Roger Costa BJJ

Jiu-jitsu gets easier when you stop expecting it to be easy.

Getting someone to the ground isn’t automatically a good takedown for Jiu-Jitsu.

That might sound strange, but hear me out.

Where you land matters.

If I can choose between a spectacular takedown that creates a scramble and a simple takedown that puts me directly into a position I can control, I’m probably choosing control.

That’s where I think BJJ stand-up should have its own identity.

We can learn a tremendous amount from wrestling and judo, but we don’t have to copy either sport exactly. Our rules, objectives, and threats after the takedown are different.

The question shouldn’t only be:

“Can I put this person on the ground?”

It should also be:

“Where will I be when we get there?”

That’s the kind of stand-up I’d like to see taught more often in Jiu-Jitsu schools.

What matters more to you: the takedown itself or the position you land in?

The strongest part of your game is usually built on top of something that once frustrated you.

This is exactly why MMA math will drive you crazy. 😂

One fighter beats the next guy. That guy beats someone else. Then somehow the person at the end of the chain comes back and beats the guy who started it.

Styles make fights.

Timing matters.

Matchups matter.

And sometimes the guy who looks unbeatable against one opponent runs into someone whose game creates completely different problems.

That’s what makes combat sports so unpredictable.

Who do you think is the toughest matchup in this group?

IS MODERN JIU JITSU STARTING TO WORK IN MMA?

I’ve always been a fundamentals first person, but lately I’ve noticed something interesting happening in the UFC.

We’re seeing increasingly unusual submissions actually finishing fights.

Valter Walker had four consecutive heel hook victories. When Thomas Petersen escaped his heel hook attempt, Walker had an answer and transitioned to a calf slicer for his fifth straight submission win.

Murtazali Magomedov submitted Melsik Baghdasaryan with a Scottish Twister, the first successful use of that variation in UFC history.

Then Asu Almabayev caught Charles Johnson with a rare Suloev Stretch, only the fourth finish with that submission in UFC history.

And here’s what makes this even more interesting.

Less than two months after being caught in the Suloev Stretch, Charles Johnson came back and submitted Eduardo Chapolin with another Scottish Twister.

I don’t think fundamentals and unorthodox submissions have to compete with each other.

As MMA grappling evolves, fighters already know how to defend the obvious attacks. Sometimes the advantage comes from giving your opponent a problem they haven’t seen a thousand times.

That’s why I like the Valter Walker example so much.

His opponent had an answer for the heel hook.

Walker had an answer for his answer.

I’ve had students develop unusual submissions early in their journeys too. It wasn’t because we skipped fundamentals. It was because they understood the fundamentals quickly enough to start building creativity on top of them.

Maybe that’s what we’re starting to see in MMA.

Fundamentals create the foundation. Unpredictability creates new opportunities.

Are we entering a new era of submissions in MMA?

BJJ star Tayane Porfírio is back in the news after losing her silver medal from the 2026 IBJJF World Championship and receiving a three month suspension following a positive test for a THC metabolite.

And personally, I think there’s an important distinction people need to make here.

Tayane has previously been suspended for an anabolic substance. I have no problem saying that’s serious. PEDs can affect things like strength, recovery and how much training an athlete can tolerate.

But I don’t put this THC case in the same category.

USADA itself determined that Tayane’s cannabis use occurred outside competition and was unrelated to sport performance. That’s why she received a reduced three month suspension, even though this was her second anti doping violation.

The rules are the rules, so technically I understand why the sanction happened.

But I can also question whether the rule makes sense.

The UFC has already removed ma*****na from its prohibited list under its current anti doping program.

If we’re serious about cleaning up professional jiu jitsu, I’d rather see the conversation focused on substances that actually provide an unfair competitive advantage.

Tayane is an extremely accomplished jiu jitsu athlete. I don’t think this THC violation suddenly takes that away from her.

Anti doping should be about protecting fair competition, not treating every prohibited substance as if it provides the same advantage.

What do you think? Should THC still cost a BJJ athlete a medal?