NEU BJJ Acton

Countering the Hip Toss

Countering the Hip Toss

Ever been mistaken for a sack of potatoes? Do you dislike being dislodged from the earth you stand on, turned upside down and dropped on your head or back? Here’s a little tip to counter that nasty hip toss throw your opponent might try out of mistaken identity, or something more nefarious.

Size Matters in BJJ!!! - The Omaplata Submission

Size Matters in BJJ!!! - The Omaplata Submission

Here are a few tips if you are a smaller grappler trying to submit larger opponents with the omoplata submission from Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This can drastically alter our success rate for finishing, rather than struggling to combat height, strength, and counters.

"Don't Touch Me" - Why I Hated BJJ

"Don't Touch Me" - Why I Hated BJJ

As I’m sure some of you can understand, the idea of having to work closely with someone else, especially on the ground, used to 'skeeve me out'. There is a stark differential between what I was accustomed to - striking, kicking, and takedowns, in contrast to rolling around on the ground with another human being while wearing pajamas, or skin tight clothing. In the world of hindsight is 20/20…

Size Matters in BJJ!!! - Part 3 - Breaking Closed Guard

Size Matters in BJJ!!! - Part 3 - Breaking Closed Guard

Here's one of my favorite closed guard breaks, and why it is horrible for taller vs. smaller. If you do use this BJJ escape, here is the answer to 'why isn't my closed guard break working?' Enjoy this next installments in our Size Matters series. This is a must see if you are trying to break a smaller grapplers closed guard.

A Dark Start: What Happened in My Early Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey?

A Dark Start: What Happened in My Early Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey?

What I am about to share with you, is my early journey into Brazilian jiu-jitsu. My first attempts were not exactly a ringing endorsement of the art. What happened to me? What can you learn from my experience? Why did I keep trying after all of this?

Size Matters!!! - Part 2 - Spider Guard

Size Matters!!! - Part 2 - Spider Guard

Part 2 of our new series on how size affects your martial arts. This is another one for BJJ - Spider Guard. There are some important…

Size Matters!!! - Part 1 - Turtle Position

Size Matters!!! - Part 1 - Turtle Position

New series we're releasing on size matters. When doing martial arts of any kind, size is a determining factor in what moves will work, and what…

6 Submission for 6 Positions - Side Control

6 Submission for 6 Positions - Side Control

Part of your journey in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the transition from surviving, to defending, to getting to a dominant position. Position before submission is crucial for getting a successful submission on our opponent. But what happens when we first…

The CHAINS of CLOSED GUARD - An Attack Strategy for Resistant BJJ Opponents

The CHAINS of CLOSED GUARD - An Attack Strategy for Resistant BJJ Opponents

The closed guard is considered a dominant position in BJJ. Unfortunately, for most of us as we progress in the art, it devolves into nothing more than holding someone in place. We try the basic attacks we learn, but someone with very little knowledge can…

Wicked BJJ Clock Choke

Wicked BJJ Clock Choke

I spent some time last year adding the clock choke into my game. It's an awesome submission and one I had never really used until early last year. It became quite useful when attacking people's turtle defense.

After using it repeatedly, I ended up in side control with…

Spider Killer - The 3 S...Words to Kill Your Opponents Spider Guard

Spider Killer - The 3 S...Words to Kill Your Opponents Spider Guard

Here are some tips on how to deal with that opponent with a nasty spider guard. I use three S…words to remember these - Stuff, Stand, Step. Once we train them, we can bounce back and forth between them if the first one gets countered.

Ezekiel Choke to Americana Lock (Keylock)

Ezekiel Choke to Americana Lock (Keylock)

Here is another attack using the same sneaky Americana I've been using from under the head. In this example, we go from the Ezekiel Choke and our opponent defends it. Because my weight is side shifted, my savvy friend will feel my opposite leg go light, and try to push my knee into half guard to gain a better position. 

Rather than stay there and let them get half guard, we skip over to position 2 of Side Control. Now they defend the position by trying to build a frame. This presents the arm in a vulnerable position to grab it from...
 

How and When to Stand Up in a Fight

How and When to Stand Up in a Fight

Team Note: I know many of you who train with me will enjoy this video. Truth be told, I wish we had done it years ago because it is so fundamentally important. There isn't enough time in the day to practice everything, so feel free to take this and practice it whenever you can, and as much as you want.

Video Description: Whether we like it or not, sometimes we end up on the ground in a fight/altercation, or just a dangerous situation. When and how we stand up, can mean the difference between success and fail. Here are some tips for standing up when someone is waiting to pounce.