When it really boils down to it. As a BJJ coach my job is to break down complex movements and concepts, and then turn these into simple ideas that people can understand and then use for themself. 

And in my bearded opinion, the simpler you do it, the better! 

I mean when you really get down to the reason why I’m known around the BJJ world. It’s because I can explain things in such basic and simple terms that even newcomers can get the hang of complex BJJ techniques and ideas. 

Heck, I use these simple techniques in Black Belt competitions too! And yet, people are obsessed with making things harder than they need to be. 

Here’s an example from a few years back. . .

Most of the time when I meet a Youtube viewer in person it’s a positive experience. But not this time. . .

I had just finished winning double gold at an IBJJF competition. I walked off the mat to cool down and enjoy the fruits of my labor and some literal fruit in the form of an overpriced acai bowl at the competition.

And while I was enjoying a victory acai bowl that required a 2nd mortgage to afford, I got the look from a guy. When I say the look, I mean this very specific look I get from people who watch the videos and want to say hi. I love meeting people who watch the videos, so I motioned him over to chat.

And when he came over he asked me a funny question. . .

“Chewy, on your Youtube channel is there any way you could do some more advanced techniques for higher belts like me? I mean. . .I’m a Brown Belt and the stuff you show is just too basic for me.” 

As he said this the plastic spoon about dropped out of my mouth as he essentially called me the Basic B*&*h of Jiu-jitsu. And as I looked at him, I wanted to ask him if he had even watched any of my matches that day. Because that same ole boring "basic" stuff I show on Youtube videos and in my courses is the exact stuff I used to win 2 gold medals and score 6 submissions that day. I guess it wasn't enough to prove my basic stuff works.

But. . . I was more worried about heading out for victory pizza and beer, so I just told him, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Now why do I bring this up? Well, because it’s a cautionary warning!

For some reason people think at a certain point things need to become more and more complicated, more complex, more . . .advanced!  But in many cases it’s not true and this usually gets people into trouble later on. 

In fact, a lot of times if you stick with some of that simpler stuff, you’ll discover tiny little details that make a fundamental position or technique “advanced”. This has been the case for me, and many of my Black Belt friends.

Whenever I teach, I’m inevitably faced with students who struggle to perform a technique or don’t seem to grasp why the technique works. And it’s during these moments that my understanding of BJJ is forced to sharpen. Because now I have to think about everything far more deeply and, again, explain it simply enough that the person will be able to make use of what you’re telling them. 

It’s during these times that I’ve discovered some of the most useful cues, adjustments and ideas to explain and give students an instant understanding of the position or technique. 

And whenever I find some new way of explaining something that creates a “light bulb” A-HA-moment for 1 of my students, I immediately write it down in my notes for future use. 

And over the years I’ve created a whole notebook full of simple adjustments, strategies and conceptual ideas that I use for teaching and training inside my gym. Normally these rules are only shared with my students and coaches I work with directly inside my gym. But today I’ll be giving you access to some of them.

So, for a limited time, I’ll be opening my Jiu-jitsu notebook to reveal some of these lessons with you in my new series I call Rules for Jiu-Jitsu Vol.2. 

If you own Rules for Jiu-jitsu Vol.1 then you know exactly what to expect. But in case you’re new here, here’s the deal. . .

Inside the series are a collection of some of the most useful lessons I’ve collected through my teaching and have used with my students. These are physical cues, overarching concepts and small adjustments that you can use to instantly make your BJJ game better.

Each video inside the members area is relatively short (usually less than 10 minutes) and goes into 1 lesson focused on a very specific area of BJJ that you can easily start using in your training today. 

I have 2 goals with this series.

#1 I want to help you take techniques, positions and ideas you’re already familiar with and give you easy-to-implement tools to make them work even better. 

#2 I want to explain things as simply as possible to help make BJJ a little less mentally overwhelming. 

The benefit of this is that you won’t have to learn a whole new game of Jiu-jitsu. The series will work around what you’ve already got. The idea is that with simple adjustments that explain more of the “WHY” you’re doing certain things in BJJ. This will lead to you being able to rapidly implement and improve.  

If you’re curious, here’s a quick sample of what’s included in the series.

• Why most people create top pressure in the most inefficient way possible. 

A little more about this one. 

In many cases, when people want to add top pressure, the only way they know how to do it is by squeezing their arms. This does work. . . Only problem is that with all that squeezing, your arm muscles will be toast pretty quickly and you’ll be exhausted. But by making use of a different muscle group, that most people ignore, you can apply more pressure and save your arm endurance in the process. 

• The counterintuitive way to finish more submissions. (Why it’s better to go 70% initially with submission finishes instead of 100%.) 

• The #1 WORST mistake you can make with your grips in BJJ. (Even if you get the right grips, if you commit this common beginner mistake your grips will be shot and your forearms will be burning.)   

• How to dig your “Spurs” in to hold a heavier mount. (This simple physical cue will instantly turn your mount into a brutal smashing position when you’re on top.)

• A scientifically proven way to relax in BJJ. (Are you a spaz at your gym? Do you lost control of your breath during rolling and gas out?  Well, you can’t force yourself to relax. Try, and you’ll only make it worse. But you can force yourself to use this simple breathing method that can help you relax. I still use it to this day.) 

• How to shut down Half Guard sweeps with 1 grip! (This is a brain-dead simple way to shut down anyone’s underhook. It’s perfect against sweeps from half guard. Watch the video and you can easily practice it during your next rolling session.) 

• A clever trick to make old techniques work like new again. (Got a technique that used to work like a charm and now everyone sees it coming a mile away? This lesson will fix that.) 

• A method for slowing down your opponent’s and "cooking them" so that they’ll be ready to serve you a submission whenever you’re ready to take it. (This is especially useful if you're older in BJJ or have an opponent who's faster than.)

• The important reason why you should pay attention to your opponent’s belly button when you’re playing from a guard position. (This is 1 of the easiest ways to keep a guard passer off balance and improve your sweeps.) 

• A little-talked about secret for making your submissions more effective and powerful. (You can easily practice the next time you're drilling any submission in your BJJ class.)

• How to get the most from your rolls with a more experienced BJJ practitioner. (If you're the low person on the pecking order, then this one will help you get the most from that situation.)

• A tip for smaller BJJ practitioners about the position they should use before going to a full mount. (If the big guys in class just buck you out of mount, th do this 1st to wear them down.)

• The basic concepts that make basic White Belt sweeps work that apply to almost any type of sweep. (Understanding this one will help you make sense of most of your basic sweeps, since you'll know how they work.)

• The Failed Sweep Secret. (I’ll teach you how to turn failed sweeps from guard into 1 of your best weapons.)

• An Olympic wrestler’s secret for literally doubling the number of techniques you have in your game. (This tip is responsible for a huge portion of my success in BJJ competitions.) 

• How to counter the dreaded body lock passing position with simple concepts every White Belt is taught. (If you struggle defending tight smash passes like this, this tip will be a real forehead smacker. It's so simple, but so many people don't use the technique I show in the video.) 

• A rock-solid way of using your naturally weaker side to defeat your opponents. (A lot of people don’t do this and it slows their progress because of it.) 

• How to use your breathing to slow down or speed up your pace and aggression in BJJ. (This little secret is like having a manual gear shift with your rolling.)  

• My pez dispenser trick for making a rear naked choke even tighter! (If you’ve ever had a rear naked choke sunk it, but couldn’t finish it, then this lesson is worth the price of admission.) 

• How and when to use pain to achieve a technical purpose. (Do this right and it's brutally effective. Do it wrong and you'll either struggle to find a rolling partner or get DQ'd.)

• And much more. . .