Do you struggle with getting choke in BJJ? Does it freak you out a little or make you panic?

Recently I received a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu related question from Aline who said she was struggling with getting chokes during her training.

In spite of training hard doing Brazilian Jiujitsu, MMA and other combat sports. She still struggles when she get’s choked. In particular she says the triangle choke freaks her out. She even says that sometimes she will cry because of the feelings that happen.

I relate to her. Because in the beginning when I was a BJJ White Belt I used to freak out and hyperventilate when I would be stuck in Mount. To the point that during training I would just tap out. Later on I found myself struggling with the same choke as Aline in BJJ. The triangle choke.

It became my kryptonite and when someone applied the choke in a BJJ competition or rolling. I would freeze up and just give up mentally.

In this video I discuss the problem our friend is having and I also go into detail with how I overcame the issues. The biggest piece of advice in the video is simply desensitize yourself by going into these positions more and more.

If you’re having a similar issue as this, then I hope the video and short Chewy Ramble is helpful.

Thanks!
-Chewy

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This is another BJJ Half Guard sweep that I use against the overhook. We are using the Regrip again against the overhook to protect against the Darce choke and to secure the arm for the sweep.

In a previous video I showed a Half Guard sweep against a person (possibly a Wrestler) doing an Overhook. You can see that sweep here: https://youtu.be/AFnUUPjSCNs

When I’m able to get this low Half Guard position with the outside hook in Brazilian Jiujitsu. The Overhook is one of the most commonly used counters.

In some cases I can get under the person with my hips and sweep them.

However, people with strong bases will position themselves in a way where it makes that sort of sweep from Half Guard very difficult.

This is when I might switch off to this particular sweep.

When I use the Sit Out to Double Leg from the Half Guard, as I show in this video. It’s a counter move, or you might consider it a bait move. Meaning I’m countering something my opponent is doing.

These moves can be tricky at first and might require a little trial and error.

But when you use a good counter move in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu they are incredibly effective. They often make your opponent move right into the place you want them. Just think to your own training when someone baited you into something.

I like this move as it blends my Wrestling with my Brazilian Jiujitsu game. And I think it’s effective because it causes you to change gears. You’re going from Guard player on their back to coming up to a Double Leg style takedown.

I hope this technique is useful for you with your Half Guard in BJJ.
-Chewy

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Want a simple grip tweak to make your Keylock better? The trick I show in this video is great for making the Keylock in BJJ tighter.

This is one I show to my White Belts in my BJJ classes because it’s a mistake I made all the time when I used the Americana in Brazilian Jiujitsu.

I would get excited and not secure the position to finish the submission effectively. I had several tournaments as a BJJ White Belt where I had this locked up and then would lose it to poor finishing technique.

My students have really enjoyed this tweak and experienced a lot of success with them during rolling and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competition.

Thanks! Hope it helps.
-Chewy
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The Toe Tuck Sweep / Position is one of the 1st Half Guard sweeps I started using successfully from this low Half Guard position I’ve shown in this series.

I say Half Guard Sweep / Position because I have numerous attacks from the Toe Tuck. So even if these sweep options stop. I have lots of other techniques I can use for my Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

In this video I also share why I use this style of Half Guard for Brazilian Jiujitsu.

One reason is that I’m able to fight against the Knee Cut Pass which is a fantastic option when faced against a Half Guard position.

Another tip is that when I come up for these sweeps. I make sure to come up on my elbows in a particular way that makes this sweep effective for my Brazilian Jiujitsu game.

So if you’re trying to develop a better BJJ Half Guard game. I hope this latest BJJ sweep addition of one of my favorites is helpful to you!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Do you like curriculums for BJJ? I personally have a love hate relationship with curriculums in relation to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

In some ways a BJJ curriculum can be incredibly as a guide to lead the way and to ensure that the bases are covered and maintaining a standard.

The negatives that I associate with a curriculum if forced on the students to rigidly is the fact that the focus then moves from exploration, discovery and the expression of the art and can move towards more memorization.

I also believe that one of the best benefits of Brazilian Jiujitsu is the ability to learn the love of practice and the grind. To do something, not because of what you will eventually achieve. But instead because you just enjoy doing it. And finding reasons why you love the day to day training. This lesson that I learned from Wrestling and BJJ has helped me in so many areas of my life. Because I’ve learned to grind out through difficult situations and learned to enjoy the struggle and challenge of tough situations.

What are your opinions on BJJ curriculums? Do you like them or dislike them? Do you think a hard curriculum should be imposed or should students be able to go off in different directions?

Thanks for watching.
-Chewy

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It’s really important to remember the delicate balance of emotions that exist on the mats during BJJ training. Especially after a Submission or successful technique is executed.

For every successful BJJ technique or submission you execute during Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training in the gym. It’s only possible because of the failure or mistake of your training partners.

Now, it’s not a terrible thing to make a mistake in Brazilian Jiujitsu. But ultimately, anytime we make a mistake. It doesn’t feel particularly good.

Just think of a situation when your were training and you failed. Again, it’s a great learning experience, but it doesn’t feel awesome.

So when you’re training at your Brazilian Jiu-jitsu gym. Never make the mistake of being boastful about your wins during training. This is especially important to remember as a new BJJ White Belt when scoring a submission for the 1st time is super exciting.

So I hope this video is helpful with your BJJ training!
-Chewy

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Comment and possibly win a Free Chewjitsu T Shirt.

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The 2 main questions I answered in this video are:

Have I ever been in a Steet Fight? / Have I ever used my BJJ in a Street Fight?

What’s my opinion on the Belt Gauntlet in BJJ?

I rambled on pretty long about these two. But I found them interesting. I know that Brazilian Jiu-jitsu being used in street fight situations is always an interesting topic.

And the Gauntlet in Brazilian Jiujitsu is a bit controversial. Some people claim it’s brutal, barbaric, awful, etc etc. I tried to touch on my idea about it and share the reasons why I like it and why I continue to do it.

If you have thoughts on the gauntlet, list them below and share your ideas.

I hope you guys enjoyed this sort of random question video. It’s a different format that the typical ones. But hopefully it’s entertaining.

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy

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High School Wrestling causes a lot of the same competition anxiety that Brazilian Jiu-jitsu tournaments do.

Our buddy Walker who is involved in Wrestling and also loves Brazilian Jiujitsu is having trouble with the anxiety and nerves. So much so, that he is questioning whether or not he should continue to Wrestle the next 2 years in High School.

In this video I give some tips that I learned through my own experience in Wrestling in High School. It’s mainly one idea that concerns finding your reason why. Why are you doing the thing you want to do?

Finding my Why has helped me in BJJ, Wrestling, MMA and several situations in life.

This video is a little long. But I tried to really give you a sense as to who I was when I was younger and how much I’ve changed. And how really holding onto an idea and making it almost an obsession can really change you.

So whether you’re having trouble with nerves, anxiety and stress from BJJ, Wrestling or Mixed Martial Arts. The video is relevant and I hope it helps you conquer your nerves.

Thanks!
-Chewy

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One of my favorite submissions in Brazilian JiuJitsu is the Kimura. It’s a versatile BJJ technique that can be done from both bottom or top. As a submission or a setup to other attacks and positions. And there are so many variations of the technique itself.

And it seems to favor people with shorter stronger arms. Which is a physical quality I have.

In this video I take a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu question from Jeffrey on Twitter who inquired about tips on finishing the Kimura against someone who is pushing against his hip which prevents him from stepping over. I didn’t have a video of it but I assumed he’s trying this from side control.

In this video I show one of my favorite Kimuras to use in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I do it in BJJ competitions and rolling in the gym. I bypass the stepping over part completely in lieu of just going around to North South to execute the technique.

Just be careful with it, because they catch comes fast on this one.

If you’re looking for another variation of the Kimura in BJJ. Give this one a try. If you do, I hope it works for you!

-Chewy

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Ever had an Armbar but were unable to finish whether in a BJJ competition or just rolling?

Of course you have. . . we all have!

After training the other day 1 of my purple belts asked me about some tips on how to break a strong grip when finishing the Armbar.

So I figured I’d pull up the camera and show the details with you too!

In the video I identify some simple tactics you can use in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu when you run into a strong grip when finishing the Armbar submission.

1 which is always a good option is to attack the wrist with a wrist lock. Even if the wrist lock isn’t successful as a finish. The Armbar defense they were putting up typically falls apart and you can move in to the submission.

But assuming that you can’t use wrist locks or can’t get them to work either. One of my favorite Armbar grip breaks is to stuff the elbow into the armpit and then rock to the side.

Along with placing a lot of heavy weight on the persons face, which is uncomfortable, it also creates torque on the elblow and should and will force them to let go of the grip defense.

Watch the grip break video and if you’re experiencing this sort of problem in your Brazilian Jiujitsu training or competition. Give it a try!

I hope the video is helpful!
-Chewy

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Do I need to be in shape before I start BJJ?

This has to be one of the most commonly asked question I get from people who are new to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Most commonly it stems from fear of the unknown. People often build a Brazilian Jiujitsu class up into something in their head. Then once they try it for the first time they realize it’s nothing like they expect.

I’ve spoken to many people who finally tried their first Brazilian Jiujitsu class and loved it. And many of them tell me that they wanted to train a long time ago. But didn’t because of fear of different things.

One of the fears that pops up a lot is not being in good enough shape.

But like many people will find. You can’t really get into the kind of shape you need to be in for BJJ until you start training BJJ.

So if you’re in the same boat as our friend Will. And you want to start BJJ training but you’re nervous about not being in good enough shape.

Don’t WAIT! Start training now.

Hope the video was helpful!
– Chewy

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Do you get hung on getting promoted as a BJJ White Belt? Do you see others get promoted but wonder why you weren’t picked?

I got this question recently. Our friend has been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and is doing really well. He’s winning BJJ competitions and smashing people in training.

BUT!

He’s still a 1 stripe White Belt and isn’t sure what’s up. He says that he even gives the Blue Belts in his Brazilian Jiujitsu gym a good run for their money. But yet he is still passed up for training.

My answer in this video is a little more direct. And I speak from more of the vantage point of a coach.

And in this situation I would tell anyone to let go of promotions and fall in love with the grind of BJJ training. Fall in love with the day to day cool stuff that happens. Rather than being fixated on getting the next stripe or belt.

Because you don’t have control over that.

And most importantly. It will fail you in the long term. The acquirement of a belt isn’t as meaningful as you think. The most meaningful part about the belt is the journey that was required to reach it.

I look back at my belts and I don’t really remember the promotions that much. Instead I remember the training and all the work that went into it.

That’s what’s important.

Hope the video helps!
-Chewy

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I’ve often heard White Belts in BJJ say they are going backwards in their training. And from the vantage point of an experience coach. I can see that this is simply not true.

But why do these newer White Belts in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu feel this way?

So many students have expressed this feeling to me over the years that I’ve settled on what I think is the culprit.

In many cases when a new White Belt starts their BJJ training. They often do all sorts of weird things that are technically unsound. They squeeze when they should push, move when they should remain in position and zig when they should zag.

This is often just due to inexperience and stress. While they get acclimated to the training and learn the rules of Jiujitsu they often just make up for the lack of knowledge with all sorts of mistakes.

Here’s the kicker though. Because they engage in this odd way. It often buys them a little time or at least throws off their opponent. This is because they are doing things that people are not trained to do. So it throws off the rhythm of their more experienced counterpart.

Eventually after the White Belt begins to settle down and use the techniques that have been shown to them. They find themselves getting picked apart.

This is due the fact that they are engaging in the territory of their more experienced training partners and will leave them sitting ducks for a while till they get better.

This is a must though. Everyone has to go through this learning face with their BJJ training. Because while the inexperienced spazzing out might buy you time. It will not ever allow you to win.

In this video I share some insights on this issue that many White Belts in BJJ face.

If you’re a newcomer to Brazilian Jiujitsu. I hope the video is helpful to you in your grappling training!

-Chewy

P.S. Excuse the jump cutting. There were a bunch of trains passing by!

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During one of our takedown BJJ classes. We covered the Clock Choke from the Turtle position. I showed this technique during a takedown class as it can often be used together with a snap down from the feet.

After class one of my BJJ students had a few questions regarding the Clock Choke and the 2 variations we did.

In the video you’ll see some subtle changes from his original choke and the 2nd he did.

In his case, he wasn’t placing proper hip pressure on me. But most importantly. His first grip, the kill grip, was off a little.

Once we adjusted his initial grip. He was set and ready to go.

If you’re trying to use the Clock Choke in Brazilian Jiujitsu. I hope this video helps you in some way.

If nothing else I hope it helps you realize the importance of the first grip. Once that grip is establish in the Turtle position. There are a ton of finishes, adjustments and attacks even if you don’t get the Clock Choke itself.

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