What’s the most dominant position in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu? In my humble opinion. I think it’s Back Mount.
Even more so I think the most dominant variation of Back Mount is when we have the person flattened out on their belly with our hooks in. In a fight the person is literally helpless.
And in BJJ whether it’s training in the gym or competitions we can attack aggressively for the choke. In this video I answer a question for Mckenzie who is having trouble finishing from the Belly down back mount.
I show 2 different ways to approach finishing from this devastating position. With both positions I show how to finish the rear choke.
But I also talk about how the position could be used for a fight or match.
If you’re having a similar problem with your Back Mount in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
Particularly when you find yourself in the belly down position. Then I hope the video is helpful!
https://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-09-at-10.48.14-PM.png460850akatbreeziiehttps://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChewJitsu-Logo.pngakatbreeziie2018-10-18 16:44:262018-10-10 01:49:15Back Mount is a Devastating Position for BJJ and MMA
Recently, I posted a video of myself and some tough BJJ Black Belts rolling and training before the No Gi Pans.
There were several techniques used in the video that many of you had questions about. So I’ll go through and answer the technique related questions you have about the roll.
It starts with a Double Under Guard Pass variation and then moves into a rolling back take from the, often called, Truck position from 10th Planet.
You may not call it the Truck, but for the sake of the video, it’s what we’ll use. I also share the progression of the move and where it came from. As I originally used the Truck position and the rolling back take from other positions like Mount and Turtle first.
In this video I cover one of the Guard pass, back take combinations I used during the training.
If you were interested in this technique from the previous video, or want a Guard passing back take chain of techniques. Than I hope this video is helpful. Chew on that. 😉
https://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-20-at-7.56.02-PM.png440574akatbreeziiehttps://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChewJitsu-Logo.pngakatbreeziie2018-10-14 16:30:142018-10-10 01:02:35Smooth Guard Pass to Truck Roll in BJJ (Back Take Combo)
This was a No Gi BJJ training session leading up to the 2018 No Gi Pans. It was a tough one too! I met up with my friends in St Louis at Kyle Watson’s gym to get a hard push during the last 2 weeks of my lead up to the IBJJF tournament.
During the training session you’ll see us start with some Pass / Defend rolling where one person stays in the center of the ring until they are passed.
Afterwards we continue our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training with some regular rolling . During the rolling you’ll see me pass, sweep and take the back.
You’ll also see me get taken down, passed and swept. The guys I’m rolling with are all tough Brazilian Jiujitsu practitioners. Almost all of them seasoned Black Belts.
So they’re very good. And I had to work hard.
Hence why there is so much butt sweat at the end haha. And I think my training with them definitely helped me win the 2018 No Gi Pans at the Ultra Heavy Master 1 division. Enjoy the video!
https://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-27-at-8.28.25-PM.png393400akatbreeziiehttps://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChewJitsu-Logo.pngakatbreeziie2018-09-29 15:30:232018-09-28 07:25:02Sweaty No Gi Rolling in St Louis with 4 Tough Black Belts (Day 1)
This video was from my second No Gi BJJ training session leading up to the 2018 No Gi Pans in St Louis. It was another tough one! I met up with again with Kyle, Nick, Jeff and Junior for some tough No Gi BJJ.
By the way, it’s worth noting that all these dudes medaled at the No Gi Pans this past weekend. They’re all tough as nails and I was wiped out after training with them. The Brazilian Jiujitsu training session begins with some passing and sweeping rolling. Then afterwards we moved on to some rounds where the focus is on who scores 1st.
Oftentimes it’s the person who scores 1st who wins. And so it’s important to strike 1st in your BJJ competitions. So the drill was simply that. Both people working hard to get the 1st set of points. It’s a great way to help prepare for BJJ tournaments when you need to fire off quickly in your match.
Afterwards we continue our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training with some regular rolling . During the rolling you’ll see me pass, sweep and take the back. You’ll also see me get taken down, passed and swept. The guys I’m rolling with are all tough Brazilian Jiujitsu practitioner. Almost all of them seasoned Black Belts. So they’re very good. And I had to work hard.
Hence why there is so much butt sweat at the end haha.
And I think my training with them definitely helped me win the 2018 No Gi Pans at the Ultra Heavy Master 1 division. Enjoy the video and rolling.
And if you’re ever in St Louis, definitely check out Kyle Watson’s gym. He’s a great guy and runs a fantastic gym.
https://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-20-at-7.56.02-PM.png440574akatbreeziiehttps://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChewJitsu-Logo.pngakatbreeziie2018-09-22 16:30:242018-09-20 19:57:47Sweaty No Gi Rolling in St Louis with 4 Tough Black Belts (DAY 2)
Last night my flight home got cancelled twice and I’m flying back home late tonight.
Thanks United.
Not the most ideal conditions. But it’s all good.
The extra day gave me a chance to train with my good friend at Kurt Pelegrino’s gym this morning.
While I would rather be home. When life throws you a curve ball. Just go with the flow and keep moving.
Tournaments are very much this way.
People want the perfect storm of hard training, no injuries and a confident mentality that is about as common as a unicorn.
Like this year for me, I took the No Gi Pans on a last minute decision.
I had a few nagging injuries (nothing serious) and I got sick the week before. And I was moving up weight classes.
Slightly injured, slightly sick and moving up in weight. Not the most ideal conditions.
But seasoned competitors know that you’ll rarely, if ever, go into a tournament feeling 100%.
The training leading up is often hard. And it makes you question the real potential in yourself. You have those days where you ask yourself, “am I really good enough to win?”
It’s never perfect.
But when things don’t go according to plan, or don’t look exactly like what you expected. You just say screw it, and do something anyway.
Had I let me inner voice keep me from competing because I wasn’t 100% I would have missed the chance to have an amazing experience competing.
I would have also missed the chance to snag a nice Single Leg takedown
I would have also missed the awesome training with Tom, Matt, Pat and Danny.
I wasn’t 100% but I am 100% happy I decided to take action and do the thing I wanted to do.
And if you’re thinking about competing in BJJ or doing something you want to do, but you don’t feel 100% ready and your inner voice is throwing negative thoughts out.
Just say screw it and take a step forward. It may come out a little messy. But you’ll be glad you did it in the end.
Talk to you guys next time. Once I get home!
-Chewy-
https://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BW-Pans-Podium_Fotor-test.jpg948891akatbreeziiehttps://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChewJitsu-Logo.pngakatbreeziie2018-09-20 19:35:332018-09-20 19:45:04Competing in BJJ
Hey guys so we got a question about an ole wrestling move called the cradle today in the video. Our friend who goes by the name “Left Leg Trump” gets to the cradle position during his BJJ training sessions. But doesn’t know what to do with it. So today I am going to give you some options using the Ezekiel and Darce chokes.
For those of you who are in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and have never wrestled before. Let me lay down the basics on the Cradle. It’s primarily a grip between leg and head and is used as an off balancing technique and a pin.
The primary position wrestlers use in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to transition into the cradle is from the turtle position after a sprawl from a takedown.
In this video I touch on how I get to the Cradle in Brazilian Jiujitsu and then I go into detail about how I use the position to setup submissions.
I also show how to setup one of my favorite No Gi Ezekiel chokes and how to turn it into a Darce Choke.
Both of these are very effective submissions that I tend to favor using in No Gi BJJ. Because of the similarities between No Gi and wrestling.
If you ever find yourself in this position or want some additional setups for chokes in No Gi. Then try these techniques out.
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Are you interested in strength training and lifting weights for BJJ? Awesome, then keep reading.
I had talked about doing some strength training. And so I figured it was about time to start doing some weight training for BJJ videos. And we’ll start off with the Deadlift!
In this video I share one of the deadlift variations I really like. It’s the Hex Bar Deadlift sometimes called a Trap Bar Deadlift.
There are a few reasons I like this weight lifting exercises for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu players.
1. It’s a great lift for the whole body!
2. This variation less technical skill than a squat or conventional deadlift. (great for new lifters)
3. This exercise is easier on the lower back than the conventional version.
4. Helps facilitate good hip extension which is an area BJJ practitioners lack.
5. It’s also a very natural movement. Many BJJ practitioners suffer from muscular imbalances and have trouble squatting and deadlifting with good form. Because of the natural movement of the Hex Bar Deadlift. It’s a great option in an easier movement pattern.
I Love This Deadlift for BJJ
I’ve personally grown to love this lift. Years ago, I wasn’t really a fan. But as I began to play around with it. I noticed the utility for me as a Brazilian Jiujitsu practitioner.
Mainly, I could hit my legs and work my lower body without the fatigue that would often be caused by squats or traditional deadlifts.
I also noticed that these feel much more comfortable and I recover a bit faster from them.
If you’re looking for a good exercise to boost your BJJ. It’s a smart idea to strengthen the lower body. And this is a great exercise to work into the mix.
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Are BJJ schools are doing it wrong ? Recently I received this question on Youtube from one of the viewers regarding an interview from the Joe Rogan podcast where Ben Askren commented about how BJJ gyms are not training in the most effective way possible.
Here is the snippet from the Joe Rogan Podcast with Ben Askren
During the interview he criticized Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training and BJJ schools where very little focused was placed on deliberate training or situational rolling.
Instead Bjj classes often start with just a few slowly practiced techniques. Followed up with rolling from whatever position. And in many cases the practitioners in the class never get a chance to even use the techniques that they were working on.
The 2nd question was about the necessity of BJJ Belts. Is our belt ranking system necessary?
BJJ Schools Training and Necessity of BJJ Belts
In this video I answer both questions based on my experiences and touch on how I think a lot of gyms don’t practice as best as they could. Meaning, the implementation of various forms of rolling to get more experience from positions or with techniques that are being practiced.
Now it doesn’t make it wrong or right! It’s just different. I also touch on why I think full open rolling is both useful and necessary for practitioners who are doing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for fun.
I also go over my thoughts on Brazilian Jiujitsu belts and the motivation that comes from them.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the video!
-Chewy
—————– Free Ebook
It can be hard to balance weight training and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I know that for me, I struggled with it at a point in my life where I was doing Powerlifting and Strongman. I continued getting bigger and stronger and was chasing numbers in the weight room.
As I added extra bulk. My strength in the weight room increased. But my performance on the mats dropped significantly.
Then when I started focusing on BJJ more again, the weights in the gym went down. This was incredibly frustrating for me. Because as a competitive guy. I wanted it all! I wanted to be the biggest stronger person I could be plus be a bad ass on the mat.
And the only thing I was reward for my efforts was injuries and mediocre performance in both.
Balancing BJJ and Powerlifting
And in this video I talk about this in the hopes to assist our friend Peter who is a Powerlifter getting into Brazilian Jiujitsu.
He says that since training Jiujitsu he’s noticed that his lifts have dropped in their overall poundage. And if you’ve ever been involved in Powerlifting which places a hefty focus on pushing heavier and heavier weight. . . this isn’t the ideal situation.
His question he sent to me is two fold. . .
1. How do you balance BJJ training with Powerlifting?
2. Should he readjust his expectations for training?
I try to give some help to Peter from the perspective of someone who’s been much heavier and much stronger, who ultimately let go of that heavy weight to focus on BJJ more.
I also touch on the current program I follow for lifting in order to support my BJJ training. And hint around about some upcoming videos.
Let me also add this part in. You can still become very strong while training BJJ. No doubt about it. But you will not be an elite level lifter while you’re trying to be the best you can be on the mat. I go into this idea a bit more in the video.
Anyways, if you’re someone who’s really big into lifting who’s also pursuing BJJ. I hope this video is useful for you and your training on the mat and in the weight room.
https://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/overhead-press.jpg405232Chewyhttps://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChewJitsu-Logo.pngChewy2018-07-19 09:05:572018-07-19 09:05:57BJJ Made My Lifts Weaker (Balancing BJJ and Powerlifting)
Frustrated Higher Belts Are Upset with This Tough BJJ Blue Belt
Being a BJJ Blue Belt who can submit Purples , Browns and higher belts in the gym and competitions is a great thing right? Yes but it does come with some potential issues.
Recently I got a message from a young Blue Belt who is struggling when he visits other BJJ gyms while traveling. This is because when he goes to other Brazilian Jiu-jitsu gyms he’s able to submit or outmaneuver many of the higher belts on the mat. Especially when in No Gi.
Again, this should be a good thing. But he finds that many of the people inside these gyms take offense to it. They will get angry at him for beating them. He’s tried playing catch and release, but they still get angry. In the worst case, he had a choke on someone and they didn’t tap. He felt terrible after he was forced to wake the person up after they went unconscious.
Now, this isn’t right, and people shouldn’t take it so harshly. But it is what it is. People say “Leave the Ego at the door” in BJJ all the time. But it’s not that easy. Everyone has an ego. It’s not about eliminating the ego but integrating into your life and not being overtaken by it.
So, when dealing with people’s egos and the pecking order of their BJJ gym. People have a tendency to get up in arms and upset at times.
I used to have a destructive controlling ego myself in my younger days. I’m better about this now. But I was guilty of this kind of stuff at one time in my life. So we can choose to point the finger if we want. But I don’t find that very helpful.
Get to Know Your New BJJ Training Partners
So, in this video, instead of condemning the people that our friend is rolling with. I try to give him some practical advice about feeling out the people he’s rolling with, before he kicks up the intensity. This is in the hopes of getting to know each other a little bit on the mats before he opens up. This way he doesn’t bruise egos and so people can become a bit more comfortable with him.
I share this by touching on two separate situations. 1 was with my poor mindset as a young BJJ Blue Belt. The second was how I approach going to gyms when I visit now.
Hopefully if you ever get into a situation like this in your own Brazilian Jiujitsu training this video will be helpful to you.
If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville,KY.
https://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/matt-triangle-chokes-me.jpeg13602048Chewyhttps://www.chewjitsu.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChewJitsu-Logo.pngChewy2018-06-28 09:45:382018-06-28 09:45:38Frustrated Higher Belts Are Upset with This Tough BJJ Blue Belt
