The Grapple Flows Journal
Articles on training methods, technique breakdowns, and the study habits that make what you learn between classes actually stick around.
New post · November 3, 2026
Featured Post
Open mat exposes every gap your regular classes cover for you — and most of that information evaporates by Tuesday. The Monday-morning routine that keeps it.
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Short reads, study habits, and the occasional opinion. New posts go up whenever something's worth saying.
How IBJJF, ADCC, and UFC BJJ rules differ, from points and match length to heel hooks and guard pulling, plus the local rules at NAGA and Grappling Industries.
Written notes were my system for years and never became a habit. Voice memos did, by accident, at a red light. Where each format fits, and the one I'd keep if forced to choose.
A year of using ChatGPT for BJJ study: the two patterns that earn their keep, the exact prompts I use, and the failure mode where wrong answers sound identical to right ones.
At UFC BJJ 11, Mikey Musumeci agreed to no leg lock submissions and still beat Bryce Mitchell with the legs. His rule against stronger opponents: read the weight.
I brought a notebook to class for three weeks. It failed, but not for the reason I expected. The case against in-class notes, the one exception, and what to do instead.
Jozef Chen passed Gabriel Brod's locked half guard at ADCC 2026 with his head down and hips high. Here's why it works, in his own words, plus the free flowchart.
Twelve to eighteen months of focused work, for most people — but the reason it takes others three or four years is that they spend the whole time working on the wrong layer.
A year of using AI in my BJJ study, summarized: most of what Reddit claims it can do, it can't. Two boring use cases survived, and they're worth knowing about.
BJJ flowchart apps compared: BJJFlowCharts, Grapple Flows, Jiu-Jitsu Chart, BJJ Flow Tracker, JJXF, and MindBJJ. Platforms, prices, and who each suits.
Six solo BJJ drills you can do at home with no partner or equipment, in 15 minutes — the ones that actually transferred to my rolls.
Spider keeps opponents out; lasso ties them up. I played spider for two years against bodies it didn't fit — here's the routing logic for choosing between them mid-round.