Fundamentals
This collection of videos outlines the fundamental techniques that a BJJ practitioner is required to know before he can be considered for promotion to the Blue Belt rank.
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Smash Pass from Knee Shield Half Guard
When the opponent has knee shield half guard, you get grips on the knees and lift his legs to the other side and smash his legs together while stapling his shin. Then you can pass from the smash or move into the leg weave.
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Torreando Pass pushing feet to mat
When approaching the open guard and you can secure a pant grip on each leg, you slam the feet to the mat and hop to the side to prevent spider guard entry. Then put in a divider with either your knee or your shoulder. Swap grips to complete the pass only after his shoulder is on the mat.
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Top Position of Combat Base
When you are in top position on your knees, combat base is a ready position that prevents the closed guard and also allows easy movement into the knee slice or standing position. Stay on the ball of the supporting foot of the kneeling leg.
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Guard Position of De La Riva
The De La Riva guard is when you control one leg with your outside leg hook and your ankle grip. You also control the opponent's angle with the other leg on the hip or upper thigh. When the opponent breaks down this guard, he would normally stuff the foot on his hip or thigh between his legs. To ...
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Top Position of Knee Ride
The top position of knee ride is a dominant position from passing the guard and placing one knee on the opponent's belly. The other knee needs to be off the mat.
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Top Position of North South
The North South top position is when you pass the guard and maintain chest-to-chest dominant control with your legs 180 degrees away from his legs. You normally get to this position from side control when he attempts to recover his guard.
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Guard Position of Reverse De La Riva
Reverse De La Riva is a guard position with an inside leg hook and inside ankle grip. You are on your side to stop head control, and you other leg is maintaining the distance with either on the near hip or controlling the nearside arm
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Understanding Spider Guard
Spider guard is a position where you have double sleeve grip on the opponent and your feet are maintaining the distance on the opponent's hips, thighs or biceps.
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Position of Turtle for Guard Retention
The turtle position is used to retain the guard. It's normally entered from a seated guard as a result of defending the guard pass. But to effectively sit back into a seated guard from turtle, you must keep the opponent's hips above your shoulder line.
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Top Position on Opponent's Turtle
When in the top position of the opponent's turtle, you must attempt to get below the shoulder line to get a dominant position. Otherwise your opponent can sit back into a guard.
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Three leg positions of X-Guard
When you enter the X-Guard, you bring your hips underneath your opponent's hips and use your legs to control his legs. One of your knees must be in front of his hip, and one behind to create the X configuration on her legs. The 3 positions are (1) normal X-Guard where the X of your legs is on his...
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Omoplata Sweep
You can threaten the Omoplata shoulder lock as a means to achieve a sweep to a dominant position. When the opponent realizes it's an omoplata, he may defend by rolling forward. Get up into the bicep sandwich on his arm to control the top position.
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Pendulum Sweep
From closed guard, control opponent's arm on sweeping side and underhook opposite leg. angle body at right angle. Then use your leg as a pendulum to generate energy to sweep.
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Balloon Sweep from Spider Guard
When the opponent is standing in your spider guard, you can use the double sleeve grips to pull his hip weight forward onto your feet. Then you can catapult him over your head while pushing his sleeves towards your hips.
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Spider Guard Scissor Sweep
When your opponent is kneeling from within your spider guard, you can put one foot on the bicep and use the other foot to take away his base while you direct his bicep towards the sweep.
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X-Guard Ankle Pick Sweep
When in X guard, you can stretch out the far leg and then pick up the ankle with your lower hook. You can do this in 2 separate moves or one single move. You do not need any upper body grip to execute this sweep.
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X-Guard to Technical Stand Up Sweep
When in X-Guard and you do not have any upper body grips, you can push all his weight onto the far leg, and then underhook the near leg. This allows you to do a technical stand up with a single leg.
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Ankle Pick Takedown
Push the same-side collar grip to get the weight off the nearside leg, and then pick up the ankle with your other hand. Use the inside hand to pick up the ankle for easier access to the backside.
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Double Leg Takedown
Change levels, step forward so that your foot lands under their hips and your shoulder hits the belly. Secure hands behind both legs near the knee. Then step the other forward and tilt your head to the side to push them laterally while holding their legs.
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Osoto Gari Takedown
This takedown uses an outside leg reap from standing. Grab a collar grip. Pull them forward to get the reaping leg to step forward. Then step your leg behind his leg, bend forward while pushing his torso down and pulling the sleeve back.
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Triangle Choke from Closed Guard
How to execute the details of finishing the triangle choke from the closed guard. Pay special attention to how your choking leg lands into position before locking up the triangle.
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Omoplata Shoulder Lock and Set Up from Closed Guard
Set up the Omoplata from closed guard. Once you pass the leg over the face, push face away and build height. Take care in curling the legs to the other side.
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Grip Break on Pants using Scoop
When you are in seated open guard and your attempts to gain a pant grip before you are ready to engage a guard, a scoop grip is a fast means of breaking the grip without needing to counter sleeve grip.
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Grip Break of Pants using counter sleeve grip and kick
When the opponent grips your pants, you can counter grip his sleeve and kick your leg straight to break the pants grip. This is normally done from your spider guard when he counter grips your pants.