To cut weight or not to cut weight for BJJ competitions! That is the question for today’s video.

Shannon who is a 4 stripe Blue Belt is getting ready for a local BJJ tournament in 5 weeks.

And she is on the cusp of 2 different weight classes.

At the tournament there is a 141 weight class and a 152 weight class.

And her walking weight is 146.

This is with her training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu 6 days a week, eating well and feeling high levels of energy!

So she is signed up for the higher weight class for the Brazilian Jiujitsu competition and is wondering if it’s even worth it cut the weight.

Because she is so close to either or, honestly if she knows how to cut weight. She’d be find for her matches.

But in this video I touch on some basic ideas why I would encourage her NOT to cut weight for her upcoming BJJ competition.

One of the big reasons is that if she starts to shed some pounds while she is in the process of upping her training volume.

This can lead to a lot of negative effects.

If you’re in a similar situation. I hope the video helps!
Chewy
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Nothing is quite as frustrating in BJJ as having a dominant position then losing it to someone who escapes.

Mount in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a fantastic position for maintaining strong control.

But there are a ton of escapes to it, and it can be tough to hold against someone with really good control.

A really smooth escape that I’ve seen a ton of people use is the foot slide escape.

Which is where the person on bottom of Mount turns their hips, hooks a foot and slides that foot into Half Guard.

It’s a great escape for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

In this video I show you a really simple adjustment of the feet to stop this Mount escape and then take Back Mount.

It’s a simple jiujitsu technique that is incredibly powerful.

If you want to try this escape out in the gym. Bait your partner into it by allowing them to setup the escape and then let them get out.

If you’re experiencing issues with people escaping your Mount during Brazilian Jiu-jitsu rolling or competitions.

Try this counter and back take!

I hope it’s helpful!
-Chewy
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What’s the best way to help coach someone during a BJJ tournament or match?

This is today’s question which comes from Joe in the Chewjitsu Facebook group.

During the video I talk about some of the practices that have been helpful to me both as a competitor and a BJJ coach.

You might find that you do some of the things I’m talking about not doing during a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Competition.

And if that’s the case, don’t consider me automatically right. Try some of the coaching tips I give in this video and see how they work for you.

I also talk about an MMA fight and some of my past matches to give examples of why I favor these queues as a coach.

But if you ever find yourself in the situation Joe did during the Brazilian Jiujitsu tournament, and have to coach your training partners and teammates. . .

I hope the tips in this video are useful for you!
-Chewy
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What’s the best Guard for a shorter person with strong thick legs?

This is the question I received from a White Belt who is a short powerlifter and has some super strong legs.

Her issue is that when she plays her BJJ game from the bottom she has trouble getting the positions and techniques to work for her.

In my experience with Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as someone who has shorter legs for his height, and as someone who has found themselves against people 300+ on more than 1 occasion.

Full guard is generally not going to be the most idea position for someone with shorter legs.

Personally, Half Guard became my go to Guard in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu almost as soon as I began getting exposed to it.

The advantage the Half Guard gives to someone with short legs or who is much smaller than their opponent.

Is. . .

1. You only have to get your legs around 1 leg! Not their entire waist.

2. Being smaller or more stocky. It’s a position in Brazilian Jiujitsu that favors a more compact build.

So if you’re having issues with full guard and you’re on the shorter / stockier side, or maybe you’re opponent is just much bigger.

Than try using the BJJ Half Guard. This will probably open up options to Butterfly Guard and X Guard in the future as well.

In the video I show an entry into the Half Guard from Mount.

Hope the video helps!
-Chewy
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Finding the right BJJ gym can seem like a daunting task for many newcomers who want to do Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Recently I received a question from a former athlete asking this very question.

She says there are 3 Brazilian Jiujitsu gyms in her area and she is having trouble choosing the right one.

She says her goals are to challenge herself again after having multiple children and being able to defend herself is a plus.

In this video I describe some basic ways I would advise people to look for a BJJ gym.

The biggest factor though in my eyes is the community.

Because it’s that community aspect that is going to keep you coming in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for years and years.

We all know BJJ training is tough. And the connections to the awesome people inside your gym is what will keep you connected and continuing to train for years to come.

I also threw in a small warning and tips on avoiding illegitimate gyms. And I expressed the dangers of getting mixed up with a bad gym.

If you’re looking for a BJJ gym, I hope this helps you with finding a gym near you!

-Chewy
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Do you ever get to Back Mount in BJJ but then end up losing it and having your opponent come up on top?

This is the question our buddy Armando asked in regards to his Brazilian Jiujitsu training and competitions.

He says that he has been able to get to the back just fine.

But. . .

Once he get’s there he loses it. The person is able to escape and what was going to be a great position ended up falling apart.

So in this video I show some tips on how I like to play Back Mount in Brazilian Jiujitsu.

My favorite style of Back Mount is a bit unorthodox.

I call it Half Back as the legs are a half in and half out.

I also, do not play lying back casually where the person can escape easily. Instead I come up to my elbow to press forward.

This creates a nice push forward on both the hips and the back making it very difficult to escape the position.

I also find that this Back Mount variation really makes my Rear Naked Chokes and other submissions more effective.

1 because the position is not typical.

And 2 because I’m able to hide my choking arm.

If you’re having a similar situation and you’re tired of losing back mount. Try the tips from this video out!

-Chewy
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Is Gi training beneficial for No Gi training? That’s the BJJ related question I received from Ariana who is fairly new to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

She has been doing No Gi thus far and has asked around if she should do some training in the gi. And the general consensus that she gets is that the Gi is not beneficial or is useless.

In this video I touch on my experience about whether or not the Gi can be useful for No Gi BJJ.

But I also touch on the dogmatic approach many people in Brazilian Jiujitsu tend to take. Especially when it comes to this Gi vs No Gi debate.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is art and it’s hard to nail down exacts in an art form.

Think of music and painting. How trends will come and go. Things that used to be considered garbage are now the exact things that are praised for their artistic creativity.

So if you’re wondering this same question, then I hope this helps! And try and keep an open mind for your BJJ training.

-Chewy
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In Brazilian Jiu-jitsu there are certain parts of training which require a good deal of conscious effort.

A couple of these aspects of training are drilling and getting in reps, and changing the stories we tell about ourselves on the mat.

We often accept certain traits we have as an almost permanent condition.

Like the question I received from the person in the video. Which is he thinks he gets his Guard passed easily during rolling. And approaches his training with that mentality.

Changing your mindset for BJJ is tough. Because you are often fighting your inner critic which has a propensity to pop up during difficult times on the mat.

As I describe in the video. I had a lot of difficulty not getting my Guard passed as well. And one of the biggest things that helped me over come this issue was changing my mindset.

Along with that, forcing myself to play from the positions that bothered me the most. So I have more time in the position to work.

So if you’re experiencing any trouble with any position. Here is what I would advise you to do.

1. Drill techniques from the BJJ position that is frustrating.

2. Change your mindset with the position. Positive self talk is powerful and will help make the reality you seek happen.

3. Work from that area. Conquer the frustration or fear by moving towards it.

Remember, the beautiful part about BJJ is that your skills and abilities are not permanent. They’re always growing and shifting.

And you have a hand in this!
-Chewy
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Have you ever had to compete against one of your training partners in a BJJ tournament?

This is the problem our friend TJ is faced with in an upcoming Brazilian Jiu-jitsu tournament.

He says he’s gearing up for one of the biggest competitions in Canada. And he says that right now potentially 3-5 other of his teammates.

In this video I discuss my experience with competing against BJJ teammates both as a competitor and from a coaching stand point.

Again, much of this is personal preference, so everyone is different. But hopefully the information shared in the video will help you if you’re ever in a situation where you have to possibly compete against your teammate in a Brazilian Jiujitsu competition.

And if you’ve ever had any experience with this sort of situation with a BJJ tournament, please leave your thoughts below.

Thanks again to Tj!
-Chewy

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In this video I’m sharing one of my BJJ rolls with my Brown Belt buddy Kenny from Nashville.

He’s a super tough Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competitor who’s won and placed in some really big tournaments and I always enjoy getting a roll with him.

He’s another big guy who likes to get after it, so it’s always fun.

I wanted to share this video because many of you have asked for full rolls. And I think it also illustrates a great example of someone rolling at a good pace.

But not trying to kill one another.

At the end of the video I show him some of the moves that I was using during our roll like the side control escape and underhook fighting from Half Guard.

I hope you enjoy the video of our BJJ training and rolling from this past years Shawn Hammonds Team Training.

-Chewy
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If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville,KY.

I received a question that really resonates with me. Which is how to balance BJJ training with a relationship.

And in particular, how do you balance a new relationship when you’re trying to train hard.

Like in the case of the person asking the question. How do you balance a new relationship with BJJ training leading into a competition.

This is something I struggled with a lot as a younger guy. In fact I believe I ruined every relationship from the start by now maintaining my schedule and boundaries.

When I would date women I would often struggle to find any balance with a new relationship with training.

This was because I would often slack on my Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training during the newness phase of the relationship.

Eventually when I went back to my normal BJJ training schedule. A lot of friction was created with the woman.

And this was understandable to some degree. Because I didn’t really give them a good idea of who I was initially.

In relationships I’m not good with balance. So the way I approach things is simply to do what I want. And then try and find someone who is ok with that.

My girlfriend now, is incredibly supportive and helpful with my training. And I’ve been lucky to have her. And I believe her relationship with me has directly benefitted my life.

And one tip I leave in there is that it may be beneficial to include your significant other into activities at the gym. This way they don’t feel alienated or separated from the gym.

If you’re having trouble balancing a relationship with your BJJ training. I hope this video is helpful!

-Chewy
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Today’s question is about having a garbage top game in BJJ. In the question he says he is decent at guard passing but is unable to maintain top position.

So in this video I share a couple of tips on developing better top pressure and positioning from top.

The 1st tip is about changing your mindset with the BJJ techniques that you’re trying to execute.

In Brazilian Jiu-jitsu if you’re comfortable with a particular position like Guard or fighting from the back.

You may find that you will give up top position because you’re perfectly fine with dropping back to Guard to work from bottom.

If this is the cause. You will have to approach your rolls during a Brazilian Jiujitsu practice with a different mindset. A mindset of being a tough top player who doesn’t give up top position.

The second part of the video gives a couple of basic tips and principles from Side Control on putting yourself into a heavy and properly aligned angle on top.

Things like blocking the hip in side control, not crossing the centerline of the person’s body and keeping your hips tight will all help in developing a strong top position.

If you’re someone having a similar issue as stated in the video. I hope this video helps!
-Chewy

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I got a question from a Lanky BJJ White Belt who is looking to implement his 1st submission option into his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu game.

He says he’s 6’3 175lbs and is able to survive on the mat and now wants to start working towards being able to submit people.

In this video I share my idea on the fact that your anatomy is going to play a huge role in your BJJ game.

You see in Brazilian Jiujitsu. Our body will often dictate some of the techniques we tend to favor early on.

For me as a White Belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu. I LOVED Kimuras. I have somewhat short arms for my height and I am strong. So I can lock up the position very effectively.

In this video my partner is Chad, who has a nasty Triangle Choke game.

And he naturally favored Triangles and Armbars from the guard from the start of his BJJ training when he was just one of the beginners in our classes.

So my answer is modeled off of Chad and I try to show a different type of Triangle Choke setup that I haven’t demonstrated on the channel yet.

If you’re a lanky long White Belt, I hope this video is useful for you in finding your initial submission attack. And more than likely you’ll favor the Full Guard as your main platform for attack.

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy
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