Leg lock

Hunting for Arm Locks and Leg Locks (No Gi BJJ Rolling)

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Recently I got asked why I let go of leg lock entries a lot in my BJJ rolling. Well the answer is I don’t always. It’s more of a focus on training at the time. In this video I’m actually far more aggressive with capturing the leg entries and working for the finish. So you’ll see 50/50, heel hooks, honey hole transitions, etc.

Now a thing to notice is that once I get the legs I am very slow to apply pressure to my partners joint. This is how all submissions should be practiced on a regular basis in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Think of an armbar. We apply pressure slowly and exercise control of the position. We do not crank their arm super fast till it breaks.

The same is true for leg locks in Brazilian Jiujitsu. I want my training partners to return tomorrow. So when I catch a submission I’m very slow to extend or apply pressure. I want to exercise good control so that if I needed to apply pressure I could.

This allows me to play leg locks and keep injuries down to a minimum.

Hope you enjoy the rolling video!
-Chewy

If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville, KY.

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Single Leg X

How To Escape Back Mount And Get Single Leg X or Butterfly Guard

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In today’s BJJ technique video I share an idea on a Back Mount Escape that will land you right into a strong Single Leg X position. This escape works well in the gi and no gi alike. I’ve been showing this to my Brazilian Jiu-jitsu students over the past month and it’s been useful to them. It’s also a technique I’ve found super useful to me with my training.

During the back mount escape I also show several fundamental details that are useful for other types of escapes from the position as well.

What I like about using an escape to offensive position is that it throws off the person. In a quick transition they went from dominant position to being on the defensive.

Hopefully if you’re struggling with escaping Back Mount or getting stuck in a bad position after the escape this video is useful to you!

Thanks for watching the video, I hope it’s useful to you.

-Chewy

If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville, KY.

Track Progress BJJ

Helpful Way I Track Progress in BJJ (After 20 Years in Grappling)

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The other day I got a comment about whether or not I still feel like I’m getting better. This is an interesting question because after almost 20 years of grappling the rate of progress is slow. Not to mention the fact that progress is always hard to judge anyway. Here’s the comment from Afroeducated on youtube.

“Chewjitsu, after grappling for years and years do you still feel like you are getting better?”

In this video I talk about training a specific technique, movement or whatever it might be. This focused approach to training has been very helpful for me at judging whether or not I’m improving. It allows me to have measurable progress and improvement. I also get motivation from it because as I recognize the improvement it motivates me to continue training.

Here’s the video where I talk about going to both sides which I reference in the video: https://youtu.be/HDowUHDOdmE

Hope the video is helpful. And thanks for the questions and comments.
-Chewy

If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville, KY.

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Grips

Half Guard Sweeps and Working Grips in the Gi (Chewjitsu BJJ Rolling)

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In today’s BJJ rolling video you’ll be able to watch me in the Gi. While my game doesn’t change much from Gi to No Gi there are some variations.

Like in my first match with my Brown Belt Nick you’ll see us exchanging grips as he fights for worm guard. I tried to take his back using a counter grip I’d been using but wasn’t successful. But, just for the record, it has worked in the past.

In the next roll you’ll see me attempting a Brabo choke using the gi and then lost it when I got sloppy in S Mount.

This definitely wasn’t the hardest BJJ training session ever but it was a fun night. Hopefully you enjoyed watching it and took something away.

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy

If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville, KY.

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Quit BJJ

Father Tells Teenage Son To Quit BJJ to Focus On Wrestling

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Today’s Chewy ramble comes as a response to a question I got from a teenager who said his father told him to not worry about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu during his high school Wrestling season. Our friend also has aspirations of becoming an MMA fighter in the future and says he feels like he should continue to do BJJ training all year round.

In the video I share some ideas based upon my experience as a former high school wrestler, MMA fighter and a Black Belt in BJJ who has lived through the things he wants to accomplish and had people telling him he should not do it.

I also go on a few side tangents that I think might be useful to our young friend, at least I hope they are!

If you’re a teenager working towards the same goals then I hope this video is useful to you.

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy

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BJJ Mount position

3 BJJ Mount Positions For Self Defense / Fight (Advantage of High Mounts)

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I recently got a question about using the BJJ Mount position in a street fight situation. So in this video I cover 3 different Mount position variations and some useful tips for being in position.

I chose 3 different Mount positions that are common to run into during an average BJJ training session. And then I show how they could work for a fight situation against an untrained person.

I base the ideas in this video from my experience of MMA, out of the gym fights and self-defense Jiu-jitsu. I also include ideas from my students (many of them in law enforcement).

Again, remember that this video is for educational purposes on how things could work. Street fights are unpredictable and your goal should always be to avoid them and deescalate the situation whenever possible.

Even as a former professional MMA fighter and Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu I do everything I can to avoid a fight on the street and you should too. But if you need to protect yourself BJJ is an effective martial art.

Hope you enjoy the videos and the ideas in it.

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy
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Should BJJ White Belts Drill Techniques to Both Sides?

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Should White Belts and newer BJJ practitioners practice and drill techniques to both sides? That’s the comment I’m replying to that came from one of the viewers the other day.

Here’s the original video: https://youtu.be/HDowUHDOdmE

 

In the video I talk about how I’ve been encouraging my BJJ students practice their rear chokes and submissions to their non-dominant side. For reasons as I’ll discuss in the video, it can be incredibly useful. I also encouraged someone watching the video to do the same thing.

 

But should you do this early on? Well my answer is sort of yes and no.

 

I think it’s good to learn a technique to some proficiency on 1 side first and then begin to use it on the other. When you watch the video you’ll see the distinction I make between just knowing a technique vs having learned it.

 

If this question was on your mind then I hope this video is useful!

 

Thanks for watching the video.
-Chewy

 

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Old Fashioned Guy Uncomfortable Rolling with Women in BJJ

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In Brazilian Jiu-jitsu we are often in close proximity of our training partners in a way that simply doesn’t happen often in our regular day to day lives. And this is even more true when we talk about a woman rolling with a man.

 

In this video I answer a question from Rod who is struggling to roll with the idea of rolling with women because of his old fashioned upbringing. He says he has no problem with women training, he’s just been conditioned not to be physical with them.

 

And as a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu coach of over 10 years I’ve had many men and women tell me of discomfort they have (at least initially) with rolling with with the opposite sex. For women the closeness is often very foreign to them or sometimes there is even trauma associated with being that close to a guy. And for men in some cases it can be a upbringing that doesn’t allow them to be physical with women or in some cases religious reasons

 

There are a ton of other reasons too. But during the video I give Rod some ideas to chew on about his situation that I hope might be helpful. I also share the hidden benefit of rolling with women who are often smaller than men and force them to slow down their rolling.

 

And if you’re in a similar place then I hope the video is useful to you as well.

 

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy

 

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This Is The Reason I Let Go Of Leg Locks During A Rolling Session

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Adding focus to your BJJ training is one of the more important lessons I could teach you for rolling. Just as you focus on a technique during drilling and technique repetition you then need to focus on it if you want to drive the movement home in regards to learning it.

 

In this video I reply to two comments I received on the channel regarding a couple of rolling sessions I had that were posted. 1 of the comments asked about why I let go of leg locks and the other asked if I knew my techniques in advance. With both comment questions I believe they get at the heart of the idea that you want to have some focus for your game almost everyday you step on the mat.

 

 

Sure there are days where you just come in and go with the flow. But generally speaking you want to have some focus for your game so that you are actively getting better at something.

 

Hopefully if you watch the video you’ll get pumped up to be focused the next time you’re headed into the gym for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training.

 

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy

 

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No it’s not the Wim Hof breath (it’s different)

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Yesterday I spent most of the day looking at homes with my lady then I had to meal prep.

 

Which is all fine and good but it didn’t leave any time working out!

 

And while this may not be a problem for you, the Chewster doesn’t sleep too hot without some activity.

 

So a couple of hours before bed I performed a meditation that involved a lot of movement for 30 minutes followed by some deep breathing for 20 minutes. All guided by music.

 

Now when I talk about breathing, most people instantly say to me, “Oh yeah, like Wim Hof?” 

The Wim Hof style breathing is great, but it’s a charging (kicks on your sympathetic nervous system) breath. You do it before you do something crazy. . . like jump into a bath of ice. It’s not the best idea before a restful night of sleep.

 

Instead the breathing I’m talking about is a much slower breath that helps kick your body into a more relaxed state (parasympathetic dominant). I use this breath anytime I need to chill out. Either after hard training, if I feel anxiety or even if I get a bit angry. It settles me right down.

 

And because it’s been so useful to me I’ve included instructions for this type of breathing inside my Chewjitsu Vault with a couple of videos and a short ebook to walk you through.

 

(Click Here to join The Vault)

 

Talk to you tomorrow.

-Chewy

 

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