It's really frustrating to be trapped in side mount. Sometimes it can be very difficult to escape, and a single technique might not be enough to get you out of a bad spot. In this episode of BJJ Building Blocks, our friend Roy Dean takes an in-depth look at one pathway to escape. Roy varies his technique depending on what his opponent does, as he says in the video "You've got to use what you've got in Jiu-Jitsu".

In this segment, Augusto 'Tanquinho' Mendes shares the technique he's been using lately in competition to defeat the 50/50 guard. It's really important to keep your trapped leg straight so that you keep your opponent from getting underneath you.

Bill catches up with Christian Graugart, aka the BJJ Globtrotter, to find out how his around the world jiu-jitsu journey is going and what his plans for the future are.

In this episode of Rolling Reflections we get a chance to see a full 100% sparring session as these two fierce competitors were getting ready to compete just a week away from the Worlds. The action is fast, but watch how many sweeps and techniques get stuffed even before they have a chance to develop. Tanquinho went on to take second in the Worlds a few days later.

Emily Kwok sharing some tips. In her final week Emily Kwok shares one of her favorite sweeps from open guard, the sickle sweep. She also show us a variation and a drill that you can use to improve your timing when trying to hit these sweeps. Thanks Emily!

The Black Eagle brand has been making waves in the UK Jiu-Jitsu community lately, and they’ve reached across the pond now with the Predator model BJJ gi.

A lot of Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s explosive growth over the last 20 years can be attributed to Royce Gracie’s wins in the first few Ultimate Fighting Championships. Years ago, when I was a blue belt, I remember watching matches in the UFC and getting really frustrated, thinking to myself, ‘That guy’s right open, just arm-bar him!” Now that I’ve competed in MMA matches myself, I realize that the sport is very, very different from jiu-jitsu.

Jimmy Pedro, 4x Olympian and US Olympic Judo coach shares some of the key grip fighting strategies used by top Judo players. Pedro says grips are one of the most important aspects of Judo because even a less skilled player can win a match by achieving superior grips.

In this segment Emily Kwok shares a standing pass for the open guard. At Marcelo Garcia's academy in New York they teach a lot of open guard and you need to be careful not to let your opponent control your hands or set the butterfly hooks. This pass allows you to quickly step through the middle and control your opponent before he can set up the sweep.

Your instructor and training environment serve an irreplaceable role in developing your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game. Having guidance and structure is integral, especially for the newer students who need to understand the basics.