Dear Legion,
In this edition of the newsletter, we’ll be diving into some biomechanical concepts. That’s just a really fancy way of saying stuff that you should know about your body to find more success in aggressively hugging people until they give up.
I’m a big concepts guy because concepts, once remembered, will make jiu-jitsu easier, regardless of the position or technique you find yourself dealing with. We’re going to look at four of those concepts in the main column.
We have not two, but three matches of the month. I selected two no-gi ones from the most exciting grappler out there at the moment, while my protégé Kevin selected the gi match. From there we go into events, leaderboards and some new merch. Enjoy the end of the summer on the mats.
Biomechanical concepts
Understand the hierarchy of your anatomy
We know that certain body parts are stronger than others. It’s not exactly a shocking revelation to say that a leg is stronger than an arm. Having a constant awareness of this hierarchy and using it while grappling is a great way to find a lot of success without the need to learn new techniques.
The hierarchy goes as follows:
- Core
- Two legs
- Two arms
- Head and neck
The core, which includes the hips, lower and upper torso, is the most powerful, and that's why there aren't any core submissions (except the twister). Going after the neck and limbs is much more effective. Whenever we grapple, we want to use as many body parts as possible to attack.
For example, in an armbar, the legs are clamping, both arms are holding the wrist in place, and the hips are finishing the job.
When analyzing your rounds, ask yourself: How could I have engaged more body parts?
What could I have done to bring my core to the party?
Fight the opponent’s upper body with your legs (asymmetry)
In a grappling exchange, your legs have distinct advantages over your opponent’s arms. They are significantly stronger, have greater endurance, and offer superior reach. The primary drawbacks are a general lack of dexterity and precise control compared to arms.
However, with dedicated training, these limitations can be overcome. Skilled grapplers, especially smaller ones, develop the ability to use their legs with the same precision and fluidity as most people use their hands. This asymmetry becomes a powerful weapon, allowing them to dominate larger opponents.
Consider how many essential jiu-jitsu techniques capitalize on this principle—triangle chokes, armbars, omoplatas, back control with hooks or a body triangle, and dominant positions like mount and closed guard. In each case, the legs are attacking and controlling the upper body, leveraging strength and reach to create an overwhelming advantage.
In training: Have this asymmetry in mind as a goal to achieve.
The hips are the powerhouse of the body
We all learned in biology class that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Most of us didn’t do anything with that information—but we sure remembered it.
In jiu-jitsu, the hips are the powerhouse. The gluteus maximus is the body’s largest muscle. Bridging, hip escapes, and pressure passing rely on the glutes, hip flexors, adductors, and other supporting muscles. So does getting up off the floor. If you’ve ever been to a commercial gym, you’ve probably seen female lifters loading hundreds of pounds on a barbell for hip thrusts. They do it for aesthetic purposes or internet clout points—sometimes both. We do it to roll over a dude sitting on our stomach. We are not the same.
Now that we know that having a powerful dump truck is important for jiu-jitsu, let’s talk about mobility. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint, which allows movement in many directions. External rotation in particular, is crucial. It can make all the difference in taking and maintaining back control, as well as in guard retention.
Once you understand that the hips are central to almost every major movement and position, it becomes clear: if you want to win; you need to control your opponent’s hips—and protect your own.
Elbow-knee connection
Elbow-knee connection is one of the most fundamental defensive concepts in jiu-jitsu. At its core, it’s about protecting your torso and your limbs at the same time.
When your elbows and knees stay connected, or at least close enough to reconnect quickly, you create a structural shield that makes it difficult for your opponent to expose your back, pass your guard, or dominate your upper body.
The tighter the space, the less room there is for your opponent to insert hooks, pass frames, or isolate limbs. Once that connection is broken, the doors to your core — and the path to control — open wide.
Keeping elbow-knee connection doesn’t mean being static; it means moving in a way that maintains your structure under pressure, like when framing, shrimping, turtling, or recovering from a guard pass.
It also doesn’t mean precisely aligning the tip of your elbow with your patella. Elbow-thigh, or elbow hip/rib connections can work just as well, depending on the situation.
Matches of the month
Tackett vs Canuto
This match happened yesterday, and spoiler alert, it didn’t make it the distance. But it was extremely fun and competitive while it lasted.
Kennedy Maciel vs Diego Sodre
With Gi season being kind of slow right now, I’d like to share a match that depicts “it ain’t over till it’s over.” In this match at Gi Worlds earlier this year, Kennedy Maciel faced off against Diego Sodre in a tightly contested match. Kennedy ended up scoring with seconds left, but Diego didn’t quit. I won’t spoil how it ends, but it’s a stark reminder to protect yourself at all times.
Kennedy Maciel vs Diego Sodre
With Gi season being kind of slow right now, I’d like to share a match that depicts “it ain’t over till it’s over.” In this match at Gi Worlds earlier this year, Kennedy Maciel faced off against Diego Sodre in a tightly contested match. Kennedy ended up scoring with seconds left but Diego didn’t quit. I won’t spoil how it ends but it’s a stark reminder to protect yourself at all times.
Belt Promotions
Congratulations to everyone who got promoted in July!
Brown Belt
Stephen Olshemski
Purple Belt
Edward Strzelec
Jacob Howenstein
Robert Delgadillo
Miles Fristo
Benjamin Richman
Michael Alvarado
Jammin Jackson
Jennifer Sowers
Blue Belt
Patrick Rizik
Chantel Celotto
Nathan Kaufman
Ariel Ramirez
July Top Attendees
🥇 Jason Bunch - 32 classes
🥈 Luke Durkin - 28 classes
🥉 Jimmy Wang - 23 classes
Events
In House Tournament
On September 13th we’ll be having our next In House Tournament. So whether you’re an active competitor looking to get ready or just looking to simulate a real competition to get ready for your first tournament, there’s no better way to prepare than right here at Legion HQ.
Register Here
Craig Jones Invitational 2
I know for a fact that some of you were in the arena for CJI 1 last August. If that was the case for you, then you know for a fact that it was the best grappling event that ever took place.
Well, the next one is just a month away, and tickets are still available. It’s also happening during the same week as Master’s Worlds!
The team format this year is obviously different, and the excitement levels surrounding the event seems to be a notch lower because there’s also not the ADCC vs CJI war going on.
But rest-assured, the moment the event starts and all of the chaos of the Quintet format starts unfolding, this event could end up being even more exciting. Anyway, my recommendation is to get tickets if you’re able to and make the trip to Vegas.
I recorded an explainer of the new format and the rules (I actually created the final rules document for the tournament)
Competitions
- Grappling X - San Diego, Aug 16
- World Masters IBJJF Championships - Las Vegas, Aug 28 - 30
- Jiu Jitsu CON International - Las Vegas, Aug 28 - 29
- NAGA - San Diego, Sept 13
Top Gun Merch
A few months ago we came out with the Top Gun no-gi set, which features a great design with custom patches for each of our instructors. The reason why it’s Top Gun themed is because the original Top Gun location was on the other side of Miramar road. It was known as Fightertown, USA, which is cool af.
Anyway, the set proved to be very popular and it sold out in a week. We just got it restocked for the final time, so make sure to pick up yours or forever regret it.
We also thought: “You can’t wear the rashguard outside of the academy, at least not without looking a bit like a weirdo, so let’s make some t-shirts with the same design.” We got the t-shirts and the quality of them is great, but the sizing is very wonky. They appear to be extraaaaaa long. Apparently, they’re 100% cotton and not pre-shrunk, so they will shrink after the first wash. But just in case the sizing stays a bit off, we’re dropping the price by 33% to just $19.99.
Vote for Eaglet’s Hunter Chang to get Athlete of the year (and $25,000)
Our very own Hunter Chang is up for Youth Athlete of the Year! Hunter is a great teammate and student in our Eaglets program and one of our most active competitors. Let’s get behind Hunter!
You can vote for him here -https://athleteoftheyear.org/2025/hunter-a3fc
There is an option to cheat the way I did by paying for more votes, for example, 25 votes for $25. The great part about that is this money goes to two great charities.
Outro
That does it for another edition of the newsletter. Hopefully, the concepts from the main column help you. Reply to the email if you want some more. I have six more written out!
P.S. Reminder, I teach a Judo for jiu-jitsu class every Saturday at 12pm, it is all levels and dedicated to all kinds of takedowns. If you’re trying to improve them, which you should, I’ll see you there.