Malachy Friedman
Detail Mastery: Unlocking Hidden Mechanics in Everyday Positions
High-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu isn’t about accumulating more techniques—it’s about making the techniques you already know work better.
In this four-day workshop, Malachy Friedman brings a lifetime of study into what actually makes Jiu-Jitsu effective: small mechanical details that dramatically change control, efficiency, and outcomes. Drawing on over 25 years of learning from the world’s best instructors, Malachy has distilled what sticks—and why most seminars don’t.
Rather than overwhelming participants with new material, this workshop is designed for long-term retention and immediate application. Familiar submissions, sweeps, and positions are revisited through the lens of precise mechanics, subtle adjustments, and practical refinements that elevate performance at every level.
Meet your instructor
Malachy Friedman is a 4th-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with over 25 years of experience coaching and consulting for elite BJJ and MMA athletes, including world champions. He is widely recognized for his contributions to modern Jiu-Jitsu education and for developing and refining systems such as Darce Killer, HeisenGuard, and Flower Power.
He has released 14 best-selling instructional series across platforms such as BJJ Fanatics and has received multiple awards for his technical adaptations and teaching methodology. Malachy produces daily educational content on Instagram and YouTube and has built a large international following through his focus on mechanics, efficiency, and longevity in training.
In Malachy’s Words
My name is Malachy Friedman, and I am excited to host this workshop with Vector in beautiful Costa Rica.
Over the past 25 years, I have attended seminars taught by some of the best instructors in the world. I learned a lot—but retained very little. That always seemed strange to me because I normally retain information well. When something did stay with me, it was usually because it connected to something I already knew.
The most valuable seminars are the ones that add something to your game for life. Truly new material only sticks when it can be learned gradually or studied repeatedly—by watching it, writing it down, drilling it, visualizing it, and committing it to memory through repetition. That simply isn’t possible in a typical two- or three-hour seminar.
This led me to a question: How do you create a seminar that is valuable for both white belts and black belts—and still gives them something they will use forever?
My specialty has always been small details. Regardless of how simple or complex a technique is, I focus on mechanics—what actually makes it work and how to make it work better.
One example was learning to control the opponent’s hand by the pinky instead of the wrist when attacking the back. It seems like a small change, but it dramatically improved my control and finishing rate. That single detail had more impact on my game than many complicated techniques I had learned before. I built my seminars around this idea.
What You Will Learn
In this workshop, I take familiar techniques—submissions, sweeps, and positions—and reveal the small details that dramatically increase their effectiveness, along with practical variations and common defenses.
These are refinements that:
Advanced students often have never been shown
Beginners can apply immediately
For advanced practitioners, I sharpen weapons you already possess.
For newer students, I give you tools that help bridge the gap against more experienced opponents.
This is not about adding more techniques. It is about making what you already know work better.
Goal of the Retreat
My goal is for every student to leave this workshop:
With techniques they can use immediately
With details they will remember long-term
And with improvements that stay with them for life
Because in Jiu-Jitsu, the difference is almost always in the small details.
