Written By Guillaume Huni, BJJ black belt and head instructor of Kimura Academy in Serbia.

Over the past few months, I’ve been trying to improve an important part of my BJJ game: pressure in side control. My favourite training partner is Branko Simonovic, a top Judo player who has medaled in the most prestigious Judo tournaments in Europe. His top pressure is crazy. He’s only 82 kilos which is the same weight as me but he feels like a house on top of you.

I started getting some tips from him about how to put huge amount of pressure on my opponents.

If you’ve ever rolled with a Judoka with good groundwork who is on top of you, you will will feel discomfort and even pain from the pressure.

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, part of the reason why BJJ practitioners don’t have good pinning work is because the goal of BJJ groundwork is to constantly evolve and improve position so not that much time is spent on actually pinning your opponent.

Why put pressure? Pressure will wear them. It tires them and forces to either take the pain or open up and make a mistake.

Judo Olympian and 3rd degree BJJ black belt Dr. Rhadi Ferguson explains one of the most important parts of matwork that many Brazilian Jiujitsu practitioners fail to stress the importance of or see the value in the practice of osaekomi waza also known as pinning techniques. Good osaekomi waza should make you feel the need to tap from the pressure.

Dr. Rhadi Ferguson has just announced the immediate availability FOR FREE of his Newaza Excellence Video Series, enabling practitioners and coaches in the sports of Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu to immediately access training information which will enhance teaching, instruction and learning.

Dr. Rhadi Ferguson is part of the list of top 14 Judokas with best ground game/Newaza.

Ferguson goes over Pinning Techniques (Osaekomi-Waza) that put an insane amount pressure.

Osaekomi-waza (Pinning techniques) is one of the groups of Katame-waza (Grappling techniques). These pins represent different types of hold down techniques when holds another one on his back.

Dr. Rhadi Ferguson explains one of the most important parts of matwork that many Brazilian Jiujitsu practitioners fail to stress the importance of or see the value in the practice of osaekomi waza. Good osaekomi waza should make you feel the need to tap from the pressure.

Watch the concepts on side control and knee on belly pressure which are different from what we usually learn in BJJ nowadays.

Side Control:

Knee on Belly: