Craig Jones — BJJ World Champion & Elite Grappler | BJJ App Wiki
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Craig Jones 'El Monstro' is known for heel hook, outside heel hook, knee bar, 50 50 guard. ADCC 2017 Superfight Winner; WNO Champion multiple times.
- ADCC 2017 Superfight Winner
- WNO Champion multiple times
- B-Team founder & head coach
Biography
Craig Jones began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and quickly demonstrated natural talent for the sport. Born in 1993, they progressed through the belt ranks at an accelerated pace, earning their black belt and immediately competing at the highest levels. Their affiliation with B-Team provided world-class training partners and coaching that accelerated their development.
On the competition circuit, Craig Jones accumulated title after title: ADCC 2017 Superfight Winner; WNO Champion multiple times; B-Team founder & head coach. Their performances at major tournaments established them as one of the most feared competitors in their weight class. Athletes and coaches worldwide study their game for insights into high-level BJJ.
Beyond competition, Craig Jones has contributed to the BJJ community through teaching, instructionals, and demonstrating that technical mastery can prevail over physical advantages. Their legacy influences how practitioners at all levels approach the sport.
Today, Craig Jones continues to train, teach, and compete, passing on the lessons of their championship career to the next generation of BJJ athletes.
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Fighting Style
Craig Jones's game is defined by excellence in Heel Hook, outside heel hook, knee bar, 50 50 guard. Their approach emphasizes technical precision over athleticism — each movement is purposeful, each transition designed to maximize positional control. They have developed their signature positions to a degree of depth that makes them nearly impossible to counter once established.
What makes Craig's style particularly effective is the seamless connection between offense and defense. When opponents attempt to escape or counter, they often find themselves in an even worse position. This quality — turning defense into offense — is the hallmark of elite BJJ.
Signature Technique
Craig Jones's most iconic technique is the heel hook. They have refined this submission/position to a level of mastery rarely seen in competition, developing unique entries, setups, and finishing details that make their version distinct from standard approaches. Study their competition footage specifically for how they create openings for this technique.
Why Study This Athlete
Studying Craig Jones's game offers practitioners insights into elite-level BJJ mechanics. Their heel hook and guard system demonstrate how technical excellence creates opportunities that pure athleticism cannot replicate. Practitioners at the intermediate-to-advanced level will find studying Craig's competition footage particularly valuable for understanding how to integrate multiple positions into a cohesive game. Beginners can also benefit by seeing how fundamental positions are elevated to championship level.
Career Highlights
- Multiple world championship victories in heel hook, outside heel hook, establishing a legacy as one of the most decorated competitors in BJJ history.
- Consistent performance at IBJJF and ADCC tournaments, defeating world-class opponents across multiple weight classes and competition formats.
- Title victories: ADCC 2017 Superfight Winner; WNO Champion multiple times — performances that changed how the BJJ community viewed what was possible in their weight class.
- Influenced a generation of BJJ practitioners through competition footage, instructionals, and teaching — the heel hook system they developed is now studied worldwide.
Training Tips
- Study the heel hook entry: Focus on how Craig creates the openings for their signature technique. The setup is often more important than the finish itself.
- Analyze their guard retention: Elite competitors like Craig have exceptional guard retention mechanics. Film yourself retaining guard and compare the hip movement and framing to their footage.
- Work on outside heel hook: This secondary technique connects directly to their primary game and creates multi-directional threats that are hard to defend.
- Use competition footage as curriculum: Watch 10 minutes of their matches daily for one month. Pattern recognition will reveal the connections between their techniques.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Craig Jones known for in BJJ?
Craig Jones is primarily known for their exceptional heel hook, outside heel hook, Knee Bar, 50 50 guard. Their competition record of ADCC 2017 Superfight Winner; WNO Champion multiple times; B-Team founder & head coach speaks to the effectiveness of their systematic approach to BJJ, and their techniques are studied by practitioners worldwide.
What team does Craig Jones compete for?
Craig Jones is affiliated with B-Team. This association provided the training environment and coaching support that helped develop their championship-level game.
What belt is Craig Jones in BJJ?
Craig Jones holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has competed extensively at the black belt level, accumulating ADCC 2017 Superfight Winner; WNO Champion multiple times; B-Team founder & head coach.
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In-Depth: Craig Jones
Biomechanics & Physics
Craig Jones's leg entanglement game, particularly his mastery of heel hooks and knee bars, is a testament to his deep understanding of biomechanical principles and leverage. When applying an outside heel hook from 50/50 guard, Jones focuses on establishing superior hip control. By driving his own hips into his opponent's, he minimizes their ability to shrimp or create space, effectively pinning their femur against his abdomen. The primary force vector is rotational, targeting the tibiofibular joint and the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee. Jones leverages his body weight and musculature to achieve an extreme external rotation and dorsiflexion of the foot, forcing the ankle beyond its natural range of motion. His precise grip on the heel (often a figure-four with his own arm) allows him to control the foot's supination/pronation and prevent escape. The secondary lever is the knee itself; by keeping his opponent's knee bent and his own leg straight, he creates a fulcrum, amplifying the torque applied to the ankle and knee. This controlled application of force prioritizes joint integrity for the attacker while creating an inescapable submission threat for the defender.
Common Mistakes (Specific to This Technique)
- Insufficient Hip Pressure: Opponents often fail to drive their hips into their partner's, allowing them to shrimp out of the entanglement or create critical space to defend the heel. This results in a loose hold and a missed submission opportunity.
- Poor Foot Control: Gripping too loosely on the opponent's heel, or failing to control the position of their foot (e.g., allowing it to become too perpendicular to the body), significantly reduces the torque and makes the submission easier to resist or escape.
- Knee Movement: Allowing the opponent's knee to straighten or shift excessively during the submission attempt compromises the leverage. The attacking knee should remain relatively fixed, acting as a stable pivot point while the hips and foot generate the attacking force.
Variations & Counters
Craig Jones's leg entanglement system is not static; it's a fluid network of transitions and counters. From the 50/50 guard, a common transition is to the inside heel hook if the opponent attempts to spin out of the outside heel hook. If the opponent stacks heavily to relieve pressure, Jones is adept at transitioning to a knee bar, using the opponent's forward momentum against them. Furthermore, his understanding of body positioning within the entanglement allows him to immediately counter escapes. For instance, if an opponent tries to bridge and roll to relieve pressure from an outside heel hook, Jones will often use that momentum to adjust his own hips and tighten his grip, potentially transitioning to a banana split or reinforcing the heel hook. The foundational principle is maintaining control of the opponent's hips and legs while continually seeking to isolate and attack a single limb. His ability to seamlessly flow between these positions, making the transition look like a direct continuation of the initial attack, is what makes his game so potent. This also means he can frequently counter opponent's defensive movements into a new submission or a more dominant position.
Drilling Recommendations
To develop Craig Jones's leg entanglement game, focus on specific drills: 1. 50/50 Entry & Control: From a neutral starting position, drill entering the 50/50 guard (e.g., from passing to a leg entanglement) and establishing a strong hip-to-hip connection. Focus on 10 reps per side with a passive partner, then gradually increase resistance. 2. Heel Hook Finishing Mechanics: With a partner in the 50/50, practice the precise hip drive and foot control required for the outside heel hook. Execute 5 controlled finishes per side, focusing on the *feel* of the pressure rather than speed. 3. Transition Drills: Practice transitioning from a failed outside heel hook attempt to an inside heel hook or knee bar. Drill these sequences 10-15 times per side, with a partner actively attempting to defend by creating space or bridging.