The closed guard system: how every attack connects
The closed guard system is one connected web, not eight loose submissions. Here's how the cross choke, armbar, triangle, and sweeps feed off each other.
Topic
BJJ.
30 posts on this topic.
What to Do the Day After Open Mat: A 20-Minute Review Routine
Open mat exposes every gap your regular classes cover for you — and most of that information evaporates by Tuesday. The Monday-morning routine that keeps it.
IBJJF vs ADCC vs UFC BJJ Rules: Scoring, Time Limits and Leg Locks
How IBJJF, ADCC, and UFC BJJ rules differ, from points and match length to heel hooks and guard pulling, plus the local rules at NAGA and Grappling Industries.
Voice Notes vs. Written Notes vs. Video Review for BJJ
Written notes were my system for years and never became a habit. Voice memos did, by accident, at a red light. Where each format fits, and the one I'd keep if forced to choose.
How to Use ChatGPT to Study Jiu-Jitsu (and Where It Falls Apart)
A year of using ChatGPT for BJJ study: the two patterns that earn their keep, the exact prompts I use, and the failure mode where wrong answers sound identical to right ones.
Mikey Musumeci vs Bryce Mitchell: how he won with the legs when leg locks were banned
At UFC BJJ 11, Mikey Musumeci agreed to no leg lock submissions and still beat Bryce Mitchell with the legs. His rule against stronger opponents: read the weight.
Should You Take Notes During BJJ Class?
I brought a notebook to class for three weeks. It failed, but not for the reason I expected. The case against in-class notes, the one exception, and what to do instead.
Jozef Chen's half guard pass at ADCC 2026: head on the mat, hips in the air
Jozef Chen passed Gabriel Brod's locked half guard at ADCC 2026 with his head down and hips high. Here's why it works, in his own words, plus the free flowchart.
How Long Does It Take to Get Good at BJJ Guard Retention?
Twelve to eighteen months of focused work, for most people — but the reason it takes others three or four years is that they spend the whole time working on the wrong layer.
AI Tools for Martial Artists: What's Actually Useful in 2026
A year of using AI in my BJJ study, summarized: most of what Reddit claims it can do, it can't. Two boring use cases survived, and they're worth knowing about.
The Best BJJ Flowchart Apps in 2026, Compared
BJJ flowchart apps compared: BJJFlowCharts, Grapple Flows, Jiu-Jitsu Chart, BJJ Flow Tracker, JJXF, and MindBJJ. Platforms, prices, and who each suits.
How to Drill BJJ Solo at Home Without Looking Stupid
Six solo BJJ drills you can do at home with no partner or equipment, in 15 minutes — the ones that actually transferred to my rolls.
Lasso Guard vs. Spider Guard: When to Use Which (With Flowchart)
Spider keeps opponents out; lasso ties them up. I played spider for two years against bodies it didn't fit — here's the routing logic for choosing between them mid-round.
Mind Maps vs. Flowcharts vs. Linear Notes for Learning Jiu-Jitsu
Two years in a single Apple Note called 'Jits', a mind-map phase, and where I finally landed. What each format keeps, what each one throws away, and the trade-off nobody mentions.
Half Guard for Older Grapplers: Why It's the Best ROI Position
Every training partner over 35 who's still on the mats ended up centering their game on half guard. That's not a coincidence — it's the guard with the cheapest maintenance cost.
What to Study Before ADCC and IBJJF Worlds
A six-week BJJ competition prep plan for ADCC, IBJJF Worlds, or your local open, starting with the no-new-techniques rule.
Submeta vs. BJJ Fanatics vs. Self-Made Notes: Which Actually Improves Your Game?
I subscribe to one and own a folder full of the other. What each is actually for, the integration step both of them skip, and which one I'd keep if forced to choose.
What's the Fastest Way to Learn a New Guard?
I've added two guards to my game with the same four-week protocol, built around a single constraint: the new guard only gets the first five minutes of every round.
The De La Riva Guard Decision Tree: Where Most White Belts Get Lost
I spent a year treating my DLR problem as a technique gap and drilling new sweeps that never landed. The actual problem was routing. Here's the four-branch map.
The Best BJJ Notebook Apps in 2026 (and Why I Stopped Using Most of Them)
Five years, six note-taking systems, one habit that survived. A tour of where Evernote, Notion, Apple Notes, and the BJJ-specific apps broke down, and what replaced them.
Why Can't I Remember BJJ Techniques?
You can describe Tuesday's technique step by step, then nothing surfaces mid-roll. It's not a memory problem: you kept the steps and threw away the triggers.
Scissor Sweep Not Working? The Four-Branch Closed Guard Fix
The scissor sweep stopped working for me at blue belt. It came back once I treated it as a four-branch closed guard attack tree instead of one sweep.
How to Build a BJJ Game Around One Guard
I spent my first two belts as a generalist with a B-minus version of four guards. Picking one and going deep for six months was the biggest jump my game ever made.
The Best Apps for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Practitioners in 2026
My phone's BJJ folder has survived three purges. What's still installed in 2026, what got deleted and why, and the minimum stack I'd recommend to someone starting fresh.
How to Remember BJJ Techniques After Class
A leather notebook, two years of Apple Notes, a Notion database I tinkered with more than I used — and the embarrassingly simple two-step loop that finally made techniques stick.
Why I Built a Flowchart Tool Instead of Another BJJ Notes App
Five years of trying every BJJ notes app led to one conclusion: the format was the bottleneck, not the apps. So I built something with the shape jiu-jitsu actually has.
How IBJJF Brackets, BYEs, and Rankings Work (Beginner's Guide)
How IBJJF brackets work: bracket sizes, why BYEs happen, how ranking points drive seeding, and how to read your division before you compete.
Why Octopus Guard 2.0 Actually Works (Free Flowchart + Clips)
Craig Jones' Octopus Guard 2.0 isn't a guard you hold — it's a decision tree that turns the passer's pressure into a path to the back. Here's the map.
Why BJJ Flowcharts Stick After Class
Most jiu-jitsu notes keep the move and lose the decision tree around it. BJJ flowcharts keep the sequence, the fallback, and the return path in one glance.
From BuddyTape to Grapple Flows
BuddyTape started in 2019 as a free way to map your jiu-jitsu. Six years on, the same idea gets a rebuild — better mobile, deeper video, smarter organization.