Blog

Worlds gold, ADCC gold, eight years of learning to fight, and now a belt she has defended. What Dern's run really proves about jiu-jitsu in MMA.

The operator's guide to Sunday open mat: who supervises, waivers, whether to charge, and why consistency beats picking the perfect time slot.

Five light-featherweight world titles, one more than Robson Moura or his own coach. Then Pato laid his belt on the mat in Long Beach and walked off.

The Marietta numbers get quoted everywhere. Here is what that study measured, what it didn't, and where sport BJJ turns dangerous.

Seven straight Worlds golds at 48.5 kg, 74 submissions, and not one loss by submission. A look at how Mayssa Bastos wins.

Three world titles, an ADCC double medal on his first attempt, then a wrecked shoulder and 17 months away. Meregali's career is the best test case we have.

The specifics no one teaches: rolling with someone 60 lbs lighter, finishing a submission you've already won, and why the room quietly ranks you.

$10,001 to show up, $1 million to win, scheduled against ADCC on purpose. How an Australian with two silver medals became the sport's loudest problem.

Four ADCC golds, five world titles, 138 black belts and a website that changed what an instructional was. Marcelo Garcia's real legacy is teaching.

Twelve world titles, six straight absolute golds and a straight ankle lock she has landed 42 times. A look at what Gabi Pessanha's jiu-jitsu is built from.

Four matches, four back chokes, six minutes of work. How Tainan Dalpra became the gi competitor nobody in his division wants to draw.

Gracie Barra, Alliance, Atos, 10th Planet: what an affiliation gives a gym, what it costs them, and why it tells you less than the head instructor does.

How to train BJJ while traveling — finding a gym in a new city, drop-in etiquette, mat fees, what to pack, and why open mats are a traveler's best friend.

John Danaher went from philosophy PhD student to the most influential coach in grappling. How his systems, leg locks, and squad changed BJJ.

Rickson Gracie is the Gracie family's most mythologized fighter — invisible jiu-jitsu, Japan vale tudo, and why his ideas still shape how BJJ is taught.

Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida won more IBJJF world titles than anyone before him — here's how a kid from São Paulo became the greatest heavyweight ever.

Mikey Musumeci — first American-born male IBJJF black belt world champion, the famous pizza diet, the footlock game, and his rise to no-gi stardom.

A factual profile of the Ruotolo brothers, Kade and Tye: twin American grapplers and ADCC, ONE Championship, and Craig Jones Invitational champions redefining modern jiu-jitsu.

A factual profile of Roger Gracie, the 10-time IBJJF World Champion widely regarded as the greatest gi competitor in BJJ history: his record, ADCC titles, lineage, and MMA career.

A factual profile of Gordon Ryan, the American submission grappler widely called the greatest no-gi competitor of all time: his record, ADCC titles, team, and legacy.

A welcoming beginner's guide to BJJ for women: why it's great for women, what to expect, how to handle a male-dominated gym, what to wear, and finding the right gym.

How to walk into a strange gym, train respectfully, and leave a good impression. The rules nobody publishes — but every host gym notices.

Open mat is where most of the actual progress happens. A guide to what it is, why it matters, and how to use it whether you're new or twenty years in.

The social side of BJJ that nobody explains — what it means to be part of a "team," how friendships form on the mats, and why community is the thing that makes the sport stick.