Guilherme Caju teaches a half-guard sweep in Fortaleza. Photo by Junior Samurai/GRACIEMAG.com

Stuck on bottom playing half-guard? Well, what you need to do now is make sure your opponent doesn’t hug your head and weigh on you.

The trick to avoiding that is to always keep positioned on your side and with an underhook. In the following video, Guilherme Caju, a black belt on Ribeiro JJ team, teaches an exclusive reversal for GRACIEMAG.com.

He warns not to let the opponent get his head inside on you, and then advises to grab the opponent’s wrist as though sinking a keylock. The other hand goes to the belt, and that’s where the main detail comes in: the sideward bridge, simultaneous leverage using the arm and the belt.

Dig that? Comment and share with your buddies.

Ricardo Cavalcanti at seminar in Fortaleza, Ceará State, last September / Photo by Junior Samurai/GRACIEMAG.com

Ricardo Cavalcanti is a GMA of ours and the leader at Carlson Gracie Las Vegas, Nevada.

“At every seminar I teach, I learn as well. Everyone has something new to show. And Grandmaster Carlson Gracie has certainly been accompanying me at those seminars, because the thing he liked most was to see everyone training,” said the Jiu-Jitsu professor, today teaching us how to get an opponent out of mount.

Note how he grabs his own wrist as though to defend his arms. Next he raises his hip and puts a hook in at the opposite leg.

He thus sticks his opponent’s foot in his half-guard (as explained at minute 1:32), and then latches on to the leg, raises his legs and, with a seesaw motion, reverses the position and takes the back.

Always train under a qualified instructor’s supervision.

Caio Magalhães during No-Gi training with gloves in Fortaleza / Photo by Junior Samurai/GRACIEMAG.com

A Jiu-Jitsu black belt who fights in the UFC middleweight division, Caio “Hellboy” Magalhães is one of the favorites to win gold at the Brazilian No-Gi Nationals, coming up next weekend at Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca Tennis Club.

“I’m all set. The level is always really high. Anyone going to compete at a CBJJ competition can’t go in there any less than at their best,” Magalhães, who is signed up for the ultraheavyweight division, told GRACIEMAG.com.

“I hope to show everything I’ve been working on at training at Nova União in Rio. It’s been a really productive time for me, since every day I learn a lot from my training partners. Here I’m practically living Jiu-Jitsu and MMA 24 hours a day,” said Caio, who is also set to compete at the Copa Pódio Jiu-Jitsu tournament in 2013, where he intends to continue demonstrating his sightly and surprising sweep game.

“I like reversals. I think that because I train with a lot of lighter guys in Fortaleza and in Rio, I tend to rev things up and do a lot of positions I get from the lighter guys, who’re more flexible and quicker. When you’re doing well in training, the positions come out quicker and with the right timing,” explained Caio, before spilling the beans on his main trick.

“The trick to being good at sweeps is to have a nimble hip and do a lot of feints, sort of bluffing that you’re going to the right and then go left. That’s what works for me. But here’s one detail: being quick doesn’t mean you go lighter on the pressure. You’ve got to put pressure on like a heavyweight,” he said in closing.

What about to you, gentle reader, is Caio a candidate for the absolute title at black belt? Who’ll win the gold in the most hotly contested division this Saturday?

To check out who’s on the roster for the Brazilian No-Gi Nationals, click here.

GRACIEMAG #185 is now in bookstores the world over, bringing you all you need to know about the hips. The issue is packed with pointers and teachings about the body’s pivot, a vital piece in the workings of your Jiu-Jitsu. “Your hips are the equivalent of your legs. Look at how a snake moves. It doesn’t walk; it zigzags. When Jiu-Jitsu fighters are playing guard they slide like snakes, just with their bellies up,” explains Carlos Gracie Junior in the FACE TO FACE section.

In the following video, black belt Marcos Vinicius Costa, the leader of Nine Nine Pernambuco, teaches hip movement and its application in combat, exclusively for GRACIEMAG.com. Notice how he uses his hand as support to switch base. This movement helps the teacher get up and reverse the position.

Learn from Costa, and get your copy of GRACIEMAG #185.

And if you want to be sure you don’t miss any other gems like this one in the future, click here to subscribe to GRACIEMAG.

David Avellan in his under-88 kg victory over Tarsis Humphreys at ADCC 2009 / Photo by Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG

A Jiu-Jitsu black belt and veteran ADCC competitor, David Avellan has a theory.

To him, Jiu-Jitsu offers a heck of a shortcut for reversing out of bottom position or even finishing in the UFC, MMA or No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, using a move of the utmost simplicity—the Kimura lock.

Avellan even launched a website on the matter, on how this shoulder-squeezing hold could be just what the doctor ordered when facing wrestlers or other fighters with solid base on top.

Though the Kimura can’t be endorsed as a cure-all, GRACIEMAG.com highlights the video and David Avellan’s theory as a good way of inspiring readers with some interesting moves. Take a look and let us know what you make of it below.

And if you want to always be up to date on Jiu-Jitsu techniques, subscribe to your favorite magazine, GRACIEMAG here.

Held last July 30 in Copacabana, the Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu seminar taught by Rodrigo Minotauro and Ricardo de la Riva was an instructive occasion.

Documented by the Oss online show team, presented by Mario Filho and produced by Camila Rizzo, Gleidson Venga and Marcelo Alonso, the seminar was geared specially towards guard techniques, sweeps and reversals. (Check out some of the highlights and positions in the following video produced by the Oss team.)

“I trained with de la Riva for the first time when I was a blue belt, and it’s a pleasure to be back here to teach to a little over 40 people,” said Mino on the occasion, also revealing three names of possible opponents for his return, preferably to him at the October UFC Rio event: Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo or even Alistair Overeem.

Now de la Riva took the opportunity to confirm that he’ll be returning to the mat for one final match. “The event with the supermatch against Jean Jacques Machado ended up not happening, and after that I injured my thigh and pubis. But I’m better now and will compete; I just don’t know if it’ll be a supermatch or at a big championship yet,” said the Carlson Gracie black belt.

Jonatas Novaes at Shofight 20 weigh-ins / Photo: Personal archive /GRACIEMAG

A black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and owner of a number of IBJJF titles, Jonatas Novaes saw MMA action this Saturday, June 16, at SF Shofight 20. At the Springfield, Missouri event, the Rodrigo Comprido students was quick on the trigger and took just 51 seconds before landing a high kick um chute alto,

that landed in full, dropping dazed former UFC fighter Drew Fickett to the mat. Following up on the ground, the Brazilian dropped fists to finish what he started.

Take a look back at Jonatas’s No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu style against current UFC fighter Milton Vieira in 2007.

In other fights on the Shofight card, Lyle Beerbohm took a unanimous decision over Marcus Aurélio, and Kendall Grove overcame Derek Brunson by split decision. In the main event of the evening, John Gunderson tapped out former UFC fighter Karo Parisyan with a first-round guillotine.

SF Shofight 20
Springfield, Missouri, USA
June 16, 2012

John Gunderson submitted Karo Parisyan via guillotine in R1
Kendall Grove defeated Derek Brunson via split decision
Lyle Beerbohm defeated Marcus Aurélio via unanimous decision
Mike Wessel defeated Matt Kovacs via TKO in R2
Jonatas Novaes defeated Drew Fickett via TKO in R1
Chris Greutzemacher defeated Roli Delgado via TKO in R3
Sevak Magakian defeated James Reese via unanimous decision
Chris McDaniel submitted Charles Bennett via triangle in R1
Sam Alvey defeated Lucas Lopez via TKO in R1
Dustin Phillips defeated Allen Gibson via unanimous decision
Matt Lucas defeated Lucas Overcast via unanimous decision
Mike Brazzle defeated Karen Darabedyan via TKO in R1
Jacob Ritchie defeated Robert Saborudden via TKO in R3
Jason Ignacek defeated Gary Michaels via unanimous decision

André Galvão and Pablo Popovitch in an armdrag-filled affair at ADCC 2011 / Photo: Daren Bartlett/GRACIEMAG

The other day two 15-year-old boys were having a conversation at a restaurant in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza when one asked, “What’s an armdrag?” They didn’t know. An eavesdropper made it into the subject for this post. After all, how many white belts are out there with the same question buzzing in their minds? How many UFC and MMA fans are there in the world who don’t know how to do an armdrag? Your problems are over, gentle reader in doubt.

So how exactly does this dragging of the arm work?

“The armdrag serves to help you get the sweep or reversal by pulling the opponent’s arm at the elbow and sliding out your hip,” explains the didactic black belt Marcelo Vilhena of Brazilian Fight team. “It opens up room for you to get your hip around the side and head towards his back.”

Vilhena further elaborates: “The arm reaching across grabs at the opponent’s elbow, while the other one assists in pulling. By doing so you can get out from bottom position and take the back or, at worst, end up on top.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67rkZxhkP3I

Two-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion Antonio Braga Neto contributed his own lesson on the move for GRACIEMAG.com readers. “I always use the armdrag as a counter-attack, but I also do it without using the arm, which theoretically would be essential. My armdrag works by grabbing my opponent’s collar. I wait for the guy to shrink his weight back in the direction opposite where my hand is placed or his arm is extended, and then I crack the guy down to the ground while at the same time sliding out my hip.”

Watch another splendid armdrag variation in the following video:

Saulo Ribeiro is the sport Jiu-Jitsu ace on Chael Sonnen's favorites list. Photo: Gustavo Aragão.

The next challenger to Anderson Silva’s middleweight strap, Chael Sonnen dropped his guard in an interview on Brazil’s Sportv network, pointing out the five Brazilian fighter’s he admires most . Even a Jiu-Jitsu champion with no history in the UFC.

Duly ignoring the opponent for his June outing, the American fan of Palmeiras soccer club picked three Jiu-Jitsu black belts, one heavy-fisted boxer and a pioneer of cross-training with a luta livre, judo, Thai boxing and capoeira background.

Chael Sonnen wanted to pick José Aldo as a sixth name, but his list didn’t sound half bad as it was. He stuck with Royce Gracie, Junior Cigano Vitor Belfort, Junior Cigano and Marco Ruas. The fifth name came out of left field, for having been exclusively from Gi Jiu-Jitsu history: gold-medal collector Saulo Ribeiro, a Jiu-Jitsu teacher from the Brazilian state of Amazonas now living in  San Diego , who holds a winning record since the very first IBJJF World Champion.

SONNEN’S FAVORITE, EVEN WITHOUT MMA BACKGROUND

Check out what Sonnen had to say about each fighter, and check out an efficient self-defense from Saulo Ribeiro. The trick is to pay attention to the opponent’s shoulder, not their arms, and swap positions with the aggressor.

Royce Gracie: “He’s the greatest of all. I saw his fights, and I was blown away by the size of the guys he’d beat. He was much smaller. A hero!”

Marco Ruas: “What can I say about him? To me Ruas is the guy who changed our sport.”

Junior “Cigano” dos Santos: “This guy has been surprising everyone for some time now. He’s strong, and I like the way he fights. I also want to pick José Aldo, who’s excellent, but I’ll stick with Cigano.”

Vitor Belfort: “He’s an intense fighter. He’s one of my favorites, and my mom’s favorite. I like watching Vitor fight. He’s fantastic, came on the scene really young. And I consider him to be a good person.”

Saulo Ribeiro: “He wasn’t in MMA, but he was fantastic in Jiu-Jitsu. He deserves all the medals he won in the sport.”

Dedé Pederneiras shows the way to surprising guard passers in sport Jiu-Jitsu. Photo: Junior Samurai.

The opponent is pressuring strong and close to passing your guard in a bout of Jiu-Jitsu. What now? What to do? Relax! GRACIEMAG.com’s got you covered. André Pederneiras, widely regarded as the best Brazilian coach in world MMA, shows how to keep from getting flattened out—and even turn the tables on the passer.

TRICK TO CATCHING OPPONENT WHO TURNS ON ALL FOURS

Dedé points out that in performing maneuvers impeding the guard pass, it’s important to have the passer’s arm wrapped up. However, if the opponent is wise to this, he turns on all fours and grabs your leg, so Pederneiras teaches how to catch them by surprise and submit them right quick.

Jiu-Jitsu in the flesh: Jeff Glover shows off his tattooed fist. Photo by Daren Bartlett.

Few aspects of Jiu-Jitsu have gone through such great evolution as the sweep, a maneuver where the practitioner starts out on bottom and ends up on top, poised to attack.

Deep half-guard, X-guard, de la Riva guard—all these resources are widely used in both Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu competition.

IN JIU-JITSU, IT ALL STARTS WITH THE BASICS

However, as Jeff Glover (Paragon Jiu-Jitsu) teaches below without the gi, none of it matters if you don’t have the basic moves down pat, like the primordial scissor sweep allowing him to clutch his teammate’s leg in half-guard.

After that, Jeff demonstrates an interesting alternative that results in achieving back control.

As our GMA in Texas João Crus (Carlson) preaches, it’s all about saving the counter-attack for the right moment.

Remember to keep up to date in your medical checkups and only practice under the supervision of a qualified Jiu-Jitsu instructor.