Welcome to another BJJ Mental Models Premium series! Priit Mihkelson is the founder of DefensiveBJJ.com. In this audio series, Priit explains the six positions that act as the foundation to his defensive framework.

Course contents:

Ep. 1: Turtle
In the first episode of Defensive Positions, we talk about one of Steve's favorite positions: turtle!  It's an essential defensive position to master under any ruleset.

Ep. 2: Panda
In the second episode of the Defensive Positions series, Priit Mihkelson breaks down the seated away-facing guard, also known as "panda." Panda is a position that many grapplers don't truly understand, but being comfortable in panda is an important piece of being able to defend yourself from all angles.

Ep. 3: Grilled Chicken
In the third episode of the Defensive Positions series, Priit Mihkelson explains the "grilled chicken" guard: a supine guard where your knees are retracted to deny your opponent lever control. Priit makes a strong case that grilled chicken should be your "default" defensive stance when playing guard, similar to a boxer's default stance of "chin down, hands up."

Ep. 4: Babybridge
In the fourth episode of the Defensive Positions series, Priit Mihkelson introduces the babybridge.  The classic Jiu-Jitsu bridge - also known as the hip bump or "upa" - relies on explosiveness, but all that movement comes with a price: it creates openings your opponent can exploit.  The babybridge is an alternative to the classic bridge which gives you options for escaping inferior positions while minimizing vulnerabilities.

Ep. 5: Running Man
In the fifth episode of the Defensive Positions series, Priit Mihkelson explains running man: a powerful strategy for building base and getting back to your feet.  Running man is an essential tactic if your gameplan includes a "get-up guard" - which it should.

Ep. 6: Hawking
In the sixth and final episode of Defensive Positions, Priit Mihkelson explains Hawking (specifically, Hawking 2.0).  Hawking is an innovative and unique way to maintain defensive alignment when everything else has failed.  It's especially useful when you're being held in side control and can't block the crossface.