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In another week packed with learning at the Renzo Gracie Online Academy (RGOA), you will be making your BJJ much more efficient when fighting on top in the ultimate dominant position. Renzo Gracie and Paulo Guillobel show numerous tips to make your mount unstoppable, from both a perspective of stabilization/control (you will stop giving your opponent ways to escape) and from one of attack. These are the same technical minutiae used by great champions like Roger Gracie and the brothers Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, whose way of mounting is terrifying to all types of opponents. In your lifestyle lesson, check out the testimonial by red-and-white-belt Maurição Gomes. Go to gallerr.com/rgoa to get unlimited access to this ongoing course.

This week at Renzo Gracie Online Academy, you will find:

• Five lessons on the mount in BJJ.
• One lifestyle lesson.

Day 1: Monday

Lesson 1: Armbar from the mount

When you reach the mount, one of the most common reactions by an opponent is to extend one arm to push your torso, in order to find space to escape. It’s important to know that and have a riposte ready to go, as Renzo teaches here. Renzo splits the armbar attack into three parts. Repeat each stage many times in a progressive manner and let it flow at training.

Lesson 2: How BJJ can improve your life

If you’re going through a rough patch, practicing BJJ can make a difference. It’s what red-and-white-belt Maurição Gomes teaches here, describing the potential BJJ has to improve people’s lives. He talks about witnessing BJJ perform miracles for army vets and cancer patients. Watch this inspiring lesson and find many ways to evolve through constant training.

Day 2: Tuesday

Lesson 3: From side control to the mount

Paulo Guillobel analyzes the four key points for you to exert control over your opponent’s body. By controlling these points, you become capable of shutting down their movements and reach the mount, foiling their reactions. Guillobel shows this in practice, with an efficient progression from side control to the mount.

Day 3: Wednesday

Lesson 4: Keeping the mount

Before you start attacking from the mount, it’s necessary to learn how to stabilize it, cancelling any escape attempts. Guillobel teaches a very efficient drill for you to develop the ability to frustrate your opponent whenever they try to escape from your mount.

Day 4: Thursday

Lesson 5: Using head control on the mount

Paulo Guillobel teaches a drill to help you perfect your control over an opponent from the mount by controlling their head. Note that it’s an anticipation technique — you can’t afford to mess up the timing here.

Day 5: Friday

Lesson 6: Mount control by holding the collar

What do you do when your opponent starts pushing your hips with both hands to try and escape the mount? Paulo Guillobel shows an effective option wherein he holds his opponent’s cross collar. Note that if Guillobel’s opponent continues moving to escape from the mount, he tends to choke himself. Another great drill to sink your teeth into.

Renzo Gracie Online Academy: Each week a new topic.

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

Get full access to all the knowledge that forged thousands of champions. Enroll now and join the planet’s most complete and modern online BJJ school.

This week, Renzo Gracie Online Academy (RGOA) goes on in search of the perfect mount. Renzo Gracie and Paulo Guillobel demonstrate infallible techniques to enable you to have full control over your opponent once you reach that position. You will become able to identify the right moment for attacking with inexorable moves like this americana taught by Renzo:

Americana from the mount – Renzo Gracie

Regaining the mount – Paulo Guillobel

You will also be working on more-complex situations and advanced moves, like this guard maintenance dynamic taught by Paulo Guillobel, which you can put into practice when you realize your opponent is about to get away from your control. Check out how Guillobel retreats a bit, progressively repositioning himself until he regains full control.

Lifestyle – Fabio Gugel

Additionally, this week, Renzo Gracie Online Academy brings an exclusive lifestyle lesson by Alliance General Fabio Gurgel. He teaches you how to organize yourself to conquer even your most challenging professional goals.

Don’t waste time. Go to www.gallerr.com/rgoa and get unlimited access to the most sophisticated online BJJ course. Become a student of Renzo Gracie Online Academy (RGOA). 

Oss!  

It applies to the ladies and also the boys.

Watch closely.

Brown Belt Garry Tonon, from GMA academy Brunswick BJJ, in New jersey, has some escapes from the mount to teach.

It’s No-Gi techniques that are also great for self-defense situations.

For more info on Brunswick BJJ, go to brunswickbjj.com

Omar French of Triton Fight Center teaches berimbolo technique / Photo: Youtube

In Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, GMA Triton Fight Center is brushing up on their berimbolo techniques. This Renato Tavares affiliate academy houses black belt Piet Wilhelm and one of the best Jiu-Jitsu programs in the midwest.

A student of Piet, brown belt Omar French has released a technique video showing how to get to the dominating mount position from the berimbolo. See how he transitions below and let us know how you like it!

“I didn’t realize that he was that much better than the rest! Once Roger lands on top, no adversary can move!” With these two phrases, Guy Ritchie (Director of Sherlock Holmes, Snatch, Rock n’Rolla, among others) defined his Professor’s performance at the 2009 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Another accurate description, only shorter, could be the word “irresistible.” On the weekend of June 6-7 2009, Roger Gracie stepped on the mats of the Long Beach Pyramid nine times to face nine different opponents. The outcome was the same on every match: Choke from the mount. Paulo Streckert, Fernando Di Pierro, Rafael Lovato Jr., Claudio Calasans Jr. and Romulo Barral were the victims in the open class. In the super-heavyweight division, he choked Adrien Domingues, Bruno Bastos, Bernardo Faria and Ricardo Abreu.

Nevertheless, Roger was still humble when asked if that performance, added to all the other accomplishments he had in his career up until that moment, made him the best competitor ever in Jiu-Jitsu: “I’m not going to say I’m the best, but I’ll say that I’ll always be ready to be among the best.” Unlike Roger, his opponents and friends had a lot to say about him that year.

“They say Roger is good because he is big, but there’s a lot of big guys out there. He is very skilled, that’s for sure. He is one step ahead of the rest of us,” defined Romulo Barral, the opponent in the open class final, who himself had an amazing showing at the 2009 Worlds, finishing seven out of 10 opponents.

“This is the invisible Jiu-Jitsu.” stated Saulo Ribeiro.

“He makes it look easy passing the guards of fellas like Barral, Lovato, Demente, which for sure is not,” said another highly graduated observer.

Xande Ribeiro, the guy responsible for Roger’s last two defeats prior to that championship (in 2006 and 2008, also in the Worlds absolute final), joked after the friend’s double gold: “Next year, I’ll be back so we can put on that show again.” Unfortunately, in 2010 Barral spoiled Xande’s plans and defeated Saulo’s brother in the semifinal of the absolute.

In closing, a bit of humor to talk about maybe the only aspect of Roger’s Jiu-Jitsu that weekend that wasn’t perfect, the standing game. After being thrown down with style by Calasans Jr in the absolute semifinal, he smiled: “If I don’t go down, it’s not the same fun,” joked the Gracie.

But don’t take our word for it, here is the full video of Roger vs. Barral, in the 2009 Worlds black belt absolute final.

And here is an exclusive photo gallery of Roger’s best moments that weekend:

[flickr set=72157633447234674]

Photos by Ivan Trindade

This post is the first of a series of special features that will remember the greatest moments of the greatest competition in the Jiu-Jitsu calendar.

While you relive such great stories, hurry and register to be a part of the next chapter, which happens from May 29 to June 2.

Click here to enroll to compete at the 2013 Worlds.

Rickson Gracie at a Jiu-Jitsu seminar in Rio de Janeiro (photo by Carlos Ozório)

As a stalwart competitor and instructor, over the course of the red-and-black belt Rickson Gracie’s career he left us at least two priceless lessons.

The first is to have strong enough a mind to fear no challenge, no spar or opponent. You may well not overcome the obstacle before you, but your mind needs to believe it can.

The second valuable lesson is to be well-rounded enough that your best move is whatever your opponent offers you at that moment.

Today, GRACIEMAG.com remembers Rickson’s strong mind and versatile game through a match filmed at the old Copa Cantão, a traditional competition from the 1980s in Rio de Janeiro.

Learn from the Gracie how to train to always pursue complete Jiu-Jitsu—capable of pulling, sweeping, mounting and snagging an arm, if that’s the path your opponent offers.

Did you like that? Share your thoughts with us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vquRLRLky20

Ricardo Cavalcanti teaches to pass, mount and finish. (Photo by Carlos Ozório/GRACIEMAG.com.)

When the opponent closes his guard around you, your best option is often to get to your feet to pass.

The problem is that, if you’re not too experienced, it’s pretty likely the guard player will unbalance you. But there’s hope, as our GMA Ricardo Cavalcanti of Carlson Gracie Las Vegas shows us.

For example, if the guy grabs your foot, what do you do? You can switch grips on the arm you’re grabbing and improve your posture (minute 1:30).

Another tip for avoiding the sweep is to turn your knee inwards.

Note that the hand you used to grab the sleeve as you were standing up is the hand that will pressure the opponent’s knee downwards to open the guard. That out of the way, stick in your elbow and rotate it, and land in the mount with the opponent’s arm prey to an armbar.

There you have it: the previously dreaded guard player is tapping out. How’d you like that one?

If you’ve got it in your head that next year’s going to be totally different from the outgoing one, don’t fool yourself: you’re going to have to put in an effort for that to happen.

So how about getting engaged in a fun and stimulating way, as thousands, millions of practitioners around the world currently do?

The first step is to find a good Jiu-Jitsu school not too far from where you live.

Next you have to get engrossed in basic training, learning the moves that will be the foundation for the years of Jiu-Jitsu that await you. In other words, start at the very beginning, like the year about to ensue.

This Year’s End, your favorite Jiu-Jitsu website has five basic, stimulating lessons for those of you whom are about to start from scratch.

1. Respect your dojo and teacher

Respecting academy norms is the first lesson in Jiu-Jitsu. Follow your teacher’s rules on class times, hygiene and habits. Understand that at school there’s a time for everything: to speak, to ask, to answer the cell phone, to drink water. Once you’ve stepped onto the mat, your life boils down to that mat until class is over. Recognize that your teacher is someone who wants the best for you. If you don’t feel convinced, look for another academy.

2. Remember: black belts were once white belts too

Don’t see your being a white belt as a bother. Remember that everyone has been there. Even Roger Gracie was once a white belt like you.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Lose your shame of asking. Be sure to ask questions whenever there’s something you’d like to know. The teacher is there for precisely that—to leave no question unanswered. The exception being when he’s demonstrating a position. Don’t interrupt him; you’ll get your question answered later.

4. Understand the chess of Jiu-Jitsu

The objective in Jiu-Jitsu is to get the tapout. But to get there, you have to understand the moves and how to maneuver and position yourself first, in order for the move to work. Become aware of what you’re trying to do.

5: Class number one: getting a mounted opponent off you

Opponent tries sweeping Paulo Miyao from half-guard at 2011 Pan. Photo by Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG.com.

Fernando Nassif is a Jiu-Jitsu professor at California-based academy Gracie Barra San Clemente, a school belonging to our association, the GMA.

Alongside Flavio “Cachorrinho” Almeida he teaches the basic Jiu-Jitsu that works. Or as he learned from Carlos Gracie Jr.: “The great technical virtue possessed by black belts isn’t the number of moves they know, but the experience that goes into their performing the moves they do know.”

So today Fernando shows us seven steps for getting a mounted opponent off you, putting him in half-guard and sweeping him.

1. Use your elbows to get the opponent off your chest.

2. Extend your leg and latch on to one of his legs with your legs.

3. Turn sideways, open up room and grab the opponent’s belt.

4. One of the key steps: rock your legs back and forth sideways to get hold of his ankle and then bring your knee up between his legs..

5. Kick his leg up and, holding his leg firm, push his leg with your foot.

6. Look outside and kick until you are positioned behind the opponent.

7. Posting firm on your foot, pull his knee and complete the sweep.

How did you like that?

Gianni Grippo on top at 2012 World Championship / Photo by Mike Calimbas

Direct from Renzo Gracie’s New York academy, versatile brown belt Gianni Grippo demonstrates a great exercise for passing spider-guard on automatic pilot.

How’d you like that? Comment below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkjT9qJmh5g