The closed guard can become a holding position. That is useful for slowing a fight down, but it is not enough. A good guard should threaten reversals. It should make the person on top defend their posture, hands, knees, and hips.

Hour nine of my couple client’s Submission Grappling course returned to a familiar position with a more demanding lens. We were not chasing the pass itself. We were revising the preconditions that make passing possible.

Poster of two green-lit grapplers demonstrating guard, with text: Master Your Guard, essential training games for beginners.

The best rounds in grappling don’t always look like sparring. Sometimes they look like a tiny fight inside one position, with clear rules, short time limits, and one simple question: can you solve this problem before the other person does? Tonight’s session was a good example.

Back control seems simple when explained from the finish: chest behind their back, seatbelt grip, hooks in, staying glued to them. Easy enough. Then the person underneath starts moving. They get to their knees, hide their neck, peel your hands, and turn into you. Suddenly, the “best position in grappling” becomes a scramble, and the person escapes. This was the focus of hour nine in my client’s first personal training course.

The kimura grip looks simple until somebody refuses to give you their arm. That was the theme of this private lesson. My couple client continued their submission grappling work with the same bigger goal we’ve been chasing for a while: better hip control. This time, we used that goal to build something more specific, getting to the kimura grip from three common places: North South, guard, and turtle.

A grappling dummy will never replace a live training partner, but it can still teach useful habits if the session has structure. Tonight’s remote lesson with a teacher client from Hostlebro Taekwondon Klub in Denmark was meant to be boxing-based. We changed direction and moved into submission grappling instead. With no training partner available, the dummy became the training body, and the goal became clear: make the positions feel connected rather than treating each choke

Starting a boxing personal training course for children is an exciting journey that goes beyond throwing punches. When two young clients recently switched from grappling to boxing, their father and I agreed on a clear goal: build balance, movement, and defensive thinking before focusing on striking. This approach sets the stage for a smooth transition into kickboxing later on.

When couples come to me for submission grappling personal training, they often aim to enhance their control and movement on the mat without overly depending on their hands. Hands can become fatigued, or sometimes you want to refine your body mechanics and utilize your hips more effectively. Recently, I conducted a two-hour session dedicated entirely to hip control, where we practiced sparring drills that required students to refrain from using their hands. This method enabled

Submission grappling demands more than just knowing individual techniques. Success often depends on smooth transitions and the ability to chain attacks fluidly. One drill that highlights this approach is the "heat-seeking kimura," a sequence that links multiple arm locks through positional changes. This post explores how this drill fits into training from the north south position, its practical applications, and how it builds a stronger grappling game.

When my couple clients asked to focus more on hip control during our submission grappling personal training sessions, I knew this would be a game changer. Hip control is a fundamental skill that often determines the success of transitions, chokes, and necktie techniques. By drilling deeper into this area, we can uncover weaknesses and build stronger, more effective grappling strategies. In this post, I’ll share how we approached this focus, the benefits of hip control, and pr

Scarf-hold side control is a powerful position in submission grappling that offers control and multiple submission opportunities. In lesson three of my client’s first Submission Grappling Personal Training course, we focused on refining this position, transitioning between scarf-hold and back control, and exploring defenses. We also introduced no-hands sparring drills to emphasize hip movement and mobility, which are crucial for effective ground fighting. This post breaks dow

When my client expressed a desire to improve his triangle choke, I knew this session would take us deep into the world of Submission Grappling. The triangle choke is a powerful submission move that can turn the tide of any fight, but it requires precision, timing, and control. In this lesson, we focused on breaking down the triangle choke from guard, along with related techniques like the Omoplata and the arm-bar. These moves are essential tools in any mixed martial arts pers