Entries by savarese

Breaking balance in BJJ

Breaking balance in BJJ Breaking balance in BJJ: People will tell you all the time about the power of body weight to create pressure from top position. What they often overlook is that you can use the opponents body weight against them from the bottom just as easily as he can use it against you […]

How good are you at getting out of bad positions?

How good are you at getting out of bad positions? How good are you at getting out of bad positions? It one of the first things we stress here at Savarese BJJ Academy (www.northnjbjj.com). Always practice BJJ as self-defense first. Whenever people ask me to diagnose their skill level one of the first things I […]

The power of escapes in BJJ

The power of escapes in BJJ: When we think of powerful moves in Jiu-Jitsu, you typically picture a slamming takedown or a very tight submission hold, or perhaps an immovable pin or unstoppable pass. We don’t typically think of escapes as demonstration of power. But they are, in a different way. Those typical power moves, […]

Principles versus techniques in BJJ

Principles versus techniques in BJJ Principles versus techniques in BJJ is probably something you heard your instructor speak of often. When it come to principles versus techniques in BJJ, here at Savarese BJJ Academy (www.njbjj.com), we are very big on the underlying principles of Jiu-Jitsu. This thought process was taught and drilled into me by […]

Art and the Martial Arts

Art and the Martial Arts Art and the Martial Arts…  Lets start with a sketch: When teaching here a Savarese BJJ Academy, (www.njbjj.com), I often keep in mind the analogy of the artistic painter. The painter begins with a sketch and then fills in all the details over time to arrive finally at a beautiful […]

Setting up the choke in BJJ

Setting up the choke in BJJ Here are some key details for setting up the choke in BJJ. At Savarese BJJ Academy (www.njbjj.com), we teach this approach to finished a choke. A big part of our approach to finishing is to get at least 50% of the choke set before you even connect your hands/arms […]

How to learn watching BJJ videos

How to learn watching BJJ videos How to learn watching BJJ videos is an age old question. Here is my opinion on learning from videos. Often I am asked what is the best way to watch and learn from watching BJJ instructional videos. Instructional videos have been around from the earliest days of the arrival […]

Starting strong in BJJ

Starting strong in BJJ Starting strong in BJJ is essential to dictating pace. Start strong to finish strong! In any session of Jiu-Jitsu, whether in the gym or on the big stage, there are constant cycles of contact. Fighters or competitors will engage with each other, make physical contact and exchange various moves and tactics. […]

What is your best skill in BJJ?

What is your best skill in BJJ? What is your best skill in BJJ? Yesterday we looked at the problem of lagging skills in our game. Today we shall look at our strong points. What is your best skill on the mat? Is it a positional move? Like a guard pass or sweep? Or is […]

What is your worst skill in BJJ?

What is your worst skill in BJJ? What is your worst skill in BJJ? Every BJJ practitioner, you, me, everybody, has a worst skill. For some, it starts with their attitude and willingness to listen. And for others, it is some part of the game that lags far behind their other skills. We all carry it […]