In BJJ, dominance is key toward establishing control and authority over your opponent, it what makes a student standout from the rest. Although this is a great attribute to have, it also leaves hinders a student’s evolution to becoming a well rounded grappler. Whether you are learning a move in class or reading your favorite book instructional, it is a common occurrence its covers offensive tactics while rarely touching on any defensive strategies…Until Now.

Renowned instructor and successful author Jean Jacques Machado is back with his new book "The Grappler Handbook Vol 2: Tactics for Defense." While the first book teaches readers transitioning between Gi and No-Gi, in this installment Machado breaks barriers and goes over the detailed components of how to improve your defense in jiu-jitsu.

The book is divided into six chapters each with their own importance on how to build a good defensive game. Jean Jacques goes over a variety of different options on how to properly defend yourself from submissions, back control, the guard, amongst other common positions you may find yourself when getting dominated by your opponent.

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Mark Holst and his Jiu-Jitsu study are only a piece of his MMA experience.

For 25-year-old MMA fighter Mark Holst his life in the sport can be defined by one principal “Act as if it were Impossible to fail”.

Born in 1985 in Ottawa, Ontario back when the movie Rocky IV was released Holst had a good up brining growing up showcasing great signs of enthusiasm, drive, & exploration for the things life had to offer. He was constantly active from his adolescent to his teen years participating in sports such as skiing, tennis, and soccer. These character traits made his transition into martial arts very easy.

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An Interview with...

Budovideos.com - "Budo Jake"

An enthusiast is a person who is ardently attached to a cause, object, or pursuit. While most Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioners' main focus is to reach world championship status.  There are some that just have a genuine love for the art. Here, we take a look at how a man took his love for martial arts and turned it into a successful business that has helped take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the mainstream.

Jake Mckee better known as “Budo Jake” has been involved in martial arts since 1987.Although he was well aware of Jiu-jitsu after watching the first UFC, it wasn’t until 2004 when Marcio Feitosa moved to the US that he started training BJJ at Gracie Barra which he automatically became hooked on the art.  In addition to his training, he is also the owner of a very familiar martial arts company and is the host of a highly popular online show called “Rolled Up.” With most of his days spent at work and most of his evenings on the mat training or filming episodes it is evident that martial arts has literally became his life 24/7.

It is said that nothing great in this world is accomplished without passion. If you look back at great athletes over the years their love and passion for what they did allowed them to become remarkably great at their work.  For 43 year-old Jay Zeballos, his passion for martial arts has not only lead him to many great achievements as a competitor but has also opened up the door to more financial opportunities and touch many people’s lives along the way.

While most forms of marital arts rely solely on katas, forms, and constant repetition, in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu... most of the techniques we learn must be used with a training partner. Everyday on the mat we come in contact with different people each with their own unique style of doing Jiu-Jitsu, some providing a great help in our training, while others crippling our progression. Over the years there have been different opinions on what defines a good training partner. In an effort to find out the mystery to this question, I got the opportunity to interview someone that knows what being a good training partner all about...

[social][/social][einset][/einset]Team Lloyd Irvin Black Belt Jay Hayes is a BJJ practitioner that has been doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for over seven years. With a several wins in many tournaments and running one of the best schools in New Jersey (NJ United MMA-www.NJUnitedMMA.com), Jay Hayes is considered by many as one of the best American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts out there today.  Aside from being a great competitor and coach, Jay has also been the training partner for many notable figures that you see ripping up the tournament scene today and has been quoted by Jiu-Jitsu phenom  JT “Spiderman” Torres as the guy that has helped him prepare and win at some of the toughest BJJ tournaments such as:  the Pan American Games and Brazilian Nationals.

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