June 2025 Newsletter

Congratulations Naeem!

In his first BJJ competition as a GRA student at Grappling Industries on May 31st, Naeem Salemi didn't have any competitors in his division (white belt, 185lbs). Confident in his ability after years of wrestling experience and lots of hard work at GRA, he accepted the challenge to go up in both skill level and weight (blue belt, >220lbs).

It surely came as a shock to his opponents as he latched on to every exposed ankle he could find, running through the division with four straight-ankle lock submissions. None of his training partners, however, were surprised at this outcome.

Naeem on top of the podium against the big boys

Straight-ankle locks were not the only fireworks on display. We were also treated to some high-flying heavyweights in this kata guruma/fireman's carry from the whizzer.

June 2025 Curriculum

This month is a mix of fundamental jiu jitsu escapes, positions, and submissions. It's been quite a while since we addressed half-guard escapes, turtle escapes, and mount submissions. For the first time we'll spend a week on butterfly guard, which is mainly used for positional control and sweeps, and will be an excellent close-range guard option for many of our students.