I've had a long, looong period (10+ years) of not really studying Jiu Jitsu but just playing it no different than enjoying rolling around on a skateboard a bit to do tricks. Leg lock and invertion crazes have passed me due to knee- and back injuries. I also don't really care about winning or improving any longer, I just like playing the game. However, recently I've found a lot of inspiration in Priit Mihkelson's thoughts about defensive aspect of the game. For years I didn't really like it, to be honest mostly because I wouldn't admit to myself that it was something I have been neglecting to practice, study and teach properly. As a black belt who has been teaching my entire career, it's not always fun when someone points out there's something you don't know anything/enough about. Anyway, eventually I came around and I've found a lot of joy in practicing this. In some areas it feels like starting from scratch both as a practitioner and instructor, which I think has been very healthy. Solid material to pass on to students as well; it has greatly improved my ability to make them more confident when on bottom. He has a lot of free material online; watch with an open mind :)

However, recently I've found a lot of inspiration in Priit Mihkelson's thoughts about defensive aspect of the game. For years I didn't really like it, to be honest mostly because I wouldn't admit to myself that it was something I have been neglecting to practice, study and teach properly. As a black belt who has been teaching my entire career, it's not always fun when someone points out there's something you don't know anything/enough about. Anyway, eventually I came around and I've found a lot of joy in practicing this. In some areas it feels like starting from scratch both as a practitioner and instructor, which I think has been very healthy. Solid material to pass on to students as well; it has greatly improved my ability to make them more confident when on bottom. He has a lot of free material online; watch with an open mind :)

Combined with my passive personality and hatred of aggression, that means I've got a very defensive game and most of my stuff is simple

Yes, your main technique of avoiding rolls with ppl IS indeed simple :)

Yes, your main technique of avoiding rolls with ppl IS indeed simple :)

Is he the guy that never makes eye contact when it comes time to roll?

Ha - I'm German, so it doesn't matter if you make eye contact. I will happily tell somebody to their face, 'sorry, I don't want to roll with you.' Directness FTW. :P

I am not from nor have I ever lived in Germany.

My goal with my BJJ game is to build something that I can use for my whole life, not stuff that I'll eventually get too old and broken to do. Combined with my passive personality and hatred of aggression, that means I've got a very defensive game and most of my stuff is simple (e.g., get to side control, north south, kimura). That means I don't pay much attention to fancy spinny stuff, inversions etc. I also remain terrified of leglocks, but hopefully once the Focus Camp in Leuven happens, Craig Jones and Lachlan Giles can help me with that. Forced myself to buy a ticket a while ago, so a part of me was quite relieved when it got postponed. :P I've always watched a lot of video. Saulo and Xande were early (and remain to this day) favourite sources, especially Saulo's 'Jiu Jitsu Revolution' sets (much of which still holds up), then Xande's later set, simply called 'Xande Instructional Series'. So good, it doesn't get anywhere near enough love. That was followed by BJJ Library, which is one of my go-to sites when I'm preparing a class and want to compare how others teach whatever technique I'm doing that day. I find both the Ribeiros are very good with details on maintaining top position, which is an area I don't see taught enough (many instructionals focus on submissions and sweeps instead, I'm more interested in how to get to a position and hold it). The most important thing I learned from Saulo's vids is the running escape, which has become the core of my game. After later training with Priit and Chris Paines, that's added a whole bunch of other stuff to my running escape. I've been playing with Priit's grilled chicken for years now, because I detest open guard: I've yet to get a handle on it, but fun to play with. Grilled chicken and running escape have been my main projects over lockdown (in England, we haven't been able to train properly since March 2020), I've bought both of Priit's sets on those topics, still working through them. The other site I use for teaching prep is Grapplers Guide, I've been a member since the beginning in 2007, IIRC. Jason Scully (who is on Beltchecker, but I don't think he checks the forums much) has a video for pretty much everything, particularly after he started bringing in guest instructors. I loved learning from Aaron Milam at the Leuven Camp a few years back, so I need to properly dig into Aaron's videos on Grapplers Guide. With Aaron, it is mostly his closed guard material I've been using, as that's what the private lesson I took with him focused on (particularly leg clamp stuff). Other than that, various guard retention, as like I said I really hate being in open guard. Ryan Hall's 'Defensive Guard' was amazing for that, helped me a lot, I rely on the frames he shows in that. Danaher's guard retention set mostly collates what I've already seen from Hall, Priit etc, but that's been interesting to work through too (at 2x speed, Danaher is unwatchable at normal speed ;) ).

I watch random matches and fights that catch my attention, unless they are on flograppling which I'm still avoiding to subscribe to, regardless of the theme/topic/technique I'm mostly working on in a given time. I also probably watch more MMA then jiu-jitsu. Now that I'm thinking about, MMA I watch more fights than instructionals, jiu-jitsu I do the opposite. I don't miss (and I watch multiple times) any BJJ Scout and Jack Slack study.

I played with his kipping mount escape on Saturday and failed miserably, but I can see some hope with it if I troubleshoot it more. Intriguing

Kipping mount escape? Interesting, are there any vids? is that literally what it sounds like, trying to fling yourself straight up?

https://youtu.be/zZvC5BVY0ms I also recommend Brian Glick on all fronts. Danaher product, sans braggadocio.

Danaher product, sans braggadocio.

Forum members Rolf Busman and Jochem Branderhorst had Brian Glick over for a weekend seminar. By all accounts, the man is a gentleman and a teaching / technical phenom.

Forum members Rolf Busman and Jochem Branderhorst had Brian Glick over for a weekend seminar. By all accounts, the man is a gentleman and a teaching / technical phenom.