Stealthy Grip To Setup Baseball Choke From Side Control

Lacking Motivation For BJJ Training

August 17, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

Recently I got a message from Barbaro who says they’re lacking motivation for BJJ training sessions.

After 13+ years (at the time of filming this) I can totally understand the need for a motivational boost from time to time.

As much fun as BJJ is, and as passionate as I am about it, even I find myself lacking motivation for BJJ training. It’s just natural. If you do something for long enough you’ll get stuck in a rut at some point and we all require a little boost to get ourselves through it.

Motivation For BJJ Training

In this video I try to give some tips that have helped me with motivation for BJJ.

The biggest thing that has helped me stay motivated for BJJ is to abandon the need motivation. Instead, just think of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as something you do, rather than something you need to be motivated to do. I mean it’s amazing, you shouldn’t need that much motivation, right?

In the book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. He talks about adopting the “lunch pail” mentality to our creative endeavors which I believe is a great idea. Instead of waiting for the motivation or the spark to excite you. You just show up and do what you need to do, just like you would with a job.

Think about work or a job you didn’t necessarily like. Although you didn’t LOVE it. You showed up anyway and did what you were supposed to do. The same is true for your creative efforts. You just gotta do it sometimes, even if you don’t feel “motivated.”

It’s not sexy but it’s a smart approach. Motivation is such a weird thing to pin down. So relying on it alone for help with your training isn’t smart.

I also share some other ideas that have helped me with motivation for my Brazilian Jiu jitsu training and I hope that they help you with your training.

As always if you have any questions, shoot them over to me!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Get Better At Escapes From Side Control And Mount

August 9, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

I recently received a question from a BJJ White Belt. He asked how he can get better at escapes from side control and mount.

I’m pretty sure that this is the number 1 BJJ related question I get from white belts in the beginning. Because being stuck under someone’s pressure sucks and they lack the skills to be effective and escape. In turn many white belts spend a lot of time in bad positions like side control and mount.

In this video I give 4 tips that a white belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu (or anyone really) can use to improve escapes from side control or other bad positions.

The tips are (starting with simplest to more in-depth)
1. Learn to take a deep breath when you find yourself in bad positions during BJJ rolling. This will help calm your mind and allow you to think more clearly. Along with keeping a steady flow of oxygen coming to the muscles. When people get in bad spots, often they breathe very sporadically.

2. Focus on using the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu techniques you’ve learned rather than just pushing and shoving with no rhyme or reason as to what your doing. You have to avoid panic and make sure to focus on the techniques you’ve practiced.

3. If open mat or extra free mat time is available. Have a partner attack you in your worst position. The single best way to improve your ability to escape bad positions is spend more time in those position. Practice is what you need.

4.If time is not available or just another way to do it. Find someone you can beat and let them put you in the worst positions possible. Because you can beat them, you’ll be more relaxed and able to practice in a less stressful way.

As I share in this video. All of these tips have had a big impact on my BJJ escape game so I hope they help you as well if you’re struggling with escapes from side control and mount.

Thanks guys!
-Chewy

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Stealthy Grip To Setup Baseball Choke From Side Control

August 5, 2016/in BJJ, Submissions, Videos /by Chewy

Stealthy Grip To Setup Baseball Choke From Side Control

One of the best lessons I ever learned to setup a baseball choke using the gi lapel and collars is to hide my grips, or as I like to put it, be stealthy with them. Take my time so that my grips fly under the opponent’s “radar” so to speak.

In this video I show a very common baseball choke from side control, but I show a small detail that you can use to make it easier. The key again, is to use a stealthy grip to setup the choke. Rather than leaving them out for the opponent to defend.

Baseball Choke From Side Control

From side control you will get a loose grip on the back of the neck with your thumb. Then with the other hand that is going to go four fingers into the collar. Instead of grabbing the collar first, you slide your hand onto the person’s chest. This allows you to get your hand into position without setting off a tripwire early on the collar. Because the minute your touch the collar, the person will be on high alert and will begin to defend.

Any person that has been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for any length of time will start to become very defensive as soon as the collar is grabbed. So by not grabbing the collar until the very last moment where we are ready to attack with the choke and move from side control to north south. We minimize their ability to defend it. Essentially you minimize the overall time they have to defend.

So I hope this helps you, and again a small takeaway from this lesson is to be clever. Find new ways to setup old moves in BJJ. I’ve known this move since my second week of BJJ. But by adding this little grip change. It’s been effective for me even against higher level opponents.

The baseball choke is a great BJJ submission from side control and I hope the adjustment helps you with your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training!

-Chewy
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Simple Grip To Rear Naked Choke A Muscular Person

August 3, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Submissions, Videos /by Chewy

Simple Grip To Rear Naked Choke A Muscular Person

Getting a rear naked choke on a muscular person can be really difficult at times. Large shoulder and trap muscles, a thick neck and big chest create obstacles for our hands to work through in search of the rear naked choke.

In this video I show a chin strap grip that I like to use to get the choke from back mount. Most people already know the forearm across the face and lifting up to get the choke, and it works very well.

But, as we all know, in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu there is more than one way to get the job done. This grip variation is a perfect example of that. It’s also not a very common one so it will give you the chance to have a trick up your sleeve if you use it correctly.

Why I Started Using The Chin Strap Grip

I originally started using this chin strap grip to get the rear naked choke when I was rolling with a big blue belt meat head who weight 260-270+.

He was rolling really rough with some of the smaller guys in class and my instructor asked me to roll with him to get him away from the smaller guys. I was a purple belt at the time.

When we started rolling he was going on and on about how he couldn’t be choke from his back. So it struck a chord with me and I was bound and determined to get the rear naked choke on him.

During the roll I was initially frustrated with trying to get the choke. When I would pry across the face with my forearm he would either just force his neck down or grab my hands. And when I tried to slide my hand under his neck. His muscles acted as a wall that got in my way.

But I still had the back position.

Eventually things clicked and my palm ended up on the bottom of his chin. He couldn’t remove the grip and I was able to make just enough space to slide in the rear naked choke.

Afterwards we continued to roll and I used the same grip technique 5 times, over and over, to hit the rear naked choke.

It was one of those moments where you realize that if you mentally commit and go all in to do something on the mat in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Your body will find a way to make it happen.

I hope this technique is useful for you!

-Chewy

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Fix BJJ Shoulder Injury With A Stronger Back

July 29, 2016/in BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

Fix BJJ Shoulder Injury With A Stronger Back

Would you like some exercises to prevent having bad shoulders and shoulder injuries in BJJ? Are you shoulders and back muscles ever jacked up after training BJJ? Do you experience pain in the upper back as well from BJJ training?

If so you should watch this video.

Inside the video I work with one of my purple belts who also happens to be a physical therapist. He understands how the body works and just as importantly understands what it’s like to be a BJJ practitioner.

He’s suffered injuries in BJJ just like the rest of and finds ways to treat them and work around them.

He’s also be incredibly helpful for my Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training. Over the years I’ve consulted with him to get guidance on how to recover from various problems I’ve had.

I’ll apologize first off. I know the video is rather long. But there are just so many nuggets of information that will help you if you’re experiencing problems with your shoulder or back muscles as a result of BJJ training. It was really hard to cut this down anymore.

So if you’d like to learn some ways to prevent injury and help correct imbalances in the shoulders and back muscles in BJJ. Then watch this video and check it out.

In this shoulder injury prevention video we cover. . .

-Strengthening the back to help fight against overly tight pecs.
-Learning how to perform exercises with proper form
– Various rows to build up different areas of the back
-Rotator Cuff strengthening Exercises.

Most importantly, these exercises will help prevent the injury before it happens. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pounds of cure. But if there is something that is injured. These exercises are great for recovery to help fix bad shoulders as well.

Hope the exercises in this video are useful and I hope they help you avoid shoulder injury!
-Chewy

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Don't Remember Everything As A BJJ White Belt

Stop Thinking About Techniques As A BJJ White Belt

July 15, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

Stop Thinking About Techniques As A BJJ White Belt

Recently one of my BJJ White Belts asked for tips on remembering techniques when he rolled. He said that there is so much stuff going on, and he can’t remember techniques when he rolls. He just brain farts.

In this video I share an analogy about how BJJ is like music in a way and I explain how it’s a little different than what you might expect. And you should NOT try SO HARD to remember techniques.

Don’t Memorize Everything As A BJJ White Belt

Many people who are new to BJJ start by trying to develop the ability to consciously memorize techniques during rolling. When in fact, it doesn’t happen like that. We call it muscle memory for a reason.

More often than not. Your body will figure out how to put it all together well before you can consciously think about what exactly you’re doing. This is why someone can execute a technique without being able to appropriately break it down and teach it to someone else.

If you do end up being able to consciously think about the techniques when you roll, it’s usually an afterthought. The move has already started and it’s just a fleeting thought in your brain.

In most cases, if you have to think about the technique you plan to use too much. It’s too late and your opportunity will be lost..

Saulo Riberio has a great quote, “If you think, you are late. If you are late, you use strength. If you use strength, you tire. If you tire, you die.”

I think what he is touching on is the importance of your body executing techniques in BJJ intuitively. Without having to remember techniques.

In my opinion this intuitive ability is developed through mat time and drilling.

You’ll know you are starting to develop this ability when you begin going off of “feel” opposed to thought.

Also, if you’re new to BJJ. Be ready for the occasional “Aha” moments that will occur from time to time. Where things seem to fall into place.

I share in the video that doing BJJ is like playing an instrument.

As a musician feels the music and knows exactly which chords to pluck just off instinct. The more your abilities in BJJ develop. You’ll find yourself doing things, not because you thought about them, but because they felt right.

So stop stop trying remember techniques as a BJJ White Belt. Remember what you can and be sure to drill your techniques a lot, and let your body do the rest. Muscle memory goes a long way, don’t let the mind get in the way.

Hope the video is helpful!
-Chewy
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5 BJJ Low Guard Passing Position Drills (Flow Drills)

July 14, 2016/in BJJ, Videos /by Chewy

5 BJJ Low Guard Passing Position Drills (Flow Drills)

Being strong from the low guard passing position is important. The lower style guard passes allow you to put the pressure on your opponent and allows you to pin down their legs.

Just like anything else in your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu though. You have to be able to chain together and flow from one technique to the other. Being able to do this in BJJ, especially with your low guard passing. Allows you to attack from multiple angles and adjust to your opponent’s defense.

One of the common mistakes I see from people with their guard passing is that they will only have 1 solid guard passing technique and have no answer for their opponent’s adjustments. They’re guard passing is 1 singular movement without the back up it needs to be successful.

For me, if I have trouble passing standing, most of the time due to very active legs. I immediately move to attack with low guard passing. And most of my low guard passes in BJJ originate from a few basic positions.

This is why I like this drills in this video so much.

Low Guard Passing Drill Video

Instead of just learning the techniques. You’re doing drills that will help you establish a low guard passing position. Then after you can easily acquire the position. Adding in the actual guard passing is easier.

Also, the five movements in this video are flow drills. Meaning that you flow or chain from one movement to the next. This is great for building that ability to smoothly move from position to position and it’s a hell of a workout.

So if low guard passing in BJJ is something you need to work out. Try these flow drills and see if they help. I know they’ve worked well for myself and my students for BJJ competitions and rolling in the gym.

Oh, and I encourage you to add in some of your own movements when your drilling. Think about positions you get to and add them into the mix!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips

July 7, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips

How to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt is something that I get asked all the time. Both from my students and from my Chewjitsu group online.

I remember this being an issue for me. Even though I was a young wrestler, I still struggled with being able to roll for a long period of time. I found that I just gassed out so quickly and it was frustrating.

One of the reason I had such a problem when I tried to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt was that I didn’t breathe correctly. It was really bad at times.

So bad in fact, that one of the commands my coach had drilled into my head for competitions was, “BREATHE!”

Yeah, that’s right. Not only did I drill my techniques but I also had to drill my breathing. When he yelled breathe. I would take a very deliberate breath. A big inhale, followed by 3 quick exhales.

In addition to breathing. Another thing that someone who wants to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt should do is to be more conscious of when they are using energy. Often I’ll see white belts being very tense and using LOADS of energy, yet nothing is happening.

Learning when you can conserve energy and when you need to expend it is one of the cornerstones to becoming more efficient. If you’re a BJJ white belt. You can simply think about the positions you tense up in and focus on relaxing in them to some degree.

In this video I share some details on both of these tips.

If you’re trying to roll longer as a BJJ white belt. Listen to the tips and give them a try!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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