Luiz Panza BJJ Analysis

See the full study in the next issue of Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine.

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Notable Luiz Panza BJJ Study Stats:

• 80% win rate
• Scored first in 100% of winsSubmitted his opponent in 58% of wins
• Submitted his opponent in 58% of winsAverage match length was approximately 6:40
• 54% of sweeps were from half guard
• 75% of his guard passes came from half guard
• He had just as many submissions from his opponents back as he did from attacking their legs (3 each)

Intro To Luiz Panza BJJ Study:

All matches observed of Luiz Panza used in this small sample occurred at major jiu jitsu events in the years 2012-2015. Only techniques, occurrences and outcomes that were recorded are displayed in the data below (i.e. if no butterfly sweeps occurred, there will not be a representation of that in the sample data charts). Matches were selected at random based on freely available matches. This is a limited sample – but given the estimated amount of matches in this time period – it is well above the percentage necessary to create a scientifically validated trend sampling.

The Luiz Panza BJJ Study:

Luiz Panza is known as one of the Super-Heavyweight division’s most exciting and electrifying competitors. He is widely recognized for his devastating leg locks and rare agility. As one of the top competitors in the division, Panza has quickly solidified himself as a name to watch. His game alternates between calculated risks and complete caution to the wind intensity, and it was a blast breaking down his game.

Authors note: Luiz Panza is one of my favorite competitors to watch. Having done nearly 50 breakdowns, this was one of the most fun to watch and put together. I’m a fan, and I’m not on his team; nor have I ever met him.

What We LearnedAboutt Luiz Panza:

Luiz Panza was only a few seconds short of entering the finals at this year’s World Jiu Jitsu Championship. He watched his ticket to the finals be snatched away from him by a last second sweep by Leo Nogueira in the semi-finals. That match with Nogueira is a great look into the style of Panza. In that match, Panza locked up an early leg lock on Nogueira and seemed to be in complete control. At the end, his submission attempt would be what allowed Nogueira the opportunity to score at the last minute to win. This is the game of Luiz Panza; active, aggressive, and evolving.
That match with Nogueira is a great look into the style of Panza. In that match, Panza locked up an early leg lock on Nogueira and seemed to be in complete control. At the end, his submission attempt would be what allowed Nogueira the opportunity to score at the last minute to win. This is the game of Luiz Panza; active, aggressive, and evolving.
Luiz Panza is known for his leg locks; and for good reason. Nearly 43% of his total submissions are leg locks. However, he uses these same leg locks to setup a number of sweeps, passes, and other dominant positions. In our study we observed him using a submission to execute a sweep in over 15% of his sweeps. This is the highest rate of subs to sweep we’ve ever seen.

Luiz Panza is good at jiu-jitsu

Sweeping is a big part of Panza’s game. His favorite is the “tornado” sweep; made famous by “Cyborg” Abreu. He executed this sweep from half guard and used in combination with several other movements in which he would elevate his opponents to take the legs or sweep. Ultimately, over 54% of his sweeps came from half-guard.
Although, Panza is best known for his tornado sweeps and leg locks, the most under-rated part of his game may be his ability to successfully attack the back. Panza does a great job of always hunting for the submission, and he often puts his opponents in very bad positions. This leads him to being able to secure his opponents back. 43% of his total submissions came from the back and he was able to secure the back off of a sweep nearly 60% of the time.

In closing – Luiz Panza BJJ

Luiz Panza has proven that he has the dynamic skills to be a world champion. His game is both unique and exciting, but not without risk. It will be exciting to watch him as he continues to evolve, develop, and sharpen his already defined game. He recently won the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in LA and will look to continue his streak this year.
 

JT Torres Jiu Jitsu Breakdown

In the latest edition of It’s Science we take a close look at JT Torres; the famed lightweight Atos fighter. The full study and analysis will be in the next issue of Jiu Jitsu Style magazine so be sure to check it out.

Notable JT Torres Jiu Jitsu Stats:

• 75% win rate
• 85% of submissions came from the back
• 25% of all matches ended with a back submission
• Submitted opponent in 42% of matches
• Average match length was approximately 7:50\
• 54% of sweeps were from De La Riva guard
• 43% of passes were leg drags
• Scored first in every win (9/9)

The Jiu-Jitsu Breakdown:

JT Torres is a rare young veteran of competition jiu jitsu. He is about as experienced of a competitor as you will find; however he is still young in age. At only 26 years old, JT has accumulated over 33 major IBJJF medals at black belt. This experience is very apparent in his game; which is of a very surgical nature. Like some of the other Atos competitors we’ve studied before (see Rafa Mendes), Torres is very calculated and specific about the techniques he chooses.

The Study Results:

JT Torres has yet to win a gi World Championship at black belt despite coming extremely close in 2015. However, he hold victories over some of the sports greatest competitors. One of the things that has made JT so successful is the soundness of his technique. He makes very few mistakes. In fact, in every winning match we recorded, JT was the first to score.
JT is an extremely well-rounded grappler but choses his positions very carefully. When on the bottom, JT preferred the open guard – and more specifically – the De La Riva guard. 54% of his total sweeps came from this position. JT greatly prefers a technique in which he threads both legs through his standing opponent from De La Riva to off-balance them. In our study he used this effectively several times. Additionally, 1/5 of the submissions we recorded came from when JT was attacking from the guard position as well.
It would be a mistake to assume that Torres is simply a guard player. Torres had was very effective passing in the matches we reviewed. 71% of his passes started from a standing position; with 85% of those passes being of a leg drag or leg weave variety.
JT has also demonstrated a great ability to end the match in submission. He ended more win by submission than he did by points. He had a submission to points win ratio of 5/4; which is one of the best we’ve seen. JT preferred attacks from the back; something he is well known for. Over 60% of his submissions were from the back. Overall, 25% of all the matches we observed ended with JT choking his opponent from the back position.
Over 60% of his submissions were from the back. Overall, 25% of all the matches we observed ended with JT choking his opponent from the back position.

The Wrap Up

JT has proven himself to be one of the most effective and consistent grapplers on the planet. But, as he grows more and more senior to the young crop of new lightweight black belts he will have to find a way to stay ahead and finally get over that last hump if he wants to earn an IBJJF World Championship.
Coming off an injury this year, Torres is right on the cusp. As he heads into year 2 of injury recovery he will look to make that final jump. He has all the tools and experience to make it happen.
 

It’s Science – Leo Vieira

By: Tyler Bishop

See all the stats, and the complete breakdown in the upcoming issue of Jiu Jitsu Style magazine.
Notable Study Stats:

• 93% win rate
• 78% of his wins were by submission
• Secured sweeps from 6 different positions
• 27% of matches were won by back choke
• 48% of sweeps were from spider or De La Riva guard
• Scored first in every match he won (100%)
• Passed from standing 52% of the time

The Breakdown of Leo Vieira

Leo Vieira is a legend. He is one of the most accomplished jiu jitsu athletes that has ever existed. However, I would argue that the most impressive thing about Leo Vieira is not his collection of gold medals. I contend that it is the techniques that he used and revolutionized to win those events that truly cements his amazing legacy as a jiu jitsu pioneer and all-time great champion.
One of the most interesting things about this study is just how much today’s athletes owe to the innovations that Leo Vieira helped bring to the forefront of competition jiu jitsu. What you’ll see is that Leo paved the way for many modern techniques we see from today’s jiu jitsu athletes.

The Study of Leo’s Jiu Jitsu

Studying Le Vieira was a real treat. In many cases, when we’ve studied past jiu jitsu champions, we’ve noticed stark contrasts between the games played a decade ago and the games that are played by today’s athletes. With Leo Vieira, this was not the case. Observing Leozinho was like observing one of today’s most innovative athletes. In a lot of ways, Leo Vieira had many of the traits that we saw when we looked closely at Rafa Mendes.
In the matches we viewed, Vieira he had an impressive 93% win rate. His submission rate in those wins ended up being approximately 78%! One of the highest we’ve ever recorded. This is a testament to just how far ahead Leo was of his opponents. This was not uncommon in many of the matches we watched. We have not seen an athlete to this point consistently outmatch his opponent in the matches we observed as much as Vieira did.
What makes Leo truly special is that you can find something beautiful and precise in just about every element of his game. He found ways to pass the guard from everywhere; although he did prefer to pass from standing 52% of the time. He even averaged 1.13 passes per match.
His sweep game was equally as diverse. He was able to sweep his opponent from 6 different positions; with 48% of those sweeps coming from De la Riva or Spider guard.

Leo Vieira is a submission machine

Finally, Leo Vieira truly deserves the title of submission savant. He found unique ways to get the submission in an incredibly significant number of his matches. What’s more is that he made it seem effortless. Many times, our study subjects have a very strict regimen where they seek out specific submissions. Vieira seemed to have no specific preference; rather he put his opponents in very compromised situations and took the first available submission. A choke from the back ended up being the most common occurrence (it took place in 27% of all of his matches).
Ultimately, it’s what you can’t see in the numbers that makes Leo’s legacy so strong. His innovative technique helped him strongly outmatch many of his early opponents. This is probably why so many of us remember Leo’s beautiful technique. He was able to showcase so much if it due to his ability to overwhelm opponents.
Leo Vieira will remain a legend in the jiu jitsu community for a very long time; however, he should also be given due credit for paving the way for many of the modern styles that exist today as well. The most revealing thing in this study was just how far ahead of the game Vieira appeared to be. This should truly help carve his name into the list of most impactful athletes in jiu jitsu history.
 

The Breakdown: When you talk about names that fly under the radar in BJJ one of the guys that has to be mentioned is Osvaldo Queixinho. Many will recognize him from his many successful battles with Joao and Paulo Miyao this year, but Queixinho has been a dominant force inside the featherweight division for years now. And, the most interesting thing about him may be the diversity in his game.
The Study: Queixinho first leaped onto the radar several years ago with a quick footlock win over UFC star Nate Diaz. Since that time, the young Brazilian has proven himself a top IBJJF competitor to watch. What makes him so much fun to watch is just how well-rounded his game is.
In the matches we viewed Queixinho he had an impressive 73% win rate. His submission rate in those wins ended up being approximately 72%! This is no easy feat. What’s more impressive is that he found a way to get those submissions in 7 different ways. That’s the greatest submission diversity we’ve seen in any of our studies.
Queixinho’s entire game is diverse. We witnessed him employ different strategies for each opponent. In fact, the only technique he successfully used more than twice in the entire study was De La Riva guard. He does a very good job of deflecting and shutting down the berimbolo of his opponents, and even countered with his own on one or two occasions. His sweep to pass ratio was almost dead even (10/9). When he went to sweep, he would often rely on various open guards; with De La Riva being the most popular. When passing, he really kept his opponents guessing. While nearly 80% of his passes were from standing, he varied his approaches considerably. In the study, he was able to execute 7 different styles of passes.

What’s important to keep in mind is that in most of our studies we see a strong prevalence of a “game”. Queixinho seems to tailor some his approach to his opponents. Whether this is done subconsciously or on purpose, his style is dynamic nonetheless. He found success passing, sweeping, and submitting in more different ways than anyone else we’ve studied.
Ultimately, what’s most impressive about Queixinho was how dynamic his submission game was. He was able to nab a lot of different kinds of submissions from many different positions. While many athletes we’ve studied have found success minimizing their toolkit, Queixinho seems to thrive with a broad approach.
Queixinho has yet to win a world championship, but with the exit of Gui Mendes from the division and his recent success over the Miyao brothers, Queixinho has to be a favorite for a 2016 world title. He is certainly an athlete to follow.
Notable Study Stats:
 

• 73% win rate

• 71% of his wins were by submission

 

• Finished 7 different kinds of submissions
• 7 Different kinds of sweeps were used
• 78% of passes occurred from standing
• 60% of sweeps were from the open guard
• Scored first in 10 of 11 wins

The full study is available in the latest issue of Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine.

The Breakdown: There are few women that have made their mark on the sport of Brazilian jiu jitsu quite the way Michelle Nicolini has. A mainstay of excellence in the women’s division over the past 7 years, Nicolini is an active and living legend in sport jiu jitsu. Michelle is known for her willingness to explore multiple weight classes, and as an extremely aggressive submission-specialist. She has experienced success on just about every major platform that the sport offers, and continues every year to add to her impressive resume.
The Study: Michelle Nicolini is a powerful ambassador for women’s jiu jitsu, but don’t let her pleasant demeanor fool you, she’s a killer on the mat. There are few we’ve studied with such an impressive submission rate, and even fewer that have hunted down as many feet, ankles, and knees as the female dynamo. Michelle has an extremely aggressive style of jiu jitsu that usually starts from the guard, and rarely gets much further.
In the matches we viewed the Michelle possessed an 86% win rate. Her submission rate for those matches was rate 76%. This means that she submitted her black belt opponent in 3 out of every 4 matches that we observed. It’s hard to do much better than that.
Michelle’s average match length was just over 6 minutes. Most of her matches began with her pulling guard (or her and her opponent pulling guard), and rarely did the match advance much further than those positions. Michelle does her most dangerous work from this position. With a dynamic mix of shin-on-shin, spider guard, and sit-up guard, she is able to throw a brutal mix of leglock, armbar, and triangle attempts at her opponents that is hard to stifle.
Nearly 40% of Michlle’s sweep started in the spider guard, but don’t let those numbers fool you. Nicolini used a diverse mix of different sweeps in the matches we recorded. She was able to execute 1.25 sweeps per match, and used over 6 different positions to do so. Although we did not see Nicolini receive, many chances to pass the guard (the fewest we’ve recorded) we saw her vary her passes quite a bit; with 50% coming from standing, and the other 50% coming from half guard.
When it came to submissions Nicolini was a master of triangles and leglocks. 50% of her submissions were triangles, and 30% were leglock variations. Most of these occurred in her guard; where 70% of her total submissions took place. Her game has proven difficult to escape; as opponents in her guard must battle against being swept and are often forced to concede a submission
Even though Michelle Nicolini has accomplished almost every major title that the sport offers, she continues to compete to this day. She is the figurehead for Checkmat’s growing and impressive womens program, and has become a mainstay of the emerging pro jiu jitsu events. Although it’s likely that Michelle will pass the torch to the next generation in the near future, there is no doubt that she remains one of the most dangerous and exciting competitors in all of Brazilian jiu jitsu.
Notable Study Stats:
 

• 76% submission rate rate

• 70% of submissions came from the guard

 

• Scored first or submitted her opponent in 12 of 13 wins
• Won 86% of matches observed
• Average match length was 6:08
• 40% of submissions were triangles
• Utilized 6 different guard positions to sweep her opponent
• 35% of sweeps executed were shin-to-shin spider guard sweeps

You can read the full study in the November issue of Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine.

Notable Study Stats:

• His win percentage was approximately 87%
• 88% of his passes occured from half guard
• Sweep to Pass Ratio of 17/13 (very balanced)
• 50% of submissions occurred from the back
• Average match length was approximately 7 minutes
• 52% of passes were reverse sitting half guard passes
• Scored first in 13/15 matches
• Pulled or shot to half guard in all but one observed match

Abstract: All matches observed of Bernardo Faria, used in this small sample occurred at IBJJF events, inside his weight division, and in the years 2012-2015. Only techniques, occurrences, and outcomes that were recorded are displayed in the data below (i.e. if no butterfly sweeps occurred, there will not be a representation of that in the sample data charts). Matches were selected at random based on freely available matches. This is a limited sample – but given the estimated amount of matches in this time period – it is well above the percentage necessary to create a scientifically validated trend sampling.
The Breakdown: We’ve done nearly 30 breakdowns over the past 2 years, and almost every single one we’ve conducted has surprised me in some way. Bernardo Faria may be the first athlete we’ve had the pleasure of observing that was revealed to be exactly who we thought he was. Bernardo was able to capture double-gold at this year’s worlds, but he’s been building an impressive resume for quite some time. What’s more, his opponents should know exactly what to expect from him; yet few can stop him executing his gameplan. His singular, yet balanced approach, make him one of the best in the game today.
The Study: What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Bernado Faria? Half guard! Guess what? You’re right. Bernardo really likes his half guard. In fact he really likes one sweep in particular. Bernardo executed 88% of his sweeps from half guard. More specifically, the Alliance product used the single leg from half guard in well over 50% of his total successful sweeps. This is the highest percentage we’ve ever seen for one particular position in the sweeps department.
Faria almost always started on the bottom and swept his way to the top. From there, he applies a familiar concept. He really likes to not only sweep from the half guard, he likes to pass form there as well. Nearly 77% of his total passes came from the half guard. His preferred pass was a reverse sitting half guard pass; which accounted for approximately 54% of all of his passes.
Faria was very effective with this strategy, and would often rinse and repeat if he fell behind in any transitions (which was rare). Once the guard pass was secured, Faria was very effective in capturing the back and finishing from there. 50% of all of his submissions occurred from the back, with his obvious preferred finishing method being a choke.
Ultimately, what’s most impressive about Faria is his game dedication and balance. His sweep to pass ratio is very good (17/13), and his submission percentage is at the same level of all other elite competitors (right around 50%). The only thing hold Faria back in the eyes of the public right now is lack of wins over perineal champions, Marcus Almeida and Rodolfo Vieira. Given his continued improvement and dynamic success, it seems he could finally be making his play at the top of the mountain.