Make Jiu-Jitsu
simple by learning the
BUILDING BLOCKS.
It took me 10 years to find what I was looking for in Jiu-Jitsu.
I wandered through gym after gym trying to learn how to DEFEND MYSELF. Each gym, a new promise. Each promise, a new disappointment. I craved to learn the art of Jiu-Jitsu that was made famous by Royce Gracie in the UFC. You know, the little guy who submitted everyone in the octagon.
But all I found was Jiu-Jitsu taught as a random collection of submissions, takedowns and scrambling which only favoured the ‘athlete’.
It was an absolute disappointment. Every class started with an elaborate 10+ step move with no context and it never worked against someone bigger or stronger. I was just told to BECOME bigger or stronger.
It was horrible. And the physical toll? Brutal. Two medial tendons snapped by a blue belt. Cracked ribs. Torn ligaments. Broken bones. I couldn’t stand up straight for a few years because my spine was cracked pursuing a guard with an awesome name...
Every training session was like a fight to the death.
I started jiu jitsu to learn how to defend myself against being bullied and beaten and ironically every class was me just getting bullied and beaten until I could teach myself to survive.
I didn’t start Jiu-Jitsu so I could be in some fight club where only the toughest and most athletic make it out alive. I started it so I could PROTECT MYSELF AND THE ONES I LOVE.
After more than a decade of searching, I finally found Master Rickson Gracie. There, I discovered the ‘building blocks’ of Jiu-Jitsu. That’s when everything changed.
It was the real deal straight out of the gate. It was simple and efficient Jiu-Jitsu.
I packed all of my stuff, lived out of my car, slept on couches, academy mats and empty beaches. I Invested all my money and resources to learn from him.
To this day, I still fly out to do private lessons with him as well as online check ins. Now, my mission is to preserve and share the ‘Art’ he entrusted to me.
Let me explain how...
Jiu-Jitsu is supposed to be ‘the gentle art’. It’s supposed to be for EVERYONE. Not just the athletically gifted.
And there is no need for you to know 5,000 moves . . . The actual book of Jiu-Jitsu is only a few really important pages long.
I’ve been sharing the ‘building blocks’ now for 12 years at my schools, seminars and recently online.
The feedback makes me smile and motivates me to share more:
Understanding the Building Blocks allows you to:
So what are the Building Blocks?
1. Base
2. Connection
3. Weight Distribution
4. Timing
5. Understanding "The Middle"
6. Distance Management
With all the big Competitions nowadays like ADCC and CJI, Jiu-Jitsu has evolved. The sport thrives. It is about the athlete who has a new set of moves. Most gyms are now full of young guys doing rounds of sparring and getting jacked for competitions.
It’s cool, and you do you if that’s you, but I don’t care about that.
I care about the student who comes in and wants to learn Jiu-Jitsu for what it is. ‘The Gentle Art’.
I teach them the building blocks and the essential movements with no BS. I say if someone weaker and less athletic can’t do it, then it’s probably not Jiu-Jitsu – it’s sports grappling.
My Jiu-Jitsu is about having the go-to toolbox. I’ve got my trusty hammer, a can of WD-40, and a roll of ducktape. That’s all I need. I don’t need the solar powered leafblower with LED lights that connects to bluetooth.
Once you begin to master the ‘Building Blocks’ of Jiu-Jitsu you begin to realise that you don’t need anything more. You don’t need flashy submissions or 5,000 fancy moves.
Jiu-Jitsu becomes simple.
In Jiu-Jitsu, everything hinges on these Building Blocks. The best part is, once you start understanding them, you start seeing the patterns and principles everywhere.
It’s like seeing The Matrix.
Using Connection to Add Weight for Closed Guard Control
Framing for Side Control Escapes
Survive Knee On Belly
Base - Raw and Uncut Behind the Scenes
To give you an idea of how much we dedicate to each lesson, here is a behind-the-scenes look for the introduction to base module, most of which ends up on the editing room floor. The team at The BJJ Project and I pour our hearts into capturing of 'the art' as we see it, so we can share it with you in a way you will understand and be able to use day to day.
Learning the Building Blocks solves 3 big problems on your Jiu-Jitsu Journey
"I feel stuck and don't know how to progress"
Has your BJJ progress hit a wall? Are you feeling like you're just going through the motions on the mat and getting the same results? You can get stuck when you try to add new moves to your game without first having a solid foundation to build on.
Solution: Dedicate just 10 minutes to filling out the BJJ Journey Score. This is a self-assessment tool that allows you to think about your Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals and map your strengths and weaknesses.
This will give you focus around what you need to improve on. You can also use it as a baseline for your future self. Come back in 3 months and re-do it to see where you made progress.
The ‘Building Blocks’ make Jiu-Jitsu. It doesn’t matter who you are or what lane you wish to go down: Self-Defence, Wellbeing or Sport.
So if you’re thinking these Building Blocks sound good and want to them in action, here are some examples of what you will find. Enjoy.
“Classes have too many lessons that just aren’t relevant to me.”
Do you feel like your regular classes are generic and not relevant to you? Do you struggle to remember all the moves and steps and incorporate them into your game?
Solution: Focus on making the fundamental positions work. Watch my free BJJ Building Blocks Kickstarter.
“I worry about getting injured”
Solution: Simplify your Jiu-Jitsu.
Do not get caught up in the weird world of fancy guards, wrestling and putting yourself in positions that don't work for your body. Stick to the fundamentals, learn the ‘building blocks’, tap early and ALWAYS remember, if you don't know self-defence, you don't know jiu-jitsu!
This is a course with over 30 lessons I made to introduce you to the ‘building blocks’ of Jiu-Jitsu. It’s no BS and I promise you will not find any footlocks.
I explain what the principles of Jiu-Jitsu are and how you can make them work for you. I cover different core positions so you can start to see the patterns taking place.
The goal of this course is to give you something fucking important.
I made it free because I genuinely want everyone to know this and show that Jiu-Jitsu does not need to be complicated.
Chris 'Bones' Burns is a 2nd Degree BJJ Black Belt who trains out of his Zero Point Academy in Sydney, Australia.
The BJJ Building Blocks have been proudly built in collaboration with The BJJ Project.
Find more:
https://www.youtube.com/@the.BJJproject
https://www.instagram.com/the.BJJproject/
Still here and don't have your BJJ Building Blocks yet? Here is what you will get, for FREE..........now press the damn button! Your Jiu-Jitsu will thank you 🚀
- Use a simple framework to make sense of Jiu-Jitsu
- Build a solid foundation for your Jiu-Jitsu Journey
- Make your Jiu-Jitsu efficient and effective
- Train on ‘efficiency-mode’ not ‘athlete-mode’