SBG Articles And News
The latest news and articles to keep your mind fit
How to Save Energy When Recovering Guard
In this video from Bernardo Faria’s channel, I demonstrate two ways to use the
The “How much strength should I use” in BJJ debate (must watch!)
I would really urge you to take the time to go through this because almost everyone (including some grappling greats) get this wrong. I’ll explain: Fairly often in online discussions, including my own 40 Plus BJJ group, you’ll see some version of this very common topic: “How much strength should I use in Jiu-Jitsu?” This […]
How to shoot for takedowns from the clinch
When it comes to “shooting” for takedowns – changing levels and using a penetration
Clinch: Double Underhook & Body Lock Counters
Moving on in the Clinch & Takedowns series… Let’s talk defense. Whereas the previous
Why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu beats Aikido for Self Defense
It is often said that Aikido sounds great in practice, but upon impact, doesn’t work. The idea that you can use someone’s strength against them and quickly disarm them with beautiful looking choreographed movements seems wonderful. When Aikido practioners entered MMA in its early days, they lost and they lost very badly. It was clear […]
Connection on the feet: Underhook to High Single Leg Takedown
The first stop on the standup grappling train was posture… and the next stop is: Connection. I talk a lot about the central importance of connection in Jiu-Jitsu for a reason: the better your connection, the more effortless and effective your technique will be…. To be honest, not a lot of people really get the […]
Standup Grappling: Head Position for Optimal Control
Continuing on with stand up grappling. The first topic I covered in my standup
The most important posture for standup grappling
How does standup grappling fit into the Jiu-Jitsu “conversation”? From an “OG” Jiu-Jitsu perspective, this is literally half of the grappling picture… It doesn’t mean that the objective is to be a Judoka or star wrestler, but it does mean that: 1) From a self-defense perspective, you want to be able to control an opponent […]
It’s a full length course PLUS a 2-day seminar!
The other day I let you know about my in-depth First Principles Open Guard
How to easily retain guard even when your legs are completely pinned!
One of the most common questions and challenges that has come up everywhere I’ve taught the First Principles Open Guard curriculum is what to do when someone has your legs stapled to the mat. This is not just a common issue among lower belts, either… In situations like the one in the video below or […]
Guard Passing Seminar Takeaways
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of conducting a weekend seminar on guard
We’re moving to Dartmouth next month – in October 2024!
We’re thrilled to announce that SBG East Coast is moving to an amazing new
Most miss this key distinction when rolling (super important)
I saw that I was tagged on Facebook and this was the context of the post… My friend over in the UK is an extremely smart BJJ black belt for whom I have tremendous respect. One of his students had posted about a “lightbulb moment” he experienced in class that morning: What hit me this […]
Beating the Crossface #2 (when your opponent is low)
Picking back up on side control bottom defense… In this scenario, your opponent has
Negating the Cross Face (this simple tweak will change your life)
Probably the single most common requests I’ve received over the years are about escaping
