Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

The closed guard is perhaps the most basic guard, but it is also one of the most important. With your feet hooked behind an opponent’s back, the closed guard offers substantial control over an opponent’s movement, providing you with the opportunity to use a wide range of submission holds, while…

The omoplata is a submission technique that uses the legs to trap the opponent’s arm in a shoulder lock. From the guard position, this technique works well in combination with other submissions, and can also be used to sweep. In this lesson, BJJ No Gi World Champion Bruno Pucci teaches…

From the guard position, your attacking options are generally either to apply a submission hold, or to sweep your opponent onto their back. In this lesson, BJJ No Gi World Champion Bruno Pucci demonstrates how to apply the arm inside sweep while simultaneously setting up the arm inside arm bar.

The “arm bar” is a straight arm lock that can be applied from multiple positions, and combines easily with many other techniques. In this lesson, BJJ No Gi World Champion Bruno Pucci demonstrates how to apply the arm bar from the guard position when your opponent blocks your attempt at…

Commonly when an attacker stands up inside your guard, they will lean down and forward. Tomoenage is a sweep we have covered in earlier lessons, and and this lesson, BJJ World Champion Zorobabel Moreira teaches how to use the tomoenage to sweep to set up an attack with a helicopter…

Learn to defend against the amassa pao choke without having to open your guard. In this lesson, BJJ World Silver Medalist Almiro Barros teaches how to properly turn away from the choke and remove the pressure from your neck while in the closed guard position.

Using the guard to unbalance an opponent not only creates opportunities to sweep, but also helps set-up submission holds. A more seasoned fighter will often attempt to block your sweep by posting with an arm or leg, which may present the right opportunity for you to attack with a submission.…

The “arm bar” is a straight arm lock that utilizes power in the hips and back muscles to apply pressure to the elbow joint of your opponent. In this lesson, BJJ World Champion Leandro Issa demonstrates how to apply this versatile submission hold from the guard position.

The guillotine choke is a fundamental submission hold that is relatively easy to apply. Despite it’s apparent simplicity, a well-applied guillotine choke can finish opponents at any skill level. In this lesson, BJJ World Silver Medalist Almiro Barros teaches an arm-in version of the guillotine choke from the guard position.

The “arm bar” is a straight arm lock that utilizes power in the hips and back muscles to apply pressure to the elbow joint of your opponent. In this lesson, BJJ World Champion Leandro Issa demonstrates how to apply this versatile submission hold from the guard position.

The under arm collar choke is another highly effective stranglehold, which is applied using the collar of the opponent’s gi or street clothes. Often catching an opponent by surprise, this choke may be applied to great effect before an opponent is fully aware of the danger. In this lesson, BJJ…

The collar choke involves manipulating the jacket or gi collar as a method for making an opponent submit. It will render a person unconscious if the choke is not released. In this lesson, BJJ World Champion Leandro Issa demonstrates how to apply the collar choke from the guard position.

If an opponent stands up when attempting to pass your guard, you can attack with an ankle lock. In this instance, the opponent’s legs are closer than the arms or neck, therefore a direct attack on the ankle may be the easier option to finish the opponent. For training purposes,…

The elbow escape is one of the most important moves from the bottom position. By using efficient movement of the hips in coordination with the arms, it can be used many ways to escape an opponent’s hold and improve your position. From the bottom in side control, BJJ World Champion…

From the closed guard position, the handstand sweep allows you to sweep a standing opponent without having to first open your guard. When applied intelligently, this technique will completely unbalance the opponent and allow you to take the full mount position. In this lesson, BJJ No Gi World Champion Takeo…

The elbow escape is one of the most important moves from the bottom position. By using efficient movement of the hips in coordination with the arms, it can be used many ways to escape an opponent’s hold and improve your position. From the bottom in mount, BJJ World Champion Leandro…

Using the guard to unbalance an opponent can create opportunities to sweep them onto their back. From the scissors sweep position in the open guard, BJJ World Champion Zorobabel Moreira teaches how to use the elevator sweep to obtain the mount position.

The elbow escape from bottom position can create many opportunities to gain the upper hand in a fight as grapplers scramble and transition from one position to the next. In this lesson, BJJ World Champion Leandro Issa teaches an escape from side control. The leg over position allows great control…

From the guard position, skillful movement of the hips can be used effectively to generate momentum and unbalance your opponent, allowing you to sweep. By sweeping your opponent to their back and improving your position you increase the number of attacks available to you and decrease the number of options…

The “guard” position, when used correctly, can allow a person to control and finish a stronger opponent from a potentially vulnerable bottom position on the ground. In this lesson, BJJ World Champion Leandro Issa demonstrates how to pull an opponent into the guard from a standing position.

Using the guard to unbalance an opponent can create opportunities to sweep them onto their back. A more seasoned fighter may attempt to block your sweep by posting with an arm or leg. From the scissor sweep position in the open guard, BJJ World Champion Zorobabel Moreira teaches a variation…

Another style for controlling your opponent from the guard is known as spider guard. Not only is spider guard an effective method for setting up submissions and sweeps, but it also makes attack very difficult for your opponent. In this lesson BJJ No Gi World Champion Bruno Pucci teaches a…

The spider guard not only provides excellent control of your opponent’s arms but also affords great freedom of movement in your hips. In this lesson, BJJ No Gi World Champion Bruno Pucci teaches how use hip movement in the spider guard to swing beneath a standing opponent and execute the…

Commonly an attacker in top position will lean down and forward. Tomoenage is a technique from guard which utilizes this momentum to flip an opponent over their head and onto their back. BJJ World Champion Zorobabel Moreira teaches how to use tomoenage to sweep and take the mount position.