Getting back into BJJ after a long layoff can be tough. For numerous reasons.

In this video I answer the question Jacob sent to me about his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training.

His question was

“I trained BJJ for about a year and then had to take a break for school reasons and it’s been another year since I’ve trained. I’ve forgotten a lot of passes, submissions and guard work. How do I get back into the swing of things going back to the gym?”

So in this video I share details about the 1st lay off I had as a Blue Belt and the frustrating problems I experience when I came back.

I discuss the most frustrating issue I dealt with which primarily stemmed from my identity that I had developed prior to leaving the gym.

I was really good, and when I came back to Brazilian Jiujitsu training with everyone in the gym. I had lost my step a bit and it was a bit of a blow to the ego.

So if you’re in the middle of a period of time off from BJJ or maybe you are getting back into BJJ after a time away. Hopefully this video is helpful!

-Chewy
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Here is a great Gi based Choke setup for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu when you have Back Mount but are losing the position, or are letting the person escape in a calculated way.

The video for today was inspired by a recent match sent to me by one of the viewers.

He’s a White Belt, and almost had the Bow and Arrow choke which is very popular in BJJ. But he lost it as he was unable to get his second leg free.

For this video I show a Bow and Arrow choke setup I like using as a bigger guy. This will get rid of the position where our buddy got his leg stuck during his Brazilian Jiujitsu match.

The choke setup can be used from Back Mount either if you’re losing the back.

or

You can use the setup to lay a trap for your opponent. If you secure the lapel grip correctly. The person will be unable to turn towards you which will lock the person in place. This will allow you to come up and finish the choke from a top position.

This is beneficial for a BJJ tournament situation because you maintain dominant position.

It’s also beneficial as it gives your numerous other options involving chokes and armlocks.

Give this submission a try, I hope it helps with your Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. And thanks again to Anselmo for the question.

-Chewy
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Are Neck Cranks (and in particular the Can Opener) Dick Moves in BJJ?

Well, as always, what classifies a Dick Move is usually if the person’s intent who is executing the technique.

That said, when it comes to day-to-day training in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. My objective is to train hard. But make sure my partner is healthy and safe.

And Neck Cranks have the ability to do some nasty stuff to the neck and the discs in the spine. And because of that I often avoid them.

Because typically speaking, once your neck is injured. It’s never quite the same. So for myself and my Brazilian Jiujitsu training partners.

I avoid them for the most part.

I typically stick to submissions that I can finish cleanly, that aren’t dependent on pain to get the submission.

That said, it is important to understand how neck cranks work and how to defend against them in BJJ so that you are able to adjust to them.

In this video I show some simple counters to the Can Opener technique.

Hope it helps!
-Chewy

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One of my favorite positions in BJJ is the Belly Down Back Mount.

To me, I think it’s easily one of the worst if not THE WORST position in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

From a fight that involves punches, it’s incredibly nasty as the person on bottom has no reasonable way to defend themselves.

For Brazilian Jiujitsu it can be equally soul crushing as the person on top can drive their full weight into the back and easily snag the rear naked choke.

In this video I show how to get to the Belly Down Back Mount from other forms of Back Mount when the person defends the rear naked choke.

I also throw in some simple adjustments for getting the submission with the rear naked choke.

I’ve used these adjustment countless times in BJJ rolling and competition to get the victory.

I hope it helps you!
-Chewy
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Is it ok to hurt your training partners during a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu session? When are you responsible for your training partner’s injury ?

The question for this video related to this question in a way.

Our friend was recently training with one of his teammates during BJJ practice. And during this practice he attempted several different submissions and attempts to finish the match.

Eventually he snagged an armbar and slowly pulled forward. After securing the position and his partner still not tapping. He began to apply pressure slowly until his rolling partner cried out in pain.

He let go and afterwards felt terrible. He asked his coach if he had messed up or if there was something to keep in mind. His coach told him that Brazilian Jiujitsu is a tough sport and accidents happen.

So Jason is basically searching to get another perspective on the event that came from his submission.

In this video I share two stories that have accidents involved in them. 1 was where I accidentally injured one of my training partners after a situation where I became upset. While I never intended to hurt him. I did so as a fault of my own negative emotions.

I also share a story where my nose was broken due to accident during a BJJ training session once. This time it was an accident which was not fueled with any sort of negative emotions.

If you’re in a similar situation. I hope the video is helpful!
-Chewy
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Are you a higher belt in BJJ (Purple Belt, Brown Belt, Black Belt) and you’re wanting to train effectively with your training partners who are lower belts in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?

This is this is the question that my friend Mike from northern Ky (one of my teammates). He’s a brown belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu and wants to get more info on how to improve with his less experienced training partners.

I was in a similar situation in 2011 when I was a new Black Belt in BJJ and I wanted to make my students better while still preparing myself for competitions.

In this video I share 4 tips you can train with lower belts as a higher belt in Bjj to continue to develop yourself and prepare for competitions.

1. Do all the same BJJ techniques your normally do. Just do them to the other side. Oftentimes we consider 1 side of our game as our “weak” side. Well, if you use your techniques to that weak side. You can make it better so that it’s a comparable side.

2. Get the submission and loosen up. Getting to the point where you can fully lock the submission. Then loosen up and let your less experienced training partner so that you can transition to other submissions.

3. Don’t stop moving! Creating scrambles and moving constantly can be a great workout and cardio but can also boost your ability to scramble effectively when you compete.

4. Put yourself in bad spots against people that you are able to beat. Let them put you in their best positions, whatever they may be, and work from there.

Mike thanks again for the question. And for anyone else I hope this video helps!
-Chewy
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This video was from one of our Tuesday night No Gi Training sessions. This was right before a string of No Gi competitions happened. So we were all pushing ourselves.

We started off with some BJJ drills to take Back Mount from the Turtle position. And then we moved into several different rolling variations. During the rolling we were all chasing after the submission. This is in part due to the Submission Only competitions we had coming up. There’s also a little wrestling and takedown action mixed in there.

While you’ll see us pushing ourselves during the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competition training. You’ll also see smiles and laughing thrown into the middle of it.

This is something our BJJ gym culture embodies. Train hard, push yourself to be better, lift those up around you and remember. . . have a good time.

To me in a nutshell that one of the best parts about Brazilian Jiujitsu.

Hope you guys enjoyed the rolling and training in this video.
-Chewy

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I received a question from a 14 year old who is interested in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. But he’s not sure if he should start training. He says this because when he went into a local BJJ gym. He was the only teenager training.

Jeff (his name), asked if he should keep training Brazilian Jiujitsu, even if he is the only teenager in his gym.

In the video response to this BJJ question. I tell a short story about an 11 year old kid who began training at our gym when I was a Purple Belt.

I go on to talk about how this 11 year old was originally somewhat ignored during classes. Because at the time we didn’t offer a Kids BJJ program. It just wasn’t something we offered. But as he showed his dedication and desire to train. Everyone took notice.

This same person would eventually go on to win the No Gi Pans and No Gi Worlds as a teenager.

This was of course about my good friend Chad Hardy.

-Chewy
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Can you train yourself effectively in BJJ from home or with open mats?

While I am always a proponent for training with a teacher, someone who has more knowledge than you do, it can still be beneficial to supplement your BJJ training with work from home or with a partner during an open mat.

Our friend Mike from the U.K said that he and his friend who is a fellow Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner are only able to make the gym 1-2 days a week max.

So because of this he was wondering if there would be a benefit to doing some Brazilian Jiujitsu training from home with his buddy, and if there are any tips I could give.

In this video I outline a basic 1 hour (active time) BJJ drilling and training session. Focused on specific areas with BJJ techniques that someone already knows. It starts with drilling then situational rolling.

I also add in one of the most common mistakes I see people make when they come into the gym or get together for a drilling session at home. The mistake I talk about will eat away at the potential time for good purposeful work.

So if you’re planning on drilling or training from home. I hope this video is useful to you!
-Chewy
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In preparation for this years BJJ Suit Rolling, I took my annual trip to the local goodwill to look for ridiculous get up.

If you’re not familiar with suit rolling go check out my older video which is absolutely ridiculous.

This is a ridiculous tradition myself and my Brazilian Jiu-jitsu team have. It’s fun and we have a great time. Most people probably look at it and think, “why on earth?” and honestly, it’s hard to give anyone a clear answer.

That said, we have a great time, it’s all in good humor and for us, that’s all that matters.

So I know this is not my normal Brazilian Jiujitsu style video. But I hope you have a good time watching the funny things that took place in the goodwill as well as the upcoming suit rolling video. 🙂

-Chewy
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Alex sent in a question asking for advice about his upcoming BJJ belt test. He’s been training for over 2 years and says his coach approached him about his Blue Belt test recently.

In this video I share my thoughts on it. Which are, there is no need for advice at this point.

In BJJ there are these big climatic points. Belt promotions, tournament wins, etc. These point in our game are very exciting. But they are simply a result of all the hard work put into the gym on a consistency basis.

Consistency is the key to being good at Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. . . or anything really.

I mean everyone loves the idea of being good at something. But whether or not they show up to pursue that thing is a different story.

And in this video I kind of go off on a unrelated Chewy ramble. But for me I don’t understand how people enjoy BJJ and want to improve. Yet they don’t show up. Brazilian Jiujitsu is amazing and it just gets me fired up and I can understand how you can enjoy something and have a hard time doing.

BJJ Motivation and inspiration are helpful. But they shouldn’t be constantly necessary for continuing to train.

Hope the video is helpful!
-Chewy

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What should you do with your old gym patches if you move to a new city and are training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at a new gym?

In this video I say that you will need to consult your instructor 1st and foremost. Because with some instructors. It can be a very sensitive subject with some BJJ instructors and coaches.

But along with that advice I share my personal philosophy on the idea of patches and why you should keep your old gym patches on your gi if you move. As long as you want to continue to be associated with that coach.

To me, BJJ coaches give a piece of themselves to their students through the physical exertion of training.

And I consider that a powerful thing. And because of that, as long as you still respect and value your previous coach, I see nothing wrong with paying homage to them and their teaching through the wearing of a patch.

In my gym I still have images of Renato Tavares inside our walls. Even though I am no longer a part of his affiliation. I have a great deal of respect for him. When I left the association he was very respectful and not even the slightest bit angry towards me. And I appreciate his understanding.

Along with that. I learned a lot from Renato and so I keep the images up in our gym as a reminder of where I came from.

So if you’re changing gyms, or moving, I hope this video is helpful in some way.

Btw . . . why couldn’t I say trenches that day. Haha.

-Chewy
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When you first start BJJ training, it can be overwhelming. There is so much going on and it’s confusing about where to start.

I experienced this issue when I began training. And it is a question one of my new White Belts named Taylor had a question about.

His question was essentially asking what to focus on as a new BJJ White Belt.

So in this video, I share several tips about how I personally went about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as a brand new White Belt with little to no submissions in my useable technique arsenal.

I share some tips for people who are more comfortable on the bottom playing form Full Guard and I share some options for people who are more comfortable playing from the top positions.

The general idea in this video is that if you’re new to Brazilian Jiujitsu. Your goal should be to just be able to control position as best you can and survive initially.

If you can control the basic positions (holding full guard, maintaining top position, etc) then overtime you’ll find that you’ll be able to mount some sort of offense attacks afterwards.

But in the beginning, if you don’t have the ability to maintain positions properly. You’ll be hard pressed to mount any submission attacks or offense techniques.

So for all the newcomers to BJJ, I hope this video is useful to you!
-Chewy
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The right control and setup can make all the difference with Takedowns. In this video I show a takedown I’ve used since High School Wrestling and still use as a Black Belt in BJJ.

This particular take down is going to me more focused on No Gi. And the grip and positioning will reflect that.

In Wrestling a basic name you could use for this would be a High Crotch to Double Leg.

I included a video from one of our no gi sessions of me using the setup. Not the exact same takedown, but the setup is the same. Just to give people an idea.

What I like a lot about this takedown is that it often times makes the person want to attack with a Guillotine choke. The only issue with that is that if done right, I should already be cutting my angle.

I’ve used this setup and finish against people in Brazilian Jiujitsu competitions or just rolling. Some of these people are those with nasty Guillotine chokes.

But again, creating the angle will keep me out of trouble.

So give the takedown a try, see if it works with your BJJ takedown game. If it does, awesome!

Thanks!
-Chewy
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