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Copyright 2017 by Nicolas Gregoriades

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www.jiujitsubrotherhood.com
INTRODUCTION

Although there are is no substitute for a good coach and time on the
mat, the next best thing is quality information.

Thats one of the things I love about jiu jitsu - how a tiny piece of
knowledge can change everything. A seemingly-insignificant detail
can be a huge leverage point, both literally and figuratively.

Ive spent almost 20 years on mats around the world training and
teaching, and Ive been privileged enough to pick up a bunch of these
little details along the way. Some have come from my instructors and
training partners, but most I learned the hard way, through trial and
error.

Heres a collection of 101 of the best BJJ tips and tricks Ive found so
far. Its my hope that they will help you get the most out of your jiu
jitsu adventure.

See you on the mats!

Nic Gregoriades
Founder & Head Instructor
Jiu JItsu Brotherhood

1
# 1- Learn Foot & Leg-Locks

Theres a reason why guys like Gary Tonon are tearing up the
competition circuit with lower-body submissions - because they work.

Yes, the more advanced attacks are illegal until brown belt, but that
doesnt stop you from learning them early, or from mastering the
basic and allowed straight foot-lock.

Becoming familiar with them early will mean you wont have to
scramble to play catch up when you hit the brown belt.

2
# 2 - Watch Choke

Rickson Gracie is the ultimate example of a jiu jitsu master. This

amazing documentary shows you behind the scenes of his preparation
for the first Pride tournament in Japan, and includes fascinating
footage of his training regimen.

Choke is hugely inspiring and represents the levels of health and self-
actualisation that can be attained through the jiu jitsu lifestyle. You
can find the documentary on YouTube here.

3
# 3 - Consistency is Key

Jiu jitsu is a marathon, not a sprint. Years of regular practice is the

most sure-fire way to achieve your goals and build a solid game.

Its far better to consistently engage in 2-4 sessions per week year-
round than it is train 10 times per week for a month and burn yourself
out. And dont worry about hitting plateaus when you feel like you
arent progressing. Thats just the way it works with jiu jitsu - you
might spend weeks or even months without feeling like youre getting
better. But you are, trust me.

4
# 4 - Keep Your Knees Off the Ground

With a few notable exceptions, the Mount position being one of them,
when fighting from the top its better to have your knees off the
ground.

When both of your knees are on the floor its dramatically decreases
the percentage of your weight that your opponent is carrying and
also reduces the engagement of your feet with the mat, which in turn
decreases traction and leverage.

5
# 5 - Redirect His Hips

Regardless of which guard variant or technique your opponent is

attacking you with, to use it effectively he will need to have his hips
angled in a certain direction.

Anything you do to successfully change this angle will negate that

specific guard, forcing him to change his attack and giving you an
opportunity to pass.

6
# 6 - Center of Gravity

Your center of gravity is located a couple of inches below your navel.

When youre fighting from a standing position, or any of the top

positions, your likelihood of being thrown, swept or reversed is in
direct proportion to how high that center is from the floor.

When in doubt, lower is usually better.

7
# 7 - Use Waypoints

I got this one from the great Braulio Estima.

Lets say you want to go from your opponents closed-guard to your

side-mount. Think of that as a journey with the start at point A (inside
his guard) to the end at point B (your side-mount).

If you can identify a waypoint - a reference point - halfway between

the two (e.g. his half-guard), it will make it much easier to remember
the all the steps of any technique or sequence.

Note - its ideal if this waypoint is a place that you feel safe and stable.
You can then use it to take a brief rest and gather yourself before
moving to your final destination.

8
# 8 - Movements Before Moves

Brazilian judo legend Flavio Canto once said that movements are
more important that techniques. This is true in jiu jitsu too. Especially
for beginners.

Before focusing on sweeps, submissions and counters, your time

is better spent practising the fundamental movements such as
shrimping and bridging. These movements are essential prerequisites
for being able to apply techniques with energy efficiency and power.

9
# 9 - Remove the Slack

When youre trying to control your opponent from any position, think
of the structure of his body as similar to a piece of string or rope. The
more slack there is in the rope, the more it can move.

The more your opponent can move the more momentum he can
generate the more space he can create the more likely he is to
escape.

Stop this chain of events from happening by removing the slack from
his structure as soon as you have a control position.

10
# 10 - Be Unpredictable

Even though jiu jitsu is infinite, there are several commonly

encountered techniques and scenarios.

After a few years of training, the average jiu jitsu player develops an
instinct for these and can usually sense when they are coming by
using the subtle visual and pressure cues his opponent will give him.
Hell use these to prepare counters.

Very often, just doing the opposite of what he expects will result in a
positive outcome, because it will confuse him and create an opening
for you.

11
# 11 - The Law of Recruitment

Ive heard it said that Jiu jitsu is about using a strong part of your
body against a weaker part of his.

The Law of Recruitment states:

The leverage you are able apply to a technique is directly proportionate

to the amount of your body mass you can engage whilst performing
it.

You should always be asking How much of my body am I using to

perform this movement?

If youre just pulling or pushing with your arms, you are not recruiting
much, but if youre generating the power by employing larger,
stronger parts of your body like your hips, glutes and lower-back, youll
be able to maximise your leverage.

12
# 12 - Grip Near Joints

When youre fighting an opponent in a gi, you have literally hundreds

of options of where to grip. Some of these grippable points are
definitely better than others.

Its been my experience that most of the time the closer to your
opponents joints you grip, the move leverage youll be able to
generate, and the more easily youll be able to manipulate his body.

13
# 13 - There Are No Absolutes

No matter what your coach, this guide, or any other resource tells you
about techniques, concepts or any other aspects of training, keep in
mind that when it comes to jiu jitsu there are no absolutes.

Yes, there are things which might hold true almost all of the time,
but the more I train the more I see that every rule has an exception.
So if someone tells you never put your hand on the ground in closed
guard, keep in mind that at some point in the future youll probably
need to do exactly that.

14
# 14 - Strong Shape VS Weak Shape

In my opinion this is one of the most important concepts in jiu jitsu.

Simply put: there are two anatomical shapes you need to look out for
at all times during rolling. These are:

The Weak Shape - You want to avoid being in this shape at all costs,
whilst trying to force your opponent into it as much as possible.

The Strong Shape - Wherever possible, always try to approximate this

shape in all positions.

I cover this concept in more detail in Beyond Technique 1 & 2.

15
# 15 - Do Pull Ups

Few things will develop grappling-specific strength as fast as pull-ups,

and the best thing about them is that so little equipment is required.
Get a quality pull-up bar and you have everything you need to for an
effective conditioning workout to improve your grappling.

Make sure you hit as many variations as you can - my favorite is the gi
over the bar version which maximises jiu jitsu-specific grip strength.

16
# 16 - Wrist Blades

When you choke or strangle someone in bjj, most of the time you
apply pressure to his trachea or carotid arteries using his own collar or
your wrists.

Using the correct part of your wrist will often make the difference
between a successful and failed attack on your opponents neck. You
should be using the relatively thin, sharp blade like surfaces of the
radius and ulna bones, instead of the broad, flat parts.

17
# 17 - The Best Foot-lock Defense

Heres a gem I got from Roger Gracie: Whenever someone is attacking

your foot, knee or ankle using a lower-body submission, your first line
of defense should always be to remove one of his hands from the leg
he attacking.

Its impossible to complete some foot-locks with only one hand, and
really difficult to complete most of the others, so peeling off one of his
hands from the foot hes trying to manipulate will almost always get
you out of trouble.

18
# 18 - Record Yourself

Watching footage of yourself training or competing can reveal huge

amounts about your game that you might never otherwise have
become aware of.

Its never been easier to do this and it always surprises me why more
players dont make use of it. Just get a buddy to film some of your
sparring matches at the academy and watch them after - youll be
surprised what insights you pick-up about your jiu jitsu.

Itll work even better if you can get a higher grade to watch it with you
and give you some extra feedback.

19
# 19 - Minimise Inflammation

As with other intense physical activities, jiu jitsu training can cause
inflammation in the body. This inflammation plays a large role in how
quickly you recover - the more you have the longer it will take.

We cant really stop the inflammation caused by hard rolls, but we

can minimise additional inflammation using lifestyle changes. The
main two Ive had success with are diet (avoid sugar and alcohol) and
cold-water therapy.

20
# 20 - Develop a Standing Strategy

Sure, most jiu jitsu matches end on the ground, but guess what - they
ALL start standing.

You should have at least a basic strategy for when the fight starts
on the feet. This doesnt mean you need to know dozens of throws
or takedowns, but you will need at least a couple of effective
combinations.

Also, make sure you have a high-percentage guard-pulling method

and a well-trained sprawl-reflex to keep you in the game against good
judo players and wrestlers.

21
# 21 - Control his Knee in Half-Guard

Some guys mistakenly believe using half-guard is all about controlling

the ankle of your opponents trapped leg. Sure, keeping hold of his
ankle might stop his guard pass for short time, but it doesnt do much
to stop him from moving his body and then subsequently getting the
leverage to mount or submit you.

Focus instead on controlling his trapped knee by keeping it pinned to

the floor. This will make your half-guard much more difficult to deal
with.

22
# 22 - Open-Guard Plan

The open guard is a versatile attacking position that offers far more
sweep opportunities than the closed guard, but it comes with a huge
disadvantage - its much easier to pass.

An excellent black belt gave me a very good tip once. He said I never
open my guard unless I have a plan.

Open guard is one of the few areas you dont just want to riff - you
should have a specific objective in mind before you use this position.

23
# 23 - Take Up a 2nd Martial Art

One thing Ive noticed about the martial arts is that wherever there
is truth there is overlap. The core principles found in one of the
functional arts almost always have application in the others.

If you take up wrestling or judo your jiu jitsu will certainly improve.
Thats why judo players and wrestlers get good at bjj so quickly. But
training in boxing or muay thai will also greatly improve your jits
because of the additional types of balance, rhythm and attributes it
will impart.

24
# 24 - Use Angles

Just as with other functional martial arts, in jiu jitsu its very difficult to
generate leverage against your opponent when you are square on to
him.

This means that you should always be looking to create an angle on

your opponent, or take the angle away if he has it on you.

A good example of this is the arm-drag - it takes you from square on

to a powerful attacking position because of the angle it creates.

25
# 25 - The Superman Grip

A tough purple belt in Australia showed me this and it has made a

big difference to my game.

When youre looking for a cross-lapel grip, instead of curling your

fingers around the actual lapel, try to hook them right inside the
sleeve of his jacket, where it meets the torso.

If you do it properly it will make your grip almost impossible to break.

But keep in mind this only useful if you want to control, and it is not a
good grip to facilitate a choke.

26
# 26 - Use Unilateral Exercises

In jiu jitsu, as with almost all other sports, youre seldom pushing,
pulling or balancing equally with both feet or hands.

Doing unilateral movements like pistol squats. one-arm pushups

and single-leg deadlifts builds strength that translates much more
specifically into grappling contexts than the regular bilateral versions.

Dont beat yourself up if you find these movements difficult at first -

they are much more challenging than their two-limbed variations!

27
# 27 - Learn to Flow Roll

Most people have only one speed when rolling - flat-out. The best
grapplers are able to shift gears according to the situation that is
presented. They can roll light when their opponent rolls light and
amp it up if he pushes the pace.

By removing the competitive element from sparring, flow rolling

help you learn how to use these gears. Its also a fantastic drill for
improving both cardiovascular endurance, timing and agility.

It can be very tiring but is also a lot of fun!

Heres a video I created several years back about flow rolling.

28
# 28 - Take Notes in Class

We all have different learning styles and ways in which we process

information, yet most of us approach jiu jitsu classes in the exact
same way - we watch or listen, and then try to execute. Thats great if
youre a visual learner, but not so great if youre not.

Over the years, Ive seen a few students taking notes during seminars
and classes that Ive taught, and very often they seem to absorb the
lessons faster than others. You might be one of the people for whom
this is a game-changer - give it a try.

29
# 29 - Be Aware of Ezekiel Opportunities

Over the last couple of years the Ezekiel choke has become one of my
favourite submissions, and its largely due to this little detail:

Remember that whenever both of your arms are above both of your
opponents arms, there is almost always an Ezekiel opportunity,
because it will be very hard for him to use his hands to protect his
neck.

You can use this in side mount, back mount, mount, from your guard
and even from inside his guard!

30
# 30 - Control Your Breathing

Lets use the analogy of your jiu jitsu game as being like a house
that youre building. The ability to control your breathing during the
pressures of sparring should be considered as the foundation of that
house.

Its absolutely vital that you learn to keep your breathing smooth and
even, and preferably at a slower place than your opponents. This will
prevent you from gassing-out prematurely and also make sure your
movements are smooth.

Heres a video with some more details on this topic.

31
# 31 - Engage Your Feet

This has been a major breakthrough in my understanding of jiu jitsu

over the last year. In fact, I often teach whole seminars based around
just this topic.

The basic premise is this: Keep your active and feet engaged with
either the floor or your opponent as much of the time as possible. The
corollary is: Try to disengage your opponents feet from both the floor
and yourself as much as possible.

I go into this concept in great depth in Beyond Technique 2.

32
# 32 - Get Proper Sleep

Were putting our bodies through a huge amount of additional

stress when we train, and the main way we recover from this stress
is through sleep. Not only do we need more sleep than the average
person, we need to ensure that the quality of our sleep is high.

Heres an article that gives some great tips on how to maximise your
sleep for improved jiu jitsu performance.

33
# 33 - Be the B.O.S.S.

Heres a great little tip for the side-mount and half-guard that I got
from Asian MMA star and black belt Adam Kayoom. When fighting
from these positions you always want to be the B.O.S.S which stands
for Back Or Side & Shoulder.

When youre on the top, you be the boss by keeping your opponents
Back on the mat as much as possible (just like a pin in wrestling), and
when youre on the bottom, you be the boss by getting off your back
by being on your Side and a single Shoulder

34
# 34 - Learn to Pass to Both Sides

90 percent of BJJ players pass to the left. This means that guys
naturally become very good at defending the pass on that side. But
this also means that they usually have underdeveloped defense and
poor muscle memory for stopping passes on the opposite side.

By choosing a couple of strong passes and practising until you have

the ability to use them effectively to both sides, you will greatly
increase your ability to pass the guard.

35
# 35 - Push / Pull

I learned this when I was 8 years old from my first judo teacher and I
still use it a lot in my jiu jitsu.

Often we need our opponent to move in a particular way so that we

can use his momentum or weight transfer against him.

Its in our nature to resist when someone is attempting to physically

manipulate us. We can use this understanding to get our opponent to
move in a way we want him to.

Heres an example: Lets say I want my opponent to come towards

me so that I can use his forward momentum to throw him over my
shoulder. The way to get him to do this is to push him away. Conversely,
If I want him to move backwards, I need to pull him towards me.

36
# 36 - Practice with Eyes Closed

This is one of the fastest ways to gain big improvements in your jiu
jitsu. When you spar with your eyes closed, you learn how to feel jiu
jitsu.

Your body develops an increased sensitivity to where you are in space

and also to the pressure and weight distribution of your opponent.
The ability to do this is vital to the development of good technique,
and the sooner you learn it the better.

37
# 37 - Stay Hydrated

Its a well-known fact that dehydration degrades sports performance.

The risk of becoming dehydrated is especially high in jiu jitsu due to
the huge amount of perspiration it induces.

Its important to be hydrated by increasing your fluid intake before

class (or competition) even if youre not thirsty. Thirst is a sign of
dehydration, so if you wait until between rolls to drink fluids, its already
too late. And also, drinking large amounts of liquid before sparring is
one of the quickest ways to make feel bloated and potentially throw
up!

38
# 38 - Compete at Least Once

Not everybody is cut out for competition. It can be an extremely

stressful and nerve-wracking experience, but nothing, and I mean
nothing will expose flaws in your game quicker.

Even if you dont plan on becoming a champion or seasoned

competitor, you should compete at least once. Its a part of the jiu
jitsu lifestyle that you shouldnt miss out on, if only so that you can
empathise with your teammates when youre helping them prepare
for tournaments and supporting them from the sidelines.

Here are some tips if you do decide to enter a competition.

39
# 39 - Use Flow Diagrams

Back when I was a purple belt, I started creating flow charts to help
me get a better grasp of the multitude of techniques I was being
shown. After using them for a couple of months, I noticed a dramatic
increase in my overall jiu jitsu game. If you take the time to make
some of your own, Im sure you will too.

Heres a simple one created by the legendary Rickson Gracie:

40
# 40 - Visit Japan

If you have the time and means, I strongly recommend you visit Japan.

Many people consider Brazil to be the mecca of jiu jitsu, but in my

opinion its a distant second to Japan, the true home of the art.

There is also a huge group of fantastic guard players out there - a few
weeks with them will improve your sweeps for sure. And training with
the highly skilled judo masters there will do wonders for your stand-
up game.

You will also learn a lot about the roots of jiu jitsu and the true essence
of martial arts.

41
# 41 - Use Different Gis

Back when I started training, you were lucky to even find a real BJJ
gi if you lived outside of Brazil. Most of the time you had to make do
with a judo gi or a hand-me-down from an experienced player.

Now we have all manner of kimonos available, including different cuts

and weaves. Each one of them provides a slightly different experience,
which will improve your game as a whole.

For example, the thinner weave competition gis will allow you to
move easily, but also provide better gripping opportunities for your
opponent.

Photo Credit - Meerkatsu

42
# 42 - Practice Yoga

The discipline of yoga is a fantastic complement to training Brazilian

jiu jitsu. In fact, for anyone over 35 who wants to stay on the mats, Id
say its practically essential.

Jiu jitsu develops many physical attributes, including strength and

balance. But despite what people might tell you, training BJJ without
a dedicated stretching routine will actually make you less flexible.

Not only will regular yoga address this, but itll also improve ALL the
other attributes required for great jiu jitsu, and help keep you healthy
and on the mat well into old age.

Check out the Yoga for Grapplers course I created here.

43
# 43 - Fingers & Thumbs Together

Thumb and finger injuries are some of the most common (and most
painful) in jiu jitsu. You can greatly minimise your chance of getting
one of them by using this little tip.

Whenever your hands are not engaged (gripping) with your opponent,
keep all of your fingers and thumb tucked against each other. This
will stop individual digits from being accidentally jammed or bent
backwards and reduce the chance of injury.

44
# 44 - Use Juicing

Ensuring that you get enough quality nutrition is absolutely vital if you
want to become the best grappler you can be.

Juicing (no, not that kind!) is a relatively easy way to get quality
calories and many of the important nutrients youll need for optimal
performance on the mat.

Check out more about the topic here.

45
# 45 - Visual Misdirection

This is a sneaky one, but highly effective nonetheless.

When youre hunting for a grip, dont look towards the area youre
wanting to grab onto. Instead, look at another part of your opponents
anatomy.

Misdirecting him away from what youre trying to latch onto by using
your eyes will confuse him him for a split second and often allow you
to get the grip you want without being blocked by his defence.

This works best from the standing and the knee-start positions. Use it
sparingly though!

46
# 46 - Know Your Limits

Despite what you might have heard, more mat-time isnt always
better for your jiu jitsu.

Training too hard for too long is a sure-fire recipe for burnout, boredom
and injury.

Dont worry about how many times the world-champion competitors

claim to train - only you will know how much training is ideal to
maximise your progress.

The best indicators are your own body and mind. If both feel fresh at
the end of the training week, increase the volume / intensity a little
the following week. If either feels tired, decrease it a little. Sooner or
later youll find a balance.

Check out our article on overtraining here.

47
# 47 - Triangle Choke Tightness

The Sankaku-Jime or Triangle Choke is one of the most devastating

submissions in jiu jitsu, but also one of the most poorly performed.

A good triangle requires several components to work correctly, and

these are the most important Ive identified:

Squeeze your knees towards each other

Flex your toes and ankles back
Keep your lower back on the floor
Have your leg perpendicular to his neck

48
# 48 - Know the Rules

Competing is a large part of most peoples jiu jitsu journeys. Ive

never been the kind of grappler who tried to exploit the rules to his
advantage - I always fight to submit.

Looking back on my competitive career, I realise that this was a

mistake. On more than a few occasions I lost to savvy players who
exploited the rules to beat me.

If youre going to compete, make sure you learn the rulesets of the
organisation that runs the tournament youre entering. Check out this
article which features a video that explains all the rules of the major
competition bodies.

49
# 49 - Strengthen Your Neck

Take care of your neck, youve only got one. was one of the first things
a grappling instructor ever said to me.

Last year I hurt my neck and it kept me out of training for almost
two months. The incident made me realise that even though I was
in pretty good shape, I had been neglecting neck-conditioning in
my training regime. It was a powerful reminder that in jiu jitsu your
physical chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Check out this article for ways to strengthen your neck.

50
# 50 - Use Kettlebells

I really believe that you dont need much in the way of equipment to
get in fantastic shape for grappling, but there are a few items that can
definitely make a difference to the conditioning component of your
training. The kettlebell is one of them.

Even the most basic kettlebell movement, the swing, is an excellent

supplement for grappling, and will develop the hip-drive and pulling
movements that are essential for grappling performance.

Check out our in-depth article on using kettlebells for your jiu jitsu
here.

51
# 51 - Go Rock Climbing

In my opinion, nothing will develop the kind of strength required for

jiu jitsu faster than rock-climbing.

The type of power it creates is ideally suited to grappling - you become

stronger in almost all angles and your finger and grip-strength goes
through the roof.

It also improves balance, coordination and bone-density - all things

beneficial to a jiu jitsu player. I had a student with very little physical
presence that was being out-muscled by all of the other guys in class.
He started rock-climbing and within a few months I was amazed by
how much better of an athlete he had become.

Try doing it for an hour or two each week - I promise it will make your
BJJ better very quickly.

52
# 52 - Tap To Learn

Fear of tapping is what holds many BJJ players back.

Because they absolutely refuse to allow anyone to catch them in

submissions (or even bad positions) in training, they do not become
familiar with them. This results in poor awareness and poor defense.

Dont be that guy who is terrified of tapping or afraid to be dominated.

Letting yourself be put in tough situations is one of the best ways to
learn.

53
# 53 - Live Hips in Guard

Your hips power pretty much all of your jiu jitsu and nowhere is this
more true than in the guard position.

By keeping your hip movements dynamic when playing off your back
you make it much harder for your opponent to clamp down on your
pelvis and start his pass.

Also, by having live hips, your guard becomes much more dangerous
- you will create many more angles and more opportunities to sweep
and submit. Practising without using your hands for several hours is a
sure-fire way to get your hips moving.

54
# 54 - Set Your Grips First

When engaging in any kind of jacket-based grappling training its

wise to follow this guideline:

Before you create a large movement (usually those initiated by your

hips and legs), set at least one grip on your opponent. This is obvious
for most throws and takedowns, but its also important for ground-
fighting.

For example, lets say I am wanting to pass my opponents open guard

and Im standing above him. Before trying to step around it, I would
set my grips on his knees.

55
# 55 - Protect Your Neck

This is one of the first things I ever learned.

Your neck is almost always vulnerable in jiu jitsu, because of the large
number of choking opportunities your collar (and opponents sleeves)
present.

In No-Gi grappling you can quite often leave your neck exposed in
certain areas such as the side mount and get away with it. In BJJ thats
almost certainly going to get you submitted. Always be conscious of
your neck and try to keep at least one hand near it when you are in
defensive positions like mount or back-mount.

56
# 56 - Elbows Off the Ground

This is a great one for improving your control from side-mount and
mount.

In these positions, the defensive player usually wants to get off his
back and to do this he needs to place one of his elbows on the ground
so that he can create a structure.

When youre the offensive player in one of these positions, you can
make life hell for your partner by lifting whichever elbow he bases
on off the ground. This will make it much, much harder for him to
escape.

57
# 57 - Isolate Joints

This is a neat little trick to use when youre trying to submit your
opponent with a joint-lock.

When youre attacking a joint, identify and try to control and

immobilize the joints directly above and below it.

Lets use the arm-lock for example. The joint being attacked is the
elbow. The joints directly below and above are the wrist and shoulder.
So while Im applying the armlock, Im controlling his shoulder by
squeezing my knees together, and stopping his wrist from moving
using my hands.

58
# 58 - Use Wrist-Locks

I used to associate wrist-locks with some of the lame, dysfunctional

martial arts and neglected training them. Then one day a tricky brown
belt caught me in a tight wrist-lock from the side mount and I tapped
like the Little Drummer Boy.

Theyre still not that widely taught or used in BJJ, so getting good at
them will give you a big advantage.

You can find many wrist-lock resources online. The main point to
remember is that whenever your opponent puts his hand anywhere
on your torso, that there might be an opportunity for this submission.

59
# 59 - Maximise Body Awareness

The hallmark of all great athletes, and especially great jiu jitsu players,
is their level of body awareness. They are very in tune with their bodies
and have highly developed balance and coordination.

Even if you dont have naturally good body awareness, you can still
increase it through training.

Practising jiu jitsu will naturally improve it to a large degree, but you
can maximise it by doing things like gymnastics, yoga, surfing, and
rock climbing. Even stuff like juggling will help.

Anything you do to improve the connection between your body and

mind will instantly improve your BJJ.

60
# 60 - Dont Chase Belts

I was guilty of this during the early days of my training for sure. But
now as a 2nd degree black belt, I look back at the times when I was a
lower grade and remember that they were the most fun. Nothing was
expected of me and I was much hungrier to grow and learn.

Now I wish I had savoured that stage of the journey more and not
constantly put so much emphasis on my next belt.

Jiu jitsu is a journey, not a destination. Make sure you enjoy the ride!

61
# 61 - Consider Supplements

Supplements are something that Ive been experimenting with and

researching for a long time. Unfortunately its been my experience
that most of them are total garbage.

There are, however, a few clinically-tested and effective ones that can
really make a difference to your performance and recovery. The main
ones I recommend are: Fish oil, Vitamin D3, Creatine Monohydrate
and Magnesium.

You can read more about this topic here.

62
# 62 - Use Visualization

Many of you have probably heard about visualization in sports. It is

a technique used by many professional athletes to improve their
performance and several scientific studies have proved the efficiency
of this method.

Its a fantastic tool to use for jiu jitsu, because it allows you to practise
even when youre not on the mat. By drilling moves in your mind,
any dead time (waiting in queues for example) can be used as a mini
training session.

Dont underestimate the effectiveness of this technique - youll be

amazed by the results.

63
# 63 - Practise Without Hands

In grappling, using your arms exclusively is usually grossly inefficient.

On average, the human leg is three times stronger than the human
arm, and the trunk as a whole unit is stronger still. Therefore it is vital
to learn to access this massive strength reserve.

For a good grappler the legs and feet are as nimble as another set of
arms and hands, and he employs them to push, pull, lift and pin his
opponent. You can train this ability by sparring with only one or no
hands - simply hold your belt with the hand(s) you dont want to use.

64
# 64 - Teach

Teaching others helps develop your own skills, because you are forced
to look at things from a completely different perspective.

Once you have achieved a level of competence (blue belt), you should
consider helping out beginners at your academy. Im not saying you
need to give them full-blown lessons, but helping them out for a few
minutes before / after class or at the end of sparring match is not only
a cool thing to do, it will also improve your jits.

65
# 65 - Hips Back in Butterfly Guard

Even a lot of really good guard players dont know about this.

When youre using butterfly guard, one of the ways your opponent
can take away your leverage is by putting your back on the ground.
You can make it really difficult for him to do this by scooting your hips
as far back and your chest as far forward as possible.

This creates a stronger shape and keeps you in the game.

66
# 66 - Meditate

Jiu jitsu is as much a game played with the mind as it is one played
with the body, so it makes sense to work on both these aspects
of yourself if you want to become the best fighter you can be.
Conditioning training, sparring and drilling are great for the body part
of the equation, and meditation is great for the mind part.

A few years ago I started meditating regularly and I noticed the

unexpected benefit of better jiu jitsu performance. I was sharper and
more focused, and I also found it much easier to keep my cool when
things didnt go my way during tough matches.

Check out this article I wrote a few years ago about meditation for
more info.

67
# 67 - The Center-Line

Getting this down will make your guard way better.

When using several different kinds of guards (the closed and butterfly
variations come to mind) imagine that your opponent has an invisible
line running down the center of his body.

If you can get one of his arms (including his hand and wrist) across
this line, you will greatly improve your chances of hitting a bunch of
different sweeps, submissions and back-takes.

68
# 68 - Balance First

This one is gold.

Whenever you are fighting from any top position (inside any guards,
side-mount, mount etc.), you are usually vulnerable to being swept or
reversed. The better your opponent is the more likely either of these is
to happen.

One of the best ways to negate this danger is to always ask the
question Do I have good balance? before you decide to move or
execute a technique from top positions. If the answer is yes, then
go ahead, but if the answer is no then you need to first gain good
balance before continuing.

69
# 69 - Neck or Elbows

When somebody is defending the side mount or the mount positions,

he can either protect his neck well, or his arms well, but not both
at the same time. This is because his arms are not long enough to
keep his elbows close to his center and hands close to his neck
simultaneously.

You can exploit this whenever you are in either of these positions by
constantly cycling between chokes and armlocks - when he protects
his neck, attack the armlock and when he protects his arms attack his
neck.

70
# 70 - Practice Breakfalls

It always astounds me how few jiu jitsu students know how to breakfall
properly. This is a hugely important part of not just jiu jitsu but all
grappling martial arts - youll never have the confidence to commit to
throws unless you know youll be able to survive the counter-throws.
This is where breakfalls come in.

Judo has the best and most structured breakfall system Ive found
so far, and theyll be the first things youre taught in a judo class. A
couple of months of judo training and youll have them down.

71
# 71 - Use Your Head

While grappling we need to maximise the use of as much of our

anatomy as possible, and the head is an often under-utilized resource

I like to think of my head as a fifth limb. I am often using it to

manipulate his body (usually by driving it under his chin or push his
hands away from his center) or maintain my balance (by posting it on
the floor when my arms or legs are trapped)

The quickest way to learn how to use this reflexively is to put your
hands behind your back when trying to hold a training partner in the
mount position.

72
# 72 - Warm Up Properly

The is a boring but important tip.

Its absolutely vital that you make sure your body is warm before you
do jiu jitsu. A great deal of the injuries that happen in jiu jitsu are a
result of improperly preparing your body before training.

This is usually the responsibility of your coach, but only you can tell if
you feel ready for the intensity of jits after your regular class warm-up.
If not, then arrive at class a few minutes early to do whatever it takes
to get yourself limber and prepared.

Remember, its especially important to be aware of this in winter or

if youre in a cold country. You can get away with a much less intense
warm-up in a warm climate.

73
# 73 - Take a Private Lesson

Private lessons can be expensive (mine are ridiculous!), but there are
few faster ways of improving your jits.

The focus and attention a good instructor is able to give you in a

private lesson will benefit your BJJ as much as several regular classes
combined.

Heres a secret - if youre a white belt and you want a private lesson,
consider having one with a purple belt. Not only will it be cheaper,
but youll most likely get just as much out of it.

74
# 74 - Direct Your Knee

A good guard player will try to use positions like the de la Riva guard
to point your knee in a specific direction.

Letting this happen is not good because it will not only allow him
to create an angle on you, but it will also limit your movement in a
specific direction (your body has to move in the direction your knee is
pointing).

By keeping this in mind when youre passing and aggressively

ensuring that your lead knee is pointing where you want it to, you will
become a much better guard-passer.

75
# 75 - Use Resistance Bands

In my opinion resistance bands (sometimes known as strands) are a

close second to kettlebells as the perfect BJJ conditioning tool.

Because theres always tension on the band, they much more closely
approximate the resistance encountered from a grappling opponent
than free weights or kettlebells. They also allow you to strengthen in
wider ranges of motion, which will keep your joints safer in tough
situations like submission attempts

They are also ideal for exercising any time, at home or on the road.
Plus theyre super cheap.

76
# 76 - Dont Tape Your Knuckles

If youre training hard sooner or later your knuckles are going to start
looking like youve been running them over a cheese grater.

Although it might be tempting to tape them up like you see some

guys doing, if you do that your fingers will never adapt. Instead, let
the skin toughen up naturally - after a few weeks youll have formed
callouses and you wont need to worry about taping them up. Plus
your hands will look bad-ass ;)

An obvious exception to this is if you have an injury and under those

circumstances taping the injured joints can be a very useful temporary
measure to alleviate pain and facilitate continued training.

77
# 77 - Set Achievable Goals

If youre anything like I was when I began training, then your goal is to
be the jiu jitsu world absolute gold medalist or ADCC world champion.

Now I dont want to crush anyones dreams, but as I found out,

becoming a world champion is a very difficult goal to achieve. It can
be done with the right mixture of genetics, discipline and hard work,
but even then its still going to require some luck. For most its not a
realistic goal.

My first grappling coach gave me a better way to approach BJJ goals

and now Im sharing it with you. He said to me Instead of trying to be
the best or comparing yourself to others, use your own growth as the
primary benchmark of your progress. Each year on your birthday, ask
yourself if you could beat the you from a year ago. If the answer is yes
then youre moving in the right direction.

78
# 78 - Understand Base

The jiu jitsu concept of base is about more than just balance.

When youre on base, youre combining many different principles

like posture, a low centre of gravity agility and balance to become
physically centered and very difficult for your opponent to move.

Any effort you put into becoming a player with a strong base will
improve almost all other aspects of your game.

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# 79 - Be Mentally Flexible

Every jiu jitsu instructor has his or her own approach to not only
specific techniques but training as a whole. To be a true martial artist
and become the best BJJ player you can be, its important that you
follow their teachings but do not become bound by them.

As Bruce Lee said Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless. To

me thats the ultimate quote to live by when it comes to martial arts
training.

Stay mentally flexible, creative and open. If things youve been taught
(like the stuff in this guide) dont work for you, dont be afraid to ditch
them and try something new.

80
# 80 - Dont Be That Guy

Because of the close physical contact and the potential for injury
and ego subjugation, jiu jitsu is an activity that requires the ultimate
respect be given to your training partners. These are the people who
are helping you grow and develop through controlled combat. Give
them the consideration they deserve.

Nobody likes that guy who goes flat out all the time and tries to heel-
hook white belts. Dont use dangerous submissions unless you are an
experienced player, and even then, apply them slowly and carefully.

And nobody likes the smelly guy. Make sure your breath is fresh and
that youve showered recently. And wear a clean gi.

81
# 81 - Train Outside the Academy

Your jiu jitsu education doesnt stop when youre not in the academy.

Sure, youll progress just by showing up to class, but your growth will
accelerate radically when you start to train outside of the academy.

You can do this by watching video instructionals, reading books (like

this one - nice!) visualising and making flow-diagrams. There is so
much great instructional material available on the market today that
you have no excuse not to improve in your spare time.

82
# 82 - Basics First

There are so many cool moves and flashy techniques in jiu jitsu that it
can be easy to lose sight of the importance of the basics. I see a lot of
beginners fall into this trap - they just want to learn all the latest stuff
they see on YouTube.

The advanced stuff is important, and you will need to learn it

eventually. But its a mistake to use it is as the foundation of your
game.

Instead, focus first on the fundamentals. What are the fundamentals?

There are too many to go into here, but they include things like:

Basic movements like bridging and shrimping

The high-percentage escapes and defenses from mount, back-mount

and side-mount

The traditional submissions, like the rear-naked choke, straight arm-

lock and the triangle and effective set-ups for them

Check out my BJJ Building Blocks Program for a good course on the
basics of BJJ.

83
# 83 - Dont Hero Worship

Jiu jitsu instructors and champions are only human, and like everyone
else they are flawed. Dont have unrealistic expectations or place
them on pedestals.

I cringe when a new student starts treating me differently because

Im a jiu jitsu instructor. Because I know when he inevitably sees me
screw up in life that its going to tarnish jiu jitsu for him.

Id been told that one of my jiu jitsu idols lived an almost monastic
life, only to later learn that he had a pretty serious coke habit. I was
pretty devastated. But it wasnt finding out that stuff about him that
upset me as we all have vices. It was realising that the image of him
which I had been sold, that of a clean-living martial artist, was such a
disconnect from the truth.

Dont look to your jiu jitsu instructors to lead you to any kind of
salvation, or assume that the way they live their lives is the way you
should live yours. Nobody can save you but yourself.

84
# 84 - Monitor Your Heart Rate

Many sports scientists that I have spent time with have recommended
that BJJ athletes monitor their heart rate to assess how to regulate
their training.

Apparently your heart rate can sometimes let you know whether
its a good day to train or not. It can identify if youre becoming ill or
beginning to become overtrained and need to back slow down on
the sparring and just keep it light.

Knowing what specific fluctuations to look for and when to measure

is beyond the scope of this book, but you will be able to find many
good resources online such as this one.

I check my heart rate every day and believe that the heart rate is
a good early warning system for athletes to use to see if they are
pushing themselves too hard.

85
# 85 - Eat Clean

The body is an organism that functions most efficiently on nutrients

derived from food consumed in its natural state. Candy, soda, crackers,
meal replacement bars, breakfast cereals and the like are not food,
they are food products. They are very often devoid of nutritional value
and do little to satisfy hunger or the requirements of a body being
taxed by jiu jitsu.

If you want to get the most out of your training, it is wise to try and
eat food that has undergone little or no processing. An apple is far
superior to apple fruit roll-up. Freshly squeezed orange juice is better
than the pasteurized, bottled version, and a whole orange is better yet.
Avoid anything with chemical names on the label. These substances
are toxic to the body and will hold you back as a jiu jitsu player.

86
# 86 - Ask the Right Questions

When I started training I really struggled with the armbar from closed
guard. I tried to figure it out on my own because I was too nervous
to ask my instructor. One day he saw me doing it improperly and
came over and corrected my form. Ive been wanting to know how to
do that for months I said. Then why didnt you ask me? he replied.
From then on I always asked when I needed clarity on a technique or
a position.

Your instructor is one of the best resources you have on your jiu jitsu
journey. If hes a good coach, he wont mind you asking him questions,
so make the most of it.

The key is to ask specific questions. Asking things like How do I pass
the guard is probably not going to get you the answer you want
and will frustrate your coach too. But something like my right knee
gets trapped in his half-guard when I pass to the left will get you
actionable information.

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# 87 - Stand To Pass

The closed guard can be extremely frustrating because your opponent

has his legs locked around you and they must be unlocked before
you can even consider passing. Having his hips so close to and
controlling your torso also gives him a lot of leverage and makes
resisting his attacks tricky.

Thats why whenever I find myself trapped inside a closed guard I look
to stand up as quickly as possible. By doing so, I gain two things:

1. Mobility - because I am on my feet it becomes easier for to to

move and adjust to regain some leverage

2. Gravity - now gravity begins to work for me, as my opponent

will naturally be sliding down my body and having to deal
with the tiring effects of holding on.

88
# 88 - Drill!

A training partner of mine always says Drillers are Killers and hes
right.

Im a huge proponent of drilling moves and techniques. Ive seen

my game get better in a matter of days after high-repetition drilling
sessions, and Ive watched it take students from struggling white belts
to competent blues in a matter of months.

Even choosing just a couple of moves and practicing them several

hundred times with a training partner will make you a much better
BJJ player.

Keep in mind that theres no reason to rush when you are practicing
stuff. As the marines say Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast. Just
focus on performing the techniques as accurately as possible - as you
gain the coordination and balance the speed will come naturally.

89
# 89- Tuck Your Feet in Mount

This super-effective piece of advice was given to me by my jiu jitsu

coach, Roger Gracie.

When you have the full mount on your opponent, make sure your feet
are constantly tucking in and under his body. Any space you leave
between his body just increases his ability to shrimp his hips out and
put you into guard or half-guard.

This is one of the few times I advocate having ballerina feet whilst
training jiu jitsu - most of the time you should have your feet active
(plantar-flexed) instead.

90
# 90 - Limb-Center Separation

Try this simple test:

Hold something weighing approximately 10 lbs close to (but not

touching) your solar plexus with one hand. Note the sensation of its
weight. Now extend your arm parallel to the floor away from you and
notice how much heavier the object feels.

In a jiu-jitsu situation this is especially evident. Not only are your legs
and arms much more vulnerable to joint attacks when away from
your center, but their strength is greatly diminished as well.

Using this principle, it becomes evident that if we are able to maneuver

all of our opponents limbs away from their center that we are placing
him in an extremely weak position. This process of separation can
be applied in many grappling positions to undermine your opponent
and allow you to exploit the situation to your fullest advantage.

91
# 91 - Pin His Arms / Legs

If you can pin one of your opponents limbs close to his center (the
torso and pelvic regions) and keep it there, you effectively neutralise it.

My favorite place to use this from is butterfly guard. When somebody

attempts to use this position on me, I sit all my weight onto his feet
and then apply pressure to pin his heels up against his butt (close to
his pelvis). As long as I maintain the pressure and do not allow his legs
to separate from his center, his butterfly hooks are useless and and he
cannot use them to elevate or sweep me.

Another place I use this in the mount - I just grab one of his arms and
pin it to his torso - that arm is then out of the game until I release it.

92
# 92 - Learn the Shoulder Roll

The Shoulder Roll (or Granby Roll as its known in wrestling) is one of
those movements that you absolutely have to master to unlock your
full potential as a jiu jitsu player.

Being able to use the shoulder roll will make you a better defensive
player. Not only will it allow you move safely over your upper back and
protect your neck, but it will make it easier for you to reclaim your
guard from awkward positions like the turtle.

It will also improve your offensive game. The movement is the

foundation of attacking sequences that use the popular Berimbolo
technique, and it also opens up a lot of omoplata opportunities.

93
# 93 - Sit Tall in Closed Guard

As mentioned previously, I believe that one of the best strategies

when youre in somebodys closed guard is to stand up as quickly as
possible.

But sometimes this is difficult to do because you might not yet have
your base yet, and / or your opponent is constantly pulling you off
balance.

In this case, I recommend you sit up tall in the closed guard by

engaging your toes and lengthening through the crown of your head
up towards the roof.

Having good posture like this keeps most of the vulnerable stuff (like
your neck) away from your opponent and stops him from getting
dangerous over and underhooks.

Note - dont lean too far back or youll be vulnerable to being swept
backwards

94
# 94 - Get Massage

The body takes a lot of strain from jiu jitsu training and massage is one
of the things that will help you recover from tough training sessions
and the accumulated damage to your muscles.

One of my coaches used to insist that any of his students who were
training hard for competition get at least one massage per week.

I often visit Thailand where quality massage is dirt cheap ($3-5 per
hour) and I try to get one every day. After a couple of weeks of that I
notice a big change in how I move on the mat and how fast I recover.

If you train in grappling regularly I strongly suggest that you get as

much massage as you can afford.

95
# 95 - Three-Knuckle Grip

I got this one from an excellent instructor in Los Angeles.

When you engage a grip on your opponents kimono, you want to

engage as many of your knuckles as possible by curling your fingers
in towards your palm and bending your wrist downwards slightly.

A grip with just the first row of knuckles engaged is relatively weak,
but one that is rolled up all the way to the third set of knuckles will be
very, very strong.

96
# 96 - Vary Sparring Partners

One of the things that my relentless travel schedule has taught me is

how important it is to switch up your training partners. I am constantly
visiting new academies and testing my jiu jitsu against people Ive
never rolled with before and I notice that it makes a big difference to
my game.

When you only spar with the same few guys all the time it can be easy
to fall into rigid patterns and for your game to become stale.

Try to visit other academies or open mat sessions at least occasionally

(but check with your coach as some of them are weird about stuff like
that). When it comes to sparring time in your regular class, if possible
pick an unfamiliar opponent, even if its a higher grade or someone
way better than you.

97
# 97 - Train Both Gi and No Gi

Dont be one of the idiots who mistakenly believes that gi training

is better than no gi training (or visa versa). Almost all decent jiu jitsu
academies offer both - so you dont have to choose!

Each one has advantages - for example: sparring in the gi is more

methodical and promotes better defense because you have to be
aware of far more grips and chokes. But No-Gi is better for learning
how to scramble and is much faster and more dynamic, so you learn
to react more quickly.

Training in each of them will help the other and keep both experiences
fresh.

98
# 98 - Protect Your Legs in Open Guard

When youre playing open guard, remember this: Your opponent

should never be allowed to control your legs.

You need your legs and feet to not only sweep and attack but also to
stop him from passing your guard. If you let him latch onto them and
manipulate them your guard is going to be next to useless. If he gets
a hold of one of them youre in trouble - if he gets both youre dead.

Make sure you are constantly aware of this danger and avoid it by
breaking any grips he gets on your feet immediately - and preferably
dont let him get them in the first place.

99
# 99 - Control His Head

The head is attached to the top of the spinal column, and can
therefore be used as a lever to steer the entire torso of an opponent
in a desired direction, or stop movement in another.

By twisting the head you cause your opponent great discomfort, and
severely compromise the mobility of his spine. Also, as the head is the
center of a persons physical awareness because it contains the brain
and many of the major sense organs, it is very easy to distract and
upset the rhythm of an opponent by interfering with it.

I always think of my opponents body as a ship and his head as the

rudder. By moving his head I can steer his body where I want it to go.

100
# 100 Post-Training Recovery Drink

I have a a few buddies who work in sport science and they all consider
post exercise nutrition to be the most significant dietary intervention
for BJJ.

Following the intensive training of sparring fatigue will occur due

to depleted glycogen stores. If full recovery is going to occur the
vital glycogen stores must be replenished. Eating high glycaemic
load carbohydrates during and immediately after exercise will help
recovery.

The problem is, most of the post-workout training mixtures and

drinks on the market are loaded with low quality artificial sugars and
sweeteners, plus a whole load of other crap. You can find the recipe
for a healthy alternative that you can make at home here.

101
# 101- Have FUN!

To me, jiu jitsu, just like life, is about having fun. When we start taking
it too seriously it starts to lose some of its magic. For whatever reason
you train, whether its to make new friends, compete or stay in shape,
if it begins to turn into a chore or starts to feel like a job you know
youre heading off track.

Dont take this to mean that Im saying you shouldnt train hard and
be disciplined. Those things are definitely important and when done
properly are fun in their own way. Just maintain a healthy balance
keep and remember that at the end of the day its just a game played
in pyjamas!

102
About the Author

Nic Gregoriades is the first person to be awarded a black belt by the

legendary Roger Gracie.

He is also the founder and head instructor of the Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood.

At present he travels the world teaching jiu jitsu.

He can be contacted via email at nic@jiujitsubrotherhood.com

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