Miscellaneous RSS
From Traditional Ju-jutsu to Modern Grappling
Brazilian jiu-jitsu, submission grappling and mixed martial arts are relatively new phenomena, but they are rooted in...
Training Around
My head is spinning. I just got back from 7 days in Los Angeles, attending an Indonesian Silat training camp taugh by...
The Tangled Web of Gi-Grappling
Jiu-jitsu and grappling are like an arms race: new techniques and variations are constantly being developed.One year ...
Static Bridging – a Common Mistake in Sparring
There are two fundamental ways to escape from most pinning positions: escapes based on ‘shrimping’ style hip movement...
More Sleeping
I recently wrote about how the first part of training is actually sleeping. Even though I’m writing this in the midd...
One Simple Tip for Surviving the Smother
There’s nothing worse than tapping out to a smother. It is one thing to get caught in a nice technical choke and havi...
What the Hell is a ‘Valsalva Maneuver’?
Today’s question is: “should you ever hold your breath while sparring”. Many instructors would tell you that holding ...
Conscious Hyperventilation
I sometimes get asked questions about how to breath while sparring, in particular, how to control your breathing when...
Breathing and Stretching and Yoga
Yoga pays a lot of attention to breathing – Yoga has many special breathing exercises, ranging from the simple to the...
The Leglock Debate
Many Jiu-jitsu schools discourage, and even disallow, the use of leglocks while sparring. They argue that leglocks ar...
Favorite Grappling Quotes
Here are some of my favorite grappling quotes with some relevance to the sport and science of grappling
“No plan of a...
Wrestler’s Base in Guard
Have you ever grappled with a high-level wrestler and been frustrated by their uncanny sense of balance? You might be...