blue Belt Curriculum
Advance beyond foundational survival with combinations, pressure passing, and guard retention upgrades.
Learning Objectives
- Upgrade guard retention systems to deal with advanced pressure passers.
- Chain guard attacks into back takes and submissions.
- Develop reliable top pressure sequences and finishing mechanics.
- Build competition-ready conditioning with consistent drilling.
Weeks 1-4: Guard Retention Evolution
Refine knee shield, daily hiva, and half guard recoveries.
Knee Shield Re-Pummel Series
intermediateReestablish inside position when the passer collapses knee shield.
Reverse De La Riva Back Takes
intermediateUse RDLR hooks to off-balance and rotate to the back when opponents sprawl.
Guard Recovery Flow
intermediateDrill hip heists, granby rolls, and shin-to-shin entries to re-guard.
Weeks 5-8: Pressure Passing Systems
Connect knee cut, smash, and long step passes into one plan.
Knee Cut to Smash Pass Chain
intermediateFlow from knee cut attempts into smash pass when hooks block progress.
Long Step Counter Series
intermediateUse long-step footwork to beat hook guards and regain upper-body control.
North-South Pressure Finishes
intermediateFinish kimuras, baseball choke, and north-south choke from pressure sequences.
Weeks 9-12: Submission Chains
Layer submissions so every defense opens a new attack.
Armbar to Triangle to Omoplata Cycle
intermediateDrill the classic guard submission ladder with control checkpoints.
Bow & Arrow Follow-ups
intermediateTransition from bow and arrow to crucifix or armbar when defenses show.
Mount Cross-Collar Series
intermediateWork high mount entries leading into collar choke, S-mount armbar, and Ezekiel options.
Weeks 13-16: Wrestling & Competition Rounds
Ensure takedown confidence and match pacing before testing yourself.
Arm Drag to Single Leg Finish
intermediateUse guard pulls into arm drag to stand and finish high-percentage singles.
Snap Down to Front Headlock Control
intermediateStabilize front headlock for anacondas, guillotines, or back takes.
Competition Simulation Rounds
intermediateRun 6-minute rounds with scorekeeping and strategy adjustments.