#bjj

Self Defense Tips: Should You Grapple In A Street Fight?

Mar 11
3 min

Self Defense Tips: Should You Grapple In A Street Fight?

Full Disclosure: I have been grappling for over 30 years, and competed for many years. Additionally, I am a USA Wrestling coach, and certified Brazilian Jiu-jitsu self-defense instructor, and have trained many competitors. To this day grappling is a passion of mine, there's nothing more fun than getting on the mat and "rolling" with other wrestlers and jiu-jitsu practitioners. Facts: Any martial art where you are doing live grappling and wrestling regularly, is going to make

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Lawrence Castanon

Feb 26
2 min

Training Tip:

After teaching group classes, private lessons, and personal training for decades, I came to some realizations about the benefits of private lessons and personal training that you may not find in large group classes. Receiving the coach/teacher’s full attention for the entirety of the lesson. Lessons are tailored to Your unique needs and learning style. You can pick up where you left off if you miss sessions due to illness, or vacation etc. You get to work at YOUR own pace. Th

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Slipping The Assailants Punches (instructional video included)

Lawrence Castanon

Jan 14
2 min

Slipping The Assailants Punches (instructional video included)

Slipping a punch (or multiple punches) is a very important defense to learn because getting punched in the face is one of the most common attacks used by an assailant. This defense works against a straight punch to your face (i.e., sucker punch). When slipping a punch or multiple punches, you need to move your head off the centerline (away from their punch). A taller assailant will generally have the longer reach, which means they can hit you without you being close enough t

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Self Defense Tip: What Are You Training For?

Lawrence Castanon

Jan 11
2 min

Self Defense Tip: What Are You Training For?

What Are You Training For? Recently, I watched a street fight where one guy sat on the ground and motioned for the other guy to come towards him. The guy who was standing looked confused, then jumped on the grounded guys head and proceeded to stomp and kick him until he knocked him out. Sitting on the ground to start a fight sounds ridiculous doesn't it? But do you know that certain martial arts practice fighting that way? The problem is that, what you do in practice is what

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Lawrence Castanon

Jan 5
3 min

Defense part 1: Stances

Learning how to defend against punches, kicks, and takedowns/throws, is essential to round out your self-defense abilities. The first step to having good defense is your stance. A strong stance will allow you to stop oncoming strikes, and takedown attempts. Additionally, having a strong stance can allow you to attack with more power. Conversely, having a poor (or no) stance can lead to you getting hit and knocked down, controlled, and/or taken down or thrown to the ground. Th

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Do This If Assailant Grabs Both Your Wrists (instructional video included)

Lawrence Castanon

Dec 30, 2022
2 min

Do This If Assailant Grabs Both Your Wrists (instructional video included)

An easy way for an assailant to control a smaller, weaker person is to grab both of their wrists. This method of control works because the assailant can move you around easily by pulling your arms in the direction that they want you to go; and in the case of both your wrists being grabbed, you cannot hit him/her to fight back. Additionally, wrist grabbing is an instinctual technique that anyone can do. For example, in a street situation, it's not unusual to see one person gra

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Defend The Front Bear Hug #2 - Under The Arms

Lawrence Castanon

Dec 22, 2022
1 min

Defend The Front Bear Hug #2 - Under The Arms

A front bear hug where the assailant has his arms underneath your arms (around your waist) is actually easier to defend yourself against than the previous bear hug, because your arms are free to strike him. The first thing you'll want to do if the assailant grabs you around your waist and attempts to pick you up to transport you (i.e., kidnapping etc.), is drop your weight (squat), and begin twisting violently. If the assailant continues to picks you up, repeatedly lift your

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Defend the Front Bear Hug #1 - Over Your Arms (instructional video included)

Lawrence Castanon

Dec 15, 2022
2 min

Defend the Front Bear Hug #1 - Over Your Arms (instructional video included)

Please teach this defense to your children! The front bear hug over the arms occurs when the assailant grabs you around your arms while facing you. It is commonly used on smaller, weaker individuals, including children. It is commonly used by an assailant to pickup and transport the victim fairly easily (i.e. during a child abduction). This is one of the more difficult grabs to escape from because the assailant has control of your body, and has your arms pinned, leaving you w

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Stop The Assailant From Taking You Down (instructional video included)

Lawrence Castanon

Dec 7, 2022
2 min

Stop The Assailant From Taking You Down (instructional video included)

Often times an assailant may try to take you down in the street, doing this gives them complete control and dominance over you. It is a lot harder to try and get back up when someone on top of you, then it is to stop the takedown. The front headlock is an excellent clinch to use in the event the assailant tries to take you down by attacking your legs (i.e. a wrestler's shot). How to perform the front headlock if the assailant leans down to grab your legs (i.e. wrestlers shot

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Lawrence Castanon

Nov 30, 2022
3 min

Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

While you’ll be busy out shopping for gifts, and going to holiday parties, criminals will be out in full force ready to take away your holiday cheer. While the holiday season is always a special time of year, it is also a time when busy people become vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime: To help you navigate this holiday season safely, and securely, I compiled the following holiday safety tips from various law enforcement groups, and crime prevention sections. When sho

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Strikes using the One-arm Collar Grab (2 instructional videos included)

Lawrence Castanon

Nov 15, 2022
2 min

Strikes using the One-arm Collar Grab (2 instructional videos included)

The one-arm collar grab/clinch is a favorite among many Muay Thai Kickboxers, MMA fighters, and Krav Maga practitioners because it's simple to use and is brutally effective. This lesson shows an offensive version where you initiate the one-arm collar grab/clinch to striking. The next blog will teach you a defensive version. How to perform the one-arm collar grab/clinch: Facing your partner, wrap your hand (thumb and four fingers together) around his neck so your wrist is at t

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How To Strike Using The Single Wrist Grab
(2 instructional videos included)

Lawrence Castanon

Nov 3, 2022
2 min

How To Strike Using The Single Wrist Grab (2 instructional videos included)

Grabbing the assailants wrist is a great way to both control the assailant, and lessen the amount of strikes they deliver to you. Use this clinch to set up strikes, takedown, or throws. When the assailant attempts to pull their wrist away, they will pull you close to them. This gives the smaller fighter the reach necessary to attack. How to strike while using the wrist grab: Facing your partner, use one hand to grab over the top of his same-side wrist. This is an overhand gr

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How To Attack Using The Single Over-hook

Lawrence Castanon

Oct 26, 2022
2 min

How To Attack Using The Single Over-hook

The Over-hook is another great tactic to use when in the clinch. Over hooking occurs when, in the clinch, you wrap one of your arms around the assailant's tricep (upper arm). You control them by pulling them into you to meet your strikes. How to perform Single Over-Hook to Striking: Facing your partner, bring your same-side arm over their arm until your bicep/armpit is pinned around their tricep near their shoulder. Clasp your hands together and pull down to bring the assaila

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How To Perform The Single Under-hook With Striking (Pics and video included)

Lawrence Castanon

Oct 19, 2022
2 min

How To Perform The Single Under-hook With Striking (Pics and video included)

The under-hook is a great offensive technique that you can use when in the clinch. The single under-hook occurs when one of your arms goes under the assailant's arm/armpit, while in the clinch. You can control the assailant by pulling them down to meet your strikes. You can also use the under-hook to move them forwards, backwards, and to either side. How to perform the single under-hook: Facing the assailant (your partner in practice), bring your left arm underneath their rig

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Lawrence Castanon

Oct 18, 2022
2 min

Clinch Fighting For Self Defense

Clinch fighting is a type of stand-up grappling, and is a very common position in street fights. Clinches can occur when one fighter wants to get close enough to strike the other, or when one fighter wants to stop the strikes of the other. Clinches can also occur when one or both fighters get tire, or to set up a take down, or throw an opponent. If the smaller/weaker fighter knows how to fight in the clinch, he/she can defend themselves effectively against the larger or stron

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Lawrence Castanon

Oct 14, 2022
3 min

Parents Beware!

A few years back a frantic mother stormed into my school visibly upset, pleading me to help her. She went on to tell me that her son got beat up by a school bully. While I understood how stressful this could be for a parent, her reaction about it led me to believe that there was more to the story, and I was right! She told me that her 10-year-old boy held a first-degree black belt from a large franchise karate school (aka McDojo). She went on to explain that she spent thousan

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Self Defense Tip: When Should You Grapple In A Street Fight?

Lawrence Castanon

Aug 17, 2022
4 min

Self Defense Tip: When Should You Grapple In A Street Fight?

Grappling in a street fight is fraught with problems. If you ever wrestled around with your buddies, you know that helpless feeling when the bigger/stronger one gets on top of you and doesn't let you up. Well it's a lot worse than that in a real fight when the other person is on top of you punching you in the face. Additionally, women will have a more difficult time trying to get up off the ground after the bigger/stronger man is on top of them. So, if you are the smaller, we

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Leandro Lo - BJJ World Champion Shot and Killed

Lawrence Castanon

Aug 9, 2022
1 min

Leandro Lo - BJJ World Champion Shot and Killed

Leandro Lo, one of the greatest Brazilian Jiu-jitsu champions of all time, was shot in the head and declared brain dead after an altercation with a man who started trouble with him in a nightclub. He was 33 years old. This amazing athlete won the World Championships an astounding eight times, making him one of the most successful Jiu-jitsu athletes of all time. He was considered a good guy and true martial artist both on and off the mats. According to initial reports (still d

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