10 BJJ Guard Passing Drills (Starting High And Working Low)

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10 BJJ Guard Passing Drills (Starting High And Working Low)

 

BJJ Guard Passing Drills For This Week

In this weeks BJJ drill series. I’m showing 10 BJJ guard passing drills and techniques. At the beginning of the drills I’m starting with standing passes. From there I’m having my opponent adjust to these passes and from there I’m working towards a more lower pressure passing game.
The whole point of this series is to develop the ability to mix your standing and low passes interchangeably. If you can attack your opponent from high to low, side to side. You’re going to be very tough to stop. Along with that, if you can initiate your attacks from standing quickly without letting them snag a grip, you’re in an even better situation.

Why this changing up idea is important is because every pass has a type of defense that is needed and they are not always defended in the same way. Using these BJJ guard passing drills. You’ll get better at changing up your angles and distance.  Your opponent will be forced on the defensive and have to constantly change their defensives up. This will make it more likely that they will make a mistake and you’ll have an opportunity to pass.

Chain Together Your Guard Passing

Also, I see many people who will guard pass in a singular sort of way. For instance, they do 1 pass. If it’s unsuccessful they back up and try another pass. If it’s unsuccessful they back up and do another pass. They don’t have a series or chain of movements to rely on.

Instead of doing this, you want to chain your passes together, like you would for any other position. Just like you have triangle to armbar to omaplata from the guard. Having a chained together series of techniques for passing will make your passing game that much more relentless and dangerous for the person on the bottom. The better you get with this, the more comfortable you’ll be in the pocket with your opponent’s guard.

I hope these 10 BJJ Guard Passing Drills (Starting High And Working Low) help!

If you have any requests on positions or techniques, let me know.

Thanks guys!
-Chewy

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Surfing Is Like BJJ

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Surfing Is Like BJJ

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Have you ever thought about the addictive quality of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu? For some of us, BJJ just grabs us right from the beginning. You get on the mat and even though you’re getting tossed around and can’t seem to do the techniques perfectly, it’s fun!
During this surfing trip I thought about the addictive nature of surfing and how it relates to BJJ. If you’ve surfed before then you know that getting up on the board is fairly easy. Staying on the board and catching good waves is the tough part. At least thats how I see it.
I’m by no means a surfing expert but surfing is crazy addictive like BJJ. I remember the first time I ever stood up on the board. I was so pumped. So I kept paddling out, getting smashed by waves and exhausting my shoulders just to get another ride on the wave. Most of the time I would catch a wave get on the board for a minute and then find myself sailing into the water after I lost balance.
It’s kind of like when you’re doing BJJ early on. It’s not that difficult to get the general idea of whats going on with BJJ and being able to “almost hit a technique.” You’re close enough that you saw the opportunity for the technique but you just couldn’t make it stick. So you endure all the rigors that come with BJJ training, like being smashed, exhausting your body, etc, just to get another chance at hitting the technique. Just like you’ll find yourself swimming back out in the ocean for the waves in surfing.
If you’ve never surfed before, which I know is the case for many of my midwestern BJJ friends, then you really need to get on a board.
The trip has been awesome so far. Yesterday we did 2 BJJ training session and surfed in between. We’re getting ready for the morning BJJ session and then surfing.
Talk to you guys later!
-Chewy

BJJ In Costa Rica This Week

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BJJ In Costa Rica This Week

IMG_0304I’ll be doing BJJ in Costa Rica this coming week. I’m currently sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for my flight to Costa Rica. I left Louisville and it’s frosty 16 degree temperature this morning around 6am. I’ll be in the toasty climate of Costa Rica (which is currently at 79 degrees) before 1pm. Maybe I read too much history but technology is nuts! I can travel from the central United States and then arrive in Central America just in time for lunch.

One of my student’s, and Pan Am champ (might as well throw that out there right?), put this thing together and I’m looking forward to it. Essentially we will do BJJ in Costa Rica and surf. A vacation of sorts, but with plenty of activity for my hyper over-energetic body.

I have intentions of doing a short blog of vlog each day talking about whats going on during the trip.

Well, the flight is boarding. Talk to you next time in Costa Rica.

-Chewy

Escapes From Side Control

Avoid Bad Days In BJJ (Don’t Set Expectations)

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Avoid Bad Days In BJJ (Don’t Set Expectations)

 


Do you sometimes have bad days in BJJ? Of course you do. We all do. But could you be causing these bad days in BJJ unknowingly because of a bad mindset when you’re training? Even worse, could this same mindset be hindering your overall development?

We’ve had an influx of new students coming into the gym to train BJJ over the last few months, which is a good thing. But now they’re all getting to this point where they are getting good enough that they are having some success which is leading to a negative thought process.

Since they have broken the seal and realized that they can actually hit their techniques during rolling. Many of my newer students have begun to set expectations for themselves. You know, they submitted Bob last week so they now expect to always submit Bob.

But this is the wrong way to think and will lead to bad days in BJJ.

Just like the rest of us. When they first started training they were just happy to be on the mats. They were brand new and did not expect to be successful. But now, as they’ve become accustomed to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu they think that they are supposed to perform at a certain level every single time.

This mindset is dangerous.

Why It’s A Bad Idea To Set Expectations Every Time You Train

First off, you have to remember that your training partners in BJJ are working hard too and they will adjust with you. This is the beauty of having consistent training partners. You build one another up, together. Like the old saying, “iron sharpens iron.” Right?

Second, and most important in my opinion. You’re going to limit yourself because of fear. If you’re solely fixated on winning and/or beating your partner. Then you will be forced to play your “A” game all the time. This takes away the ability and openness to experiment with new positions and areas you’re unfamiliar with. This will limit your growth and hinder you’re ability to be the best BJJ practitioners that you can be. I know I struggled with this a ton until I was a purple belt. After relaxing and allowing myself to experiment more and use the gym as my lab. My game shot up like crazy.

So don’t make these mistakes that I did and that so many BJJ practitioners make.

Thanks guys!

-Chewy

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3 BJJ Books For Anyone (Beginners or Advanced)

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I did a post previously on my favorite BJJ books (you can check out the previous post HERE). Then recently I made a short video about 3 BJJ books thats I think would be great for beginners, and really any level. It’s similar to the post but I talk about a few extras.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu books are a great supplement to training. They give you a chance to stay mentally engaged with training even when you’re not there. Which may or may not be a good thing depending on how your significant other takes to all this training stuff.  I’ll also say that I’ve personally used them a lot over the years.

I did this video because many of my newer students ask which BJJ books I like and which ones I would recommend to them. There are so many good BJJ books out there and I certainly don’t have them all. But the 3 I listed in this video I think contain evergreen content. Meaning that they are always solid information. They’re also three that I used a ton over the years. I have many other books that I didn’t list.

Along with telling you about the books in the video, I also focus on what I got from the BJJ books personally. I think this is more important than just reviewing the books themselves. Knowledge and information is great. But its the implementation of that knowledge which is important. So in the video I try to share a few details about how I used the information in these books.

If you have used one of the BJJ books in the video and got something out of it. Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts on it. I like hearing how other people interpreted the same information as I did.

If you have used some other BJJ books that you got a lot out of, leave a comment and tell me which ones worked the best for you.

Hope the video helps!
-Chewy

 

Also, check out my Instagram for daily drills and techniques.

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Guillotine Choke Defense Using Front Head Lock Counter From Wrestling

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Guillotine Choke Defense Using Front Head Lock Counter From Wrestling

 

Getting caught in a guillotine choke can be really frustrating. Me being a former wrestler, having a good guillotine choke defense was a must. One of the most frustrating things for me is getting caught while I’m going in for a takedown. This technique is one of the reasons why I don’t get caught very often. It’s simple but it allows so many options.

Luckily over the years I’ve had several training partners with really good guillotine chokes. Several of them set their guillotines up from the feet. Using a snap down style setup (similar to a front head lock). This had the benefit of forcing me to adjust and improve my defense against them.

 

 

Simple, But Effective, Guillotine Choke Defense Technique

In this video I show a guillotine choke defense that can be used. It’s very similar to a front headlock counter I learned years ago and has worked really well for me. I know the technique is incredibly simple and maybe seems like it’s not enough. But trust me. If you utilize the head up, stepping forward movement of this guillotine choke defense. People will have an incredibly hard time setting up their guillotine chokes from the feet on you. 

This standing defense is really good against people who try and snap your head down and go for the choke. But even the principle of getting two hands on 1 of theirs is going to be useful in almost any position that the chokes comes up.

With this guillotine choke defense video what I hoped to pass along was to continue moving and not freeze. Even if you decide to use a different technique for your goto guillotine choke defense. It’s so important to make sure that you don’t freeze up. Continue to adjust. I’ve seen so many younger guys get caught in a guillotine and just freeze up. You’ll see their hand getting ready to tap before the technique is full sunk in.

So give the technique a try, I hope it helps.

If you have any questions, please feel free to shoot them over to me.

Thanks!

Chewy

BJJ Games : Tag Team Rolling

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BJJ Games : Tag Team Rolling

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Do you play BJJ games at your gym? If not, maybe you think it’s kind of a pointless thing. While others who do might tell you about how fun they can be.

As a coach I’m always trying to come up with new drills, moments, situational rolling exercises, technique combinations, etc to keep the training new and exciting. I know that from personal experience. The worse thing that can happen with your training is if you become complacent and things take on too much a familiar routine and pattern. Shaking things up helps keep people sharp and helps keep my students, and myself, growing and improving.

 

So where do BJJ games come into the mix?

Well over the years I’ve come up with over a hundred different BJJ related games. Most of them I use with my kids on a  regular basis to trick the youngsters into learning good habits and technique. I bring them over from time to time with the adults too.

The adults can sometimes be a tough sell. It’s interesting though. I’ll watch a guy who is a big shot at some corporate business come into the gym during a game day. Sometime they’ll have a face that just screams, “I’m not doing this shit.”  Then, a few minutes later, I’ll see them even more engaged than everyone else. It’s fun.

BJJ games can also be a fun way to build the team atmosphere. I’ve been a head coach since 2009 and I’ll tell you that the more different things you do together as a team, the better. Whether it’s BJJ games, getting dinner after training, watching the fights together, etc. The more things you do together as a group the better the atmosphere in the gym will be.

Also, at their core, BJJ games should contain a transferrable value to regular training. In the case of the Tag Team rolling, it’s defense, body control and mat awareness. Defense because you have to defend against multiple people and different angles. Mat awareness and body control because you have to ensure that you are keeping the person where you want them. If they are able to position their body where they can tag, you’ll lose your opportunity to win.

Setup For Tag Team Rolling

  • You make lines on the mat. If you have zebra style mats then it should be a problem. If you have the big massed vinyl then you can use tape, jump rope, or use your imagination.
  • Divide people into teams. We typically keep teams in groups of 2-4. When you have more than that, people end up not getting any time on the mat.

Rules Of The Game (The Way We Do It)

  • To tag a partner you must make hand to hand contact.
  • Knees must remain behind the team line in order to tag.
  • After the tag, there will be a 5 second period that the opponent can be double teamed. Afterwards the person who was originally in must return behind the team line.
  • Scoring can be done a few different ways. You can give 1 point per submission and allow the person to stay in the game after a reset, or go till team elimination. In elimination mode you submit and then the person is out. Most often we will do a 10 minute period with 5 minute overtimes if no one is submitted.
  • We take out leg locks and certain twisting locks because people get caught up sometimes. But again, use your discretion.

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That’s about the jest of it.At my gym we typically play these games on days right before the holidays or during times where there are no competitions coming up. Sometimes we do it just to take a day off from hard gritty training.

So give BJJ games like the tag team rolling a try. It’s fun and has a value to training. You’ll be exhausted from defending and have a great time with your team.

 

-Chewy

Tips To Improve Your Kimura From Side Control With Straight Arm Lock

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Tips To Improve Your Kimura From Side Control With Straight Arm Lock

12034370_10153584212140907_5381847168925998198_o-2Since I was a white belt, one of my best submissions has been the kimura from side control. I’ve just had a knack for catching it. Maybe it’s the wrestler in me that feels comfortable in side control and maybe it’s the fact that I have short arms which makes the figure four lock of the kimura a strong position for me.

Either way, over the years of using the kimura I’ve definitely found some different tips and techniques that have made the submission more effective. In fact, it’s effective enough that I still routinely  use it successfully against Black Belts.

For me, the litmus test to whether or not a move is effective or not is if I can use it against an opponent of similar skill. There are always slick techniques that I can hit against less skilled people. But if I can hit it against a person of the same level, then that means it’s a solid move.

The kimura from side control definitely isn’t the prettiest technique out there and doesn’t have as many steps as a lot of techniques. But the simplicity and the detail of the few steps it does have is beautiful in a way. It’s such a simple technique. But that’s kind of the cool thing about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Even with a simple technique, if you take the time to refine it, it can become an unstoppable weapon.

I’ve included a match where I used the technique successfully in competition. If you would like to see what it looks like in action vs just shown as a technique then check out this video as well.

 

Below is the demonstration of the technique. In the video I demonstrate some simple tips to improve your kimura from side control. I also add in a straight arm lock attack that you can throw in when your opponent tries to straighten their arm out of the lock.

 

 

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Open For A Good Cause

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Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Open For A Good Cause

This past Sunday was an awesome example of the good side of the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu community.

I hosted an Open Mat and Toy Drive this past Sunday and the turn out was amazing. People involved with the Louisville Brazilian Jiu-jitsu scene came out to train and donate for a good cause.

I decided on a toy drive because of a personal experience I had as a kid. When I was a young kid my mother was getting over her addiction to alcohol and we had a few rough years as she struggled to get her life straightened out. One incident during this time period really stands out in my memory.

I remember it was the day before Christmas Eve and myself, mom and sisters were sitting in the living room watching t.v. I was sitting over by the christmas tree which was lit up by multi colored lights and garnished with too many fake ice cycles, compliments of my baby sister.

While watching a movie we got a knock at the door. When she opened the door I saw that it was one of the members of our church. They had known my mother’s struggle and were an integral part of helping her get everything together. The church was already involved with giving back to the community. Because they knew the situation we were in they had gathered up some of the items they planned to donate and gave them to us.

At first I saw food items which was cool, but it’s not really what you think about as a kid. Then. . .then I saw toys exchanging hands. As a kid who’s entire toy collection could fit into small white bucket, this was big stuff.

The member of our church came in, wished us a merry Christmas and then was on his way.

That memory of generosity will forever be burned into my memory.

With that, I wanted to help create some meaningful difference, like the one I had experienced, in some local child’s life. So I spoke to one of members of our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu program who’s involved in a number of charities and helpful organizations and asked if he knew one worth getting involved with. After speaking with him we settled on the Family Scholar House organization. You can read more about it at www.familyscholarhouse.com . It’s a very cool organization and their mission is a powerful one.

During the Open Mat yesterday we had over 75 people make contributions and we came away with 100+ toys and gifts that we can give away to kids who are not in the most fortunate circumstances. It was awesome and I hope that these gifts make a positive impact this year.

I’m posting this because Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is an amazing martial art in itself. But more amazing than just the art, and I say this all the time, is the community. Louisville Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has a great community and this kind of generous get together is just one example.

Thanks again, to everyone who came out to support the toy drive!

 

-Chewy

How To Escape Side Control Against A 300lbs Wrestler

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How To Escape Side Control Against A 300lbs Wrestler

How to escape side control against a 300lbs wrestler. This was the question I got recently. It’s a good question too.

As I’ve said previously on other posts. Wrestlers naturally favor side control. It’s very similar to a pinning position and it’s where they feel comfortable, especially early on. I say this from personal experience and those of many people I’ve trained or trained with over the years.

I’ve seen several wrestlers over the years able to pin black belts to the mat to the point where they couldn’t move. So telling someone how to escape side control against a good wrestler is tough. But I think it can be done easier than you think.

 

I Had To Find A Side Control Escape

When I start BJJ I had the “pleasure” of having my face smashed into the by several D1 wrestlers daily. We had a bunch of wrestlers who trained BJJ at my original gym, and back in the day there weren’t a lot of training partners. So, I was stuck against guys like this a lot. It was a blessing though because it forced me to deal with the situation and find a way to solve it. Over the years I was able to fine tune my sort of “anti-wrestler” game plan.

For me, the traditional frame and hip escape just didn’t seem like an option. As much as I tried it, it just never worked. I’m definitely not the most flexible guy in the hips so twisting my body around just isn’t on the table for me, at least not at the moment. Maybe as I keep doing Yoga I’ll have some options open up with new found flexibility.

So going back to the question. How to escape side control against a wrestler. In my opinion the most effective way to do this is to sneak out the back door and get a solid under hook. I’ve used this escape countless times against high level wrestlers and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competitors in matches and just in training.

 

Using The Escape In the Absolute Divisions

I always seem to end up against big wrestlers in the absolute divisions of tournaments. One time in particular when I was a brown belt was against a 315lbs ( I know because I asked him) wrestler in the finals of the Arnold classic in no gi. He was fresh out of college wrestling and was incredibly fast. The beginning of the match started with me having to just survive. He powered through my guard and was able to pass the legs, but by using good body and hand positioning I was able to deny him the control of the position. This happened several times. Then right around the 4 minute mark he slowed down and I was able to take the match to him and use my half guard to sweep.

I ended up winning the match by submission. But using the under hook to escape side control saved me.

So if you’re up against a bigger, stronger person and keep getting stuck. Try this escape.

Remember though, if possible, be first. If you feel yourself losing the passing battle. Abandon it and setup your defenses against their side control.

Anyways, enjoy the video, and I hope it helps!

-Chewy