naked choke).
• Owen Livesey defeated Mahamed Aly via unanimous decision.
• Adam Bradley defeated Kyle Boehm via split decision.
• Pat Downey defeated Luke Rockhold via unanimous decision.
• Lucas Kanard defeated Victor Hugo via submission.

Over 80kg Quarterfinals:

• Nicky Rod defeated Owen Livesey via submission (rear-naked choke).
• Adam Bradley defeated Pat Downey via split decision.
• Inacio Santos defeated Lucas Kanard via unanimous decision.
• Fellipe Andrew defeated Joao Gabriel Rocha via unanimous decision.

Over 80kg Semifinals:

• Nicky Rod defeated Adam Bradley via submission (rear-naked choke).
• Fellipe Andrew defeated Inacio Santos via submission (heel hook).

Over 80kg Finals:

• Nicky Rod defeated Fellipe Andrew by submission (RNC)

Under 80kg First round:

• Tye Ruotolo defeated Jason Nolf via submission (kneebar).
• Levi Jones-Leary defeated Roberto Jimenez via submission (inside heel hook).
• Lucas Barbosa defeated Kenta Iwamoto via unanimous decision.
• Jozef Chen defeated Andy Varela via unanimous decision.
• Kade Ruotolo defeated Matheus Diniz via submission (ankle lock).
• Tommy Langaker defeated Renato Canuto via unanimous decision.
• Eoghan O’Flanagan defeated Magid Hage via submission (outside heel hook).
• Andrew Tackett defeated Nicky Ryan via unanimous decision.

Under 80kg Quarterfinals:

• Levi Jones-Leary defeated Tye Ruotolo via unanimous decision.
• Lucas Barbosa defeated Jozef Chen via submission (knee crush).
• Kade Ruotolo defeated Tommy Langaker via unanimous decision.
• Andrew Tackett defeated Eoghan O’Flanagan via unanimous decision.

Under 80kg Semifinals

• Levi Jones-Leary defeated Lucas Barbosa via unanimous decision.
• Kade Ruotolo defeated Andrew Tackett via split decision.

Under 80kg Final

Kade Ruotolo defeated Levi Jones-Leary by unanimous decision.

Superfights

• Ffion Davies def. Mackenzie Dern via sub (armbar)
• Craig Jones def. Gabi Garcia via sub (rear-naked choke)

Full 2024 ADCC Absolute Divisions Results

During the CJI vs ADCC, things were busy at the ADCC, although the lineup was quite different from what people expected before Craig announced his own tournament:

Men’s Absolute Round 1

• Declan Moody defeated Diogo Reis by submission.
• Kaynan Duarte defeated Diego Pato by submission.
• Mica Galvao defeated Elder Cruz by submission.
• Dante Leon defeated Michael Perez by a referee’s decision.
• Giancarlo Bodoni defeated Davi Ramos by a decision.
• Fabricio Andrey defeated Vagner Rocha by a referee’s decision.
• Roberto Abreu defeated Luiz Paulo by a decision.
• Ryan Aitken defeated Izaak Michell by a decision.

Quarterfinals

• Kyanan Duarte defeated Declan Moody by submission.
• Dante Leon defeated Mica Galvao by submission.
• Giancarlo Bodoni defeated Vagner Rocha by submission.
• Cyborg Abreu defeated Izaak Michell by a decision.

Semifinals

• Kaynan Duarte defeated Dante Leon by decision.
  Cyborg Abreu defeated Giancarlo Bodoni by decision.

Final

• Kaynan Duarte defeated Cyborg Abreu by submission.

Women’s Absolute Quarterfinals:

• Adele Fornarino defeated Brianna Ste-marie by submission.
• Rafaela Guedes defeated Bianca Basilio by decision.
• Amy Campo defeated Amande Leve by decision.
• Bia Mesquita defeated Kendall Reusing by submission.

Semifinals

• Adele Fornarino defeated Rafaela Guedes by submission.
  Bia Mesquita defeated Amy Campo by a decesion.

Final

• Adele Fornarino defeated Bia Mesquita by a decision.

Full List Of ADCC 2024 Champions

Who won the ADCC in the 2024 edition? While there is a winner in the CJI vs ADCC debate, the athletes who fought their way to the top in this year’s ADCC are as follows:

Men’s Divisions:

-66kg

Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis – Gold
Diego Pato – Silver
Josh Cisneros – Bronze

-77kg

Mica Galvao – Gold
Vagner Rocha – Silver
PJ Barch – Bronze

-88kg

Giancarlo Bodoni – Gold
Jay Rodriguez – Silver
Felipe Costa – Bronze

-99kg

Kaynan Duarte – Gold
Rafael Lovato – Silver
Cyborg Abreu – Bronze

+99kg

Felipe Pena – Gold
Luke Griffith – Silver
Daniel Manasoiu – Bronze

Women’s Divisions:

-55kg

Adele Fornarino – Gold
Bianca Basilio – Silver
Jasmine Rocha – Bronze

-65kg

Ana Carolina Vieira – Gold
Helena Crevar – Silver
Bia Mesquita – Bronze

+65kg

Rafaela Guedes – Gold
Nathiely De Jesus – Silver
Kendall Reusing – Bronze

Super Fight Day 1

Gordon Ryan – Gold

Super Fight Day 2

Gordon Ryan – Gold

What’s Next?

As we conclude our analysis of the CJI vs ADCC weekend in Vegas, we are left switch lots of information to process. Professional Jiu-Jitsu just got a taste of what athletes earn in other sports, and I doubt those who took part will want to go back to how it was.

I understand allegiances and history, but in all honesty, the CJI vs ADCC weekend showed us that money talks, and that there are ways to turn professional grappling into a spectator sport. Whether it is going to take years of CJI vs ADCC rivalry, or they’re going to suddenly merge into the best platform ever, remains for the future to uncover.

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In a brand new 6-part instructional, Gordon covers the concept of scrimmage for BJJ, demonstrating how they set it up and offering a really useful and crucial blueprint for approaching the standing game. In a DVD where Ryan does not show a single takedown, he sets you up to succeed at all of them. His best-organized instructional to date, by a country mile!

Key Takeaways

• 6-volume No-Gi BJJ DVD containing over three and a half hours of material.
• Lays the foundation of any effective standing game plan development for BJJ.
• Contains over an hour of rolls and rolling commentary and breakdowns by Ryan. 
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

GORDON RYAN ATTACKING THE SCRIMMAGE DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

What’s Scrimmage Wrestling?

The term scrimmage is not something you often hear in terms of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In team-based sports, scrimmage refers to playing “mock” games during practice, which are not scored or officiated but replicate exactly what the athletes encounter during a live, official game.

In wrestling terms, this means you’re playing the “who scores first” game, setting it up to mimic the official scoring goals of the sport. The same is true for BJJ, with the New Wave team preferring to set up their scrimmage rounds following the ADCC ruleset format.

In the first of what I expect is going to be a long series of instructional Ryan explains how exactly they set up this popular aspect of training. The Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD outlines his experiences in learning wrestling by aiming to score a point using ADCC rules, and starting from standing.

Learning From Gordon Ryan Instructionals

There is no point talking about what Grodon Ryan has done in his grappling career. He is such a staple name at the moment that even people who have never trained know who he is and get pulled into BJJ because of him.

Apart from his stellar no-Gi grappling performances that positioned him as the best competition ever in the history of the sport, Ryan has been very active in sharing his knowledge and understanding of Jiu-Jitsu through instructionals.

When he first started, Ryan approached BJJ DVDs as seminars, offering way too many details and no real way to follow his train of thought unless you watch the entire instructional. With his early DVDs lasting more than 8 hours, this was no easy task.

I am glad that Gordon proved that he is an incredible student of the game in every possible way, learning and adapting to start issuing way better-structured DVDs that offer a lot more information that will benefit those that mostly watch BJJ instructionals – white to purple belts.

his latest instructional marks the start of a whole new era, with the GOAT addressing his standing fame for the first time ever in the Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD.

Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD Review

In this No-Gi (no surprise there) Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD, the “King” introduces his approach to the standing aspects of the BJJ game. With his trusted uke Nathalia Santoro, Gordon demonstrates how to set up a winning approach to wrestling on the feet for the specific goal of winning BJJ matches.

Part 1 – Introduction to the Concept of Scrimmage Wrestling

Gordon begins his instructional in a very Danaher-esque manner, going through an entire 40-minute-long volume of theory regarding the standing game in Jiu-Jitsu. He first defines the goals of the instructional, making a careful and precise comparison of the scoring goals in wrestling and BJJ, focusing on the differences.

This sets the tone for setting up a tactical approach that wins you matches, and organize training in an efficient manner. Ryan talks a lot about time limits and pacing, as most people know that standing exchanges are the physically most demanding aspects of grappling.

As this part of the Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD draws to an end, Ryan also covers the role of posture, common submission risks, and the scoring criteria in BJJ. I liked that he included the beginner’s theory as well, providing clear instructions on how new students should approach the standing game.

Part 2 – Stance and Motion

When I first started learning wrestling takedowns, the first two out of 5 crucial steps to any takedown were stance and motion. While it may seem like practicing katas, stance, and motion are the vital precursor of any successful takedown.

Gordon goes really deep in this one, covering stuff such as line of sight, how to align your own body, attacking the legs and the dominance that locked arms have over unlocked ones.

He also demonstrates some basic setups in this part of the Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD. These serve as a foundation for the introduction of distance management, and the concept of smartly using the 3 zones at your disposal.

Part 3 – Grips

Grips are a tedious subject to study in grappling. yes, I know they’re very important, I tooth the same horn, but I still do not enjoy experimenting with them for long periods of time. Gordon’s third volume does not make things easier.

In this part dedicated solely to grips, Ryan goes over the general gripping theory they utilize at New Wave Jiu-Jitsu and talks a lot about the inside position. He introduces a few interesting concepts in his chapters on asymmetry which are only going to excite black belts, if we’re being honest.

If I had to only watch one part of this volume of the Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD over and over again, it would be the one with chapters on creating ties, particularly collar ties, as the opening configuration.

Part 4 – Defense

As the instructional portion of the Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD draws to a close, Gordon foes over staple defenses that are crucial to allow you to set stance, motion, and grips up in the first place.

He really does go basic here, which I appreciate. there is no place for fluff in wrestling, so Gordon sticks to comparing early and late defenses, and portraying how to keep your legs safe using both methods.

Parts 5 & 6 – Rolling Footage and Commentary

The customary rolling commentary is the centerpiece of the final two volumes of the Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD. In the fifth part, he does four rolls with different people, totaling 20 minutes of material.

In the final volume, Ryan does a commentary on those four roles, spending a lot of time on each, explaining exactly what he did, though, and how he adjusted to his partner. his analysis more than doubles the length of this part, which runs for almost 50 minutes.

A Different Approach to Standing

This Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD is not going to teach you everything about wrestling for BJJ. I expect there are other titles to follow in this Gordon Ryan standing DVD series, but until such time, the truly crucial aspects of wrestling are all at your disposal.

If you can figure out a way to get close enough to someone to establish a locked arms position, you can set up any wrestling, or to an extent, Judo game that you want, while not losing control over the opponent. With this as your main goal, stance, motion, and grip fighting will emerge pretty naturally.

Instead of focusing on the final outcome, which is the takedown, and practicing how to do it over and over again focus on achieving dominant control over your opponent during standing, and keep them there. This opens up a lot more than just one takedown, which, oftentimes, in BJJ, ends up blocked or with you in a submission hold.

GORDON RYAN ATTACKING THE SCRIMMAGE DVD DOWNLOAD

Let’s Wrestle!

I think that I will call the Gordon Ryan Systematically Attacking The Scrimmage DVD my favorite instructional so far out of all his work. take this as you wish, knowing it comes from a black belt with a Judo background who has spent so much time scrimmaging that his neck now forces him to pull guard.

Unless you want the same thing to happen to you, now is the best time to pick this Gordon Ryan DVD up and set yourself up for success. This one is truly worth every penny!

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Enter the Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD. This collaboration between the BJJ legend and a sports psychologist delivers a blueprint on how Jiu-Jitsu coaches should prepare parents to guide young grappling athletes toward developing a winning mentality for sports and life. It is a great resource for coaches and parents alike!

Key Takeaways

• A 4-part instructional with nearly 2 hours of material on the psychology of BJJ.
• Aimed at parents of young grappling athletes who have no experience with BJJ.
• Invaluable for both coaches of kids classes and parents of young grapplers.  
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

AVAILABLE HERE: RISING CONFIDENT ATHLETES DVD

The Role of Parents In Kids Jiu-Jitsu

As a BJJ coach with vast experience in teaching kids classes (still do and I will never give up on those classes until I am involved in the sport), I often find coach-parent relations to be way more difficult than dealing with the children. While it is a mutual relationship, in the end, the thing parents need to understand is that they do not know BJJ (most of them, anyway) and they need to leave coaching to the professionals.

Parents obviously play an integral role in the life of a child, as they should carefully navigate, guide, and manage the development of their child into a functioning adult. When they enroll kids in competitive sports, such as BJJ parents introduce another variable int the mix, which is the athlete mindset.

Most of the time, parents are not equipped to put their child’s needs first, the reason being they do not understand the sport. This means that coaches should also dedicate a small portion of their time to coaching them on how to be the parents of athletes rather than just those of kids.

Such an investment in time is going to have incredible returns in how coachable the kids are, as well as how the parents aid in the efforts of coaches rather than inadvertently impeding them. The Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD, as the first of its kind, is the ultimate resource to help parents and coaches achieve such a relationship.

The Coaches Behind This Project

This one-of-a-kind BJJ instructional is a collaboration between BJJ celebrity Andre Galvao and a sports psychologist named Mayra Ramos. Both have vast experience in the realm of professional sports which encompasses high-level practice, world-class competition, and exceptional coaching.

Mayra Ramos is a Brazilian clinical psychologist specializing in sports psychology. She was also a professional figure skater for over 20 years and a part of the Brazilian national figure skating team with impressive accomplishments such as World Cup runner-up and Pan and South American doubles champion.

Mayra continued her career in the realm of mental coaching after she hung her skates up, focusing particularly on young athletes as well as their parents. She is the founder of Academia do Atleta Campeão, a platform dedicated to mental training for athletes.

Andre Galvao is a name well-known to everyone in the BJJ world. The Brazilian has more world titles in IBJJF, ADCC, UAEJJF, and CBJJO than we can count. He also had the longest winning streak of ADCC super fights, from 2013 to 2022. Andre is the founder of the Atos Team which has produced countless talented grapplers such as the Mendes brothers, Ruotolo brothers, Keenan Cornelius, etc throughout the years.

Galvao’s daughter Sara Galvao, a World Champion and purple belt and currently a brown belt went through the BJJ ranks, starting at a very early age. Her career has brought together ANdre and Mayra Ramos, a partnership which now resulted in the Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD.

Full Review: Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD

The unique Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD offers roughly 2 hours of material that covers all the key psychological aspects of managing child athletes. Over the course of four volumes, Andre Galvao and Mayra Ramos provide invaluable information for both coaches and parents on how to build the best relationship that includes both them and the child.

Part 1 – Parents and Mental Coaching of Young Athletes

As this unusual Andre Galvao DVD kicks off, the first chapter addresses the theme that runs throughout it – how to raise confident athletes as a parent of a young grappler. The idea is that parents should not just be there to transport kids to and from training, but rather an integral part of the team.

A short guide outlining three different layers of behavior change set the tone, providing invaluable information for parents and coaches alike. The first part of the instructional wraps up with a section covering how to best build realistic self-esteem in children who practice competitive sports such as BJJ.

Part 2 – Building a Relationship With Children

As the Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD goes on, Mayra and Andre lead us through some of the best tools that can help parents guide their kids to be coachable, as well as outlining the main reasons why kids tend to quit sports they’re good at.

Ramos also explains how parents sometimes project their insecurity on their children and how they can do the same with confidence instead. This leads straight into the most important chapter of the entire DVD, which addresses strategies for supporting a child after they lose in a tournament.

Part 3 – Crafting the Championship Mindset in Kids

The third part of this Andre Galvao parents coaching DVD goes over the dynamics that the coach shares with parents, as both have immense influence in the child’s grappling career and life.

Aspects such h as balancing Jiu-Jitsu, family, and school, fostering a supportive environment both during training and in competitions, and allowing kids to grow feature heavily in this section of the instructional. I found the chapter on helping kids understand why they shouldn’t compare to others, particularly informative and helpful.

Part 4 – Being Supportive

The final portion of the unconventional but information-rich Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD addresses mindfulness and how to foster a champion mindset in kids. This includes the role parents play in the aftermath of a tournament, regardless of the outcome, as well as the basics of ensuring optimal health and fitness in a growing competition.

The final chapter in the DVD is a very original one that I didn’t expect – it addresses how to approach the competitive BJJ development of kids who are home-schooled, as this introduces a different social aspect in these children’s lives.

Raising Better Athletes

The task of developing competitive grappling athletes from the youngest age possible rests not just in the hands of coaches, but also their parents. Coach only sees the kids a few hours per week, whereas parents spend most of the time in their day with the kids, so they get to influence them a lot more than the coaches.

The most important variable is how to ensure the steady development of a growth-oriented competitive mindset in young athletes who still have to discover who they are. It is easy for adults to get lost in the competitive nature of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, let alone children who still try to make sense of the world.

Since access to a sports psychologist is not an option for most BJJ gyms that offer kids classes, the next best thing is having the ability to consult with one or use the best-proven principles of coaching sports mentality in kids. That is exactly what the Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD offers, and it delivers.

RAISING CONFIDENT ATHLETES ANDRE GALVAO DVD DOWNLOAD

Own Up!

As someone who has been coaching kids martial arts classes, including BJJ for the better part of 15 years I wholeheartedly recommend the Raising Confident Athletes Andre Galvao DVD to any adult athlete who practices grappling. The usefulness of this instructional is twofold – it will benefit both parents and kids coaches but it will also benefit those who are competing themselves and are yet to have kids.

A resource such as this is incredible to help instill a healthy competitive mindset in kids from an early age, using methods that fit their age and needs, as opposed to the one-size-fits-all-ages approach we commonly see in BJJ gyms. A true gem of an instructional, even though it doesn’t offer the latest inverted Mikey lock modification to a double triangle.

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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!!!

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. 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.

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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