Blog

A judo school opened in 1949 that never closed, now 27,000 square feet of fight gym. What you gain training jiu-jitsu there, and what you give up.

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.

Masters BJJ starts at 30 and runs past 61. Here's how the age brackets work, how to prepare on three sessions a week, and why the brackets can be tiny.

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.

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.

Why your first match feels like a bar fight you're losing, what adrenaline is doing to your body, and the pre-comp routines that survive it.

No gis, no belts on the mat, and a guard named after rubber. What 10th Planet San Diego is really like, and why the system still splits the sport.

A viewer's map of pro grappling in 2026 — ADCC, Polaris, WNO, Fight to Win, CJI, UFC BJJ and the IBJJF's pro events, with rulesets and real numbers.

IBJJF weighs you in your gi minutes before your first match, with no chance to rehydrate. That one rule makes big weight cuts far dumber in BJJ than in MMA.

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.

Reps, positional sparring, or constraints-led games? The drilling argument is genuinely unsettled. Both sides, plus what to do in the five minutes after class.

How BJJ promotions really work: who decides, why there's no test, what to do when you get passed over, and why some people quit right after they're promoted.

IBJJF, NAGA, Grappling Industries, ADCC Opens and Fight 2 Win compared on the thing that matters most to a first-timer: how many matches you get.

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.

Victory MMA San Diego: 22,000 square feet, Dean Lister, Jocko Willink, 160+ weekly classes — and the fire the gym refused to let end it.

Competition is one way to organize your training. Choose the commitment you want now, without turning that choice into a permanent identity.

Cardio for BJJ, honestly — why you gas out in year one (it's panic, not fitness), what zone 2 really does, and when intervals are actually worth adding.

The kimura lock explained — the 1951 Masahiko Kimura vs Helio Gracie story, its double wristlock roots, and why it's a control system, not just a tap.

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

Back control is BJJ's king position — how to take the back, keep it with seatbelt and hooks, and escape it safely by winning the hand fight first.

Keep the question you want to ask next class. A practical way to record BJJ training without turning your notebook into another job.

Overtraining in BJJ shows up as bad sleep, nagging injuries, and plateaus. How many rest days you actually need, and why sleep beats every recovery gadget.