5 Techniques From the 2025 Worlds That Are Changing the Meta
The Walter Pyramid in Long Beach witnessed something special during the 2025 IBJJF World Championships. Beyond the predictable drama of champions defending titles and underdogs making their mark, the tournament revealed technical innovations that are already spreading through academies worldwide.
The reality: Five specific approaches emerged from this year's Worlds that represent genuine shifts in how elite grapplers think about the game. These aren't tournament oddities or one-off successes—they're systematic changes that smart practitioners are already integrating into their training.
1. The AOJ Method Goes Mainstream: Mia Funegra's Systematic Approach
When Mia Funegra stepped onto the mats three days after receiving her black belt, most observers expected the typical rookie struggles. Instead, the 18-year-old dismantled a murderer's row of opponents with surgical precision, becoming the youngest IBJJF black belt world champion in history.
Her path to gold reads like a highlight reel: a dominant 12-0 victory over former world champion Amanda Monteiro Canuto, a 20-0 crushing of Ann Wright, a submission of Jessica Caroline, and a grinding final against Andressa Guirau.
What Made It Different
Funegra's game plan revealed the maturation of AOJ's developmental philosophy. Where most young competitors rely on athleticism and aggression, she displayed a methodical approach that made seasoned black belts look frantic.
The key wasn't any single technique but rather her systematic guard retention. Most players hunt submissions from guard or attempt sweeps when they feel pressure. Funegra prioritized maintaining optimal distance and hand position, never allowing opponents to settle into their passing sequences.
This distance-first approach let her dictate engagement on her terms. When opponents pressed forward, she had space to work. When they backed off, she controlled the pace. The result was a performance that looked effortless against world-class competition.
The Ripple Effect
Academies are taking notice. The traditional approach of immediately attacking from guard is giving way to this retention-first philosophy. Students are spending more time drilling defensive movements before learning offensive ones.
The message is clear: systematic development beats raw talent. Funegra's success validates the idea that patience and precision can overcome experience and athleticism.
2. Pato's Integration Revolution: When Leg Attacks Meet Traditional Guard Play
Diego Pato completed his Grand Slam with a statement victory over two-time ADCC champion Diogo Reis. But the real story wasn't just another title—it was how seamlessly he blended leg attacks into conventional guard play.
Pato has been perfecting this integration for years, and it showed. During his WNO title defense, he transitioned fluidly between traditional guard retention and leg attack entries, keeping opponents guessing throughout exchanges.
The Technical Evolution
Traditional leg lockers typically pull straight to leg entanglements. Pato does something different—he uses standard guard positions to create leg attack opportunities.
From reverse De La Riva, he flows to false reap positions. From knee shield, he attacks outside heel hooks. His approach forces opponents to defend both traditional passes and modern leg entries simultaneously.
The "Pato Lock" exemplifies this philosophy. Rather than abandoning guard principles for leg attacks, he uses guard concepts to enhance leg control and finishing mechanics.
Why This Matters
Guard players have spent decades perfecting retention against traditional passing. Now they must account for leg attack entries from the same positions. Passers can't rely on familiar patterns when guard players can shift to leg attacks at any moment.
This integration creates constant uncertainty. Opponents never know whether they're defending a sweep, a submission, or a transition to legs. That mental load is changing how people approach guard passing entirely.
3. Wardzinski's Butterfly Blueprint: The Art of Opponent Management
Adam Wardzinski left his black belt on the mats after winning his second world title, capping a dominant Grand Slam run. His butterfly guard system has become the template for how modern grapplers think about opponent control.
Wardzinski doesn't just play butterfly guard—he funnels opponents into butterfly guard situations where he holds every advantage.
The System Behind the Success
Most butterfly guard instruction focuses on sweeps and submissions once you have the position. Wardzinski works backward, creating situations that lead opponents directly into his wheelhouse.
His approach starts with sleeve control. Throughout his competitive run, he prioritized controlling his opponent's far sleeve, preventing crossfaces and keeping his shoulders square. This simple grip becomes the foundation for everything else.
From half guard, he systematically builds to butterfly positions. When opponents react to his initial attacks, their defensive movements create the exact opportunities he wants.
The genius lies in offering controlled choices. If opponents post one direction, he sweeps the other way. If they pressure forward, he drops underneath. If they pull back, he traps them in single leg X. Every defensive reaction leads somewhere advantageous for Wardzinski.
The Broader Application
This isn't just about butterfly guard. Wardzinski demonstrates how to build game plans around opponent psychology rather than just technique execution.
Smart competitors are studying this approach for their own specialty positions. Instead of hoping to land in their best spots, they're engineering pathways that make those positions inevitable.
4. Dalpra's Precision Passing: Timing Over Power
Tainan Dalpra completed his Grand Slam with technical performances that looked almost casual. His passing game represents a departure from the pressure-heavy approach that has dominated recent years.
Dalpra's breakthrough technique—the gator roll guard pass to back take—exemplifies his philosophy. Rather than muscling through guards, he identifies precise moments when opponents are vulnerable to specific attacks.
The Technical Shift
Traditional pressure passing relies on sustained control and gradual advancement. Dalpra identifies brief windows of opportunity and strikes with surgical precision.
His timing-based approach means understanding both sides of each position. His extensive X guard knowledge informs his passing game—he recognizes exactly when guard players are most vulnerable because he understands their objectives.
This creates a different rhythm entirely. Instead of grinding through positions, Dalpra waits for the right moment and executes with overwhelming technical precision.
Changing the Passing Game
Pressure passing hasn't disappeared, but Dalpra's success shows there are alternatives. Technical accuracy can overcome size and strength advantages when applied at the right moments.
Younger competitors especially are gravitating toward this approach. It's more sustainable over long competitions and doesn't rely on physical attributes that diminish with age.
5. The Submission Generation: Finish-First Competition
The 2025 Worlds featured a remarkable submission rate—99 finishes across 308 black belt matches. This wasn't coincidence but rather evidence of a generational shift in competitive philosophy.
Led by champions like Jalen Fonacier, who opened the European Championships with an immediate back-take submission, younger competitors are prioritizing finishes over positional control.
The New Approach
Previous generations often built leads through positional dominance before attempting submissions. These new competitors hunt finishes from the opening moments.
Fonacier exemplifies this mentality. At 19, he became the first Filipino black belt world champion by consistently threatening submissions throughout his matches. His approach forces opponents to defend immediately rather than develop their own games.
This creates cascading effects. Opponents spend energy defending instead of executing their plans. The pace increases, favoring those comfortable with rapid transitions and submission attempts.
Competitive Evolution
This philosophy is reshaping competition preparation. Coaches are emphasizing submission defense earlier in development cycles. Position-first strategies are becoming riskier as opponents refuse to allow comfortable development time.
The change is psychological as much as technical. When every exchange might end in a submission attempt, competitors must maintain higher defensive alertness throughout matches.
What This Means for Training
These technical innovations are already filtering into academy instruction. The changes represent more than new techniques—they require different training methodologies.
Systematic development is replacing technique accumulation. Students are learning comprehensive approaches to positions rather than collecting individual moves.
Integration is becoming crucial. Specialists who can only play one type of game are increasingly vulnerable to opponents who blend multiple systems effectively.
Precision training is gaining importance. Drilling for exact timing and positioning is replacing repetition-heavy approaches that emphasize muscle memory over situational awareness.
The Evolution Continues
The 2025 Worlds didn't just crown new champions—it revealed how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu continues to evolve at its highest levels. From Funegra's systematic retention to Pato's integrated attacks, from Wardzinski's psychological approach to Dalpra's precision timing, these innovations represent genuine advances in how we understand the art.
Smart practitioners won't wait for these approaches to become common knowledge. They're already adapting their training to incorporate these insights, knowing that today's innovations become tomorrow's fundamentals.
The technical bar continues to rise. These five approaches from the 2025 Worlds provide a roadmap for where the sport is heading and how to prepare for its future demands.
For complete footage from the 2025 IBJJF World Championships and detailed technique breakdowns, visit FloGrappling. Technical instruction from these champions is available through their respective academy programs.