DSTRYRsg: Destroyer Submission Grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

X-GUARD, SCHMEX GUARD. THIS IS THE LAGARTO GUARD.

2012-03-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

That's right, grappler. BJJ games are advancing and developing at a blistering pace. So fast, your sloppy DLR to berimbolo in its current fetal stage will become passe before you actually get good at it. Yeah. It's like that.

Case in point - this adaptation of/modification to the the x-guard developed by Lucio "Lagarto" Rodrigues (2011 European gold medalist, Super Heavy) which he apparently designed to add more control to his x-guard. I'm not much of an x-guard player (which is to say, I never play this game), but this is pretty fancy, yet very smart, stuff. Watch him break it down for his students in the vids below produced by GrappleVideos.

Oh, and if you have any doubts about this guard's effectiveness, check out last year's final at the European between Lagarto and RLJr. He works this guard right around 2:40!

ROLL'IN WITH RAFA.

2012-02-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

No doubt about it, videos of the world's best guys rollin' are truly a special thing. They give you a good glimpse in to the mindset and creativity of a a grappler. We've said this many times. It's another way for you, as the student, to acquire knowledge and, in the end, improve your own skills.

Check out the is very recent roll between Rafa Mendes and purple belt, Darson Hemmings. The free-flowing nature of this non-competition, low key roll tells a different story than the usual videos you see of Mendes warring opponents in competition. It's kind of like watching Manny Pacquiao sparring during camp, or watching a professional eater casually dominating a few Chalupas and/or some Hot Pockets during lunch.

Watch for the front head and arm transition to the reverse triangle to the armbar in the last few seconds. Slick.

THE SPANISH KNEE CRUSH.

2012-02-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do you want to learn a sweet entry into a knee crush/calf slicer that you can hit from the knee on belly position? Well, you came to the right place. Now we can often find ourselves with knee on belly but utilizing it for a submission is always your best option. Check out the guys from De la Riva Team Spain / Old School BJJ go from knee mount to an unexpected calf crush in seconds.

DSTRYR/SG PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: "OSSING" REACHES EPIDEMIC LEVELS IN THE GRAPPLING COMMUNITY.

2012-02-28T10:00:00.043-08:00

So, many you of seem to have developed something of a bad habit along your BJJ journey. I'm not talking about your poor hygiene or your Rener Gracie man-crush. You just say Oss way the hell too much. And, it's not that your intentions are bad or that your heart's not in the right place. But, you need to stop. Consider this your intervention.

Let me tell you a little story:

Way back in '05 when I was a brown belt, I traveled to Tokyo and had the amazing fortune of being invited to roll on several occasions with a group of some of the best lightweight pros in Japanese MMA at the time. I rolled with Shinya Aoki, Naoya Uematsu, Rumina Sato, Satoru Kitaoka, Kazuyuki Miyata among many others. I was treated really well and I trained well too.

Here's the thing, grapplers. No one spoke English. And, people did say "oss." But, they said it way less than you do, grappler. And, they were Japanese ... and way cooler than you. I think you catch my drift. Stop saying "oss" so much and go back to saying things like "I agree with you" and "Cool" or, even, "OK."

Check out Mike Jen's kickass 3rd episode on this very issue.

SNEAK PEEK: STUART COOPER'S "ROBSON MOURA: JIU JITSU HAS NO END."

2012-02-28T04:00:00.007-08:00

A lot can be said about Robson Moura. He's a 5X World Champion (black belt) and, really, a BJJ legend, having competed at the highest black belt levels since the late nineties. He's still world class, as indicated by his very recent run at the 2011 ADCC, where he placed 4th. More than that, the man is one of the best and most gifted BJJ instructors around. If you look him up on YouTube, you'll find dozens of techniques he describes and breaks down to perfection. He grows a pretty nice beard too (and seems like a cool guy).

Stuart Cooper, BJJ filmmaker extraordinaire and (more importantly) a friend of DSTRYR/SG has just released a teaser for an upcoming short film he's produced on Robson entitled "Jiu Jitsu Has No End." Just from the 2:04 of this clip, I learned a good deal about Robson and his outlook on Jiu Jitsu. We're looking forward to the complete film.

Robson Moura - Jiujitsu Has No End - Trailer from stuart cooper Films on Vimeo.

CELSINHO WINS 2012 ULTIMATE ABSOLUTE NYC AND CLAIMS IT'S $10,000 PAYDAY.

2012-02-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

If you don't know about the Ultimate Absolute NYC, you're not focusing enough on the important stuff, grappler. You're probably training too much, when you should be spending more time cruising the internet and tweeting to Dana White. That's what it's all about.

Last year was the first UA:NYC and it was pretty awesome. As you may recall, Andre Galvao won it and there were many great match-ups (check out this great HL).

This years UA:NYC focused on the littler dudes and, likewise, produced some great action. The official vids haven't been released yet, but there are a solid handful of grainy bootlegs. Check out the final match-up between Rafael Lovato Jr. protege (and 2011 World No-Gi champ), Justin Rader versus CelsoVenicius (2008 World Champ).

We warn you - it's long and not very clear. But, you're a diehard and have a lot of time on your hands, so it's no big deal.

BROTHERS GRACIE BREAK DOWN BENSON'S BICTORY (i.e., GRACIE BREAKDOWN/UFC 144 ).

2012-02-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

C'mon, grappler. You're hardly even hiding your strange man-crush on Rener Gracie. You just went out and bought a $400 Vitamix Juicer. You're eating those oven baked Kale Chips. You probably even buzzed your hair and bought the Bullyproof DVD's (which is weird, because you're like 32 years-old).

Alright, alright. Gracie Breakdown. The UFC 144 edition. You love this stuff. Go.

DARCEANGLE - THE DARCE IS CONNECTED TO THE TRIANGLE.

2012-02-24T05:00:00.001-08:00

Ah, the Darce or what it was originally called D'arce (named after Renzon BB Joe D'arce), otherwise know to Brazilians as the Brabo choke. Now not to get all technical but the Brabo/Darce is just a variation of the arm triangle in reverse. Once you learn the simplicity of the choke you will find it in all sorts of places - top or bottom. Check out this sweet hybrid of the Darce that is very similar to the Peruvian Necktie. It combines the darce/brabo choke with the leg positioning of the triangle choke. This variation comes in handy when your opponent is defending the normal application. Peep the vid and get to work!

IT'S 2012. DO YOU KNOW YER BREAD N' BUTTER DE LA RIVA SWEEPS?

2012-02-23T14:20:00.003-08:00

What is it they say? You have to walk before you run. And, also - you aren't supposed to put the cart before the horse or cross a bridge before you come to it. It can also be said that you have to know your basic De La Riva sweeps before you Berimbolo.

Grappler, the De La Riva guard is all over the place these days and it's easy to get ahead of yourself and skip a few steps to get to the really fancy, trick techniques that will get you the chicks (the hot ones). But, it's wise to slow down and first get down the initial basic sweeps from a standard DLR position. Case in point - the video below from our brothers at Phuket Top Team. This technique for a a basic trip-type sweep from a DLR is properly demo'd by Prof. Olavo Abreu, Head BJJ trainer at PTT in Thailand.

So, get yer learn on. This one is doable right off the bat (after a few drilling sessions).

THIS ISN'T GRACIE COMBATIVES.

2012-02-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Check out this funny yet rather disturbing video of the guys over at BT BJJ Japan. We are not sure if this is your typical kids class, but I'm putting my vote in right now to have this type of warmup next time I hit up the gym. You could easly start up the class with "Hey kids, let's play a little game," - and now, your grappling moment of Zen...

IF YOU ASK BJ PENN A QUESTION ON BJJ, HE'LL MOST LIKELY ANSWER IT ... PROBABLY.

2012-02-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

It's meat n' potatoes time, grapplers. Because, who has time to read my carefully selected and extremely clever words when they've got approximately 5 minutes of BJJ Penn awkwardly answering questions in an unprepared, yet charming, way waiting for them? No one, that's who.

I think it's safe to refer to BJ Penn as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA icon. From his status as the first American black belt to achieve gold at Mundial to his pretty amazing UFC career - his status is huge and his fame is permanent. He has his own action figures. Everyone knows he can jump out of the shallow end of the pool no problem. I don't need to go on.

Check out a solid Q & A from OpenMatRadio.com in which the Prodigy answers all your geeky BJJ-related questions. You know you love this stuff. Props to Open Mat Radio - I wasn't familiar with their work until I saw this interview.

YOU KANG GET STUCK IN 93.

2012-02-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

93 (ninety-three) is the natural number following 92 and preceding 94, it's also the atomic number of neptunium, an actinide. You know what else is interesting - the sun is approximately 93 million miles away from the Earth, at the age of 93 Estelle Frendberg ran the Senior Olympics and won 2 gold medals, 93 the international direct dial code for phone calls to Afghanistan and on November 12, 1993 the first UFC took place in Denver, Colorado. So within two sentences, one of which is a perfect example of a "run-on," you have learned more than you ever could have sitting at your desk filling out TPS reports. For those of you who are unable to process these amazing numerological facts, this post is really about Denis Kang and his guard, which of course is named after the number 93.

For years, Denis Kang was one of my favorite fighters, I remember watching Pride FC and seeing throw down with the best in the world at the time. His dominance and toughness did not migrate over to the American MMA scene though. In fact, like most fighters who spent a majority of there time fighting in Japan, something is lost in transition or translation. Well regardless of Denis's record, he is still a bad ass BJJ Black Belt and today he shows us the ins-and-outs of the 93 guard. For you noobies out in grappleland, the 93 guard is a variation of halfguard where your shin and knee are creating a barrier between you and your opponent (also see Shield Guard or Shin Guard). As you can imagine, this hybrid guard play opens up a variety of transitions, sweeps and submissions from a dynamic position. A best of both worlds if you will. So, take a look at Kang demonstrating an onslaught of moves from the 93.

50 WAYS TO VERBALLY NEGATE THE CHOKE YOU JUST TAPPED TO.

2012-02-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Actually that's a totally misleading title. Or, maybe it's just excellent sarcasm. Either way, you're here and that's all that matters. We win.

What we're addressing now are all the pathetic things grapplers say to their teammates/opponents after getting dominated on the mat. If you've trained for more than a bit, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's not a good thing to do, but, the truth is, we all do this in one form or another at one time or another. BJJ is a form of competition and it's human nature to be embarrassed when you perform poorly (even though you shouldn't). And, sometimes, yeah, you make a stupid excuse to dismiss a submission someone got on you. It's OK, grappler. We forgive you.

At the same time, it's really fun to mock "that guy" (could be you) for all the stupid things he says on the mat and in the "locker room" (we don't have any lockers at our academy; just 2 benches and a lot of smelly dudes). Check out two great animated shorts created by Michael Jen (using Xtranormal). Michael knows of what he speaks - he's a 3rd degree black belt under Joe Moreiera and head instructor at Smash Gyms in Milpitas, CA.

So, try not to be this guy, even though, at some point, you will be (I guarantee it).

HERE'S A NO BRAINER: YOU, WATCHING THIS ANDRE GALVAO HIGHLIGHT VID.

2012-02-21T05:00:00.001-08:00

Yeah. That's a done deal. If you train Jiu Jitsu, there's is pretty much no chance you don't have mad respect for Andre Galvao. He's doin' the damn thing!

Galvao just won ADCC both in his >88Kg division and in the Absolute division. He won Worlds as a black belt before focusing on MMA (2008) and he's back this year. Speaking personally, I think the guy's BJJ style is awesome - he's technical and balanced, but not afraid to rely on and apply his power and athleticism to win when he needs to.

Check out a top notch highlight video on Andre Galvao's career so far produced by Budovideos.

IT'S A MOTHER F%&KING SHARK!

2012-02-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Throughout my martial arts experience, including that of grappling/BJJ, I've found that, without a doubt, the most effective techniques are usually the simplest. Recently, I've noticed how I fall into common habits or "paths" while grappling and often times neglect some of the easiest most fundamental techniques that I learned in my first few weeks of BJJ. This week, Emyr "Shark" Bussade (care of BJJWeekly) shows us a series of high percentage sweeps that are extremely effective in sparing and competition.

You might be asking yourself, who is this Emyr guy and why is his name "Shark." Well Mr. Shark has long been connected to the Carlson lineage and has followed it throughout it's many splits. He eventually migrated to BTT and then to ATT where he attained his Black Belt under Ricardo Liborio. Emyr is an experienced MMA competitor and accomplished grappler, he was also the 2001 Mundials Champ. So take our advice, this guy knows what he's talking about and it's best you stay off his mats or as Emyr likes to call them - his water.

So pay attention, take notes, and tripod sweep away with Mr. Shark and his helpless victims.

ROLLIN' WITH RODOLFO!!

2012-02-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

It's actually been a while but, since we began, we've extolled the virtues of watching great grapplers free rolling with teammates and friends. If you watch with a mindful eye, you'll glean all kinds of dope knowledge. Unlike an instructional video or a video of a competition, watching a free roll is like being a fly on the wall in the grappler's laboratory. From that, you get to see a grappler being experimental and really flow.

Check out a great sesh caught on video by our good buddies at Jits Magazine of World Champion, Rodolfo Vieira free training with his teammate, Denilson Pimenta.

(Note: Watching your coach roll with his high level guys is equally as helpful.)

HOW DO YOU SAY SINISTER IN SPANISH?

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Image from Lourdes Grobet's "Lucha Libre"

We are sensitive people over here. We try to respect all of our loyal supporters, regardless of age, sex or nationality/ethnicity. We make fun of you only because we truly love you. So, since DSTRYR and I both speak-a-duh Spanglish, this goes out to our friends "south of the border" or anywhere Spanish is spoken. (but, definitely not this place in South Carolina). Check out Sinister [tro] Iturralde of Monsters Training Center IN Miami, FL, delivering a full BJJ tutorial in his native tongue of Ecuador-ish. And don't hate 'cause he ain't speaking American, he could kick our asses any day regardless whether you trane UFC or not.

Sinistro Itturralde presents - Como Asegurar la Espalda.

SHREDDING UP THE MAT WITH YOUR BERIMBORNADO (OR TORIMBOLO, WHATEVER)..

2012-02-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

Innovation! Without it we'd still be rolling around on dirt and/or some woven palm fronds ... in the dark ... with no Spandex®.

Innovation has everything to do with BJJ and it's growth. When I started training in 1998, the Internet was still expanding and there was little or nothing on BJJ. YouTube was 7 years away from existing. Nearly all technique was learned and developed internally through your academy. The only other widely used implements for gaining knowledge came form VHS tapes, magazine and books. It was expensive and time consuming. Innovative technique flourished, but no where at the level it does now.

Let's cut quickly to today (because who has time to read): in 2012, we have a massive, almost infinite, resource of video technique and competition footage at our fingertips via YouTube and other online video souces (e.g. Vimeo, Daily Motion). It's pretty incredible and it's helping the sport/combat art of grappling/BJJ grow at an almost exponential pace.

Enough of me talking. Watch this very slick, smart (and seemingly achievable) Berimbolo-type sweep from Renato Tavares. Innovation!!

STOP KESTING AROUND, THIS REALLY WORKS.

2012-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

We have featured Stephan Kesting on our site many times over the years. He is an experienced Black Belt that constantly experiments with old and new techniques in order to simplify movements and mechanics for the common people - yes, that would be us. His videos are some of the best on the internet and often times break down positions that we find ourselves stuck in - whether they are offensive or defensive.

Stephan tells us a tale of the pressing armlock and how it has haunted him throughout the years and up until fairly recently he has able to conquer the powers of the armlock. So watch and learn as Stephan shows you the Pressing Armlock, the Arm Crush, or Ude Gatame from Sidemount, a submission he was initially convinced would never work.

RODOLFO VIEIRA: "BJJ CHAMPIONS SHOULD GET PAID."

2012-02-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

Art by Hillary Williams

"I don’t think it is fair to train as hard as we do … dedicate our lives and, when we win, we receive a medal, an article or a photo in a magazine – It is not enough. We deserve much more than that."
- Rodolfo Vieira, 2011 HW and Absolute IBJJF World, Pan and World Pro Cup Champion

We agree 100%.

Note: Thanks again to Jits Magazine for some great work.

THE GREG JACKSONPLATA FOR MMA AND THE FINER POINTS OF GROUND N' POUND.

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Grappler, I know you come here to check out funky inverted sweeps and out-of-the-box strangulations and joint manipulations (rhyme intended). Occasionally, you'll join me in mocking professional BJJer's hairstyles and poor montage music choices for their highlight reels (among other things). We're cut from the same cloth, you and I. At the end of the day, we all just want to train Jiu Jitsu at the expense of our personal lives and careers and get really, really good at it. Amen.

But, there's apparently more to life than that, and sometimes it involves punching and elbowing dudes from the guard and mount positions. I'm talking about MMA stuff, and no one is better at coaching worldwide that Greg Jackson. I don't train MMA, but I definitely enjoyed watching Greg walk a group of seminar goers at Evolve MMA (Singapore) through his MMA version of the omoplata and the basics of ground n' pound. Scientific!

Oh, and Shinya Aoki's his training dummy/partner. That's gotta worth something. Go.

WATCH RYAN HALL'S CRAZY INVERTED STYLINGS AT IBJJF HOUSTON OPEN.

2012-02-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

We get it. You don't have time to watch every single minute of every single BJJ tournament. You're too busy buying grip enhancing devices and working on your inverted x-guard sweeps. Settle down.

You have been warned. This match is 10+ minutes and it really only gets good after the 9:30 mark. I mainly posted it to illustrate how very bizarre Ryan Hall's game has developed. He's basically lying in wait from a fully inverted position for 8 minutes.

What do you think of this style? I, myself, am unsure. I know it's effective and he's great at what he does, but at the same time, it's very odd and defensive. I guess it's like being a counter-puncher in boxing.

Thoughts?

OPTIONPLATA - THINGS YOU CAN DO FROM THE PLATA.

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

I remember, years ago, when I heard the nickname Raspberry Ape, the first thing that my demented mind tried to do was file it along with the other funny titles for sexual exploits like the Jelly Donut or Rusty Trombone. As I would later learn, I was horribly wrong and if I ever encountered this Raspberry Ape - Mr. Strauss would surely have the ability to kick my ass and re-index my mental filing system. So, lets focus on the topic of the day - The Omoplata.

The Omoplata is a shoulder lock very similar to the kimura that utilizes leg pressure as leverage against your opponent's arm. Now, most people find it rather difficult to finish or wonder what options are available from this position. That's why Dan Strauss, otherwise known as the 'The Raspberry Ape' is here to explain. Dan favors attacking the readily available foot while maintaining the omoplata position. Check out the technique and give it a try tonight grapplers (the submission, not the other stuff from paragraph one. That's just gross.)

[Note: Special thanks to Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine for a job well done on the video.]

NOW WATCH RAFAEL MENDES KILLING IT AT IBJJF HOUSTON OPEN.

2012-02-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

Maybe all that heart monitoring and plyometric jumping really works (even without the giant rope swinging) .

Rafael Mendes is without any doubt the best in the in world in his weight class. We know this because he's winning Worlds and ADCC consistently. With the utmost respect to his opponent in the video below (Andre Monteiro, who himself is a legit top-level competitor [2011 Pan No-Gi gold]), I think what we are seeing is a widening of the gap between the pros and the ultra-pros.

Mendes can only be defeated by another über-professional (e.g., Cobrinha, maybe).

AS IF YOU NEEDED PROOF ELITE GRAPPLERS ARE PRO ATHLETES. WATCH THIS VIDEO OF RAFA MENDES TRAINING FOR 2011 ADCC.

2012-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

The essence of the training montage video is simple. You absolutely must incorporate one of the following in to your video: (a) the sledhammering of a giant tire, (b) giant rope swing-exercises or (c) the tipping over of an even more massive, Space Shuttle-sized, tire. The one exception I can think of to these requirements is the involvement of any kind of of exercise/gas mask deal-thing. If you wear that, you are good to go. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them.

Alas, this Rafael Mendes training video, showing his preparation for victory for 2011 ADCC, features none of these things. It's shocking.

I'm a little stumped. I'm going back to check over the rules. There may well be a plyometics exception I'm not aware of, but even that would be most likely be canceled out by the obvious "Blink 182" penalty (never Blink 182, never).

Rafael Mendes shreds as we all know. Check it and go train even harder.