How to stay on track (& get everything you want from your BJJ journey)

This is a training I did for my students at SBG East Coast that I wanted to share to my online followers. In this video I speak broadly about how to overcome common mental obstacles in order to achieve success in martial arts, which obviously includes Jiu-Jitsu. This is a deeper dive than simply saying […]

How to make injuries work FOR you

No one likes to be injured. And if you’ve followed me for a long time, you know that I spent a chunk of my 30s dealing with debilitating neck and back issues, not to mention all the others over the years. So I completely understand that there are some injuries where you just need to […]

Jiu-Jitsu, Fighting, and Context

Here are some images from my one of my seminars at Combat Fitness in Boise, ID last year. Usually when I do seminars, I’m asked to teach Jiu-Jitsu and/or Muay Thai. This time, however, the Boise crew requested that I do two days of MMA. They have a sizable fight team as well as an […]

How to reduce injuries, recover, and accelerate skill development

Here’s a long form video to address questions from our 40 Plus BJJ Facebook group about skill development, injuries, training volume and intensity, and more. One recent question in particular was representative of how a lot of our members feel (at least at some point): Want to know after so many years of training how […]

How to make “Basic” Arm Locks Super High Percentage

Most BJJ students learn the same “basic” arm locks from side control within their first weeks or months of Jiu-Jitsu –– e.g., Americana, straight cross body arm lock, and Kimura. But with the exception of the Kimura, most find that once their training partners know how to keep their arms in on bottom, these techniques […]

How (and when) to use your head escaping back mount

First Principles Escapes: Back Mount The conventional wisdom I see a lot of today maintains that when an opponent is controlling you in back mount, your hands should be busy fighting off chokes while you “unwind” the position in this order… Hand fight as you: 1. Free your legs2. Rotate your hips3. Then get your […]

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