Blog

Good enough not to get smashed, not good enough to beat the belts above you, and the novelty's gone. Why purple stalls, and what restarts it.

There are over 3,000 BJJ instructionals and 5,800 hours of them. Most people get worse results from buying more. Here's how to pick one and study it properly.

What it takes to get a BJJ black belt — the honest 10-year average, why it's slower than every other martial art, and who actually makes it there.

BJJ brown belt explained — why the belt between purple and black is about refinement not accumulation, its "dangerous belt" reputation, and honest timelines.

First BJJ competition checklist — registration and weigh-in honesty, exactly what to pack, warm-up timing, corner etiquette, and what a first loss means.

Open guard in BJJ is an umbrella term, not one position. A clear map of spider, de la Riva, butterfly, x-guard, and lasso — and how to pick your first one.

Butterfly guard explained — why this unglamorous seated guard ages better than any other, how hooks and elevation work, and when beginners should learn it.

A plain-English BJJ glossary for beginners — positions, movements, submissions, gi terms, and gym culture words like oss, roll, and flow, defined honestly.

Takedowns for BJJ when you hate standup — why gyms neglect it, wrestling vs judo entries, three high-percentage options, and honest guard-pulling talk.

Leg locks in BJJ, honestly — why they were taboo, what changed, where beginners should start, what's legal at your belt, and how to keep partners safe.

Half guard for beginners — how BJJ's old survival position became real offense, the underhook battle, the knee shield, and what to focus on first.

The armbar explained — its judo lineage, how it works from mount, guard, and back, why control beats extension, and when to tap to protect your arm.

Why the rear naked choke is grappling's highest-percentage submission — back control, the seatbelt and hooks, and blood chokes explained honestly.

The triangle choke explained — its judo roots, how the mechanics actually work, the mistakes every beginner makes, and how it changes from gi to no-gi.

What a BJJ blue belt really means, how long it takes (usually 1.5–2.5 years), what coaches look for, and why so many people quit after earning one.

New to no-gi jiu-jitsu? A beginner's guide to no-gi BJJ: how it differs from gi, what to wear, the grips and style, and how to start training submission grappling.

What does it take to earn a BJJ purple belt? An honest look at the purple belt in jiu-jitsu: the typical timeline, what skills it represents, and IBJJF age minimums.

Is Brazilian jiu-jitsu hard to learn? An honest look at how difficult BJJ really is — physically and mentally — why it humbles everyone, and why almost anyone can still do it.

Not sure what to wear to jiu-jitsu? Here's exactly what to wear to a BJJ class — for your first trial, gi classes, and no-gi — plus what to bring and what to avoid.

Should you play top or bottom in BJJ? An honest look at the pros and cons of top pressure vs guard play, and how to decide which game fits you as a beginner.

Guard passing is one of the hardest skills in BJJ. Here are the principles that make passing work — pressure, posture, grips, and patience — plus beginner mistakes to fix.

Grip fighting decides most BJJ exchanges. Here's a beginner's guide to the essential gi and no-gi grips, how to break grips, and why winning the grips wins the position.

'Rolling' is live sparring in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Here's what rolling means, how it works, rolling etiquette, how hard to go, and how to survive your first rolls.

The highest-percentage beginner escapes from mount and side control in BJJ — the bridge-and-roll, elbow-escape, and framing — plus the principles that make them work.