Archive for the ‘BJJ’ Category

The early hours of this morning saw Leyla arrive in Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi World Cup.  This will be Leylas’s second year of competing and we wish her well!

When an opponent is attempting to obtain Side Control you can look to win the underhook and escape the position.

Position: Your opponent is on your right, coming into side control.

Technique: With your left arm, gain an underhook on the opponent’s incoming right arm. Fish that underhook either over the near shoulder, locking the arm in and gaining control, or over to the far shoulder in the hope of creating more space.

Come up onto your right elbow, keeping the underhook with your shoulder and head tight into the opponent’s shoulder and chest. You’re trying to eliminate the chance of losing the underhook.

Solo Drills: From your back get up on your right elbow and hip as if you’re chasing the underhook and getting up. Get back on your back and do the same on the other side. Drill this movement for 20 reps each side, or for a specific time period.

Partner Drills: Have your partner come down onto you as if to establish side control. Before he gets there, fish for the underhook and escape. Go back to your back and repeat for a certain number of reps or time. If you’re coming all the way up to your knees feel free to lay back down with your head on the other side so that your opponent is attacking your other side.

Tips: This is best as an early escape. You can still pull it off when you’re really flattened and stuck, but it’s so much easier to get out well before that ever happens.

If you want this to be your number one escape you should always be looking for the underhook.

You have to be willing to give up the lost guard if you’re going to be aiming for the early underhook escape. That means knowing being willing to let go. Keep in mind that stacking passes do a lot to eliminate this escape. Free your legs as soon as they get caught as your opponent passes.

Your second goal is to get to your side after the pass. You can always engage in the underhook fight after he’s gained side control as long as you can create the space needed. That’s greatly helped by turning onto your side early.

13-2-12

Triangle from Guard

You’ve got your opponent in a closed guard. Your right hand has a sleeve grip on the opponent’s left wrist and your left hand is gripping his right sleeve.

Climb high with your knees on his back so as to disrupt his posture. You want your left knee behind the opponent’s right shoulder.

You open your guard placing your left foot on the opponent’s right hip and bringing your right knee over the opponent’s bicep. As you do this your release the left arm, allowing your leg to block it out of play, and  pull the right arm across your body up towards your right shoulder.

You’re looking to stretch your opponent out as much as possible. Your right knee is pushing your opponent away and you’re sleeve grip is pulling them, uncomfortably in.

From here you’re going to slide your right leg until you can get it above the opponent’s head . Make sure you bridge from your shoulders so that you’re hipping up into the triangle. Your aiming for the back of your knee to be in contact with the back of their neck. You want the leg to cut across the back of the opponent’s shoulders. Your knee will be on top of the left shoulder and your foot will be over the right one.

As you’re getting your hips up into the triangle pull your opponent even more using the sleeve grips you’ve got. You also want to be as far over on a 45 degree angle as you can get (towards your right leg). You want to be able to look into the opponent’s ear.

Once here take your left hand and get a grip as far up your shin as possible on that cutting leg. This is an adjustment arm. If you’re cutting the right leg hard across the opponent’s shoulders, and you’ve pulled the arm well across you should have plenty of time to work the posture without having to quickly try to lock up the triangle.

In fact, once you’ve locked that leg in place the adjustments become slightly harder. You limit your own movement and lock your lower body into your opponent. So, here’s a checklist before you throw that second leg over.
- Is there any space between my right leg and his head? If so use the left arm (grabbing your right shin) to eliminate that space. Simply work it across.
- Is my opponent still postured up, able to kneel comfortably, or even stand? Keep that left hand grip on the leg, and the sleeve grip with your right use your left foot to help you shrimp away from your opponent. This will simply stretch him out and make the whole smaller and smaller. If you’re quick enough you’ll get him almost flat. That’s a terrible posture for countering the triangle.
- Am I going to get all shin when I put my leg over or will I get all toes? If you put your leg over and only get toes you won’t be able to tighten the choke much. In fact you’ll end up easing some pressure. If you’re not high enough up the shin to be able to lock on to the leg (rather than toes) you want to check the previous two tips and adjust accordingly.
- Is my opponent’s arm to my right or to my left? You want your opponent’s ‘in’ arm to be across his neck and on the right side of your body. This creates a much, much tighter choke. If his arm is straight out and to your left simply hip up a little bit to create enough space to drag it over to your right.

After you’ve checked though this you can feel free to throw your left leg over your right shin. Squeeze your knees together and lift your hips to get the tap. If you’ve done all the tightening before you shouldn’t need to pull on the head.

If you’re still not getting the tap try shoulder scooting away even more.

But what if my opponent locks down on my hips in guard and I can’t move my legs into place?

Well, you need to make space for your legs to move a bit, don’t you?

From a tightened, caged hips closed guard bring your left arm across and place it on your opponent’s left shoulder. Bring your right hand to his left elbow. Push on the arm as your shrimp onto your right hip, and slightly away. You want to make just enough space for you to be able to bring your left foot onto his right hip.

With your left hand grab the right sleeve. With your right hand push the left shoulder as you get into your left hip and bring your knee across your opponent’s bicep. Now you’re into the triangle set-up position.

That’s great, but what if my opponent stands up?

Well, you can still adjust into the triangle if you’re that keen on it.

You’re opponent stands while you’ve got a closed guard and both his sleeves. Open your guard and bring your left foot down, putting pressure on the opponent’s right knee (or as close as you can get to it). Get onto your right hip and bring your foot onto your opponent’s bicep. Push with your right foot on the bicep, push with your left foot on the knee, pull up and right with both arms on the opponent’s right sleeve.

Here’s where it gets tricky.

Hip up, shooting the LEFT leg up across the opponent’s shoulders. This is a way to encourage the opponent’s posture down.

Quickly shoot over to your right, hip up again, and cut that right leg across the opponent’s shoulders.

You’re basically climbing up the opponent starting with your left leg. Now you should be back into the ‘small adjustment’ position. See your checklist and adjust.

Tips:
- Opening your guard doesn’t mean you’re letting go of any pressure created with your knees. In fact, you should look to increase the pressure of the hold with your thighs and knees. If you’re bringing your left foot to the mat you should still be cutting across the back with the right. It’s not ‘release the captives guard’, it’s just open.
- Don’t be scared of adjusting. It’s important.
- It’s all in the hips! If you can’t figure out how to get your leg into certain positions try moving your hips.  Switch them or scoot them. The triangle is a very hip reliant submission, as are most from the guard. Get those things moving. If you’re not used to it find some drills that encourage your hip movement. Your bottom game will love you for it.
- As with all BJJ techniques, you want to eliminate the steps to create a ramp. Train this in it’s steps with the aim of tying them all together into one continuous movement. If you work in steps you allow small opportunities for escape or counter. If you work in a ramp you don’t give pause for counter.

Solo Drills:
- Hip Ups: From your back simply bridge onto your shoulders and shoot your hips as high in the air as you can. You are aiming to shoot your feet straight up above your head.
- Solo Triangles: From your back turn 45 degrees to your right, hip up, cut your right leg across and lock it under your left leg as you come back down. Repeat to you the left.
- Leg Swings: Another drill to get your feeling your hips. Lay flat on your stomach. Turn onto your left hip, swing your leg around to the front of you and all the way around until you’re flat again. Now, turn onto your right hip and do the same the other way.

Partner Drills:
- Hip ups: Top and tail with a partner. Reach under their legs with your inside arm and grab the arm they’re reaching under with your outside arm. Now, at the same time hip up getting your butt high in the air and switching sides with your partner. Your butts should pass each other on the way and you should come back down in the same position, just on the other side.
- Triangle: Just drill the triangle over and over and over. Then, let your partner have a go.

5-12-11

Omoplata from Guard
Omoplata Entry: Hands on the mat
Omoplata Entry: Forearms posted
Omoplata Rolling Escape Counter
Omoplata Posture Escape Counter

Omoplata from Guard
You have your opponent in your closed guard. You’ve gained an over-hook on the opponent’s left arm. Pop your left knee out by pushing the opponent’s right shoulder as you bring your leg forward. You isolate his left arm around your right leg, ensuring that it’s bent back over the knee, as you open the guard. Do this by bringing the knee up near the arm-pit.

From here you will want to turn your body 180 degrees, wrapping the leg around the arm so that the back of the opponent’s hand is on your torso.

Block the opponent’s ability to roll forward by sitting up and blocking the hips with an arm over the belt line.

Lean forward to apply pressure to the shoulder joint.

Partner drills:
- Partner in your guard, grabs a leg, removes the other arm. Omoplata! Reverse back to guard. Partner grabs the other leg, removes the arm. Omoplata on the other side!
- To add in a, and more of an open guard feel have your partner roll out once you come to sitting. Get back to his knees crawl towards you with an arm hanging out there as if to say, “Please, please omoplata me”. Omoplata. Roll. Come back. Repeat until the rolling partner vomits. Being on top in this drill is the perfect opportunity to feel the timing of the rolling counter, and to work on rolling over both shoulders instead of the top of your head.

Solo drills:
- The omoplata rocking chair: Sit up slightly, rock back as you turn the corner (like an omoplata motion). Go the other way.
- Do forward rolls over each shoulder until you throw-up.

Entries
Omoplata from guard entry with opponent’s hands on the mat

Your opponent is broken down in your guard and both of his hands are on the mat right next to you hips.

With your right hand get an overhook grip on his left elbow. Your hand should be on the elbow while your elbow is down on his hand, blocking him from taking out the arm. You don’t want a deep overhook. It’s more of a cupping grip that’s over the arm instead of under. If the hook is deep there’s no room for your leg.

With you left hand push on the opponent’s right shoulder as you bring your left knee through. This takes his right arm out of your guard and releases your leg to come around into the omoplata.

Lift yourself up slightly using his left arm and swing into the omoplata.

Omoplata entry from low postured opponent
Your opponent has his forearm resting on your chest and his posture is down over you.

Take your hands, palm down and slide them under the opponent’s arms. You should be able to bring your palms together with his forearms on top of yours.

Bring your opponent forward with your legs as you swim your hands out to bring his hands to the mat.

Scroll up, follow the previous entry.

Partner Drills:
- For a change in pace, start in closed guard and have your partner pick one of these postures. React appropriately, swing back around, and have him pick another. Do this for 5 minutes, then switch. This will help you compute an entry quicker based on what you see and feel from your opponent.

Omoplata rolling defence counter into omoplata
A common defence to the omoplata is for the opponent to roll forward before you have the opportunity to block his hips.

You’ve tuned into the omoplata on the opponent’s left arm. As he rolls ensure you grab his elbow with your left hand to secure the arm.

Holding on to the elbow, rise slightly onto your left leg as you make room to get your right leg back under the opponent’s arm. Roll forward over your right shoulder to re-establish the omoplata.

Partner Drills:
- Just keep rolling until you both throw up, or hit the wall.

Omoplata posture defence counter into omoplata
Another common defence to the omoplata is to posture up as the opponent turns. This often ends up with you on your back next to your opponent whose arm is still stuck in your leg.

Secure the arm by pulling back with your left hand grip as you push forward slightly with your leg. Make sure that thing is really stuck in there.

Reach over with your free hand; in this case we’ll say it’s your right. Grab his right leg on the pants or under the ankle/shin.

Hold firm with your left hand. Push with your right leg. Pull across your chest with your right hand and turn into your left hip. Your goal is to pull him over you and onto his back with the arm still secured.

You’ll be facing down the legs of the opponent. Swing your left leg back and to the right, coming over your opponent’s head and chest until you’re in mount with his arm still stuck to your leg.

Holding the arm, crabwalk straight over to your left off the side of his body. This will turn the opponent into the omoplata.

See the omoplata from mount as a reference (31-8-11).

Partner Drills:
- Omoplata, partner postures to defend, counter into omoplata, allow the partner to posture, counter into omoplata, etc.

Tips:
- Work on your rocking movement. It’s all in the hips.
- You want to end up as close to side-by-side with your opponent as possible. You’re not turning 90 degrees. You’re turning 180.
- Make sure you get both your legs out of the way. Get them both pointing away from your opponent as you sit up. You’ll need to be on the near butt-cheek to do this, not the far butt-cheek. That means you want to be turning your butt away from them, which is the polite thing to do anyway.

28-11-11

Armbar from Standing
Armbar from the Knees
Armbar from Guard: Hooking Variation

Armbar from Standing
You’re standing head to head. With your left hand you have a sleeve grip on the opponent’s right sleeve. With your right hand you are grabbing the opponent’s right collar.

If you have trouble getting the cross collar grip try grabbing the left collar, near the neck. This grip should be a four finger grip, fingers in, thumb out. Some people will allow this since it’s not as dangerous as the cross collar. They won’t sense trouble. With your right hand, pull down then punch through to the back of the collar and switch your forearm around the back of their head. This switches into a deep cross collar grip.

Pull your right foot back, creating space then quickly drive your right foot up onto the opponent’s left hip, toes pointing out to your right.

Using your grips on the arm and collar, and keeping the distance with your leg on the hip, lay back down towards your right. You want to aim at least 45 degrees, if not 90. You also want to aim to fall onto your right hip.

Be sure to pull the arm with you, across your own chest, up towards your right shoulder. This puts it in place for the armbar.

Keeping a tight grip on the arm, bring your left leg up across the face of the opponent. If you need to you can switch your grips on the arm so that you can push on the opponent’s head with your left hand.

Ensure the elbow is in past your beltline, otherwise there won’t be any pressure on the elbow joint.

Ensure that your knees are tight so that there’s no room for the opponent to move his arm.

Ensure that the opponent’s little finger is on your chest so that you’re putting pressure on the joint rather than just bending his arm.

Tips:
- If the opponent doesn’t stay on his feet as you pull him down, that’s okay, you’ll end up with attacking grips in your guard. Anticipate this as a possible outcome and plan a follow-on attack.
- Use the foot on the hip to control the distance. If he’s too far away, simply bend the knee. If he’s putting his weight on your foot (which he probably will be) that will assist in him falling into the armbar.
- Practice this movement step by step. Work the grips 10 times. Add the foot on the hip 10 times. Add the lay down 10 times. Add the armbar 10 times. Put it all together 1,000 times.
- Be willing to reset if you don’t get what you’re after.
- Be aware of your own arm while grip fighting. If he has the same grips as you, you’re just as vulnerable to the attack as he is.
- Aim for the hip, not the crotch. That’s just not very nice, esspecially if you’re drilling it 1,000 times.

Armbar from the Knees
Most of us start our sparring sessions from the knees, or at least end up fighting from there at some point.

Get similar grips as the standing armbar, same side sleeve with your left and cross collar with your right.

Step past the opponent’s baseline (that’s the imaginary line between his points of base, like his knees or feet. Breaking this line is a key to takedowns and trips) like you’re going to initiate a trip takedown.

When the opponent resists he will push back into you. When he does this you want to lay back down onto your right hip. Get your bent right leg up near his armpit with your shin coming across his midsection. Your left leg comes up and over his head. Bring your knees together, tighten the arm to your chest, little finger down, and lift your hips for the tap.

Tips:
- Lift your hips, not his arm.
- Use your collar grip to pull the opponent back down with you.
- Keeping the grip on the collar will limit the opponent’s ability to push into your as a counter to the armbar. This is because your knuckles are in his neck. No one wants to push against that.

Armbar from Guard- Hooking Variation
You’re in an open guard with feet on the hips and are turned onto your right side. You’ve got the opponent’s right arm across your chest and are attempting to attack with an armbar.

The opponent is stopping you from getting your left leg up and over his head to lock in the armbar.

Bring your right foot up the right side of the opponent’s face and hook the back of his neck with the top of your foot. Bring his head down by bringing your knee down towards the ground.

When they pull back against the foot you can bring your left leg over and across their face to tighten up the armbar.

Tips:
- This one is very hard to describe, so mess around with it until you’ve worked it out.
- Keep a tight hold of the arm the whole time. Don’t let it go.    

16-11-11

Mount to Seated Mount
Half Nelson Lapel Choke
Seated Mount to Back
Rear Naked Choke
Rolling Half Nelson Choke from Head to Head

Mount to Seated Mount
You have obtained the mount position.

The opponent decides to turn onto their side. When they do this you can transition into a seated mount position.

If the opponent turns to his left you’ll want to bring your right knee up and keep your left knee on the floor. Your right heel should come into the abdomen of the opponent along the ground. You left knee should be up near the opponent’s shoulders with your foot tucked down the small of their backs.

Look to obtain an underhook on the opponent’s right arm. This provides more attacking options.

Now you’re in the seated mount with an underhook

From here you can attack with the Half Nelson Lapel Choke

Half Nelson Lapel Choke
Left arm reaches under the head and takes a cross lapel grip, thumb in. The left arm is the pressure on the left artery, the opponent’s collar is the pressure on the right artery.

Right arm reaches behind the head, maintaining the under-hook. This will lift the arm up into a half nelson hold. The right hand becomes the trap behind the opponent’s head. Back of the hand on the back of the head.

From there, pull with your left arm like you’re trying to wrap the collar around the opponent’s neck again. Push the back of the opponent’s head with your right hand. Posture your body up to help with the torque.

Tips:
- No space! Keep your legs tight. Keep the underhook tight. Keep your chest tight.
- No space when you posture either. When you come up to finish the choke make sure you don’t let the arm go, at all. Keep it tight.

From the seated mount sometimes the opponent will attempt to run away to escape. When this happens you can use the Seated Mount to Back transition.

Seated Mount to Back
From the seated mount, with an underhook and your left leg tight to the back of the opponent you are stopping them from being able to go flat (if your tight enough with your positioning). That means that their escape is to roll away.

Your right foot is already a hook.

You probably have an underhook on the arm already, and are close to having an overhook with the left arm. That’s 3 out of 5 parts to back control. All you’re missing is the second hook and chest to back connection.

Let the opponent roll away, keeping the right hook in.

Once their back is exposed enough glue (not literally… that’s messy) your chest to their back and claim an over/under grip around their chest. Your right hand will be the under and your left will be the over.

When they get to turtle, which is probably where they’re going, you’ll likely be able to get in the second hook.

From there you can start attacking with the Rear Naked Choke.

Rear Naked Choke
Bring your left arm across the neck of the opponent. You’ll be reaching so you’ll need to have your shoulder pressed against the opponent’s shoulder blade.

Get a friction grip on the right shoulder blade of the opponent.

Bring your right arm up, not forward, so that you can grab your right bicep with your left hand. Put your right hand behind the opponent’s head.

Lift, pull in, and squeeze for the tap.

Tips:
- When you have an over/under grip your attacking arm for the choke will be the overhooking arm. That means that if you are going to roll to a side you’ll want to have the overhooking side on the mat. If you want to know why just try getting the RNC when the underhooking side is on the mat.
- Hand fighting is an art in itself. Mess around with different techniques.
- Keep your head and chest tight to the opponent the entire time. Space is the #1 enemy of any submission.
- Whisper creepy things in the opponent’s ear. They might tap just to get out of there.
- Get a feel for the difference between the chin and the neck. In competition, go ahead and power through someone’s jaw. In training, try to be a bit nicer or you’ll quickly run out of training partners.
- Use your hooks, don’t just place them. You don’t just place a nail on a board and expect it to hold the board in place. You have to apply pressure to it. Hooks are the same. Use them to stretch out your opponent. Keep pressure on his lower body (watch the groin though).
- Don’t be quick to give up the underhook. As long as you have it the armbar form back is a threat. Once you give it up they have one less thing to worry about.

If the opponent does manage to escape to their knees and shoot for a takedown you can sprawl and go into the Rolling Half Nelson Choke from Head to Head.

Rolling Half Nelson Choke from Head to Head
As the opponent shoots for a take-down you should sprawl and feed your right arm in between the opponent’s head and arm. You can also attack this from the top of someone in the turtle position.

Reach over, across the throat to grab the opposite collar with a fingers in, thumb out grip. Keep the weight on the top of the shoulders/base of the neck of the opponent.

With the left arm get a friction grip on the tricep of the opponent’s right arm. Drag the arm towards you. Once there’s room slide the left arm under the arm and bring the hand up to the back of the head of the opponent.

Here you have the choke trap. Your right arm is blocking the left artery, their collar is blocking their right artery, and your hand is blocking the back of their head. However, you need to remove their head from the floor in order to tighten the noose.

Bringing your left knee to your right knee, and shooting your head towards their opposite hip, roll the opponent over, keeping the grip and trap.

Walk your legs around towards their left side. Put pressure on the back of their neck and pull around with your left hand to tighten the trap, cutting off the blood flow, and getting the tap… or an evening sleep time cuddle.

Tips:
- Pay close attention to the choking grips. You have to cut off both arteries. If your arm is pulling away from their neck you’re just trying to crush their windpipe with their own Gi. That’s not the point of this choke. Your arm must act as a block to their artery.
- If they pull back the arm that you’re trying to drag feel free to accept the gift, and put on the guillotine.

Ideas for Training:                             
- Turn this into a drill. Start in Mount, transition to seated mount, apply the half nelson choke to the tap. Let go and the opponent will roll. Follow him into back control. Apply the rear naked choke. Allow the opponent to escape to the knees as you return to yours. They shoot in. You sprawl and set up the rolling half nelson choke. Let them finish the takedown into side control, switch to mount, transition, tap, transition, tap, escape, sprawl, tap, repeat.
- Give feedback to your partner about chokes. Let them know if it was on or not. Chokes tend to have sweet spots for everyone and the only way to know if it’s actually working is to tell each other.
- It’s not really worth drilling techniques poorly. That doesn’t meant that you have to go to the tap every time, but don’t do things sloppy. That will only teach you how to do things poorly. Make sure chokes are right.

14-11-11

Basic (Scissors) Sweep
Hooking Sweep
Double Hooking Sweep
Standing Guard Pass

Basic Sweep
From closed guard with right hand collar grip and left hand sleeve grip.

The opponent steps up onto their left leg to initiate a pass.

Uncross your legs turning onto your left hip. Your left leg will be flat on the floor outside of the opponent’s right leg. Your right knee comes across the opponent’s midsection.

Pull with your sleeve and collar grips bringing the opponent’s weight onto your right leg. Sweep the opponent with you left leg as you turn the opponent over with your right.

Keep a hold of the opponent’s grips to ride into mount.

Tips:
- You don’t have to start from closed guard. In fact, you don’t usually have start things from there they’re taught from. Just think about the elements needed (post eliminated, posture broken, momentum created, etc, etc). In fact, Ribeiro teaches a ‘knee shield open guard’ that’s perfect for the basic sweep. You use your right leg knee shield to control space, left leg to push the hip, and traditional grips. As you can imagine, that’s an open guard that’s 3/4ths of the way through the sweep.
- If you can’t seem to keep the post with the traditional sleeve grip try crossing your grips instead. Grab the opponent’s right sleeve with your right hand and left collar with your left hand.
- Anticipation is a major factor in anything in BJJ. Once you have your grips in place simply wait for a specific, pre-determined trigger. Just as the opponent is stepping up to pass is the perfect time because their balance will be off for a split second. Timing is the key to moves and anticipation is the key to timing.

Hooking Sweep
You’re in closed guard with a right hand collar grip and a left hand sleeve grip.

The opponent steps up onto their left leg, but this time keep the leg back further than before.

Uncross your legs turning onto your left hip. Your left leg goes flat on the floor outside the opponent’s right knee. Your right heel comes back towards your and then under the opponent’s thigh to establish a hook.

Pull towards your head with both grips, sweep to your right with your left leg and lift up and to the left with your right hook. Follow the opponent into mount.

Tips:
- This sweep acts as a quality plan B to the basic sweep.
- Make it a strong hook, especially if the initial sweep is blocked. A strong hook isn’t fun for a guard passer to have to deal with. As John Will says, “Try to bruise the opponent’s leg with your shin”.
- This also works well as a plan B to the double hooking sweep (below). It introduces the sweeping left leg as well as the lifting hook which, sometimes, is all you need to finish the sweep
- As with any sweep, know where you want to go and what you want to do after the sweep. The best way to do this is to perform the sweep and see what’s available from the finish. If you tend to end up in mount with an arm isolated think about tightening your mount and attacking the arm with a figure 4, or hopping up to a spinning armbar. Don’t let them gather themselves after you’ve swept them.

Double Hooking Sweep
This time when you open your legs your opponent scoots away from you, disengaging your legs.

Follow your opponent this time putting both your feet in as hooks.

Sit up taking the collar grip out and establishing an underhook on the opponent’s left side.

Your left arm can either overhook the opponent’s forearm/wrist to eliminate the post.

Cuddling your opponent nice and tight rock back onto your left cheek, side, and shoulder following the opponent over towards your left.

Tips:
- Don’t go straight back for this sweep. That will simply pull them into guard and probably dampen the usefulness of your hooks.
- Momentum is key to this sweep, so make sure you get some, and use it before it’s gone.
- If you can’t get the underhook on the right side try pulling the opponent’s head to create the momentum.
- It helps a lot if your head is under the opponents, almost putting the top of your head under their chin. That makes it a lot harder for them to flatten you out.
- The less space between you and them the better, that’s why a deep underhook is preferred. You can also grab hold of the opponent’s belt if you want something to aim for.
- Sometimes the opponent can still post with an overhooked right arm. Try different ways to collect and secure this arm. You can armdrag across your chest, then eliminate the space so they can’t get the arm back out. You can use a grip on the elbow and push it over.
- As with any sweep, you should look for submissions or other sweeps that work from a missed attempt. For example: If you forget to eliminate the post often the opponent with briefly be open to a cutting armbar. If the opponent fights the momentum by posturing up high they can open themselves up to a bearhug takedown. If the jump up to their feet they might be open to an armdrag, collardrag, or single/double leg shoot.

Standing Guard Pass
Getting stuck in someone’s closed guard is not really a safe place to be. The first thing that needs to be done is to establish a good posture. Usually this means controlling grips on the opponent’s lapels at the beltline and sternum, a straight spine, and solid base.

When here, the next step as a guard passer is to open the opponent’s legs. That’s where the standing guard pass can come in handy.

From a good posture come up onto the right leg (we’re assuming that the right arm is caught in a sleeve grip. Coming up on the right leg will either tempt the opponent to let go of the arm in order to grab the leg, or it will prevent you from being swept to the side where the post has been eliminated). You want your foot up towards the opponent’s tricep.

Once here slide your right hand up the opponent’s lapel closer to their neck. Keep their hips blocked with your left hand and their upper body blocked with your right hand. Right arm should be locked to create skeletal strength and the left arm should be strong. Either being weak will lead to a submission or sweep. You’re controlling their posture with your grips. They’re not just there to look pretty.

Step up onto your left leg. Ensure you have good posture with a straight spine.

Lean forward a bit than rock back, lifting your opponent up. When you do this you want to make sure your shoulders are shrugged, chin down, and elbows tight to your sides and back against the opponent’s legs. If they haven’t let go yet they’ll be looking to attack your arms or neck.

Bring your knees together a bit. Use your left hand to brace the opponent’s right knee.

Simply start to shake them down. If they insist on keeping their legs crossed you will simply drop them down your lower body until they have their legs crossed around your knees.

From there, initiate a pass of your choice. I suggest the knee-through.

Tips:
- This is all about getting out of the closed guard. So, if you stand up on your right leg and they open their legs to attack don’t go through with the entire technique… that’s just silly.
- Have a plan for different points of this pass. If they open before you even step up know what you want to do. If they open as you get your second leg up, have a plan for that. If they open up as you stand fully, have a plan. Know where you want to go once the legs are open. Don’t just kneel back down so that they can get closed guard again.

Ideas for Training:
- If you want to work sweeps find someone that wants to work passes.
- Pass or Sweep: This is a bit of a classic that plays out just like it sounds. Someone starts one bottom. Their goal is to sweep. A player steps into the guard. If passed, the passer takes the sweepers spot. If swept the sweeper stays and takes on another opponent. For more of a challenge in passing you can add in submissions as well.
- Paper, Scissors, Rock. Winner picks either top or bottom. Let’s say they picked bottom. Loser then has to pick a technique. Let’s say they picked the basic guard pass. Winner then picks a technique accordingly. Let’s say they picked basic sweep. Spar for 1-5 minutes only using those two techniques. If the guard gets passed a point is given. If a sweep happens a point is given. After time loser gets to add a technique, like the double underhook pass. Winner adds hooking sweep or double hooking sweep or whatever else they like to use to counter the passes chosen. Roll for another 1-5 minutes. So on and so on. This will focus both players on one technique, which makes you have to work extra hard for it since the opponent knows what’s coming. It then makes you add according to openings you’re seeing. It also gives the ‘winner’ a chance to pick counters to the ‘loser’ choices. Do this, adding techniques, until you’re both rolling with a full arsenal of sweeps and passes. Or, do this for 10 minutes then switch positions.

2-11-11
Half Guard Sweeps

Leg Grab Rollover Sweep from Half Guard
Headlocked Leg Grab Rollover Sweep from Half Guard
Hooks Sweep from Half Guard

As stated in the previous blog (31-10-11), the Half Guard position has been drastically changed over the last decade. It’s become an attacking position rather than a last ditch effort to keep guard. Here are some sweeps to help.

Leg Grab Rollover Sweep from Half Guard
From the bottom half guard position, when using your right leg to catch the opponent’s right leg you want to make sure you’re on your side. Being flat is in the top players advantage. The first thing you want to do is give yourself some space to function.

To do this you should push on the opponent’s chest or shoulders in order to put your left knee in, and across your opponent’s midsection. This gives you space to work.

Come up on your right elbow. With your left hand fish under the opponent’s right arm. Lean back down sliding the underhook down the opponent’s arm so that his wrist is pinned against your shoulder.

As you’re coming down, keeping the arm, shoot your right arm towards the opponent’s left leg. Get a grip.

Here, you have his post captured against your shoulder/neck/head, a grip on his leg, and your leg acting as a prop between you.

In one motion you pull with your left grip, and lift towards your left with your right grip. Once you feel the opponent’s weight on your left leg simply turn your hips from one side to the other.

Keep your hold of the opponent’s leg as you sweep. This will enable you to stop him from claiming a half guard of your own. With your held grip, pop your right leg out and establish side control.

Headlock Leg Grab Rollover Sweep
Sometimes as you come up to get the underhook your opponent will see your head there, and grab on. This is okay, because it effectively eliminates the post that you sat up to claim.

From the headlock simply come back down, take your left leg out while shooting your right arm underneath your opponent’s left leg so that you can grab under the ankle. Make sure you stay on your right hip as you do this.

Roll from your right hip onto your left hip as you take your opponent over your left side. Hold on to the leg as you roll to ensure you don’t get caught in the half guard.

Hooks Sweep from Half Guard
From the established half guard, with the knee shield in place and the right hand post captured sometimes the opponent will bring up his left knee in order to solidify his base. This leg up provides an opportunity to use your hooks.

In one fluid motion (because sweeps need momentum) turn from your right hip onto your left hip. Use your left leg to reap out the right leg of the opponent as you bring your right foot up, and under the opponent’s thigh.

Lift your right leg up as high as you can to finish the sweep and quickly establish side control, or follow your opponent up into mount.

Tips:
- Sweeps are always best done in combination with other sweeps and attacks. If the leg grab rollover sweep is blocked it will open the opponent up for something else. Combinations
- Don’t allow your opponent to smother you but getting head and arm control. This makes all escapes and sweeps difficult. Guard is all about controlling distance. That’s no different in the half guard.

Ideas for Training:
- Spend some time in the Half Guard.

31-10-11

 
Leg Grab Rollover Sweep Set-Ups
- Collar Grip Posture Break
- Arm-Drag from Guard

Arm-Drag from Guard to Back
Calf Crank from Turtle Top
Banana Split from Turtle Top

Leg Lock from Half-Guard Top
Toe Hold from Half-Guard Top
Neck Crank from Half-Guard Top

Every martial art is about basic techniques being executed. Every striking art holds, essentially, the same basic strikes. Straight punches, jabs, overhands, front kicks, roundhouse kicks, side kicks, etc, etc… What separates the arts is how those strikes are set-up, executed, countered, and followed up by. Grappling is the same. Wrestling, Judo, Sambo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu… they all have similar moves. What separates them is the set-ups, counters, follow ups and executions.

First you must gain an understanding of the basic technique. We start today with the Leg Grab Rollover Sweep. 29-8-11 is the blog where you can read about the Leg Grab Rollover Sweep.

Once the basics are understood you can start to explore ways to set it up. Setups are usually easily classified as distractions. That’s what we’ll start with here.

Leg Grab Rollover Sweep from Cross Collar Grip
You have your opponent in your closed guard. Attack the collar with your right hand. If they just allow it feel free to attack with the left hand for the cross collar choke. However, anyone that’s been collar choked before will at least be cautious of the collar grip. Use this grip to pull the back of the opponent’s Gi through his neck. You want him to be thinking about his posture being broken, or his blood being cut off from his brain.

You don’t want him to be thinking about his leg.

Once he’s effectively distracted take your left hand and grip the opponent’s Gi on his right shoulder. Push this arm across your chest to eliminate the post on his right side.

Reach down to the opponent’s leg with your right hand and perform the rollover sweep.

Leg Grab Rollover Sweep from Arm-Drag
There’s another leg grab rollover sweep that’s set up when the opponent is hunkered down while in guard (29-8-11). This sweep is set up by pulling the opponent’s right arm across and down into the whole on the right side of your body. This same sweep can be set up from another posture.

When an opponent is looking to pass your guard he sometimes puts both hands on your hips with straight arms. Often, this leaves space between his elbows and your legs.

You can use this opportunity to initiate and arm-drag.

With your right hand, cup the opponent’s left elbow or bicep. With your left hand push on the right wrist or forearm as you drag the arm. You want them to end up with both arms on the right side of your body.

It’s important to close the gap that’s been created here. You do this by posting up on your right arm and reaching to the opponent’s opposite shoulder with the left hand. You’re using your chest against their right shoulder to stop them from being able to pull their arm back out into posture.

This puts you in a position where you can scoot back under and take the leg grab rollover sweep.

Alternatively, from the arm-drag you can follow through to take the opponent’s back.

Arm-Drag to Back from Guard

There are deciding factors involved in this transition:
- Do you like to attack the back?
- Would you rather work for the sweep from guard and possibly end up in mount?
- Is the opponent allowing you to continue to the back?
- Has the opponent grabbed your posted arm to stop you from taking the back? If so, he’s helping you with the rollover sweep, but making taking the back a lot harder.

From the arm-drag you shoot up to eliminate space. Get a grip on the far shoulder with your left arm.

Swing your left leg over the back of the opponent as you slide your foot into a hooking position.

If you want to attack the neck or arm you can establish an over-under grip on the opponent. Or, you can set yourself up to attack the turtle position. Or, you can carry on into a calf crank.

Calf Crank

From the top turtle position ensure that the right hook is very deep. You want your shin over their calf.

Turn to your left so that you can grab the opponent’s foot with both your hands.

Sit back, bringing the foot with you as you roll onto your back. This position presents a calf crank, which is a compression submission. It just hurts. People will tap because if feels like an intense cramp in the calf.

Simply push their heel towards their butt.

If they don’t tap you can transition into what’s known as a banana split.

Banana Split

From the calf crank take your right hand off the foot and grab the opponent’s hanging left leg. A friction grip around the knee works just fine. Keep the left hand on the foot while you do this.

Bring your left foot up and place it on your right foot (not over into a figure 4. This will set YOU up for a calf crank) as you bring your left hand over to join your right. From there simply push on your right foot with your left as you bring the opponent’s left leg towards your own head with your hands.

This is a flexibility submission. Some people will tap simply because they don’t spend any time working on their flexibility (shame on you!).

The counter to this move is the seated butterfly stretch, which should be an integral part of every grapplers daily stretching routine. If you’re not stretching you deserve to get caught in a move like this.

Tips:

- If you catch someone in this move you need to make sure everyone knows it. So, you should yell, ‘Banana split!’ when you put it on. If they tap you should yell, ‘With a cherry on top!’

- Seriously, don’t put yourself into a calf crank by figure-fouring your own legs. Not worth it.

The Half-Guard has, in the last 10 years become an integral part of jiu-jitsu. It used to be thought of as a last ditch effort to hold some kind of guard. Now there are entire game plans from the half guard. It’s become a dangerous position to be in.

Because of this change to the bottom game, the top game has had to adjust as well. Instead of just an annoying spot to be stuck in, people are starting to put together submissions.

Leg Lock from Half-Guard Top

Your right leg is caught in the opponent’s half guard. You’ve flattened out your opponent.

Push up and bring your left knee across the belt line of the opponent as you turn to face his left leg.

Underhook the left leg. Lean onto your left shoulder and squeeze your knees together to solidify the position. Your opponent’s toes should be pointing towards you. The mechanics are the same as an armbar.

Tips:

- As with any heel, toe, or leg lock caution needs to be taken. Many schools don’t allow these techniques because they are too easy to pop. If you’re going to go for a leg or foot submission make sure that you remain in complete control.

- Also note that since many people don’t understand the submissions, they might not know when they are in one. Many people will scramble and tug to get the foot or leg free. This is also dangerous. When in doubt, tap. It’s better to tap to nothing than to sit out for 8 weeks because you weren’t sure. Also, if you’re putting on heel hooks and leg locks, be aware of your opponent, and his level of understanding. If he doesn’t realize and starts thrashing around, just let go. The tap in sparring, when no one is impressed with who tapped who is not worth losing out on training partners. Remember, if you’re known as the guy that hurts his partners you’ll quickly run out of partners.

- Just for added measure, STAY IN CONTROL when performing any submission. This is especially important with leg locks.

Now, if you’ve missed the leg lock for some reason, but still have a hold of the leg you can transition into a toe hold.

Toe Hold from Half Guard

From that botched leg lock position, you on your left shoulder with the opponent’s left leg bring your left arm across the ankle to keep it close to your chest.

Bring your right hand, palm facing away from you across the top of the opponent’s foot grabbing onto the little toe side of the foot. This will create a figure 4 with your arms (left hand on the right bicep).

With this grip you will pull on the foot, bringing the big toe of the opponent down towards his own butt.

Tips:

- This is another one that needs to be done very, very cautiously. Control is a must, and understanding of the situation. If your opponent starts thrashing around, just let go.

- Having presented all that caution, my personal opinion is that leg locks and heel hooks and toe holds are important to learn for the simple reason that if you don’t know a submission you won’t know how to defend it. Learn them, but keep in mind that there are far more important things to be drilling and applying in training. If you can leg lock but can’t pass a guard you’re learning the wrong stuff.

- It’s important to note that most competitions don’t allow leg locks, heel hooks, or toe holds.

Neck Crank from Half Guard

Another submission from the Half Guard is a neck crank.

Having flattened the opponent and secured an underhook around the head with your left arm.

Give space so that the opponent turns into you. When he does this you snake your left hand between your chest and his head. Sneak your palm around the far side of his neck and onto the back of his head.

Put your left bicep on the back of his head, locking your arms in and pulling him towards your chest for the neck crank.

Tips:

- Smother the opponent with your chest, trap their head with your arms, and use your legs to stop them from being able to create space with their lower body.

- Be aware that neck cranks aren’t allowed in many competitions

- Be aware that neck cranks aren’t very nice either. If you’re having a nice, friendly roll with someone you might want to leave neck cranks on the shelf.

- Be aware that neck cranks aren’t very nice. If you’re having a real fight with a real jerk and really want to hurt him feel free to take these off the shelf, polish them up with a nice cloth and some spray, and pop some dudes head off with it…

Note: The views expressed in these blogs are not officially the stances or opinions of Submission Martial Arts.

Ideas for Training:

- Pick a move, like the leg grab rollover sweep, and experiment with different set-ups and variations to it. While rolling, try these ideas out.

- The first three techniques can be linked together as part of a guard gameplan. Always keep an eye out for techniques that work together to form options based on the reactions of the opponent, such as: After the arm-drag from guard if the opponent stops you from taking the back he often opens himself up for a sweep. If he blocks the sweep there might be a submission. If he blocks the submission there might be another arm-drag, etc, etc.

- Work your half guard game. It’s become quite an important part of BJJ.

- Before you start a roll with someone ask them if they want to roll with leg locks, heel hooks, and toe holds. It’s not really safe to assume that it’s okay. Be polite and smart about it.

- If agreed upon, adding leg submissions is a great way to expand your thinking while rolling. Even if you don’t know them offensively you can work on your defense with someone that’s clued up.

- If you’re a noob, don’t try to leg lock people. Most will see it as you being careless with them and transition into something that will likely hurt you. It’s a quick way to break trust. Why is this? Because if you’re not in control a lot can go wrong.  

 

12-10-11

The Closed Guard is a position that carries with it a huge amount of options. Posture is usually what dictates the actions that are taken. When you find your opponent with an arm on the mat you get start this pathway of attack.

Getting an Arm on the Mat

If you decide that you want to attack with the following techniques you can force the posture of your opponent. Here are some ways to do it.

Opponent has both arms on the mat:

Attack the arms. This is where you want to be

Opponent has posture back and pulling away from you:

Start the Hip Bump Sweep but don’t eliminate the post. If done properly the opponent will likely post his arm on the mat.

Opponent in neutral posture:

Get standard grips: Left hand gripping the right sleeve. Right hand gripping the right collar. From there Pull to your right with your right hand and to the left with your left hand. This should split the opponent’s head from his arm, forcing the arm onto the mat.

There are many other variables, and options. These are just a few. We could be here all day, so we’ll just move on to the attack pathway.

From this position and posture you can start to attack the posted arms.

Figure 4 from Guard

Guillotine from Guard

Cutting Armbar from Guard

Figure 4 from Guard

If the opponent has their right arm down on the mat you should grab the wrist with your left arm, sleeve grip or wrist grab… whatever works.

Open your guard, turn onto your left hip, and get your upper body all the way over to the arm. With your right arm get up and over the arm and grab on to your own wrist. Make sure your upper body is connected to the opponent’s arm. You’re not reaching out.

Keep both of your elbows tight against your own body once you’ve got the Figure 4 grip on. With your chest still glued to the opponent’s arm sit back, and turn over onto your right hip. You’re not actually turning with your arms. You’re turning with your body.

As you turn onto your right hip, with arm locked in and elbows tight, you’ll be dropping the opponent’s head into the whole on the right side of your body. Their head should hit the mat. Keep turning as you push the opponent’s hand towards their opposite shoulder for the tap.

Tips:

- As with any submission, the tighter the better. Once you get an arm locked up, don’t give space for them to get it back. Consume the arm. The finish is 2% of the move.

- Sometimes the opponent will defend by hugging you (that’s nice, isn’t it?). They’re glue their ear to your back so that you can’t roll back over to finish the Figure 4. This is when you go into the:

Guillotine from Guard

You’ve get the Figure 4 lock on the opponent’s right arm. He hugs down and places his head against your back.

With your right arm, lock the opponent’s arm to your body as you take out your left hand to post behind you. Use that post to scoot your hips away a bit from your opponent so you’re sitting up. This aligns your shoulders for the guillotine.

Take your right arm out, over the opponent’s head, and enter your hand, palm down onto the opponent’s chest. You want your elbow joint in contact with the opponent’s neck.

Slide that hand up under the opponent’s chin. Take your left hand and grip on the back of your right hand. Pull up and in towards your chest for the tap.

Tips:

- Like everything else, space is the enemy of the Guillotine. One of the common issues is falling back into guard and relieving the pressure off the back of the opponent’s head. Keep the space to a minimum all around the opponent’s head and neck.

- Use your right foot to control the left hip of the opponent.

- Don’t press down on the head when you bring your arm over the opponent. That tucks their chin for them.

- This version is a blood choke. You’re looking to cut off the blood supply to the brain. It’s not an attempt to hurt the windpipe. That means that you need to get the arm right up against the artery.

- Sometimes your opponent will tuck his chin to counter the choke. Then, he’ll usually take his hand and fight yours. This is an opportunity to go into the:

Cutting Armbar from Guard

From the blocked Guillotine take your left hand and feed it under the opponent’s right armpit. Your palm is facing you and your fingers are up towards the sky. Take your right hand and gable grip on your left. Turn your arm over the opponent’s arm as you bring it up onto your shoulder, tight against your ear.

Keep the grip tight start to pull your hands up the opponent’s arm until you find the ‘sweet spot’ for the cutting armbar.

Once you hit the right spot you can lean back into the armbar and squeeze to finish.

Tips:

- Start the armbar with a deep grip near the opponent’s armpit. If you start too far up past the elbow you’ll miss the armbar all together.

- Like the other two techniques, elimination of space is key. Your opponent should feel the pressure on his tricep before the armbar comes on. Some people will tap just from that.

- Use your right foot on the opponent’s left hip to control his lower body.

- Cutting Armbars are moves that are very hard to regain once they are lost. That means they’re one of the many submissions you shouldn’t just keep cranking on. Either you have it or you don’t. That’s probably something that can be applied to most submissions, now that I think about it.

New rule: Don’t just keep cranking on something you don’t have.

Ideas for Training:

- Chase this posture, and pathway while sparring. Simply pull guard and keep a focus on getting the opponent to put hands on the mat. You’ll be amazed at how often you’ll notice something if you’re looking for it.

- Find someone that’s working on guard passes. You attack from guard while they look to pass. When you sweep or get a submission just reset and start again. When they pass just reset and start again. Because you’re both being intentional about what you’re doing, and you both know what the other person is doing it’ll raise the level of troubleshooting on both sides. That makes for better BJJ.

- If you want to start easier, simply take turns with techniques. You let him do his pass. Reguard. He let’s you do your technique. Repeat. Every 10 reps increase resistance until you’re going at the above drill.

- With a training partner do the Figure 4 to the tap, transition into the Guillotine to the tap, then transition to the Armbar to the tap. It’ll teach you to finish all three, and transition at the same time.