This month's focus will be on handfighting. I will share content, drills and tips on it and if you have questions, drop them here or DM me and I will respond. I would LOVE to see your footage, and give you feedback based on that so feel free to share your vids with me.

Your wrestling feels more exhausting and not up to the level you want, because there are lots of moves and exchanges you do that serve no to little purpose. I want you to slow down and start paying more attention to where your palms are, and how engaged they are. One of your main challenges when it comes to improving your hand fighting is the pace at which you practice and noticing your hand placement. Spend your next few sessions paying more attention to where your palms are and how engaged they are. Eliminate those redundant movements and see how quickly the quality of your hand fighting improves!

I took a sub-only match, and I'm going to share videos on how I work on my mental performance ahead of it. I don't have everything figured out yet, but I have tools that work well for me, and I thought you might learn from my process. I took a sub-only match on relatively short notice: 3 weeks whilst still on holiday, leaving me with 2 weeks of training after being away for two weeks. I know nothing about my opponent, so no clue how accomplished he is or what his game is. My first step is always figuring out how my mind is going to sabotage me, and then my job is to change the running total of my thoughts. It's impossible to shut your negative thoughts out; they will pop up consistently, so I accept them instead of getting annoyed or worried. I don't welcome them; I just know it's a feature, not a bug. The first thing I do is look at the most common narratives my mind will use against me to question my choices. Once my list is ready, 3-5 narratives, I create a better alternative that serves me. Now, the whole trick is to make sure that the running total of my helpful statements is bigger than the harmful statements and ANTs(Automatic Negative Thoughts) my mind serves me. As I go along, I will share more details about my approach, and feel free to ask more questions.

Most BJJ grapplers don't have a ton of mat time to dedicate to wrestling. An hour once a week if you are lucky! So when people do get around to it, the usual approach is: watch a technique, drill it a few times, try to force it into live rounds. Then it falls apart the moment you roll with anyone decent. Not because the technique is bad, it's because nobody checked whether it actually fits their game. Your wrestling should complement your BJJ, not compete with it. If you're a bottom player who lives for leg locks, spending your limited time on blast doubles and headlock snapdowns is a waste. What you actually need are entries that get you straight into the position you're already dangerous from. So before you drill another takedown, do this: grab a pen, and answer these four questions. To get even better results, share them with me via DM or here as a post, and I will let you know what's the best place for you to start. Your questions: 1. Go-first or go-second? Are you the one always on the front foot, pressuring and attacking? Or do you sit back, spot the mistake, and punish it? Both are legit, but most of us lean one way, and it should shape how you train. 2. Top player or bottom player? Completely different starting priorities. Bottom players, for example, need to get better at defending takedowns to counter it, and have a strategy ready when being taken down. For instance, being taken down isn't so bad if we land in your favourite guard. 3. Scrambler or slow-paced? Again, neither is better than the other, but you want to build your game around or, not despite of it. Explosive scramblers get more out of snapdowns and fakes. If your game is patient and pressure-heavy, put your time into underhooks and Russian ties instead. 4. Where do you want to land? Loose passing, total side control, or straight into leg attacks? And if you play bottom, are you pulling guard, countering the shot, or happy to get taken down as long as it's on your terms and you land in closed guard?

Hi folks! I want to be more helpful with your specific challenges when it comes to your stand up game and mental performance on and off the mat. Below you have anonymous survey where you can ask a question, and I will respond with a post. Of course you can pose the same question on the chat, but this is another that will help me keep your questions in one place and you can be anonymous if you prefer to. Survey link: https://forms.fillout.com/t/btgHUHbnicus