Guard work and clinch tie-ups get most of the ear damage discussion. But the takedown phase — shots, sprawls, and the scrambles that follow — may generate more uncontrolled ear contact than both combined.
Most no-gi grapplers train with ear guards but have never thought through what changes at a tournament. Here’s what the rules actually say, why competition rolls carry higher risk, and how to build the protection habits that hold up when it counts.
What accumulates inside your no-gi ear guards between sessions, why it matters in a no-gi training environment, and the maintenance routine that protects both your skin and your gear.
Quick Answer: The 7 submissions that consistently work from top mount in no-gi grappling are: the arm bar from S-mount, the kimura, the Americana, the Ezekiel choke (no-gi variation), the mounted triangle, the back take into a rear naked choke, and the arm triangle transition to north-south. The difference between finishing from mount and just…
Quick Answer: No-gi grip fighting is the battle for dominant hand and body position before a takedown or guard pull is established. The key positions — underhook, collar tie, arm drag, and wrist control — each create a different attack pathway. Winning the grip exchange determines who dictates the match, not who has the better…
An in-depth comparison of Hayabusa, Tatami Fightwear, Scramble, and Gold BJJ no-gi rashguards — discover which brand’s engineering philosophy and competition pedigree matches your grappling game.
Quick Answer: The over-under pass is a pressure-based guard-passing technique where one arm hooks over your opponent’s thigh (overhook) and the other drives under the opposite leg (underhook), with your hands locked at their hip. You flatten them, load your weight onto their chest, and walk around to side control. In no-gi, you grip directly…
A rashguard that fits perfectly on day one won’t fit that way forever. Here’s how compression dies, how to read the warning signs, and when to pull a piece from your no-gi rotation.
Most grapplers only discover a bad rashguard fit halfway through a hard round. Here’s how to read compression, sleeves, seams, and the collar gap in front of a mirror—before you ever slap hands.
Quick Answer: The single leg X guard is a bottom no-gi position where you wedge one foot on your opponent’s hip, hook behind their far knee, and trap their leg between both of yours. From there you can sweep them by standing up on the trapped leg, or feed the leg into ashi garami to…
Most grapplers blame the washing machine when a rashguard goes dull. But the real damage often happens between sessions — in your trunk, your gym bag, and your tap water. Here’s what’s quietly cooking the color out of your no-gi gear.
Most rashguards don’t die on the mat — they die in the laundry. Here’s how hot water, the dryer, and the wrong detergent quietly gut your no-gi gear, and the wash routine that stops it.