Kyra Gracie with the omoplata. Photo: Ivan Trindade

The omoplata submission is one of the most common arm attacks in Jiu-Jitsu. Similar to the kimura, it attacks the shoulder by locking up an arm with your legs. It is often used as a transitional position rather than a straight submission.

Here are seven breakdowns of the omoplata to brush up on or learn how to secure, how to transition and how to take advantage of the position:

1. Draculino teaches how to secure the omoplata from the spider guard:

2. Get the omoplata from knee on belly with Nino Schembri:

3. Your opponent is turtled? Christian Uflacker shows the inverted omoplata from this position:

4. Another way to finish the omoplata is with the horseshoe technique as explained by New Breed’s Johnny Ramirez:

5. Jackson Sousa shows how to spin under to secure the omoplata and sweep:

6. Once you’ve swept with the omoplata, go for the triangle from mount with Ricardo Cavalcanti:

7. If you’ve been caught in an omoplata, Robson Moura teaches how to defend and escape the submission:

One of the most popular open-guard options in the book, the De la Riva was developed by a student under Grandmaster Carlson Gracie in the 80s. His name was Ricardo de la Riva, and he noticed that if he used one leg as a hook, partially wrapping his opponent’s leg at the knee, he would be able to neutralize the movement of the legendary guard passers of his team — almost all of whom were much bigger and heavier than his skinny self.

The technique worked out, gained traction in BJJ tournaments, and to this day it’s been studied by countless BJJ students. It’s the case of Renzo Gracie and Christian Xaropinho, two specialists of attacking with the DLR, as you can see from the next two videos.

Note how Renzo uses the cogs of the DLR to surprise the passers with a lob sweep, ending up on the mount.

Xaropinho sweeps using the passer’s own weight the moment his opponent tries to reach side control by diagonally crossing his knee.

BJJ teacher Wellington Megaton proposes an optimistic reaction in the face of adversity. To illustrate his thesis, he remembers the day thieves broke into his home and took all of his savings. But they didn’t take his optimistic lifestyle, meaning he predictably got over the episode.

Don’t waste any more time. Go to www.gallerr.com/rgoa and get access to over 20 weeks of content made available so far at Renzo Gracie Online Academy.

Oss! 

Uma das opções de guarda aberta mais populares da cartilha do Jiu-Jitsu, a De la Riva foi desenvolvida por um aluno do grande mestre Carlson Gracie, na década de 1980. Ele se chamava Ricardo de la Riva e percebeu que, se usasse uma das pernas como gancho, envolvendo parcialmente a perna do adversário na altura do joelho, seria capaz de neutralizar a movimentação dos renomados passadores de guarda de sua escuderia, quase todos muito maiores e mais pesados do que o franzino Ricardo.

A técnica deu certo, ganhou fama nos campeonatos da arte suave e até hoje vem sendo estudada por diversos praticantes de Jiu-Jitsu ao redor do mundo. É o caso de Renzo Gracie e Christian Xaropinho, dois especialistas em atacar com a guarda De la Riva, como você pode notar nos dois vídeos a seguir.

Repare como mestre Renzo utiliza a engrenagem da De la Riva para surpreender o passador com uma raspagem balão, terminando o movimento na montada.

Já Xaropinho raspa utilizando-se do peso do próprio passador, no momento em que o oponente tenta chegar ao cem-quilos, cruzando o joelho na diagonal.

Na aula sobre qualidade de vida, Wellington Megaton fala sobre a “arte de levantar e seguir em frente” após sofrermos algum tipo de revés.

Não perca mais tempo!

Vá ao site www.gallerr.com/rgoa e tenha acesso ao conteúdo completo do curso de Jiu-Jitsu mais sofisticado da Internet. Seja aluno da Renzo Gracie Online Academy (RGOA).

Oss!

GMA member and and leader of Uflacker Academy in Chicago, black belt Christian Uflacker teaches one of his favorite sweeps.

Pay attention to the video and learn the how-to of the ballon sweep, an efficient way to go from the closed guard to the full mount using the ooponent’s own moment.

Know more about Uflacker at bjjsouthside.com

Christian “Xaropinho” Uflacker, black-belt in Jiu-Jitsu and MMA fighter. Photo: Kuba Mantle / mantofight.com

Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt champion, Christian “Xaropinho” Uflacker is the newest Brazilian fighter at One FC, the biggest MMA organization in Asia. The contender is undefeated with five wins and will fight at lightweight division in which Ben Askren is the champion.

“The One FC has been growing a lot, they scheduled major events and want to advertise great fights in 2015. It is great to be part of an event of this size for my career. I don’t know when I will make my debut. I’m doing most of the training at my gym in Chicago, but maybe I will be traveling to train elsewhere before the fight,” says Xaropinho.

To keep the pace in training and his Jiu-Jitsu sharp, the student of Carlos Gracie Jr. does not abandon the kimono.

“Jiu-Jitsu is the basis of MMA. Without Jiu-Jitsu, you do not get far in the ring. But for you to have a great career in MMA, it is prime to have the willingness of a white belt to learn and improve. That’s what makes me very excited to train. Every day I know I have to get better in boxing, muay thai, wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. This philosophy appeals to me as an athlete. One thing I learned from Carlos is to have Jiu-Jitsu as a lifestyle, so I always enjoy training; It doesn’t matter if I have a fight scheduled or not. I learned to have Jiu-Jitsu as an important part of my life,” he says.

Xaropinho commented about who impresses him in the world of MMA:

“Chris Weidman today is the fighter that most impresses me. He caught my attention. I saw how good was Weidman three years ago when he agreed to fight Demian Maia within only two weeks of previous notice. He lost ten pounds for the fight and defeated Demian by decision. After that, I kept an eye on his career,” he said.

Xaropinho é o novo contratado do One FC.

Faixa-preta campeão de Jiu-Jitsu, Christian “Xaropinho” Uflacker é o mais novo brasileiro no One FC, maior organização de MMA da Ásia. O lutador, invicto com cinco vitórias, vai lutar no peso leve, que hoje tem Ben Askren como campeão.

“O One FC está crescendo muito, eles programaram grandes eventos e pretendem anunciar ótimas lutas em 2015. Para a minha carreira é ótimo fazer parte de um evento desse porte. Ainda não sei quando vou fazer minha estreia. Estou fazendo a maior parte do treino na minha academia em Chicago, mas de repente vou viajar para treinar em outro lugar no período da luta”, conta Xaropinho.

Para manter o ritmo e o Jiu-Jitsu afiado, o aluno de Carlos Gracie Jr não deixa de lado o kimono.

“O Jiu-Jitsu é a base do MMA. Sem Jiu-Jitsu, você não chega longe nos ringues. Mas para você ter uma ótima carreira no MMA, precisa ter uma vontade de faixa-branca de aprender e melhorar. É isso que me deixa muito animado para treinar. Todo dia sei que tenho de melhorar o boxe, muay thai, wrestling e o próprio Jiu-Jitsu. Essa filosofia me atrai como atleta. Uma coisa que aprendi com o Carlinhos foi ter o Jiu-Jitsu como um estilo de vida, então eu treino Jiu-Jitsu com prazer, não importa se eu tenho luta marcada ou não. Aprendi a fazer do Jiu-Jitsu uma parte importante da minha vida”, diz.

Xaropinho ainda comentou sobre quem o impressiona no mundo do MMA:

“O Chris Weidman hoje é o lutador que mais me impressiona, ele roubou minha atenção. Eu vi o quanto Weidman era bom há coisa de três anos, quando ele aceitou lutar com o Demian Maia em duas semanas. Perdeu dez quilos para a luta e venceu o Demian na decisão. Depois disso, passei a ficar de olho na carreira dele”, contou.

To celebrate the date, here is a position he taught exclusively for the GRACIEMAG.com.

Enjoy and learn a way  to pass and attack the arm.

Gustavo Pires is the black belt champ. Photo: IBJJF

At the Chicago State University the 2014 IBJJF Chicago Spring Open held its first day on March 29 for the gi divisions from blue to black. White belt gi divisions and all no-gi divisions will be held tomorrow.

Christian Uflacker in the super-heavy division. Photo: IBJJF

The big winner at black belt was Gustavo Pires of Gracie Barra who took gold in his heavyweight division as well as the open weight division. Other Gracie Barra winners took gold at black belt including Philipe Della Monica at lightweight and and AJ Agazarm at middleweight. Christian Uflacker of GMA Uflacker Academy, a local to Chicago, took home the gold in the super-heavyweight division.

At brown belt, middleweight David Garmo of Caique Jiu-Jitsu conquered the open weight division with Inacio Neto taking second after achieving gold in the medium-heavyweight division.

Horlando Monteiro won double gold. Photo: IBJJF

Purple belt female Kristen Mikkelson of GMA Brazil 021 won double gold with a match in her lightweight division and winning all of her matches in the open weight division. Male purple belt Edwin Najmi of GMA Gracie Barra Northridge won the adult lightweight division and Horlando Monteiro of Nova Uniao won the middleweight division and the purple belt open weight division.

In the teams competition the results were:

Gi

1 – Carlson Gracie Team – 259
2 – Brasa – 253
3 – Gracie Barra – 166

No-Gi

1 – Brasa – 170
2 – Gracie Barra – 105
3 – Carlson Gracie Team – 60

Check out the full results of day one here.

Check out the full results of day two here

See a full album of photos here.
See Gustavo Pires vs. Sada Kurimori in the heavyweight final:

For more info on Uflacker, go to bjjsouthside.com

Pan No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2011. Photo: GRACIEMAG

Tomorrow, Sept. 28, the City College of New York will have its Nat Holman Gymnasium infiltrated by men and women in rash guards and shorts. The title of Pan No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Champion will be granted to those who advance in their brackets all the way to the top of the podium.

To see who will be facing who on their journey to the gold, take a look at the brackets here.

To see who will be fighting when, check out the schedule here.

Don’t miss the black belts exhibit top level moves starting at 1:10 p.m. with the endless list of names such as JT Torres, Laercio Fernandes, Caio Terra, Samir Chantre, Zach Maxwell, Vitor Oliveira, Murilo Santana, Christian Uflacker, Bernardo Faria, Abraham Marte, Bruno Fernandes and more.

It’s a mix of new, active and veteran black belts that ensure great match-ups with no clear bets.

Uflacker Academy is located at 5527 S. Harlem Ave., Chicago, Il 60638. Call the academy at (312) 890-3675 and visit www.bjjsouthside.com for more information.