Igor Gracie demonstrates a true arsenal of locks and chokes so that you can tap people out from their back. Ezequiel, RNC, cross-collar choke, kata-gatame, clock choke, armbar and much more. Don’t miss out!

Week 6 of the Renzo Gracie Online Academy program is organized like this:

• Eleven techniques of finishing from the back.
• Koshi guruma: Often used in competitive BJJ, this takedown is also useful in self-defense.
• Lifestyle: Bruno Fernandes advises you on how to overcome injuries.

Day 1: Monday

Lesson 1: Ezequiel from the back

When you control your opponent from their back and they try to block your rear naked choke, a good opportunity arises to shift to an ezequiel choke.

Lesson 2: Cross-collar choke

In the moment that you control your opponent’s back and they manage to get rid of one hook, watch out as you persist on the position with only the second hook, because that leg can get trapped in a half-guard. Watch the best way to act in this scenario and finish with the cross-collar choke.

Lesson 3: Armbar

When your opponent tries to defend against an attack from the back, they usually leave some body part vulnerable. In this video lesson, as he defends his neck, Leo Tunico exposes his arm to Igor Gracie.

Day 2: Tuesday

Lesson 4: Adjustment details for the cross-collar choke

You are outside your opponent’s field of view, which is one of the main advantages of attacking from the back. So don’t expose your hand when you control their collar, because then they can see it and neutralize it. Understand how to become invisible.

Lesson 5: New adjustment details for the cross-collar choke

There are numerous little adjustments to make your attack from the back efficient — like how you position your head, which can result in your opponent having less space to defend in. Learn this and other valuable details.

Day 3: Wednesday

Lesson 6: Armbar through the kimura control

If you want to become a good back-taker, you need to know how to easily transition between the seat belt control and the control with the kimura, the latter of which is recommended for those who like finishing via attacks on the arm. Igor Gracie will get you there.

Lesson 7: Clock choke

If your opponent tries to escape from your back control by getting on all fours, you can submit them with a classic move: the clock choke.

Lesson 8: Lifestyle (Avoiding injury)

Injuries can keep you away from the gym, drastically affecting your training consistency and progress as a fighter. So check out five key tips to avoid getting hurt in training.

Day 4: Thursday

Lesson 9: More adjustments for the cross-collar choke

Your opponent is too strong and uses both hands to block your squeezing of the choke from the back. Watch this video and learn how to move to open up new spaces and be able to use your own leg to break the blockade.

Lesson 10: A feint to sink the ezequiel choke

A great way to surprise your opponent when you attack them from the back is to feign the traditional cross-collar choke and then, when your opponent tries to foil that, to shift to an adjustment via ezequiel.

Day 5: Friday

Aula 11: Kata-gatame from the back

Igor Gracie usually takes advantage of the back control with the seat belt adjustments in order to quickly spin his body, ending up with the kata-gatame locked in place. Watch the walkthrough for this sensational coup.

Lesson 12: Rear naked choke

You must know how to finish your opponent via RNC. It is, after all, a back attack that requires no grips on collars or lapels — one you can employ in classical and no-gi BJJ as well as in self-defense scenarios. Check out what Igor Gracie has to teach about jiu-jitsu’s most emblematic move.

Lesson 13: Koshi guruma

The koshi guruma mechanic is often used in competitive BJJ, but you will also recognize it from numerous self-defense moves, like the punch-blocking technique where you counter-attack by throwing your opponent over your shoulder. Watch for a comprehensive walkthrough.

P.S.: Improve your jiu-jitsu with Renzo Gracie’s team – RGOA

The RGOA schedule:

Week 1: Attacks from closed guard

Week 2: Guard retention

Week 3: Side attacks

Week 4: Escape from side control

Week 5: Back-takes

Week 6: Attacks from the back

Week 7, 8, 9 …, 998, 999, 1000: Surprise! Each week a new topic.

Plus: Takedowns, Self-Defense, Lifestyle tips, Documentaries, Interviews, etc.

Until the end of 2017, 50% OFF ->> Enroll now and join the planet’s most complete and modern online BJJ school.

Instructor Elcirley Silva with his students from Gracie Barra.

BJJ is recommended to athletes of all ages and physical conditions. A practical example of this is teacher Elcirley Silva of Gracie Barra, who has an amputated leg but never considered quitting training, which led him to attain the black belt this year.

One of the students under Elcirley who have gotten the most physical benefit from practicing BJJ is Mr. Gilberto. The white-belt boasts one of the best attendance records at the gym, and his will to learn impresses his teacher.

“Mr. Gilberto is our oldest student,” Elcirley told us. “Yesterday he reached his third degree on the white belt. He’s approaching 70 and practicing the art with more and more will, and gaining flexibility.”

To better illustrate the benefits of training past 60, Elcirley listed some physical and mental advantages provided by BJJ.

1. High-level cardio maintenance, especially by the joints of the arms.

2. Strengthening of all joints of the bone and muscle structure.

3. Higher mental and physical disposition.

4. Sociability that goes beyond conversation, due to the physical contact during training, which makes it ideal for shy people.

5. A boost to self-confidence for men and women of any age.

Do you have a gray-haired classmate at your gym? Then talk about it below.

A bowl of açaí with an apple can be the perfect snack for a BJJ fighter. Gustavo Aragão.

The favorite energy food of BJJ practitioners, the açaí has become popular among athletes and non-athletes alike. With its unique flavor and healthy properties, the fruit from the north of Brazil has gained fans the world over. But preparing it correctly can be the difference between a quality meal and one that can harm your performance.

To clear this up, we talked to nutritionist Danielle Machado, who recently visited the Amazon rainforest. “The açaí,” she says, “is rich in anthocyanins, a purple pigment with great antioxidant abilities that helps combat aging and prevent some types of cancer. Besides, the açaí has good amounts of omega 6, omega 9, oleic acid, vitamins B1, B2, C and E, iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium, as well as proteins, fibers and carbs. That is, a complete food.

“The properties of the açaí help with weight loss, prevent cramps, act as a natural anti-inflammatory — essential to high-performance athletes, — as well as being an excellent source of energy.”

Still, there are things that can go wrong when consuming the fruit, and Dr. Machado has her own recipe to make sure you make the best of it. “The consumer must be wary of the ways the açaí is sold,” she says, “because the guarana syrup, which is often added to the fruit, raises the number of calories per tablespoon by about 93. Since the syrup raises by a lot the glycemic index and, consequently, the levels of insulin in the body, this excessive sugar tends to be stored in the form of fat, and the individual may even develop diabetes in some cases. Not to mention other cases where stores sell the açaí with sweet sauce, chocolates, candy and cookies, making the sugar concentration even higher.

“In the Amazon region, the açaí is consumed with flour by the riverine population. But another option is to blend some organic açaí pulp, a frozen banana, 50ml of coconut water and a tablespoon of oatmeal for a nutritious, efficient, natural pre-training meal.”

When in doubt, one can never be too wrong by sticking to the recommendations made by the Gracies over the decades: Sweeten your açaí with dates, honey or apple juice.

Rickson Gracie practises a yoga breathing technique

If BJJ to you isn’t synonymous with pleasure and rest, respect and concentration, leisure and effort, then something may be wrong with your training. Oftentimes the fighter — especially the competitor — starts getting controlled by the pressure, by an extremely uncomfortable weight on the chest, an unpleasant sensation. We list here five tips that will help you tame anxiety and pressure in BJJ.

1 – Tape your training (if everyone agrees, of course) and edit the best moments with some exciting music. Most of the times, the fighter has no idea of what they’re capable of, even if they do that every day. A video can increase self-confidence and perception of competence, making the athlete more serene.

2 – Meditate before competing. Visualize arriving at the gymnasium, the smells and sounds. Think of the techniques you will be using.

3 – Control over breathing frequency must be observed on fight day, in an attempt to keep it normal all the time — 12 to 20 breaths per minute.

4 – The athlete must have their coach nearby throughout the entire competition, as much as possible, calming them down or guiding them when needed.

5 – After the tournament, the coach must support and praise what the young athlete did right, and avoid criticizing. The errors will become study objects in the endeavor to perfect the athlete for other similar situations.

Mix of colorful fruits and vegetables.

Everybody knows that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day is very important to your health. However, did you know that the more variety of colors you add to your diet more health benefits you will get?

Fruits and vegetables are very important to our health because they are whole foods, created by nature, that are rich in a large amount of nutrients. The processed foods that we so commonly eat, can never compare to the health benefits provided by strawberries or Broccoli, which have fiber, vitamins, and enzymes built right in. Eating plenty of healthy vegetables and fruits helps you prevent different types of diseases, such as heart disease and strokes, control your blood pressure, prevent some types of cancers, and guards against vision loss among many others health benefits.

By eating fruits and vegetables of a variety of different colors, you can get the best all-around health benefits. Each different color fruit and vegetables contains unique health components that are essential to your health.

Red: The phytochemicals present in these foods are red carotenoids and anthocyanins. One of the most abundant carotenoid is lycopene. Lycopene helps reduce free radical damage in your body and also prevents heart disease, cancer, prostate problems and reduces skin damage from the sun. These red foods help memory function, urinary tract health, and makes your heart healthy.

Green: These fruits and vegetables have phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles, which both help to prevent cancer. They are also good for the circulatory system and have good vitamin B and minerals. Green vegetables also help with vision, and the maintenance of strong bones and teeth. Some yellowish green vegetables have carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which help prevent cataract, ocular disease and osteoporosis. Green fruits and vegetables also contain fiber, calcium, folate and vitamin C. These nutrients besides reducing cancer risks, it lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.

Purple: These foods have tons of antioxidants, which are called anthocyanins and phenolics. They help to improve circulation and prevent blood clots, so they are excellent for the heart and may help prevent heart disease. They are also known to help memorization and urinary tract health and reduce free radical damage.

Orange and Yellow: These fruits and vegetables Contain beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macula degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.

White: These fruits and vegetables contain nutrients such as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate natural killer B and T immune system cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers.

By Adriana Gracie.

Before starting any diet consult a nutritionist.

Carlos Gracie Jr.

David and Annie Iturrino share an enormous passion for Jiu-Jitsu. Recently this year, on October 26, they got married inside their own BJJ School in Mount Dora, FL.

Husband, David is a Brown Belt under Todd Cutler (1st degree Balck Belt) owner of Daytona Fight Sports, whose lineage comes from our GMA Roberto Cyborg Abreu at Fight Sports Academy and wife, Annie is a Blue Belt. They are very excited about living the BJJ lifestyle together as a couple.

The couple’s entire wedding was centered on their love for Jiu-Jitsu. On their wedding party, both, bride and groom were dressed in Gi’s, as well as all the attendees.

We believe David and Annie are the 1st couple to have this idea of saying their vows inside a BJJ school and having an all Jiu-Jitsu theme wedding party.

Best wishes to the married couple! Congratulations!

Rickson Gracie

Usually people breathe only puffing their chest and using only the upper part of the lungs. Doing this, you are leading the air only to the apex of the lungs without exercising the diaphragm. Therefore, the lower part of the lungs reduces the amplitude of respiratory movements and consequently diminishes our vital capacity that it is the average global capacity of a person to inhale and exhale.

In diaphragmatic breathing, or commonly known as belly breathing, when you inspire, the abdomen tracks the movement of the air inlet dilating gently; and when you expire, it contracts so slow and gently while the air outlet. Ideally, you should try to make this work using only the nose and breathing calmly. Move only your abdomen. Chest stays still.

You can use this technique to start and end your workouts and before the competitions. It is also a form of meditation because from the moment that we are always thinking about something, when you focus on your breathing, you will stop thinking about your problems. Try to observe that when the breath is calmed the mind also becomes calm, reducing anxiety, and giving you a sense of well being and relaxation.

This interestingly shows the effectiveness of this breathing technique, but only with continued practice you may notice changes in your daily lives and also in your performance on the mat by improving your physical conditioning, combating anxiety before competition and speeding up recovery both during and after training or competition. This technique will help you physically and mentally, being an important factor in health and quality of life.

By Prof. Alvaro Romano

White belt winner at Abu Dhabi WPJJC. Photo: Gustavo Aragao

White belts who compete at the World Championship and Pan American Championship earn medals in a category called “novice.” The word novice itself means beginner or someone who is new to a certain situation, activity, task. Why would a beginner be granted the opportunity to compete on the very same mats in the very same event that our proclaimed professionals use to determine their rankings — the rankings used to build a student base, fan base and ultimately a following that will lead to financial resources? Is it necessary to initiate white belts into serious competition?

Today, we see white belt highlights and self-promotion. Maybe it is a simple explanation in terms of Imovie, GoPro and the now extinct Flip camera and how easy it is to make videos and upload them to YouTube. Or maybe, it’s proof that the sport aspect is evolving in a way that becoming a black belt world champion is a more enticing career choice made possible by more opportunities.

Full-time Jiu-Jitsu athletes may have financial support from sponsors but to maintain a life that is dedicated to training for competitions like most top level athletes do, one must find financial support through extending their knowledge: seminars, owning a school, private lessons, instructional DVDs. Because of this, promotion and marketing are extremely important.

But white belts can’t make any money from teaching, so what’s the point of getting their name out there?

White belts are learning self-promotion early on and by making websites, starting social media pages and marketing their competition accomplishments they are ahead of the game. Ten years ago, most Jiu-Jitsu athletes waited until brown belt to even consider making a life out of competition. Now, the seriousness is considered from the beginning and novice competitors are making the decision to build up their name starting from the bottom. Is this a case of athletes today making the lifestyle prestigious and worthy of full dedication? Does becoming a black belt world champion today mean more than it did years ago?

Can tenacity prove success in higher ranks?

If you dismiss white belts as serious competitors, if you don’t support self-promotion as a novice, you can at the very least give credit to the white belts who show great tenacity. Winning competitions is determined by many factors but no matter what, an athlete must have the drive to win. Accomplishments like winning the Worlds at white belt may not suggest success in later years or be a sure-fire way to spot a future black belt world champion, but it does prove an element that is essential. White belts using self-promotion show success in novice competition and in turn, are able to brand themselves as a serious competitor. Should that drive remain as the competitor moves through the many years of belt ranks and championships, the chances of success rises.

How about the skill level we see at white belt level?

With the berimbolo proving popular in the Jiu-Jitsu realm, white belts today are as happy to learn the move as any other openminded practitioner but if a white belt can accurately execute a “new” move in competition is it still a high-percentage move? Can it be considered a basic move eventually or is it still considered a fancier move that flashy white belts are obsessing over? If a white belt can’t open a guard but they can leg drag to your back is it a sign that trends are shaping Jiu-Jitsu?

These two white belt highlights below show two students who are dedicating themselves to the sport aspect of Jiu-Jitsu early on. Both now blue belts, Mason Monsevais is under the Mendes Brothers at GMA Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy and Arman Vanessian is under Rubens Cobrinha Charles at GMA Cobrinha BJJ.

What do you think self-promotion from the bottom? Does it prove that sport Jiu-Jitsu is evolving into a more serious career choice? Let us know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpQDjPYGWM8