The post 16 Fastest Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Promotions In The History Of BJJ 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.
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!
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]]>The post Craig Jones in his fight against ADCC: ‘I received death threats from the organizers’ appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>He did this by withdrawing from the most prestigious grappling tournament, ADCC, and organizing his event in the same city, Las Vegas, at the same time. While ADCC 2024 will be held at the T-Mobile Arena, Craig’s event, CJI, will take place at the Thomas & Mack Center, where ADCC 2022 was held.
What stands out about the tournament organized by Craig Jones is that he significantly increased the prize money for fighters compared to what ADCC offers. ADCC awards $10,000 to fighters who win their category in the tournament, whereas CJI offers $10,001 just for participating. Furthermore, CJI promises category winners a prize of $1 million.
This move by Jones has not been well received by the leadership at ADCC, especially by Mo Jassim, who commented that it is not fair for Craig Jones to hold his event on the same day as ADCC.
“ADCC doesn’t treat its athletes fairly. To take a stand against the current state of grappling, I had to challenge ADCC,” Jones stated, adding, “What they are doing is ridiculous. Their fighters are competing for crumbs. It’s insane. That event isn’t even worth mentioning.”
Jones was driven to take this action due to his dissatisfaction with ADCC’s modest payouts. In a short time, he managed to raise several million dollars for his two-day CJI tournament. This was also fueled by the fact that ADCC’s prize money had not changed in years despite promises from their leadership, including Gordon Ryan after the 2022 competition.
“My goal is for this sport to be fairly compensated and to become mainstream,” Gordon Ryan wrote on Instagram in 2022. “It’s not ADCC’s job to pay more. We need bigger sponsors and a larger audience. At the next ADCC, I want the winners to earn $50-100k just for competing, and I want to earn $1 million for competing and $2 million for the weekend. This is just the beginning, and I’m happy to lead this fight for professionalism.”
The highest payout at this year’s ADCC is $40k, as stated on their official website. In contrast, Craig Jones has secured a $1 million prize for the winners of his tournament and has also sold out the entire Thomas & Mack arena.
What truly fascinates everyone is the fact that this was all planned for just three months.
“I honestly think it couldn’t have turned out better,” Jones said, continuing, “All the fights were exciting, the crowd was intense. We directly competed with an event that has been selling tickets for two years and did very well. We sold out Saturday night. I’m sure this will be the most-watched event in history,” Jones concluded.
It’s also worth noting that the CJI event was streamed for free on the B-Team YouTube channel, while ADCC charges for its streaming.
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]]>The post Nick Rodriguez Wins a Million Dollars at CJI Tournament, Then Calls Out Gordon for a New Match appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>From the start of the event and the list of competitors, it was clear that Nicky Rodriguez was the heavy favorite in this tournament. After 4 matches, Nicky secured 4 submissions. In the semifinal and final matches, he defeated Adam Bradley and Felipe Andrew by rear-naked choke (RNC), thus winning the grand prize of one million dollars.
After his victory, Rodriguez didn’t miss mentioning his biggest rival, Gordon Ryan.
“The only thing better than one million dollars is two million dollars,” – Nicky Rod said, continuing to call out Gordon Ryan.
“Since I know I’m the best grappler in the world, I want a match with Gordon Ryan. My million against your million, winner takes all. Let’s do the fight on the B-Team YouTube channel,” – Rodriguez declared.
What do you think, will Gordon Ryan accept Nick Rodriguez’s challenge for a million-dollar match?
Who would you like to see as the winner in a potential match between Nick Rodriguez and Gordon Ryan?
Do you think Nicky Rodriguez is currently the best grappler in the world, or is there someone better?
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]]>The post Garry Tonon Triangle Escape To Leg Lock Finish Breakdown appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>Moreover, after you take a look at the dissected, step-by-step instructions on how to perform this BJJ triangle escape to a leg lock, you’ll gain an understanding of how the best grapplers bind together submissions and escapes. This is why Tonon has such courage to go for crazy things at the highest level – he can escape submission if it fails!
Why Watch Garry Tonon?
Garry Tonon, dubbed “The Lion Killer” is one of the most recognizable names associated with John Danaher and his Death Squad. He’s a multiple World No-Gi & Pan Ams No-Gi Champion, and gunning for his first-ever ADCC title again in 2024. He’s simply one of the best No-Gi BJJ practitioners in the world at specializing in submissions and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu.
His specialist style of Jiu-Jitsu has benefited Garry enormously in MMA. It’s best defined as relentless submission hunting mixed with scramble initiation. It has helped Garry achieve a 9-1 record in MMA, fighting under the ONE FC banner.
With such a style, though, the art of escape gets sharpened daily. Garry’s style has landed him in some difficult situations such as losing to Tye Ruotolo and Sean McNally. Garry does have an incredibly effective escapes system, built upon his submission-hunting prowess.
Garry is hunting for submissions all the time and he also gets himself into bad positions probably more often than anyone else, but ends up getting out and tapping more people than he taps to. We’ll take a look at how you can integrate his tactics into your game today.
Turning Escapes into Attacks
Whenever you do just one thing in BJJ, you set yourself up for failure. For example, trying to hold mount using everything you know, even against a first–day student is eventually going to fail – they’ll find a way out, even if it is by pure luck.
Threatening submissions while you try to retain mount, such as the Americana will most likely not end up with you tapping the bottom person. However, keeping them busy with arm lock defense means you can easily stay in the mount, which is a smart and efficient tactic to win matches.
Well, you can reverse-engineer this entire approach to use when you’re escaping as well. In fact, the most success I’ve had with escapes is when I wasn’t trying to get out of bad spots but rather hunted for counter-submissions. The D’arce choke off a Ghost escape and the Squirrel Lock Kimura comes to mind.
There are plenty of similar examples of how you can use submission threats to get out of escapes or turn escapes into submission attacks halfway through when the opponent is busy trying to keep a hold of you. You can be as creative as you want as long as you set up everything you do as at least a dilemma.
Technique Breakdown: Garry Tonon Triangle Escape To Leg Lock Finish
Triangle chokes are very tricky to get out of. It is not defending them that gets you in trouble, though, as much as the final stages of escaping do, when a lot of different attacking follow-ups open up to your opponent.
One way of countering these is to go for a counter yourself, well before such opportunities present themselves to your opponent. Here Garry Tonon shows a pretty slick triangle escape to leg lock combo that will catch anyone by surprise.
Moreover, he has created plenty of additional options to finish his opponent after he escapes toward Ashi. Let’s break down the entire sequence, along with the foundational idea behind it:
Keypoint 1: Posture is not Enough
While Garry agrees that posture is important during any BJJ triangle escape, he states that not jsut any posturing is going to help you. Instead of trying to pull up with your neck, focus on wedging your hips underneath the opponent’s hips. This soveling motion will provide you with all the posture you need to fend off the choke, as you set up your way out.
Keypoint 2: Don’t Go Forward, Go Up
Another key aspect of posture during a triangle escape from guard is getting up to your feet. Many people take the easy route of trying to stack the bottom person by leaning forward. This is a trap that only gets you deeper into the triangle, or potentially in a mounted triangle choke.
Instead, focus on standing straight up. Stepping to the side of your trapped arm is going to provide you with both the drive and the essential angle to stand up while not straining your neck and look to set up your triangle escape to leg lock combo.
Keypoint 3: Angle for the Step Over
We used to learn the basic triangle defense as jsut finding a way to sit back and throw both legs over the opponent’s belly. This still works, but Garry dissects the “just find a way to stand up” part in a very methodical way.
Yes, his route is longer. and does not employ both legs, which is a lot more effective, believe it or not. Once up, he steps over on the side of his trapped arm, and carefully sits back rather than throw himself on the mats. This latter is only going to pull the bottom person on top of you.
Keypoint 4: Open the Legs
A plus side of Carfull descending to the mats in a controlled fashion is that the opponent’s legs are still closed in the triangle. No this is not a bad thing, as now you can easily open them up while immediately gaining control over them.
This step is crucial as this is when your opponent will be looking for follow-ups since the triangle cannot work anymore. Even if you don’t open the legs immediately, use your free arm to control the one on your neck, as it will buy you all the time you need to set up Ashi Garami.
Keypoint 5: But-to-Butt
The final aspect of this Garry Tonon triangle escape to leg lock combo is to remember that your butt needs to stay close to the opponent’s butt at all times. This is the first step we went over (wedging) and still makes or breaks this sequence.
Being butt-to-butt means you can work towards any Ashi Garami configuration that you want. In fact, Garry offers two options as a way to tap your opponent:
- Outside Hell Hook: Immediately available off this modified staple BJJ triangle escape is the Game Over leg locking position, a.k.a. the Sambo Knot. Garry demonstrates an outside heel hook but you can go for a bunch of different locks from there.
- Straight Ankle Lock: For the PG version that those IBJJF leg lockers are after, Tonon provides an alternative finishing, utilizing the most powerful version of a straight ankle lock – the belly-down finish.
How to Apply Submissions to All Your BJJ Escapes
Garry’s incredible rendition of a triangle escape to leg lock, as effective as it is to immediately add to your game, is a lot more than jsut a copy-paste tactic. It provides you with an entirely differnet way of thinking about escapes, as the means not just to get out, but to win.
This does not mean that you do not need to practice complete escapes any longer. On the contrary, you need to research and dissect them even more, so that you’re able to pinpoint the best time for transition into a counter as opposed to jsut running back to safety. it wil undoubtedly turn you into a true high-level grappling competitor!
If you’re interested in all kinds of escapes from numerous submissions make sure to check out Tom DeBlass’s DVD instructional. It’s called Submission Escapes! It can really improve your escape skills. And when we talk about Tom DeBlass, he’s the guy who hasn’t submitted to competition for more than 10 years.
Not even mention that Tom DeBlass’s guard is almost impossible to pass. He’s been working on it for the last 15 years and it’s nearly perfect. Check Tom DeBlass’ Half Guard DVD Instructional named Half Domination
There is also another Great Escape Instructional from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Legend Dean Lister. He’s very well known for his leg locks and intentionally giving legs to people so he could defend them and submit them. He’s the guy who inspired John Danaher with his legendary sentence “Why would you ignore 50% of the human body”. Dean Lister gathered all of his best escapes and put them in this instructional.
It’s called Worry-Free Escapes. And it’s something that will get your escapes to another level. And once you’re not afraid of being submitted you’re more offensive and that can be the game changer in your BJJ. So, check out the technique List and Dean Lister’s Worry-Free Escapes Instructional.
High-Level Triangle and Leg Lock Combos Craig Jones DVD Review
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]]>The post Helicopter Choke: The Complete Step-By-Step Guide and Variations appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>However, there is an exception to the Helicopter choke that does not apply to most of the above-mentioned flashy moves. Unlike most of them, the choke we’re about to deconstruct today has the potential to work against opponents of any size and experience and won’t land you in trouble if you mess it up. Let’s explain how it all works.
Attacking the Modern BJJ Turtle
The turtle has always been the go-to defense for Judokas but it never really made too much sense for me. Fast forward to the mid-2010s and a modern system of BJJ defense emerged, turning the turtle into the one position that could block all BJJ attacks and open up escapes or counters.
So, how do you now attack a position designed to repel attacks? The main use is that the harder you try to break it down, the more you sacrifice your balance, giving away attachments and options for the bottom person to get out.
Since grabbing underneath the armpit is not an option anymore against any experienced turtle player, you’re left with destabilizing the turtle itself, which is the weakest point of the position. The best way to achieve a turtle breakdown is to target either end of the turtle – the legs or the neck.
When you are grappling with the Gi, the neck becomes your primary target. While attacking with the likes of the clock choke and the helicopter choke might not yield a submission outcome, you will destroy the turtle and set yourself up to have more success with your attacking game. Unless you let the opponent turtle up again.
Rolling Gi Chokes: A Warning
The BJJ Helicopter choke is part of the rolling chokes family, and whenever a world like rolling, spinning, or flying precedes a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu move, you should exercise caution with it. It has as much to do with your safety as that of your opponent or training partner.
With rolling chokes, there is a point during the drop section of your roll when you have no control over your body. This is the time when you’re past the highest point of the roll and all you can do is let gravity take you to the mats. In ideal circumstances, this is a large reason behind the success of rolling chokes.
In the case of the Helicopter choke, though, you should be careful as this means all your weight is essentially going to drop-hang off the opponent’s neck. Since the Gi is involved, this might result in neck muscle or even spinal injuries before any choking mechanics start to apply.
Since there is no real way of dropping safely while executing a rolling choke, keep in mind that you don’t have to clamp on your grips as if your life depends on it and you should be ready to let go in case you feel that the opponent’s body positioning is not where you expect them to land, or they tap verbally or in a panicked way.
Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Helicopter Choke
The BJJ Helicopter choke is essentially a clock choke done in a way that locks the opponent’s head in place so that they can’t turn to the side and sneak out as they usually do versus clock chokes.
The absolute prerequisite of performing this choke is to establish a thumb-inside grip on the far side of the opponent’s collar while they are turtled up. As you’ll see later, there are ways to use the choke outside of the turtle position, but for learning purposes, it is best if we stick to it.
Grip Positioning
The placement of the choking arm is across a turtled-up opponent’s neck, while you’re positioned to the side. Reaching underneath the chin is not going to be resistance-free, which is why you only need to thread your thumb inside the opponent’s collar.
Your other arm can reinforce the position by grabbing the opponent’s pants on the near side. This way, you can still move freely to eventually set up the helicopter choke while preventing the bottom person from rolling out.
The Arm Post Checkpoint
Getting the Helicopter choke grips in usually has you in a kneeling or half-kneeling position to the side of your opponent. In order to enter the Helicopter choke you’ll need to pop up to standing, which will create space that the opponent can use.
While you should not linger in the standing portion of the choke setup, it actually helps the surprise factor as the opponent wonders why the weight is suddenly off. To ensure you can enter the choke or other follow-ups, you need to post the palm of the hand that held the pants on the opponent’s back.
The Leg Swing
The crucial moment in making the Helicopter choke work and preventing you from completely conceding the bottom position is the leg swing, also known as the stepover. This motion brings the power of your leg muscles into play, as you use the leg that is closer to the opponent to reinforce the choking arm as well as destroy any hopes of posturing up.
In fact, the arm post checkpoint serves as a power source to launch the step over, as you throw your nearside leg over the opponent’s body, trying to place the foot next to their head on the same side as the rest of your body.
This motion where you wrap your leg around your choking arm also activates the rolling motion, and the leg wedges deeper behind the neck as you start to drop to the mats.
Establishing an Underhook
Finally, as you allow the leg swing to take you over the opponent, your goal is to use the free arm, which is the one that is posted on their back to grab an underhook on the far side as you go through the rolling motion.
This aspect of the choke might not be available always, in which case, you should grab whatever you can get a hold of to solidify your position. However, once you get comfortable with the rolling helicopter choke, you’ll find it easy to sneak in an underhook control that further blocks the opponent from moving.
Choke-wise, there is no real need to squeeze anything as the roll and final landing position put immense pressure on the neck via the collars. If you need more pressure, extend the leg that is wedged behind the arm to finish off stubborn opponents.
A Couple Of BJJ Helicopter Choke Variations
Now that you know how to do the Helicopter choke against a turtled-up opponent, let’s look at a few other setups of the choke that are going to catch the eye of experienced grapplers a bit more.
Helicopter Choke From the Back
As an alternative to classic choke attacks from the back, you could opt for the Helicopter choke if you set everything up correctly. The main thing to pay attention to is that you will need to relinquish your hooks in order to get to the choke.
This variation also begins with a tight thumb-in grip on the collar, however, this time you set it up from the back just like you’d do for a bow and arrow choke. Since you don’t need hooks, all it takes is standing up however slightly you need to execute the leg swing.
In this instance, the choke is not a rolling one but rather a falling one, and instead of underhooking the arm on the far side, you’re scooping up the near side knee, again, like in a bow and arrow choke finish.
Judo Style Helicopter Choke Entry form Throws
This variation of the Helicopter choke setup is the one that works the best out of everything in this article. The reason for this is that you set it up during a transition as you attempt a throw or a pass and the opponent decides to turtle up.
Once again, nothing happens without the grips, and you have to have the collar control to set this one up. That said, whenever an opponent turns to enter the turtle, you get your cue to go for the leg swing, allowing you to enter into the choke tightly with a high percentage of success.
The Clock Choke
Finally, we have to pay homage to the predecessor of the Helicopter choke which is the clock choke. This choke has put many people to sleep on account of the fact that you don’t have to use hooks to finish it and most people do not perceive the danger until it is too late.
Finishing the clock choke only requires the thumb-in grip and does not involve standing or rolling. Simply put, you grab the collar, place the weight of your shoulder on the opponent’s back, right below their neck and you start circling, be it clockwise or counterclockwise in the direction of their head.
Chopper Away!
Is the Helicopter choke enough to end all your turtle trouble while you’re rolling or competing in Gi Jiu-Jitsu? Of course not. However, it does present a very viable solution to help you break down the turtle and even maybe sneak in a submission while you are at it.
If you opt to use the choke during transitions through, particularly when you’re using collar-based takedown systems or passes, you open the door to a very powerful finish that often comes underestimated on account of its somewhat acrobatic nature. But, if it’s not flashy it’s not really worth doing, is it?
You Might Also Be Interested in:
What Is The Best BJJ DVD Instructional For Submission Hunters?
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]]>The post 6 Easy Reverse De La Riva Back Take Variations [Gi & No-Gi] appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>Executing Reverse De La Riva back take is not easy, but it is not something reserved for advanced grapplers only. You can make your route to the back as complicated or simple as you wish, and we have selected 6 slick and very effective methods of not just getting to the back fast, but also introducing sweeps and different guard transitions to the mix.
Reverse De La Riva Guard Tactics
One of the most popular guards in BJJ, particularly in No-Gi was the Reverse De la Riva guard. I say “was” because the raise of leg locks brought an abrupt, and very unnecessary end to this position.
True, there is a threat for leg locks, but it comes at the price of potentially giving up top position, and with the guard offering leg lock entries and Ashi Garami transitions as well, it really isn’t more dangerous than playing any other guard. And no, playing RDLR does not guarantee the top person an Estima lock, so that excuse goes straight out the window.
Moving on, the potential of the RDLR is still immense in terms of playing a secure guard that works against both standing and half-kneeling opponents, reflecting passes easily and setting up various different attacks from the same position. Moreover, it ties in beautifully with the half guard if the opponent decides to kneel on both knees.
That brings us to the most efficient tactic available from the guard – the Reverse De la Riva back take. It takes some movement mastery as it involves inverting into a half spin, but the end result is a shortcut to the back position, 4 points, and a smooth ride to winning any match, Gi or No-Gi.
6 Gi & No-Gi Reverse De La Riva Back Takes
Let’s take a look at a few of the best routes that lead to the back from the Reverse De la Riva guard. Options include direct routes, sweep, and other guard combo threats, standing and half-kneeling setups, and details on the all-important half spin, a.k.a kiss of the dragon:
No-Gi Reverse De La Riva Back Take
Serra Jiu Jitsu’s top black belt and once a Danaher Death Squad member, Jason Rau is an established star in the sub-only scene. The young prodigy has some very slick attacks from the Reverse De La Riva guard, with one of his best being a very easy-to-master from Reverse De La Riva back take.
While these moves are demonstrated without the gi, the concepts, theories, and movements can also be applied/modified to work in the Gi. Check out this high-percentage setup below:
A Gi RDLR Back Take Variation
Gracie Barra’s top competitor Felipe Pena shares a slightly different way to set up what is more or less the same Reverse De La Riva back take demonstrated by Jason Rau. he main differences are in the grips, with Pna making the most out of the pants grip options he has available.
The main reason why the Gi version of this slick back take is slightly better is because of the belt. It presents an attachment point that allows transitions back into guards such as the 50/50 if the back take fails after you manage to spin inside.
RDLR Guard Sweep and Back Take Dilemma
For those who like to chain their attacks, the following option, also done with the Gi, offers the chance to threaten with a sweep and a back take at the same time. While the back take shown below is complicated and very advanced, the sweep is a breeze to set up and finish.
I’d recommend that you use the timber sweep from the RLDR to introduce a different direction of attack, that allows you to grab the back the old-fashioned way, by half spinning between the legs. However, you can put some effort into mastering the Bolo back take available off the sweep to become even more dangerous.
Low Reverse De La Riva Back Take
One of the most annoying things about the Reverse De la Riva is that people can kill a big portion of it by forcing and maintaining a half-kneeling position. As Luiz Panza demonstrates, this doesn’t have to be a hurdle, and can still lead to the back, albeit not the same way as a standing entry goes.
The same motion applies here, but the inverted spin goes further, and you extend your legs instead of hooking them onto the opponent. The end position is one that reminds of a distal leg locking setup and forces the opponent on their back landing you a sweep. If they decide to remain on all fours, then their back is all yours
Reverse De la Riva Back Take and X-Guard Combo
In this video, you see how you can force the top person from a half-kneeling into standing Revrse De la Riva guard which opens up all the Reverse De la Riva back take options explored above.
This version explores a route towards the X guard if the opponent has exceptional balance, which means you add leg locking and sweeping threats to your back take effort. Having this checkpoint in your RDLR back take arsenal is huge in preventing counters that might end up with the opponent on your back.
Essential Kiss of The Dragon Details
The final video in our Reverse De la Riva back take the crash course is a detailed breakdown of the spin itself, the thing that makes or breaks your back taking attempts from the Reverse De la Riva guard.
Here Brandon McCaghren shares snippets of a class he teaches on the subject of spinning inside the RDLR, covering key details such as grip placement, hook height, timing, and when to back out of the spin. He also touches upon the crab ride, the position you end up in after the spin but before you grab the back.
The Best No-Gi Guard in BJJ?
Some people have gone as far as calling the Reverse De la Riva the best guard in BJJ, particularly when it comes to No-Gi. I don’t agree, as I think no such determination can be made, but concur that the guard can be very effective. It is somewhat limited in what you can do, but if you want to hunt for the back, RDLR is for sure one of the best launching pads.
The best aspect about the guard is that it is very well-balanced, meaning you can use it for defensive purposes as well. That provides a sense of security in knowing passing is extremely difficult. Furthermore, pairing up the Reverse De la Riva back take threat with sweeps and leglocks means you can develop a deadly attacking guard game for both Gi and No-Gi.
So, when will you be trying these RDLR back takes out?
Reverse De la Riva Guard – The Best DVD and Digital Instructionals
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]]>The post Craig Jones Hosts $1 Million Tournament, Draws More Qualified ADCC Fighters appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>The Craig Jones Invitational, formerly BDCC, will take place on August 16 and 17 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, the same venue that hosted ADCC 2022 two years ago.
The decision to launch this event stems from Jones’ dissatisfaction with ADCC’s prize payments. Jones is determined to pay fighters significantly more than ADCC, aiming to elevate the status of BJJ athletes worldwide.
“I’m organizing an event that pays athletes 100 times more than ADCC pays its winners, and I will donate all ticket sales proceeds to charity,” Jones wrote on Reddit.
Jones confirmed and provided a screenshot showing that the tournament funds are secured and the participants will be paid in full. Nicky Ryan also confirmed this, stating:
“The screenshots of Jones’ account for the tournament are real, and there’s no scam involved. This money is very real,” Nicky Ryan declared.
Jones has also included a women’s division in the tournament, emphasizing that it would be unfair for female grapplers like Ffion Davies to miss out on rewards and not be part of the event.
What has particularly intrigued the Jiu-Jitsu community and sparked controversy is the fact that the tournament is scheduled to take place simultaneously with ADCC 2024.
This timing is intentional, as Jones aims to directly compete with ADCC, encouraging everyone to reconsider the payment and status of fighters. He has called upon fighters and the community to support his event, which promises significant rewards.
“Reach out to the fighters for me. Push them in the right direction,” stated Craig Jones.
Unsurprisingly, this move has not been well received by everyone at ADCC, especially its president, Mo Jassim, who has sharply criticized Jones’ intentions and event.
“Craig Jones is doing this just to counterprogram us or out of spite, and those aren’t legitimate reasons to do anything at all,” Mo Jassim stated.
Given that Jones is offering unprecedented rewards of $1 million for a single tournament, free streaming on YouTube, and a timing that directly competes with ADCC, this event could be crucial in improving the situation in Jiu-Jitsu.
ADCC is already feeling the impact, as qualified fighters are leaving the ADCC event for the CJI (Craig Jones Invitational).
Whether Jones’ move will bear fruit remains to be seen, but it is certain that many will question what is right and could set new standards for future events and compensation for Jiu-Jitsu fighters.
Craig Jones announced that former UFC champ Luke Rockhold is coming to his tournament. Also, Ffion Davies and William Tackett have withdrawn from ADCC. Jones also stated that more fighters are expected to join.
Whose side are you on? Do you think Jones’ move is the right one?
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]]>The post ADCC 2024 Competitors – Full List UPDATED appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>ADCC 2024 Super Fight
- Gordon Ryan vs. Yuri Simoes
Men’s Divisions
-66 kg
- Diogo Reis (Reigning Champion)
- Owen Jones (1st European Trials winner)
- Dorian Olivarez (East Coast Trials winner)
- Ethan Thomas (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Gairbeg Ibragimov (2nd European Trials winner)
- Kennedy Maciel (1st South American Trials winner)
- Fabricio Andrey (2nd South American Trials winner)
- Deandre Corbe (West Coast Trials winner)
- Huaiqing Xu (2nd Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Ethan Crelinsten (Invited)
- Kauã Gabriel (Invited)
- Ashley Williams (Invited)
- Keith Krikorian (Invited)
- Josh Cisneros (Invited)
-77 kg
- Kade Ruotolo (Reigning Champion)
- Jozef Chen (1st European Trials winner)
- Elijah Dorsey (East Coast Trials winner)
- Kenta Iwamoto (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Tommy Langaker (2nd European Trials winner)
- Luiz Paolo (1st South American Trials winner)
- Alexandre de Jesus (2nd South American Trials winner)
- Andrew Tackett (West Coast Trials winner)
- Levi Jones-Leary (2nd Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- JT Torres (Invited)
- Nicky Ryan (Invited)
- Jonnatas Gracie (Invited)
- Mica Galvao (Invited)
- Dante Leon (Invited)
- PJ Barch (Invited)
- Oliver Taza (Invited)
-88 kg
- Giancarlo Bodoni (Reigning Champion – Not yet confirmed)
- Santeri Lilius (1st European Trials winner)
- Jacob Couch (East Coast Trials winner)
- Izaak Michell (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Taylor Pearman (2nd European Trials winner)
- Charles Negromonte (1st South American Trials winner)
- Pedro Marinho (2nd South American Trials winner)
- William Tackett (West Coast Trials winner)
- Lucas Kanard (2nd Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Tye Ruotolo (Invited)
- Gabriel Almeida (Invited)
- Jacob Rodriguez (Invited)
-99 kg
- Kaynan Duarte (Reigning Champion)
- Luke Griffith (1st European Trials winner)
- Paul Ardila (East Coast Trials winner)
- Declan Moody (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Marcin Maciulewicz (2nd European Trials winner)
- Cassio Felipe Costa (1st South American Trials winner)
- Henrique Ceconi (2nd South American Trials winner)
- Michael Pixley (West Coast Trials winner)
- Daniel Schuardt (2nd Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Mason Fowler (Invited)
- Cyborg Abreu (Invited)
- Roberto Jimenez (Invited)
- Rafael Lovato Jr. (Invited)
- Eli Braz (Invited)
+99 kg
- Gordon Ryan (Reigning Champion – Not yet confirmed)
- Heikki Jussila (1st European Trials winner)
- Daniel Manasoiu (East Coast Trials winner)
- Josh Saunders (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Mark MacQueen (2nd European Trials winner)
- Jose Inacio (1st South American Trials winner)
- Victor Honorio (2nd South American Trials winner)
- Mike Perez (West Coast Trials winner)
- Mansur Makmakhanov (2nd Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Victor Hugo (Invited)
- Nick Rodriguez (Invited)
- Gutemberg Pereira (Invited)
- Felipe Pena (Invited)
- Josh Saunders (Invited)
Women’s Divisions
-55 kg
- Ffion Davies (Reigning Champion – at -60 kg from old weight divisions)
- Margot Ciccarelli (European Trials winner)
- Ana Rodrigues (South American Trials winner)
- Jasmine Rocha (West Coast Trials winner)
- Adele Fornarino (Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Mackenzie Dern (Invited)
- Mayssa Bastos (Invited)
-65 kg
- Aurelie Le Vern (European Trials winner)
- Ana Carolina Vieira (South American Trials winner)
- Helena Crevar (West Coast Trials winner)
- Sula-Mae Lowenthai (Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
- Bia Mesquita (Invited)
- Brianna Ste-Marie (Invited)
- Amanda Leve (Invited)
- Morgan Black (Invited)
+65 kg
- Nia Blackman (European Trials winner)
- Maria Ruffato (South American Trials winner)
- Elizabeth Mitrovic (West Coast Trials winner)
- Nikki Lloyd Griffiths (Asia & Oceania Trials winner)
Notes and Updates
- April 24: PJ Barch (-77 kg), Ffion Davies (-55 kg), and Bia Mesquita (-65 kg) confirmed.
- April 29: Brianna Ste-Marie (-65 kg) confirmed.
- May 6: Jay Rodriguez (-88 kg), Nick Rodriguez (+99 kg), Ashley Williams (-66 kg), Gabriel Almeida (-88 kg), and Gutemberg Pereira (+99 kg) confirmed.
- May 8: Keith Krikorian (-66 kg), Josh Cisneros (-66 kg), Amanda Leve (-65 kg), and Morgan Black (-65 kg) confirmed.
- May 11: Rafael Lovato Jr. (-99 kg) confirmed, eight winners from the ADCC Asia & Oceania Championships confirmed.
- May 15: Felipe Pena (+99 kg), Josh Saunders (+99 kg), Eli Braz (-99 kg), and Oliver Taza (-77 kg) confirmed.
How to Watch ADCC 2024
The 2024 ADCC World Championships will be streamed live on flograppling.com on August 17&18.
The post ADCC 2024 Competitors – Full List UPDATED appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>The post Legs or Hands: The Importance of Choosing the First Contact in Jiu-Jitsu appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>At the moment when you’re faced with the decision of whether to use your hands or feet to establish the first contact, understanding the dynamics of both options is crucial.
Given that grappling sports revolve around the concept of connection, how we initiate this vital contact is of utmost importance.
Whether you’re trying to establish control or aiming for submission, it all starts with deciding whether that contact will be made with the hands or feet.
What’s important to note that the first contact’s decision doesn’t depend on us but on our opponent. It relies on their position, movements, and intentions. Often, our choice depends on whether our opponent reveals any weaknesses in their movements.
In No-Gi grappling, where grips are limited compared to Gi grappling, we often establish the first contact with our feet, focusing on the ankles and knees. Then, the hands come into play, seeking grips on the wrists, collar, and elbows, depending on the situation and our opponent’s position.
All of this is aimed at establishing control and manipulation over our opponent.
Nicky Ryan is one of the competitors who pay special attention to the first contact with his feet because they provide him with signals about the opponent’s movements, which he then uses to execute his planned attacking techniques. Nicky has explained his entire Wrestle Up system in his instructional series called “Wrestle Up” where he explicitly uses his feet as the first contact, followed by his hands.
Just as we test the waters before diving in, the first contact is something that is extremely important and serves as a scouting mission. We test the opponent’s defense and vulnerabilities, and we check their tendencies and identify gaps in their game that we can exploit.
In the end, mastering the initial contact requires a deep understanding of the sport itself so that we know when to use our hands and when to use our feet. Improving that first contact will help us adapt more easily to our opponents and their intentions.
Think about this a bit more and plan for what you’ll establish first contact with each time. Practice different scenarios, and you’ll see how many quality follow-ups you create from different contacts, almost unconsciously.
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]]>The post Why Do White Belts Quit BJJ? appeared first on BJJ World.
]]>The journey into Jiu-Jitsu starting with a white belt is very challenging for many, from many aspects, making it seem like an insurmountable mountain. New white belts can’t grasp that the Jiu-Jitsu journey is simple if you don’t try to master it instantly.
So why do people give up?
This is a question that many in BJJ ask every day, especially gym owners and coaches.
What particularly intrigues us is why some students who are very enthusiastic about training BJJ, in the beginning, quit long before reaching the blue belt.
Studying this phenomenon and talking to various professors, and students, and through various surveys, we have come to some conclusions that we think are the reasons.
Why do white belts quit?
If we ask how much time and training per week is needed for progress in Jiu-Jitsu, we can say that even one session a week is enough for progress. However, is one training session per week enough for progress compared to other students especially those who started training when you did? We can say that it isn’t.
Jiu-Jitsu requires a lot of time, and it’s not something everyone can keep up with. To maintain the will and desire to train, you need to invest at least 3 training sessions per week to progress enough for that progress to push you forward.
Here we have a vicious circle because if you spend much time somewhere where you don’t see progress, you lose interest in it. This problem happens to all white belts for whom everything in BJJ seems impossible to learn anyway. When we combine this with slow progress because some don’t have time for training, quitting training is the only logical sequence of events.
Furthermore, individuals starting BJJ have various goals. Some want to learn fighting skills, some want to learn self-defense, some want to raise their fitness level, and some want to socialize through sports. Considering the differences in the reasons for training, intensity varies from student to student, and therefore, some become discouraged by others and stop training.
Mental and Physical Barriers
Just knowing and understanding techniques in BJJ is one thing, but applying those techniques against sparring partners who resist using all their strength and knowledge is something completely different.
No matter how many times you practice a technique on a partner who doesn’t resist, you will never perform that same technique effortlessly on someone who resists.
The mechanics of each move differ greatly in sparring compared to drills, so each one requires going through sparring for our body to get used to and learn how to apply it in real situations. This is also why all self-defense skills don’t work in reality because they are only practiced and not applied in sparring and real situations.
Since BJJ is absolutely real in every aspect, and the training sessions themselves are based on real scenarios and fights, it often happens that white belts are discouraged by the “I don’t know anything” attitude and don’t give themselves time to learn how to apply things in real combat.
Wrong Environment
In many cases, the sense of camaraderie can significantly affect the decision whether to stay or leave BJJ. The approach to BJJ and especially sparring must be in the spirit of healthy competition. That’s precisely why BJJ is becoming an increasingly popular sport. Namely, absolutely everyone who understands how this sport works strives to maintain a positive sports spirit in the gyms.
This is one of the reasons why finding the right academy is very important. A place where everyone is geared towards victory, and submissions, and where they tally “victories” and “defeats” in sparring against each other is certainly not encouraging for white belts.
Wrong Mindset
Having a wrong mindset means we’ll face so many “problems” that aren’t problems but seem very large to white belts.
As a beginner in any sport, especially one with as many techniques and unknowns as Jiu-Jitsu, it is important for white belts to reconcile their lack of experience and unfamiliarity with techniques.
It is important not to let the fear of the unknown discourage you in your further training. As you know, every black belt was once a white belt. As we like to say in Jiu-Jitsu, every black belt is a white belt who never gave up.
What is important to accept is that BJJ is a sport that requires patience and perseverance no matter how slow progress may be sometimes.
What we know is that it is very important to set goals for ourselves and that we all have goals to achieve. Whether we reach our goals faster or slower doesn’t matter because every journey through Jiu-Jitsu is individual.
We all know that it is easiest to make excuses for not doing something and why something doesn’t work, however, the right approach is to seek solutions and ask as many questions as possible to your higher-ranked colleagues or coaches.
Setting Unrealistic Goals
One of the biggest reasons white belts quit BJJ is setting unrealistic goals. None of us experienced in the sport progressed overnight, so you won’t either. None of us were able to win every spar right from the start, so you won’t either.
This is the case in all sports, not just Jiu-Jitsu. In Jiu-Jitsu, you experience this “reality check” every training session, so it’s a little harder to take than in team sports where you can always blame someone else. And even in some other martial arts, it’s easier because you don’t have to spar every training session or attend sparring sessions. In BJJ, every training session involves sparring because no one will hurt you, and you can work at 100%, so there are no excuses for poor performance and “losing”. You simply have to accept reality and strive to be better, learning something from every subsequent training session.
Given all of the above, we conclude that it is most important to set realistic goals for yourself and accept reality as it is, real, as it is. It is very important not to compare ourselves to others because we don’t all have the same lives, the same time, the same affinities, or abilities.
Focus on mastering the basics, be consistent in training, and arm yourself with a lot of patience and practice, and the results will come sooner than you expect.
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