Spider Guard. Mount Attacks. Halloween Week - E17 BJJ Weekly Newsletter 27/10/25

e17bjj
Oct 27
3 min read

Hey team,

It’s officially spooky season and the temperatures have dropped — but the mats have been absolutely on fire the last couple of weeks! Great energy, great rounds, and lots of progress all around. Let’s keep that momentum going as we head into Halloween week!

Schedule Note

I’ll be away on Wednesday and Thursday, but back on Friday to teach! Here’s how the week is looking:

Tuesday: Me and Emmanuel will be running class together 💪

Wednesday: Justin will be taking the Gi class and then leading Judo as usual.

Thursday: Manny will be covering class.

Friday: I’m back! However, there will be no Judo this week as Justin is away on Friday.

Instead, we’ll have a Halloween Open Mat until 20:30 — come in Gi, No-Gi, or fancy dress if you want! It’s a great chance to roll, have fun, and work on anything you’ve been learning lately.

This Week’s Focus

Gi Fundamentals - We’re continuing with guard retention, but now adding in spider guard sweeps and submissions. Spider guard is all about control and patience — it’s a dynamic way to off-balance your opponent using your legs and grips. Think about using your hooks to manipulate posture and create angles. It’s one of those positions where timing and tension make all the difference.

No-Gi Fundamentals - We’re flipping the script this week and looking at mount attacks. With guest instructors stepping in while Chris is away, expect some new perspectives and details. This is a great time to understand why it’s so important to keep your arms safe when escaping mount — and to develop solid finishing instincts from the top.

Judo - No Judo this Friday, but a reminder that Wednesday’s session with Justin is still on. If you’ve been practicing your entries and grips, this is the perfect place to refine them. Wednesdays lesson will be recapping and working through some foot sweeps

Sauna & Cold Plunge Recap

A big thank you to everyone who joined for the sauna and cold plunge! It went down really well — the facilities were great, and it’s such an amazing way to relax and reset after a tough week of training. We’ll definitely be looking to make this a more regular thing.

🎃 Halloween BJJ

Feel free to come in costume to Friday’s session! Train, roll, and then stick around for the Halloween Open Mat — whether you’re in Gi, No-Gi, or fancy dress, it’s all about fun, learning, and good vibes. Open mats are the perfect chance to experiment, test your skills, and sharpen your game in a relaxed setting. Would be great to get a crazy picture in with as many people as possible.

Jumpers Update

The jumper restock is on its way and should arrive this week! There’s a wait list already, so if you’re on it, I’ll reach out as soon as they land.

Winter Grading

Monday 1st December — same date as announced last week!

Make sure to be there to support your teammates, celebrate their progress, and then join us for a post-grading hangout afterwards. It’s always one of the best nights of the year.

Tip of the Week - Don’t Rush The Submission

When you catch a submission, take your time. Focus on control before applying pressure. A clean setup and steady squeeze will teach you more than a quick crank will.

Also, when you are caught, tap early, tap often and learn why it worked. Every tap is feedback, not failure - and when you start seeing that, you will find your progress speeding up!

See you on the mats!

— Mouncif,

E17 BJJ