We were fortunate to have Erik teach a class at our garage right before his black belt promotion in April of 2019. Erik showed us some great drills for shoulder health and went on to teach a sweep from the closed guard. Erik uses the same collar control he taught in the closed guard to show a couple of take down options. You can find Erik at Take Down Nation in Shiloh, Virginia.

Erik starts Part 2 by covering the details of obtaining the octopus position from top half guard into a back take. Next, Erik uses the “pretzel bolo” to take the back which is a variation of the Berimbolo. He continues to explain the Berimbolo from the smash pass. For conventional pathways to the back, Erik secures back control from the arm triangle choke and north south position. He then goes over the details of his preferred back control and primary offensive move, the rear naked choke. Erik instructs many details of obtaining the RNC and countering counter moves. There are many great tips in this instructional! Enjoy.

Erik covers some classic and progressive ways to get to the back. The series starts on the feet with a transition to front head lock, snap down and attack of the turtle position. The sequence progresses to a detailed instruction of quarter control to back take. The second sequence starts with z guard and half guard. Erik uses the arm attack defense to take the back. Next, Erik goes through the intricacies that make up the octopus hook obtained from half guard into a back take. From side control, the octopus hook allows a base to be built and possibilities open up. Stay tuned for Episode 2 coming soon.

Eddie walks us through a detailed explanation of a lapel wrap sweep and back take starting in the half guard position. Each technique ends with submission options. Eddie also covers a lapel wrap choke option from the closed guard.

In this video, Melissa introduces the Jiu Jitsu version of the Tomoe nage sweep. Chris, Dylan, and Tobin point out additional details to the take down. A nice thing about this take down is, if you screw up, you end up in your guard. Dylan then covers the Arm Spin and Melissa demonstrates the flying de la riva. Tactical guard pulls are great to try in sport matches when the time is ticking.

Chris’ favorite wrestling take down for gi competition is the low single leg. Chris explains the details of the move as well as the answers to the counters and how the details differ when wearing a gi. As always, we cover a think street, train sport and practice art approach. Stay tuned for more Melissa’s Fun House videos coming soon.

Out of The Edge Martial Arts Academy in New Jersey, Rich reviews some passes of the traditional half guard position. Always controlling the hip and the head, he flattens his partner out and uses pressure to transition to a knee slice or obtain mount. Rich covers some of his favorite variations on this fundamental half guard pass. He addresses some of the common answers to the pass counters as well as the back step pass. We hope you enjoy this detail oriented approach to passing half guard!

Contact Rich @Richsab on Instagram or richsab.com and theedgemma.com

In this episode, with the help of Seth, Melissa, Jim, and Chris go over many details of the grandfather of all throws, the fundamental hip throw. They cover some real world applications for this concept. Melissa then delves into a detailed instructional on Tani-otoshi or the Valley Drop which is her personal favorite take down. The Valley Drop is a great option for smaller people as you do not have to load your opponents weight on top of you and can use connection and gravity to get them to the ground. Chris then reviews the 3 counters to a hip throw. Leave a comment below!

Unleash your BJJ potential with the latest episode of Melissa's Funhouse! Dive into advanced techniques with Melissa as she masterfully demonstrates single-leg takedowns and underhook strategies. Learn to dominate with precise head and leg positioning, enhanced by Melissa's unique insights and gripping techniques. Perfect for practitioners eager to elevate their game, this video promises not just skill enhancement but a strategic edge.

Before Melissa gets into take downs, she always reviews proper technical break falls to the rear and side for safety. She covers drills to control the hips and set up take downs such as the basic arm drag, the fundamental body lock, and pummeling for wrestling. Try these drills to help improve your control in the stand up battle. Many of the same principles are applied later in the ground game. Stayed tuned!

Melissa covers the 3 levels of base: Standing, combat base and two knees down. She then moves into a grip break review and grip breaks to offensive positions. Melissa and Tobin then explain some standing choke options. The class ends with collar control and connection from the standing position. We hope you are entertained and learn something too!!

Tobin covers a guard pass from the over passing range by demonstrating the "Bonsai Pass." Through the principles of hip control, base, grips and connection, he explains a controlled set up for the pass in detail. Thanks for watching.