As you probably expect if you’ve ever seen Jeff in action, you’ll receive a ton of unorthodox and unexpected ways to outsmart and out-grapple bigger opponents. At the end of the day, you won’t know how effective they truly are until you give them a try yourself! The thing working for you is that this is fairly short instructional, allowing you to start surprising the big guys that annoy you in just a few days!

Key Takeaways

• 3-part Jiu-Jitsu instructional with the Gi outlining how to survive and thrive as the smaller grappler on the mats.  
• Jeff offers advice on how to defend common big guy attacks, as well as how to tap them out quickly. 
• Each volume covers top and bottom positions, with a total running length of around an hour and a half. 
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

Click Here

GRAB ROLLING WITH THE BIG HOMIES JEFF GLOVER DVD HERE!!!

The Curious Case of Size and Weight in BJJ

What is your solution when you have to grapple with someone who is significantly bigger than you? There are plenty of options available, but there is also an issue – you can’t use the same tactic against different opponents.

The problem is that we’re talking about dealing with people who also know BJJ, sometimes even more than you do. With strength, skill, and weight on their side, it may seem like a meaningless effort to try and do anything grappling-related with any measure of success.

Well, you can, but you need to be smart about how you combine the different proven methods that work against the big guys /girls. In fact, you need to be sneaky about setting up traps that can turn the advantages big folks have into disadvantages, trapping them within their comfort zone and turning the tables when they least expect it.

While this approach has a lot to do with technique, it also has to do with timing and snarkiness. The best way to learn is to ask smaller grapplers, preferably ladies, how they set up for success. If you don’t have access to anyone like that, which I doubt, you can do the next best thing – use the Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD.

OG Grappling Innovator Jeff Glover

“If I don’t try something new each time I roll, it’s like I haven’t rolled at all”. This statement by Jeff Glover, which I did not quote word for word, since I don’t remember where I originally heard it, truly sums up what Glover is all about. He has always been fun to watch as a result of the unexpected, but somehow very effective things that he pulls off in rolling and competitions.

Glover was a top competitor in the early 2010s, famous for his victories over the likes of Caio Terra, Wilson Reis, Chris Haueter, Ben Eddy, and many others, both with and without the Gi. He always put on a performance, and never worried about the result, which was unheard of, and often frowned upon approach at those times.

This way of expressing himself did not mean that Glover was just a clown – on the contrary, he has an IBJJF world title in No-Gi, a couple of Pans titles, and a second place in one of the early EBIs.

On top of that, he has plenty of highly useful instructional out, with only Danaher and Gordon Ryan surpassing him in that regard. The Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD adds more value to his collection, once again addressing a hugely important and underestimated aspect of Jiu-Jitsu.

Full Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD Review

The entire Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD instructional lasts around an hour and a half, which is not unheard of for his video teaching efforts as he loves to avoid fluff. The material you get is all directly applicable and easy to follow. It is organized into three volumes, with each covering every aspect of Gi BJJ you need to know to successfully out-grapple people double or triple your size.

Part 1 – Mixed Submissions and Sub Defense

This Jeff GLvoer DVD kicks off with very useful details on the ultimate giant killer submission with the Gi – the cross choke. When you’re grappling the big guys/girls, the mount is the best position to use it, and Glvoe offers tips on making it work that even Roger himself never shared – probably because he is one of the big ones.

If you’ve ever seen Gabi Garcia grapple with Mackenzie Dern, you know how easy it is for big grapplers to beat smaller ones using the Americana. Glover offers an elegant solution to remove this huge threat, tying it in with ways to sneak out of bottom side control as well as an interesting cross collar finish that works only against big folks.

Part 2 – Jeff Glover Trickery

The second part of the Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD offers some moves that you’d expect out of Jeff Glover. For example, he shares how his Donkey Guard works perfectly against bigger grapplers as an alternative to playing closed guard.

He also covers how to attack more in this volume, offering options for control and submissions from the back and top side control. Defensively, he has super helpful tips on rendering the North-South position useless for big guys/girls and preventing them from ever sinking that dreaded North-South choke in.

Part 3 – Moving In and Out

In this part of the Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD instructional, Glvoer covers how being smaller allows you to move a lot more in relation to your opponent, making use of pockets of space you probably never considered before.

The standout chapter, for me, was the one covering how to get out of an armbar, even when your arm is fully extended. His wedge guard option is also an interesting one, although I haven’t tested it in tolling yet. You also find some useful upgraded information on the deep half guard, one of Jeff’s signature positions, as well as an ultra-important and unexpected way to deal with being on the receiving end of the crossface against a big fellow.

Developing Grappling Strategies for Larger Opponents

The one thing to understand is that you will never have an easy time on the mats when you’re up against someone bigger. however, if you set up to expect where the danger is going to come from, you’ll find that you can achieve success against them more often than not.

A key thing to keep in mind is that you have to factor in both weight and strength even before you slap and bump. If you end up surprised by how heavy or strong your opponent is, you’re already trailing and probably won’t be able to catch up.

Next, you need to be aware of the danger points you want to avoid, and have options to counter these situations both very early, and very late. This is where Jeff’s Rolling With The Big Homies  DVD comes in very useful. Oh, and it is also going to teach you how and when to stall against the big folks – an integral skill for any small-framed grappler to master!

DOWNLOAD HERE: JEFF GLOVER BIG HOMIES DVD

Let’s Go, Big Guy!

Grab the Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD, spend a few days going through it (it only lasts as long as a couple of episodes of any TV show) and you’ll never be afraid to have fun while grappling with big partners or opponents again. While most of the information covers Gi tactics and strategies, the general principles remain the same without them.

All that’s left now is for you to go big game hunting armed with the proven tactics Jeff Glover has used many times on the biggest stages of Jiu-Jitsu. Happy hunting!

7 Strategies to Defeat Bigger Opponents In BJJ

BJJ For Small Guys: How To Beat Bigger Grapplers

BJJ Purple Belt Chokes Out Much Bigger Attacker

The post Rolling With The Big Homies Jeff Glover DVD Review appeared first on BJJ World.

Breath control is everything in martial arts. However, for some reason, people tend to forget about it completely when they grapple. AS a white belt that’s just aking up Jiu-Jitsu, this is expected to happen. It is also normal to spend a month or so on a complete rigor while training until you get used to it. However, we often see highly conditioned and well-trained athletes also run out of brat at the highest levels. At that point, it is all about integrating the correct BJ Jbraething method in order to maximize your performance level. And it is not at all hard to learn.

The Importance Of Breath Control 

For the most part, we take breathing for granted. However, it can play a huge roll in relaxing us when we’re under stress. And there are only a few things that can stress you more than rolling or competing. Very often you might hear a coach yell “relax”. That’s easier said than done and we’ve all thought that during competition or rolling. The trouble is when people tell you to relax they often forget to tell you how exactly. And no, “breathe” is not the explanation I’m thinking about.

Physiologically speaking, we use breathing to help exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. However, breathing also impacts other organ systems as well. By specific breathing, you can increase or decrease your heart rate, and even mood and state of relaxation simply by manging your brath. To that extent, every part of the brath plays a role. In those terms, there are three main parts to each brath: Inhaling, or sucking air in, holding the breath, and exhaling, or getting the air out of your lungs. The ultimate goal is to provide oxygen fro your tissues. One reason why your usual breathing pattern fails under stress is that tissues require much more oxygen than in general. That’s why you’re breathing rate increases and you eventually end up gassed.

The more you’re able to control your breath, the better your grappling performances are going to become. However, you’ll also learn how to recognize when your opponent is breathing in an erratic way. And use that to your advantage. So understanding BJJ breathing is not only going to help your difference, but rather your overall game.

BJJ Breathing techniques 

When it comes to BJJ breathing techniques, you’ll run into a bunch of different ones. One example that pops to mind is Rickson Gracie in the documentary “Choke”. He sits on a beach doing al these funky things with his abdomen, reminiscent of a scene from “Alien”. What he is actually doing is controlling his breath and going to a very specific sequence of breaths. In Rickson’s case, this is a breathing method borrowed from Yoga. In fact, Yoga’s contribution to BJJ is far greater in the breathing domain than in the physical one.

When it comes to practicing BJJ breathing techniques you have two main ways of doing so. The first one is using a specific BJJ breathing system to roll and compete. This will require some practice though. However, once you have that down, you can rest assured you’ll never gas, regardless of who is on top or how long they stay there.

Another crucial practice is practicing your brath outside of rolling. Even better yet, practicing somewhere in nature, or at a calm spot at home is the best. That way, you can really focus on understanding a breathing pattern. When the time comes to use that patter under stress, you’ll already have it down.

On the subject of BJJ breathing techniques, there are no methods that are designed exclusively for grappling. Instead, there are different breathing methodologies, mostly form Yoga, or innovator s like Wim Hoff, that are perfectly suited for Jiu-Jitsu. All you need to understand is when you should use them, and what each of them actually aims to accomplish.

Practical Applications And Examples 

We’ll start with Rickson’s “percussive breathing”. This is a type of breathing that focuses on the exhale, thus helping your body get rid of the pent up carbon dioxide from cellular metabolism. The method in all the best breathing exercises is using your belly to move your diaphragm, rather than just your intercostal muscles. For Rickson’s breathing, you inhale deeply and then use several (5-6) sharp exhales to force air out of your lungs. You can practice this on ti’s own, or use it the entire time you spend rolling.

One more great way of actually breathing in more oxygen when you need it is to reverse this. What I mean is to use 4 sharp and distinct inhales, pulling as much air in as you can with each. Then, follow this up by a long exhale. This is yet another one form Yoga and it is my preferred way of breathing during rolling.

The final one is a bit tricky to pull off, as you’ll need to hold your breath in. That’s something that you shouldn’t do, unless you know-how. The rule of thumb is that you never hold your breath in while you’re trying to do something with your body. IF you’re just lying there, though, and you need to calm your mind, simply breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 16 and breathe out for 8. You can use different times as long as you keep this ratio. It is a proven method to calm you down in seconds!

Just remember never breathe quickly and erratically, or hold your breath while you’re doing techniques. Moreover, if you want success with any BJJ breathing method, remember to use your nose for both inhales and exhales.

Summary 

There are countless BJJ breathing methods ut there and you’re welcome to try them all. Feel free to experiment, and tailor things to fit your needs. If this article does nothing else except reveal to you how important breath control is in grappling than it has served its purpose. Whatever technique you use, try and focus on your breathing more during every moment on the mats. It is one of those “invisible Jiu-Jitsu” things that actually have a huge impact on performance.

The post BJJ Breathing Techniques For Rolling And Competition  appeared first on BJJ World.

The answer to this question is not an easy one. Yes, a higher belt can learn from every roll, regardless of the training partner’s rank. The key is in knowing how you should train with people that have a lower rank than you. If you decide to just go with your usual game, you’ll just smash most of the people with ease. That’s all fine and dandy but what the take from BJJ rolls like that? Chances are, your opponent is going to be in such confusion they’ll just shut down and not really provide you with any meaningful feedback in terms of defending. If you’re looking to learn and improve, this is not going to help. On the contrary, it is a great way to make you think you know something. However, there is another way. or a few other ways, to be more precise.

BJJ Training Partners

One of the best things about Jiu-Jitsu is that you get to train with all kinds of different people. And, when I say different, I include lots of variables there. First up, you get people of all sizes, ranging from the rooster-weight to a super-heavyweight. Then, you get people from both sexes. Moreover, you get to roll with people of different ranks and experience. Finally, something people usually do not consider as important, you have access to people that come from all walks of life. This is a crucial part of Jiu-Jitsu as people’s characters often determine the type of game they play. The more training partners you have, the more variety at your disposal.

So, how do you approach training with partners that have different color belts? That’ll depend a lot on your rank, of course. If you are the highest-ranked person in the academy then you have to take into account the variables above as well. BJJ rolls with a super-heavyweight blue belt, a female purple belt, and a 45-year-old white belt are certainly not going to be the same. So, why would you use the same approach on each and every one of them?

The key here is to think about what every one of them brings s to the table. Looking at our examples, a super-heavyweight is always going to be a pressure threat, regardless of the belt. The blue belt also means a Spaz alert and a lot of defensive positioning. the female purple belt, on the other hand, is going to be all about technique, and most likely a real handful from any guard position. Be aware of sneaky submissions as well. They will all learn from you, but how can you get the same in return?

How To Approach BJJ Rolls With Lower Belts 

Let’s look at a few strategies that’ll help you advance your BJJ progress and fine-tune your techniques. The one thing to keep in mind is to approach every roll with a lower belt without the competition mindset. that means you’re not rolling to win, but rather to learn. With people of the same rank, feel free to be more competitive, or challenge yourself against higher-ranked grapplers. However, if you want to learn and develop as a grappler yourself, you have to know how to roll with lower belts.

While BJJ is currently spread all across the world if you look at the most common rank you’ll see that there are more blue and white belts than any other belt. Lots of academies only have a few purple belts and perhaps a brown or black belt as an instructor. While this is great for the white and perhaps the blue belts, higher-ranked belts might find themselves hitting a plateau, or gaining false confidence. Below we offer a few ways in which all your BJJ rolls can be valuable learning experiences, regardless of your partner’s rank and experience.

Exploring New Moves

This is a huge one. Try executing a move that’s brand new to you on a partner of your rank or higher and you’ll soon disregard it as “not working”. This is because you’re starting from the middle of the ladder. Instead, use your time with lower-ranked p[artners (which are more numerous anyway) to give new moves a real shot. That means having a clear progression and starting with white belts. The more they’re new to BJJ, the better. Focus on hitting your move throughout the roll with them, working out kinks. Then, go for it again, this time with more experienced white or blue belts. You get the idea.

Just to clarify, this concept is applicable to anything you’re trying to learn. it’s not just about going for submissions, You can train passes, sweeps, guard retention concepts, weight distribution, and pressure, you name it. Just remember to stay away from your A-game even when you see openings for it.

Be Perfect!

If you’re dead-set on sticking with what you do best, then BJJ rolls with lower belts area great chance to fine-tune everything. Even if you’re really proficient at Kimuras, for example, certain more experienced grapplers might still be able to wiggle out now and then. Your lower belt friends (yes, they’re friends, not just food) are the best way fo perfecting everything.

Using our Kimura example, let’s say you’re doing your usual setup against a lower belt. When going for the Kimura, make sure everything is absolutely perfect! Unless you’re really there with 100% technique than adjust and re-assess or let go and set it up again. Keep repeating the process until you’re satisfied. It’ll make your go-to moves a lot more precise and will certainly increase the percentage of success against higher belts. Remember, the technique only and absolutely no muscle at all, even if it means you do not hit that Kimura the entire roll!

Roberto Jimenez is proof of how flawless technique can help you win World Titles! The 18-year-old brown belt is famous as a black belt killer. He also won a double Word Title submitting all of his opponents. In his “Take The Back Every Match” DVD instructional he outlines how perfect techniques helped him submit everyone! 

Defensive Strategies

Although obviously essential, nobody likes to train defense when they’re rolling. it is logical that everyone is trying to win the “fight” but at some point, you’ll surely end up on the defensive. Using lower belts to really get the knack of most dominant positions is an extremely valuable learning tool in BJJ.

Once again, you can follow a progression. Try figuring out positional escapes when rolling with people that are beginners, just to make sure you don’t get accidentally injured from submissions. Use them for escapes from most common dominant positions like mount and back control. With blue and purple belts you can extend this to submissions and some more complex positions like the turtle. Whatever you do, remember that escaping is your goal so allow training partners to get you in bad spots.

“Handicapped” Training

At one point in time, when I was a blue belt, our coach told us to bring blindfolds to training. We did, and we trained with one person blindfolded and the other watching out for safety. Suffice to say, it really opened my eyes (pun intended).

“Handicapped” training is when you decide to reduce your available options. You can close your eyes, look to use one hand only, legs only or any other possible combination. You could also limit yourself to one move only, let’s say a sweep. Once you get it, you don’t try to maintain the top position but rather return to the bottom and go or it again and again. This is similar to position sparring, but your partner is allowed to do everything, and you have just one thing at your disposal. Just remember to consult people if it’s okay not to use sight or a limb. Certain people might find it disrespectful, so make sure you get the nod before you slap and bump.

Conclusion

Learning from BJJ rolls is actually very easy. All you need to do is look for a lesson instead of a victory when you do so. If you approach rolling with the right mindset, it won’t matter what rank your partner is. Don’t get me wrong, competition-style sparring is important and it has its place in training. However, your regular BJJ rolls at the end of class should be learning experiences first and foremost. And there’s hardly a better way to learn and improve than by training with lower belts.

Common Blue Belt Mistakes Caused By Bad White Belt Habits

The Best DVD and Digital Instructionals For BJJ White Belts

BJJ White Belt Survival Kit: 5 Essential Tips For Beginners

The post How Can You Learn From BJJ Rolls With Lower Belts ? appeared first on BJJ World.

Setting Up A Competition Game Plan

First and foremost, you must remember that competing in Jiu Jitsu is about fun and improvement, so make sure you stay safe before anything else. Most of us involved in BJJ will probably never get to earn substantial money from competing. With that in mind, the game plan should begin with staying safe while preparing and during the tournament itself. Before we get into the meat and potatoes of building a game plan, remember that your instructor is your best friend. Regardless of your belt level and experience, make sure your instructor is your closest collaborator.

Rule Set Knowledge

Before considering stepping on the mats to proudly represent your academy, get yourself acquainted with the rules format of the tournament you’ve chosen. The best way is to consult your instructor and go over the rules with him/her. Many tournaments have certain limitations in regard to techniques that can be used while competing. Belt level and age are important factors that often determine the finer aspects of competition rule sets.

It’s not smart to go to a tournament, having done everything correctly and get disqualified because you pulled off an illegal move. Study the rules carefully so that you can develop your A game accordingly.

Precise Offensive Style

Hopefully you’re entering the tournament in order to win it. If not, maybe you’re just aiming to win one match. Unless you’re entering to lose (hardly viable, but who knows), you need to be ready to attack. Just going out and throwing techniques out randomly might actually work and get you a win or two, but it is not a legitimate way to go about. It might work at white belt level, or even win you a tournament at blue but that’s about it.

The first part of a competitive game plan is to fine tune your offensive options. Have your instructor help you develop an offensive game based around your strongest attributes. Let’s say that you’re really good at armbarring people. The armbar is your go to submission and you can hit it from both top and bottom positions. However, your takedowns still need work in order to be highly effective in a competition. IF you’re looking to utilize your best weapon you must make sure you have the best way of getting there. So, in our armbar example, you might decide to work on a takedown or two (depending on time) or make sure you’re the best guard puller at the tournament.

If you’re more of a control freak than a submission artist than your offensive training should revolve around positional dominance. Let’s say you have a judo background and your Harai Goshi is out of this world. Stay aware of where your favorite takedown is going to take you and how to get to where you want from there. Harai Goshi leads directly to either side control or knee belly. So, if staying on the back like a koala on a eucalyptus tree is your forte, make sure you know how to transition effectively.

Rock Solid Defense

It’s great to have immense self confidence and believe that you’re the best and you’re going to beat everyone. That’s certainly the attitude you want, but you need to stay grounded as well. Jiu Jitsu is a ruthless teacher of humility, and it will destroy your cockiness in less time than it takes to tap to a tight choke.  So be aware that there’s always someone who can beat you at any tournament.

Maybe someone is technically superior, you’ve made a mistake or just got caught. Freak situations aside, put in the time to develop a defensive base for the most common attacks. If you’re a seasoned competitor and know the game of your opponents this is an easy task. If you have no idea who you might face, then you need to cover all your bases.

A good defensive plan should be built around the ability to recognize bad positions before you’re caught in them. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? Positions are harder to prevent than submissions, so accept that you’ll be in a bad spot at some point during competition. As long as you know how to prevent attacking options from, let’s say mount you can stay relatively safe. From tapping out at least.

Escaping the position is a complete different ball game. A good training approach is to do lots of positional sparring from bad positions in order to get comfortable. The more time you spend looking for ways out during rolling, the easier it will be when you’re under the lights. Even if you’re the best submission artist in your category, a single slip can take you to a bad position. Know how to get out, so that you can apply your game and get the “W’.

Identify Weaknesses 

Be honest to yourself, and accept the weaknesses that your instructor might point out to you. As mentioned, you’ll most likely get punished for being too sure of yourself. Everyone has a weakness, no matter how well rounded we might think we are.

Identify your greatest weakness and make it the staple of your defensive training. If you have trouble getting out of side control, then make sure you drill it until you enjoy being there. If you have trouble passing the closed guard, on the other hand, you need a different approach. You’ll need to fine tune your offensive options and make sure you have at least one viable way of opening the guard.

Have your weaknesses determine your offensive and defensive competition game plan as much as your strengths do. Maybe even more, in fact.

Carefully Choose Your Corner

One more aspect of the competition game plan development is having a strong corner. Now, having your black belt instructor that works with you regularly is the ideal situation. However, this is not always possible and a team mate might have to step in and corner you. If that’s the case, try and find one that’s more experienced and familiar with your game. It’s important that your corner is able to identify precisely when and where you should use your game plan during the heat of battle.

The Mental Game

Without dwelling too much on the mental aspect (a complete article on the subject in-coming) we’ll cover the basics only. If you’ve decided to enter a competition, you must know why. A clear goal is essential for any athlete involved in competitive endeavours. Once again, your goals should be brave, but attainable and rooted in reality. Your technical knowledge should complement your goals. Your game plan should take you directly towards them without any space for deviations.

Manage expectations diligently and make sure your goals are realistic. They will grow and expand along  with your technical knowledge and game plan arsenal.

The Physical Game

You can only win as many matches as you can get through. As simple as this sounds, gassing out is the most common reason for losses in BJJ. It’s not just about how many rolls you can do in training. Add in weight cutting, nerves and adrenaline and suddenly your gas tank capacity is at half. Throw in a tough opponent who has the same level of technical knowledge as you and conditioning becomes the deciding factor.

If doing technical training, rolling and drilling is your main work, then straighten and conditioning is your homework. Apart from shark tank drills (position sparring with a fresh partner every round) it should be done off the mats. Proper prioritization is essential for a successful plan, tailored to a competitors needs.

Building a successful competition game plan is a complex puzzle that needs to be carefully put together. It requires balance as much as bravado and the experience of an instructor that can help you identify your best and worst traits. It’s only when you can put all of the above in a working system, that you can tart racking up the medals.

143 lbs Purple Belt Taps 300 lbs Black Belt In Competition

Transgender’s Letter to BJJ Community – I’m not a Male, I Want to Compete Without Stigma

European Black Belt Promoting A More Realistic Style Of Tournament Fighting

The post How To Set Up A Rock Solid Game Plan For BJJ Competition appeared first on BJJ World.

Tiago Camilo is a well known Judoka. Olympic silver medalist in 2010 and Judo World Champion. Camilo is also knows as one of the best Judo Newaza practitioners in the world.

Maia’s comment on this roll:

“Truth is, it was really quick; we’d lifted some weights at the gym and decided to roll. Which was great, since he has excellent base and I had a hard time getting the sweep,” recounted Demian. “And it was even better because I was coming off a strength workout and was tired, so I could get a sense of what his strength was like, since the strength of judokas, wrestlers and Jiu-Jitsu players all feel different. The direction and feel his strength had, perhaps from the angle he’d hold each position, were really different; so it was cool to realize that.”

Renzo Gracie vs Paulo Miyao – Rolling

The post Demian Maia vs Tiago Camilo Judo World Champion And Olympic Medalist appeared first on BJJ World.

It’s not that awesome at all if you’re Gui’s opponent. His name is Nate Adamson and he’s just a recreational Black Belt, so at least he wasn’t submitted even thought he fought one of the best in the business.

Renzo Gracie vs Paulo Miyao – Rolling

https://bjj-world.com/marcelo-garcia-rolling-bernardo-faria-march-2014/

The post Gui Mendes Wins a Match 51-0 at Rickson Cup appeared first on BJJ World.

One of his training partners was his cousin, Ralph Gracie. Check out in a video below two legends rolling together.

https://bjj-world.com/marcelo-garcia-rolling-bernardo-faria-march-2014/

https://bjj-world.com/rafael-mendes-vs-jake-shields-nogi-sparring-session/

The post Roger Gracie Rolling with Ralph Gracie appeared first on BJJ World.