If you’ve ever stepped foot in a jiu-jitsu tournament before, then you’ve undoubtedly seen this scenario: two grapplers tied up, each holding onto a sleeve and a collar. The two of them circling, pushing, pulling, looking more like dance partners than combatants. I’ve seen, and been part of, almo...

In jiu-jitsu, it’s commonly taught to not allow your opponent to establish grips. There are times when it is best to break the grips, and other times that grip can be used against your opponent.
- Issue 54

This is a simple foot sweep that works well when you and your opponent have an opposite sided stance. In this case, Travis is leading with his left foot while Jim is leading with his right.
- Issue 54

A more common situation is when you and your opponent are in the same stance. Both of you have your same foot forward. In this case, both Travis and Jim have their right feet forward.
- Issue 54

In jiu-jitsu matches, oftentimes we see both combatants putting a lot of effort into getting a hold of the collar they want. Travis wants you to avoid this fight, at least until you have the upper hand. To do this, it’s important to go for those hands. If you’re battling for the hands, there’s a ...

Starting from the standard competitive wrestlers stance that most jiu-jitsu matches begin with, Travis points out that one of the biggest mistakes he sees is competitors avoiding the first fight, which is the fight for the grips. The objective should be to control the ends of your opponent’s arms...

Travis is big on starting out with fighting for hand control first. However, this is a common situation where this rule gets broken. In competition, many guard pullers will take a real low stance. Going to fight for hand control at this point would allow for a huge opportunity to be missed.
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Meet Travis Stevens. Travis Stevens is an American born grappler who’s been involved in martial arts since he was just a kid.
- Issue 54