Held last weekend, the IBJJF’s American Nationals gathered some of the best U.S.-based fighters in another welcome sign of the gradual resumption of the competition circuit. The NYTEX Sports Centre, in Texas, served as the stage.

In the black belt, Double Five’s João Gabriel Rocha triumphed with double gold. First he beat Guilherme Cordiviola (GFTeam) in the ultra-heavy final. Then he beat Gabriel “Todd” Almeida (Checkmat) to ensure a perfect weekend for himself.

Meanwhile, Brenda Oliveira (Club Pina) claimed the women’s absolute title. Having lost the middleweight final, she bounced back with a win over Mayara Custódio (LEAD Bjj) in the absolute.

Also noteworthy were Bebeto Oliveira at light feather, Josh Cisneros at featherweight, and Ronaldo Junior at middleweight, as well as the duo of Gregor Gracie and Rayron Gracie, who took gold at master 1 medium heavy and purple-belt adult super-heavy, respectively.

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Uma publicação compartilhada por Gregor Gracie (@gregorgracie)

Black belt results:

ADULT / MALE / BLACK / ROOSTER
1
Estevan G Martinez-Garcia
ZR Team Association
2
Henrique de Oliveira Rossi
PSLPB Cicero Costha USA
3
Lee Rosenfield
Form Jiu Jitsu Academy
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / LIGHT-FEATHER
1
Carlos Alberto Oliveira da Silva
GF Team
2
Marcus Beddor
Pedro Sauer Team
3
Pedro Serrano
Gracie Barra
3
Suraj Kumar Budhram
Fight Sports
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / FEATHER
1
Joshua Anthony Cisneros
Cleber Jiu Jitsu Visalia
2
Isaac Doederlein
Alliance
3
Guilherme Guimaraes Borges Olimpio da Rocha
ZR Team Association
3
Richar Emiliano Nogueira
Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / LIGHT
1
Alef José Soares Brito de Morais
Ares BJJ
2
Pablo Lavaselli
Renzo Gracie Orlando
3
Osvaldo Augusto Honorio Moizinho
Ares BJJ
3
Rodrigo Lamounier de Freitas
Rodrigo Freitas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / MIDDLE
1
Ronaldo Pereira de Souza Júnior
Atos Jiu-Jitsu
2
Lucas Benévolo Valle
R1NG BJJ
3
Andre Nascimento dos Santos Gois
Alliance
3
Rehan Muttalib
Alliance
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / MEDIUM-HEAVY
1
Jake Michael Watson
Maracaba BJJ
2
Joshua S. McKinney
TAC Team BJJ
3
Gabriel Salles Muniz Almeida
CheckMat
3
Victor César Braz da Silva
Gracie Barra
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / HEAVY
1
Nathan Albrecht Mendelsohn
Coalition 95
2
Rodrigo Lopes Martins
Double Five Highland Village
3
Inacio Ferreira Gomes Neto
Gracie Barra
3
Yuri Allison Paiva dos Santos
LEAD BJJ
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / SUPER-HEAVY
1
Joaquin Torres
Fight Sports
2
André Luiz Novaes Porfirio
Fight Sports
3
Charles Kilyan Mcguire
American Top Team Junior Fernandes
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / ULTRA-HEAVY
1
João Gabriel de Oliveira e S. Rocha
Double Five Dallas
2
Guilherme Wilson S. Cordiviola
GF Team
3
Jackson Douglas de Carvalho Batista
CheckMat
ADULT / MALE / BLACK / OPEN CLASS
1
João Gabriel de Oliveira e S. Rocha
Double Five Dallas
2
Gabriel Salles Muniz Almeida
CheckMat
3
Guilherme Wilson S. Cordiviola
GF Team
3
Jake Michael Watson
Maracaba BJJ
ADULT / FEMALE / BLACK / MIDDLE
1
Danielle Renee Alvarez
LEAD BJJ
2
Brenda Ariane Oliveira Palheta
Club Pina Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
3
Juliana Remigio Fontoura
Lokahi Academy
ADULT / FEMALE / BLACK / MEDIUM-HEAVY
1
Elisabeth Ann Clay
Ares BJJ
ADULT / FEMALE / BLACK / HEAVY
1
Nathiely Karoline Melo de Jesus
Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ
ADULT / FEMALE / BLACK / SUPER-HEAVY
1
Mayara Monteiro Custódio
CheckMat
ADULT / FEMALE / BLACK / OPEN CLASS
1
Brenda Ariane Oliveira Palheta
Club Pina Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
2
Mayara Monteiro Custódio
CheckMat
3
Juliana Remigio Fontoura
Lokahi Academy

How goes your arsenal of surprise attacks, dear reader? You might be interested in learning that the wrist fold, which often catches fighters unprepared, can be taken to a different level depending on where it originates.

This is what is being taught today by Cristiano “Titi” Lazzarini, a teacher in Belo Horizonte, as he reveals a sneaky technique based on the game of Junio “Valério” Souza, a black-belt at Gracie Barra BH.

Check out the translated transcript and video below.

“I start doing the lasso guard, I cross my leg on his chest. He grabs and already tries to pass. I go in with the blade of my shin and come back with my chicken foot. he tries to get the arm out. Now, when he passes the guard, I hold the blade of the arm, and he underhooks. Then [0:41] look at his wrist…”

“Dude doesn’t know how to squeeze slowly.”

“Playing guard, I go to the lasso. Then, most of the time, I sweep with the lasso. Then I’m here, throwing him there [1:01], then he comes back. When he comes back, I hold the lapel here and get my shin deep, and make a chicken foot, and hold the blade of Titi’s arm. Automatically, he tries to underhook and pass the guard. When he underhooks, the key position is this: the legs meet. Thus you get a wrist fold.”

“Guys, remember: don’t do the position without the instruction of a teacher.”

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Uma publicação compartilhada por Gracie Magazine Brasil (@graciemagoficial) em 25 de Jun, 2020 às 7:17 PDT

Preguiça.

In 2014, Felipe Preguiça taught some students from Team Moraes, in Rio, how to pass the spider guard in one swoop, and Graciemag was present to collect the details.

Translated transcript:

“He’ll have one leg stretched, and this other one will be on the bicep, but it won’t be applying pressure. So with this hand, I’ll pass it to the inside of this pants and I’ll stretch my arm until I remove this leg from the bicep. As soon as I do, I can’t keep my elbow open. If I do, he’ll return. So I remove it and close my elbow here.

“With this other leg that’s stretched, I put my elbow inside and make a grip on his pants as well. Now I’m gonna start to get on the side of the stretched leg. Then I posture and do a hip thrust [0:54], throwing his leg this way. As soon as I push his leg this way, this knee will slot between his legs. And this hand comes in behind his thigh. Then I lock in place.

“After I kill the spider guard and push his leg there, this hand comes right away on his collar. ‘Cause sometimes I push and he keeps this leg here, then he starts escaping with this knee here [1:25]. Then he’ll start pushing me away and he’ll recover the guard. So as soon as I push this leg this way, I have to put this knee on the ground, and this hand locking his thigh here with my forearm. Here I have two options: Either I put my elbow on his thigh [1:46], or I put my armpit on his thigh and put my head on this side. And then I pass. So he’s playing the spider here. He’s gonna stretch one here, the other there, I walk…”

1. Get in shape: BJJ is a full-body workout, an activity you can’t stop doing. You will lose weight while having fun.

2. No more stress: Unlike activities whose goal boils down to expending energy, BJJ offers a dynamic that involves strategy and fine tehnique. As you seek to learn moves and beat friends, like in a game, you recharge your energies and become stronger for the other activities in your day.

3. Learn how to defend yourself: BJJ is the most effective of all self-defense methods.

4. Make new friends: A BJJ school gathers youths and adults with healthy habits that will be by your side as you learn for years and years.

5. Get more energy for your day: Due to having to eat and sleep better in order to train properly, you naturally get used to having healthy habits. This helps you at work, on the weekend — in life as a whole.

6. Eliminate your lack of self-confidence: By realizing the skills you are able to develop in the dojo, you start fearing nothing and nobody.

7. Ditch smoking and other addictions: Gentle though it is, BJJ demands stamina, especially when your training partners start catching up to your level. If you give in to vices, punishment arrives switfly on the mat.

8. Don’t let psychological trauma define you: BJJ is the art of demanding the most from your body while your mind takes a break from sadness and hardship.

9. Increase your self-love: With a good teacher beside you, with each battle you will learn how good it is to hear the right words — even harsh ones.

10. Learn that everything depends on your efforts: With each day of fighting, you will see that problems will only be solved through your hard work and intelligence.

Marcus Buchecha took double gold, making him a 13-time world champion. Blanca Marisa Garcia

We have reached the end of four days of action featuring the world’s best BJJ fighters in another fantastic edition of the IBJJF Worlds, held from May 30 through June 2 at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach.

In the final day of the event, this Sunday, fans of the gentle art got to see which athletes would walk away with the season’s biggest bragging rights, as well as the cash prizes.

Marcus Buchecha extended his reign with a double-gold campaign, meaning he now has 13 world titles as a black-belt. Nathiely de Jesus conquered not just the heavyweight title, but also her first absolute.

Graciemag was matside to bring you a summary of the 19 finals, so keep reading.

Coverage of the 2019 Worlds brought to you by
@kamikaze.sports and @keiko_sports

MEN

ROOSTER – Mikey Musumeci vs. Rodnei Barbosa

Twelve seconds was all it took Mikey Musumeci (CTA) to place his name even higher in the BJJ world. A quick motion with a foot attack was enough to defeat Rodnei Barbosa (Qatar BJJ) and earn Musumeci his third world title, the first at rooster. It’s worth noting that the semifinal round saw Musumeci beat Bruno Malfacine, the ten-time champion. A perfect run for the first three-time IBJJF champion hailing from the U.S.

LIGHT FEATHER – João Miyao vs. Paulo Miyao

With a true task-force in the division, team Cícero Costha had Hiago George, José Tiago, João and Paulo Miyao all reaching the semis. Hiago and José opened the path for the Miyaos to close out the final, with João bagging his first world title.

FEATHER – Matheus Gabriel vs. Marcio Andre

By winning gold at the 2019 Pan against Shane Hill-Taylor, Matheus Gabriel (Checkmat) had put his name amongst the favorites. And he went all the way. In the final, Matheus was face to face with Marcio Andre (Nova União), who got tangled up and tried to finish on the foot, opening up space for Matheus to come up for two points. Then, in a sweep attempt by Marcio, Matheus had room to slip to the back, set the inverted triangle and finish on the arm.

LIGHT – Lucas Lepri vs. Lucas Valente
Lucas Lepri (Alliance) stepped on the mat with the mission of winning his sixth title. Across from him, the young and talented Lucas Valente (Gracie Barra), a pupil of Vinicius Draculino, was shooting for his first. This was a guard vs. passer duel, with Lepri applying pressure on top while Valente sought space to adjust himself and sweep. At the end, with 0-0 on the scoreboard, Lepri’s win came by judges’ decision.

MIDDLE – Gabriel Arges vs. Isaque Bahiense

In one of the most breathtaking matches of the weekend, Gabriel Arges (Gracie Barra) showed heart until the last second to beat Isaque Bahiense (Alliance) in a duel of world champions. After a war of sweeps that left the score at 4-4, Isaque was leading 2-1 on advantages. On top, Isaque saw the fight reach its last minute as he was playing guard on the 50/50. Gabriel then exploded, left the guard, came up and almost took the back. After the whistle, the referee signaled two advantages for Gabriel (sweep and back-take), flipping the advantages score to 3-2. A GB party ensued, with a very emotional Romulo Barral, who had been following the action closely.

MEDIUM HEAVY – Felipe Preguiça vs. Gustavo Batista

Another clash of world champions in Felipe Preguiça (Gracie Barra) versus Gustavo Batista (Atos). In a cerebral fight, with both competitors fighting for each grip, the final minute was reached with a 4-4 score. Before the end, Gustavo attacked a foot and won an advantage, but as he attacked he couldn’t stop Preguiça from coming up on the 50/50, winning an advantage to match it. With a level score, the judges gave the title to Preguiça.

HEAVY – Kaynan Duarte vs. Leandro Lo

The most highly anticipated final, the match between Kaynan Duarte (Atos) and Leandro Lo (NS Brotherhood) meant a battle of styles, of youth against experience, of the weathered champion against the newcomer in his first year among the elite. The expectations were met with an amazing fight in which Kaynan passed Lo’s elastic guard to get a lead and was then surprised by a takedown by Lo, who had to escape Kaynan’s guillotine before securing the points. On top, Lo tried to pass, but Kaynan came up and took him down with a single-leg, scoring another two points to win — 5-2.

SUPER-HEAVY – Nicholas Meregali vs. Mahamed Aly

After being stopped in the absolute, Nicholas Meregali (Alliance) came back even hungrier to win his second world title in his weight division. His opponent was Mahamed Aly (Lloyd Irvin), the title holder, but Meregali gave him no chances. Playing guard, Meregali attacked multiple times, changing from the triangle to the omoplata, until reaching the back. Mahamed was tenacious enough to escape, but Meregali was on top, continuing to apply pressure until taking the back once more and achieving a choke.

ULTRA-HEAVY – Marcus Buchecha vs. Ricardo Evangelista

Marcus Buchecha (Checkmat) went after Ricardo Evangelista (GFTeam) and brought his well-known game volume to bring the ultra-heavyweight final up to his speed. With a sequence of takedowns and control on the ground, Buchecha accumulated 18 points before choking Ricardo from the back.

ABSOLUTE – Marcus Buchecha vs. Leandro Lo

Returning the gesture by his friend from 2018, this time it was Lo’s turn to hand Buchecha the absolute title on a platter. An unprecedented 13th world title for Buchecha.

Nathiely de Jesus lets it all out after winning, for the first time, the absolute world title. Blanca Marisa Garcia

WOMEN

ROOSTER – Mayssa Bastos vs. Rikako Yuasa

In a solid debut among black-belts in World Championships, Mayssa Bastos (GFTeam) not only secured gold at roosterweight, but also removed the division’s reigning four-time queen, Rikako Yuasa (Paraestra). Conscious in her actions, Mayssa controlled Rikako in a war of sweeps, which led to a 6-6 score, landing on top at the end with one extra advantage.

LIGHT FEATHER – Tammi Musumeci vs. Amanda Monteiro
The sister of three-time champion Mikey Musumeci, Tammi Musumeci (CTA) arrived in the final after beating the world champions Talita Alencar and Gezary Matuda. Before claiming the gold medal, she still had another one of those, Amanda Monteiro (GFTeam), to face. Tammi scored an advantage by almost taking the back, then controlling from the guard and preventing Amanda’s strong top game from beating her guard.

FEATHER – Ana Schimitt vs. Bia Basílio
Ana Schimitt (Nova União) shone again on the World Championship stage, this time against Bia Basílio (Almeida JJ). The fight was a tense one right in the first few minutes, after each of them took three penalties for not coming up from the double pull. In the fourth pull, Bia came up and got the advantage, and Ana worked hard to sweep. In the final seconds, Ana made a coming up motion good for one advantage, leveling the score. Then, per the judges’ decision, she took the title.

LIGHT – Bia Mesquita vs. Charlotte von Baumgarten

In an eventful match, Bia Mesquita (Gracie Humaitá) confirmed her favoritism over Charlotte von Baumgarten (Alliance). To do this, Bia swept, mounted and launched a choke attack. Charlotte tried to respond, getting on top, but Bia proceeded to end it with a triangle variation where one stretches their legs to generate the necessary pressure — the teepee choke.

MIDDLE – Ana Carolina Vieira vs. Laurah Hallock
Ana Carolina Vieira (GFTeam) gave Laurah Hallock (GFTeam) no chances. In one fell swoop, the sister of Rodolfo Vieira swept, mounted, took the back and lapel-choked, winning another gold medal.

MEDIUM HEAVY – Andressa Cintra vs. Luiza Monteiro
A nice twist in the fight between Andressa Cintra (Gracie Barra) and Luiza Monteiro (Atos). Luiza was more aggressive, with attacks on the legs and feet. But it was Andressa who performed the one decisive attack: in an attempt to pass guard, she managed to take the back with the proper grips for choking already in place. So she just adjusted and claimed the title.

HEAVY – Nathiely de Jesus vs. Fernanda Mazzelli

Nathiely de Jesus (Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ) went after Fernanda Mazzelli (Striker JJ), and the pressure paid off. Her precise transition got her on Fernanda’s back, and then a choke put an end to the match.

SUPER-HEAVY – Claudia do Val vs. Venla Luukkonen

Claudia do Val (De la Riva), queen of the 2018/2019 IBJJF rankings, overcame the veteran Venla Luukkonen (Hilti BJJ) as she set a triangle, swept with that triangle locked in place, and then employed an armlock from it.

ABSOLUTE – Nathiely de Jesus vs. Bia Mesquita
On one side, the experienced Bia Mesquita was shooting for another absolute title; on the other, Nathiely hoped to get there for the first time. Nathi swept for two points, and Bia deployed her dangerous guard to try to sweep back or finish. Bia attempted, at the end, an attack on the foot and a leg lock, but Nathi used the space to come up again, reach a 4-0 lead and lock down double gold.

=====

COMPLETE RESULTS:

WOMEN

ROOSTER
Mayssa Bastos def. Rikako Yuasa, 1-0 advantages after 6-6 points

LIGHT FEATHER
Tammi Musumeci def. Amanda Monteiro, 1-0 advantages

FEATHER
Ana Schimitt def. Bia Basílio, decision

LIGHT
Bia Mesquita def. Charlotte Von Baumgarten, teepee choke

MIDDLE
Ana Carolina Vieira def. Laurah Hallock, choke from the back

MEDIUM HEAVY
Andressa Cintra def. Luiza Monteiro, choke from the back

HEAVY
Nathiely de Jesus def. Fernanda Mazzelli, choke from the back

SUPER-HEAVY
Claudia Do Val def. Venla Luukkonen no armlock do triângulo

ABSOLUTE
Nathiely de Jesus def. Bia Mesquita, 4-0 points

===

MEN

ROOSTER
Mikey Musumeci def. Rodnei Barbosa, foot lock

LIGHT FEATHER
João Miyao and Paulo Miyao closed it out for Cícero Costha

FEATHER
Matheus Gabriel def. Marcio Andre, armlock from inverted triangle

LIGHT
Lucas Lepri def. Lucas Valente, decision

MIDDLE
Gabriel Arges def. Isaque Bahiense, 3-2 advantages after 4-4 points

MEDIUM HEAVY
Felipe “Preguiça” def. Gustavo Batista, decision

HEAVY
Kaynan Duarte def. Leandro Lo, 5-2 points

SUPER-HEAVY
Nicholas Meregali def. Mahamed Aly, choke from the back

ULTRA-HEAVY
Marcus “Buchecha” def. Ricardo Evangelista, choke from the back

ABSOLUTE
Marcus “Buchecha” and Leandro Lo closed it out

Jefferson goes deep into the collar to get the choke.

A world champion and teacher at Gracie Barra Aurora, Jefferson Moura brings in today’s lesson a submission that tends to surprise one’s opponent, as the attacker achieves a choke despite there being only one arm in the equation.

The move, often used successfully by Jefferson in his training, starts on the guard pass, when his opponent tries to avoid yielding three points by getting on all fours. With the space made available, Jefferson attacks the neck with one hand really deep in the collar, behind the head. Then he transitions to the opposite side and makes his torso heavy to create the lever necessary to pull the arm and choke.

“I’m here positioning myself to pass his guard,” he says 30 seconds into the following video. “I’ve controlled his leg, I’ve controlled his collar, I’ve put my weight down. When I start arriving here, there are opponents who like to start pushing me here and getting on all fours, to try to recover guard — basically to do any sort of transition to any other position. At this exact moment, I have to use this right hand of mine, which was on the collar. I’ll put it way deep, behind his head. I get my shoulder in and slip my arm. I get it really deep. I have to open the hand to have a second adjustment. I pull his collar and hold here. But I can’t stay here on this side. I have to do a transition, at the same time, to the other side, putting this knee on the ground and, at the same time, putting my chest  behind his back here. What’s gonna happen? When I’m here [1:18], his idea is to try to put his back on the ground, and because of that, I have to put pressure that way. Usually I’ll be kind of mounting him here. At the same time I do a rotation on my hand, pull his lapel and put my chest on top of his shoulder until he taps out. This position can do no wrong. It’s a good position, because the guy that’s on the bottom recovering guard thinks I need the second hand to finish him there. So I’m able to finish him with just one of my hands.”

Ricardo’s surprise attack from the back.  

A teacher at Lotus Club in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, this week Ricardo Zanelato presents an option for simplifying the placing of the hook once you reach the back, and concludes the position with a torsion of the arm.

In the lesson, the black-belt demonstrates the back-take with a backpack-style grip, his hands on his opponent’s lapels. With one hook already secured, Ricardo attempts to place the other one and waits for his opponent’s predictable defense, holding the leg to avoid the four-pointer.

With the arm exposed, Ricardo brings the opposite hand to break his opponent’s grip, places the hook, and even grabs his opponent’s unattended arm to submit him with an inverted kimura, twisting the arm in the direction of the back.

Watch the lesson right here:

Malfacine at the BJJ Worlds. 

Ten-time roosterweight BJJ world champion Bruno Malfacine has a mountain of moves in his arsenal, and today he teaches you one — a nice sweep using your opponent’s collar.

In the position, sent in exclusively for the delight of Graciemag readers, the cross grip serves to redirect the opponent’s weight while Malfacine hip-escapes to the opposite side, with a strong grip on the pants, to come up with the leg under control.

After doing the technical lift, Malfa has two options: to finish on the arm if his opponent exposes himself, or to advance with a long step beyond the waist line and project his hip forward, reaching the mount.

Watch it all come together here:

Kyra Gracie adjusts a choke on Malvino Salvador. Carlos Arthur Jr.

Our partner school Gracie Kore, which has welcomed names like Robson Gracie, Roger Gracie and even Brazilian megastar Zeca Pagodinho, had last month a day of training featuring owner couple Kyra Gracie and Malvino Salvador testing out a few BJJ positions.

The session, documented exclusively by the Graciemag team, took place during the seminar with Roger Gracie. The ten-time world champion taught details for choking from the back, and the disciplined student Malvino, a purple-belt actor who has appeared in telenovelas for the past 15 years, recruited Kyra to perform the move.

With Roger’s tips, Malvino tried out the choke, and then it was Kyra’s turn to return the present, with her well-known pressure when attacking from the back.

Watch the happy couple roll here:

They have stood the test of time: Royler, Rorion and Rickson Gracie.

In the letters section of Graciemag #261, last year, we offered some tips to readers just starting their tenure in the masters’ age group and who want a longer life on and off the mat. Here’s that advice.

—

Educator, traveler and author Dan Buettner, who wrote The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest in 2008, mapped the blue zones — regions of the globe from Japan to Costa Rica whose dwellers usually grow old with great health and quality of life — and took note of some of the habits these people have in common.

Buettner’s work contains lessons that can be extremely useful to martial artists. Check some of them out below.

1. One of the places visited by Buettner was Icaria, Greece, known as the island where people forget to die. Its inhabitants, as well as easily making it to 90, have very low levels of dementia and diseases of the heart, brain and bones. As well as a diet that is rich in vegetables and almost devoid of red meat, the islanders like goat milk and practice daily exercise, such as walking.

2. In most blue zones mapped by the writer, there is reduced consumption of cow meat and milk.

3. In Okinawa, Japan, the people eat lots of soy and tofu.

4. In Nicoya, Costa Rica, the author checked out the quality of the water, which is rich in calcium and magnesium. This composition helps prevent heart disease and osteoporosis.

5. In all the blue zones, citizens drink little and don’t smoke.

6. People and families that prize spending time with friends and neighbors live even longer. Respect meal times, and invite your friends to break bread and share stories.

7. Another lesson from the peoples studied: They mostly use small plates for their meals.

8. Seek to know your body, and stop eating when you are 80% full.

9. If your mind isn’t calm and sated, you will want to eat whatever is put in front of you. Find a purpose in life and follow it with a passion.

10. Even if you love your job, don’t forget your leisure. Go on vacation with your family; after all, traveling feeds your brain.

Fake news hits BJJ. GRACIEMAG

The speed that information travels, thanks to the internet, may be the defining aspect of the era we live in. But alongside content that has relevance and quality, we have witnessed the rise of fake news — and it travels just as fast. In BJJ, as in any other field, fake news can be dangerous, as they spread wrong philosophies or give credit to harmful practices.

So we decided to invite a few teachers to say what, in their opinion, is the biggest piece of fake news about BJJ that they’ve heard. Here are their thoughts.

Fabio Gurgel: “The biggest piece of fake news? Wanting to turn the new generation of BJJ into Nutella. These kids are too tough!”

Roberto Godoi: “The most fun piece of fake news is that one popularized by UFC fans, about Steven Seagal. It was always hilarious to see the movie star give that final ‘polish’ moments before an athlete would go in for a fight.”

Zé Mario Sperry: “The biggest bit of fake news I’ve seen lately in the BJJ community is that athlete that posts a picture with a medal on his chest, boasting — and the title came after just one match, and won by W.O. at that. Brilliant.”

Bernardo Faria: “Tough one, but something that is fake in BJJ is when that higher-ranked guy turns to you and proclaims, ‘Oh, that position doesn’t work.’ I will never agree with that. Maybe that technique doesn’t work for you but fits great in someone else’s game. My half-guard is an example: When I started doing it, I’d let all my opponents arrive on top and gain the underhook, and I heard over and over that I could never let that happen, that it was a mistake… But I’d always end up sweeping everybody from there. In BJJ, there’s no right or wrong, and everything can work, as long as you comprehend the position deeply and know the right time to use that technique.”

Rafael Dallinha: “Fake news in BJJ is the matter of learning only online, without ever having trained on a mat with a real master, and getting promoted even so. I’m not chastising online learning in any way, which presently has many very high-level teachers helping students through this format; but I believe that in-person classes are vital to the total comprehension of the gentle art, its history and its benefits.”

Rolles Gracie: “In this age of fake news, the world of BJJ isn’t free from it. There are many frauds out there teaching in schools or showing techniques on Instagram. The student must watch out, do their research well to avoid getting duped.”

Muzio De Angelis: “Easy one: Fake news in BJJ is saying that Renzo Gracie will retire one day. We all know that Renzo will be fighting until the last day of his life — like, really old. Renzo, my man, you will be doing MMA at 70. Oss!”

Rominho relays some fine triangle adjustments. 

One of the biggest names in the competitive BJJ scene, Romulo Barral recently shared some of his sharp guard and submission techniques at Prof. Thiago Arimura’s Alliance Acqua. And one precious piece of this content has been made available to Graciemag readers wishing to improve their bottom game.

The detail highlighted concerns the employment of the triangle starting from the spider guard, one of Romulo’s favorite positions. He shows the move, already expecting his opponent’s defense, setting up the next move. With his leg pointing up like a slingshot, Romulo applies the triangle and explains the adjustment details in order to squeeze with lots of pressure, even if his opponent’s arm isn’t on the inside of the lock.

Watch it here: