Free course · 12 lessons · Rickson Gracie lineage
The Principles That Make Every Technique Work
Most students collect techniques. It's the principles underneath them that make Jiu-Jitsu work.
with James Driskill
Free
Get the Driskill Kickstarter →100% free · Instant access · No card required
Master base and connection, and the whole art gets simple. 12 lessons, free the moment you sign up.
Most students collect techniques. James Driskill teaches the two principles underneath them — base and connection — that make Jiu-Jitsu work. 12 free lessons from Rickson Gracie's full-time uke.
Why the principles, not the techniques
“I've spent years standing across from Master Rickson Gracie as his uke. Every class, every demonstration, feeling the techniques the way they're meant to be felt.
And here's what I learned in that seat: the technique is never the thing that makes it work. The principle underneath it is.
Most students go the other way. They collect move after move, hundreds of them, and wonder why it all falls apart against someone bigger or stronger. The problem isn't that they need more techniques. It's that no one showed them the foundation the techniques are standing on.
Jiu-Jitsu is supposed to be for everyone. You don't need to be bigger, stronger, or more athletic to be good at it. More often than not, leaning on those attributes is exactly what stops you developing efficient Jiu-Jitsu. Master the principles, and Jiu-Jitsu becomes simple.”
Who is James Driskill?
A 3rd degree black belt, and Rickson's full-time uke
3rd Degree Black Belt under Rickson Gracie · Vero Beach, Florida
James is a 3rd degree black belt under Master Rickson Gracie, and now his full-time uke. He attends every class with Rickson and helps demonstrate the techniques.
That's a rare seat in Jiu-Jitsu. It's given James years of absorbing the part most people never get taught: not the moves, but the principles that power them.
In this free course, he hands those principles to you.
The real reason you're stuck
The Driskill Kickstarter is for anyone who suspects there's a simpler way to understand Jiu-Jitsu than memorising endless moves.
Problem 01
“There are too many techniques to learn”
There are thousands of techniques just for the guard. It's overwhelming, and it never stops changing.
The fix
Learn the principles underneath the techniques. Understand why Jiu-Jitsu works instead of memorising every move.
Problem 02
“I'm not big or strong enough”
You watch stronger, more athletic partners muscle through everything and assume that's what good Jiu-Jitsu takes.
The fix
Real power comes from base and connection. Often, relying on athleticism is exactly what stops you developing efficient Jiu-Jitsu.
Problem 03
“Nothing connects together”
You've got a pile of separate moves for separate positions, and none of it feels like one game.
The fix
The same two principles run through takedowns, guard, escapes and submissions. See that, and your whole game connects. Not sure which foundation is holding you back? The Journey Score maps it in about 10 minutes.
Take the BJJ Journey Score →It starts with two principles
Real power in Jiu-Jitsu comes from principles, not strength. James breaks down the two that everything else is built on.
- 01
Base
Stay grounded and impossible to move, so you control the exchange instead of scrambling to survive it.
- 02
Connection
Be strong without using strength, by linking to your opponent so their force becomes your information.
What's inside the free course
Every lesson in The Driskill Kickstarter, free the moment you sign up.
- Intro to James
- Base
- Applying Base
- Connection
- Guillotine Takedown
- Closed Guard Bottom
- Mount Escape
- Guard Guillotine Defense
- Von Flue Choke
- Von Flue Details
- The Earthquake
- Outro
Real students, real results
“Yes! James Driskill finally doing videos. Awesome.”
“100% more brains like this required in BJJ.”
“You are helping my jiu jitsu and my teaching. Thank you.”
When you understand the principles
Access The Driskill Kickstarter free and feel the difference principles make the next time you step on the mat.
- Techniques stop feeling random and start making sense
- You can troubleshoot why a move isn't working for you
- Your game gets more efficient: less strength, more control
- You stop chasing 5,000 techniques and start seeing patterns
Don't leave without it
Stop collecting techniques. Start understanding the principles that make them work. The Driskill Kickstarter is free — take it.
Driskill Kickstarter
100% free · Instant access · No card required
- Techniques stop feeling random and start making sense
- You can troubleshoot why a move isn't working for you
- Your game gets more efficient: less strength, more control
- You stop chasing 5,000 techniques and start seeing patterns
James Driskill is a 3rd Degree BJJ Black Belt under Rickson Gracie, teaching in Vero Beach, Florida.
Start with the principles
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Get the Driskill Kickstarter →Not sure it's the right one? Take the Journey Score and get matched.