Drewlock
@drewlock • 3,863 subscribers
Rilion Gracie black belt with 20 years Jiu Jitsu experience, academy owner & professor, I teach Jiu Jitsu through the lens of the obvious yet hidden.
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When I roll, I’m not trying to win as much as I’m trying not to get injured. My default mode is defensive driving. I’m trying to get to my destination without getting in a wreck on the way there. In this clip, I counter the waiter sweep early because I’m sensitive to my knee locking up. If my leg gets bent some type of way, my meniscus catches and locks up, so I react early. Not necessarily because I’m trying to stop the sweep, but because I’m protecting my body. That sensitivity actually becomes good defense. Keeping my leg straight stops the waiter sweep before it starts. I feel this way about MMA grappling. It’s more intuitive because the main priority is obvious: don’t get hit. That removes a lot of decision fatigue. In sport Jiu Jitsu, there can be too many options, too many techniques, and too much thinking. That’s one of the traps for Jiu Jitsu nerds. If you get too deep into the tech, you can end up frozen by choices. The other solution is to systematize everything, and that kills creativity. Just protect yourself and everything else will fall into place. Learn Jiu Jitsu.
Drewlock23,546 просмотров • 18 дней назад
One of my favorite parts of rolling in the gi is passing while they still have grips. I’m comfortable standing in front of them because I’m ready to brace and make their sweeps miss. Instead of breaking grips, I try to unclip their frames and deny their feet from getting to my hips and arms. They can’t hang well without both griping and framing. To get ahead, make grips on their pant legs and start playing a mini game I call up, down, left, right. Each hand works independently, probing for a direction to push or pull their leg that makes their frames less useful. You still have to be ready to overfit and underfit submission attacks, especially when your stance gets staggered. Getting staggered is okay, and sometimes unavoidable. Don’t panic. Accept where you are and be ready for the next part of the exchange. If they upgrade their grip, like getting to a lasso, you have to unwind it or drive pressure into it so the grip becomes uncomfortable. Make it cost more energy than it’s worth. When you move this way, natural passing routes open up without having to map everything out ahead of time. Try passing without breaking grips. You might be missing one of the most fun parts of rolling in the gi. Learn Jiu Jitsu
Drewlock12,455 просмотров • 1 месяц назад
Foot sweeps require very little athleticism, work on opponents of any size, and are forgiving even when you miss. One of the highest ROI skills you can add to your game. Mix them with a snap down and single leg to get an easy read every time. Learn Jiu Jitsu
Drewlock26,584 просмотров • 6 месяцев назад
In Jiu Jtsu reality is improvisation. What do you call this passing style?
Drewlock41,267 просмотров • 1 год назад
Jiu Jitsu is a harnessing of the given. It’s movement aligned with the structure of being.
Drewlock32,793 просмотров • 10 месяцев назад
Jiu Jitsu is not about knowing. You can know ten thousand techniques and still get smashed. What matters is not what you know. What matters is who you are being when you roll. Sleight of hand works because the magician isn’t showing you a trick, he’s being a magician. He shifts your attention. You never see it coming. That’s Jiu Jitsu. It’s not the technique. It’s who you are being when you use it. Stop trying to know. Start learning to wield. Learn Jiu Jitsu
Drewlock31,546 просмотров • 9 месяцев назад
Jiu Jitsu’s potency comes from its immediate connection to the power of being. This “power of being” refers to a state of heightened awareness and presence, where you are fully engaged with the present moment and your own existence. It’s about finding balance in both following and leading, being reactive and proactive. The ability to sync with the natural flow of events and take control of the situation according to your skill and capabilities. Jiu Jitsu is an art because it enables practitioners to connect deeply with their fundamental essence or true nature. Learn Jiu Jitsu
Drewlock51,527 просмотров • 1 год назад
What keeps passing fun at black belt is finding hidden routes.
Drewlock24,417 просмотров • 1 год назад
Note to self: Jiu Jitsu isn’t about collecting techniques or chasing the illusion of constant improvement. It’s about doing something that serves you on and off the mat. It's a lived orientation, a style of Being. It's about transformation that can’t be measured. You train because of intrinsic motivation. It’s how training never gets boring. Like all true art, it is practiced for its own sake, as a response to an inner call. More than anything, it gives perspective. Paired with philosophy, it becomes extremely potent. You train to participate, not to acquire. Rolling turns into serious play, offering opportunities to face yourself honestly. At times, Jiu Jitsu discloses your vitality, your capacity to move, create, endure. At other times, it confronts you with your mortality, your exhaustion, your limits, your finitude. Jiu Jitsu lifestyle means dwelling in the space where vitality and mortality, possibility and limit, freedom and constraint interact. Yea it’s entertainment, yea it’s sport, but most importantly it’s a mode of attunement to reality. Learn Jiu Jitsu
Drewlock19,261 просмотров • 10 месяцев назад
If you do Jiu Jitsu and rarely hit a flowstate, try on these 3 distinctions. (Modes of Action, Basic Options, Stages of Grappling) Distinctions are not definitions, they don’t explain or reduce things to fixed meanings they create a way of seeing and acting. Basic Options In any position, no matter the situation, your choices reduce to 4 options (go behind, tip over, pass the legs, or submit) The Basic Options is not a strategy. It’s simply what’s most relevant. Modes of Action These aren’t categories to memorize, they’re ways of acting in the moment (grip, frame, hang, technique) Without this distinction, rolling will feel random. With it, you see what you’re actually doing and what’s missing. Stages of Grappling This isn’t a definition of who’s winning. It’s a lens for the unfolding of the match (neutral, advantage, mixup, dominant position) Something will click once you notice what stage you're in. Distinctions are powerful because they don’t claim to be knowledge, truth, or the final answer. They are shifts in perception. Without distinctions you’re lost. With them, you’re free to act with intention. Full guide coming soon Learn Jiu Jitsu
Drewlock16,252 просмотров • 10 месяцев назад
How to roll like a local Before rolling, take a moment to observe your opponent’s archetype. Are they heavy and slow, or light and strong? Are they a tough brawler or a glass cannon? First impressions can be deceiving—some strong looking opponents may not feel strong on the mat. Adjust your observations as the roll progresses. Be mindful of any obvious injuries. Avoid targeting these areas. In a competition, exploiting injuries would be part of your strategy, but during training, focus on building skills without causing harm. If you’re more experienced, challenge yourself by working in areas where your partner is skilled. Don’t make it easy for your partner by giving away free guard passes or free submission attempts. If you feel the need to use excessive will power, consider conceding the position and resetting at the next position with a quick attack. As you get a read on your partner, loosen up and engage in a way that encourages interaction. Get them to notice your intentions then you can really mix them up. Be tough and skillful, but keep the roll playful so your partner will attack back. This creates more exchanges and helps both of you improve. Apply pressure but, avoid giving unnecessary chip damage. If your partner concedes an opening for a submission, avoid slamming it on hard. Respect their well-being by catching and releasing submissions. This approach not only promotes safety but also increases opportunities for transitions, providing valuable “XP” When encountering a partner who uses excessive strength and will power against your proper technique, avoid responding with willpower and strength of your own. Instead, ease into the situation. Recognize resistance as an opportunity to set traps or wear them down gradually. If you’re less experienced, avoid your opponents strengths and look for opportunities to capitalize on their weaknesses. Don’t shy away from challenging situations; step into the action and earn your partner’s respect, even if it means getting caught. Keep working out of submissions and recovering your guard. If you’re under attack, extend the engagement and work toward regaining a neutral position. Avoid being timid or overly conservative, this limits the amount of exchanges. Instead, embrace the pace and intensity of higher-level rolls. Progress happens when you immerse yourself in the action and take risks. Remember force and will power are even less reliable against more experienced opponents. Rolling like a local isn’t just about improving your own skills; it’s about contributing to a more connected community.
Drewlock24,701 просмотров • 1 год назад
As a black belt, this is how I prefer to roll, not driven by personal development or even the enjoyment of it. I roll because it is good in and of itself. I strive to give of myself generously and to take what comes my way openly, without apology. Most of my time on the mat is spent guiding others, helping them navigate Jiu Jitsu. But when it’s my turn to roll, it becomes an experience that exists purely for its own sake. Jiu Jitsu is a ritual, not an outlet for pent-up emotions, nor is it a stage for personal theatrics. It transcends the release or display of personality. If anything, it functions as an escape from emotion and personality. Within this space of calm detachment, there emerges a kind of vision or fluency. This vision is the capacity to take the unpredictable and the unforeseen and seamlessly integrate it in a way that brings new meaning and value. Instead of feeling destabilized by the unexpected, allow it to deepen your perspective. The question is not how to avoid disruptions, but how to dance with them, absorb them, and become more adaptable through the encounter.
Drewlock22,484 просмотров • 1 год назад