This armlock has been part of the Japanese Ju-Jutsu arsenal for hundreds of years; here's how it's applied in a modern-day submission grappling context... (This technique is from the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com) … [Read more...]
Armlocks
Classical Ju-jutsu Armlock
Here's one classical approach to applying the armlock that has morphed into the 'Americana' or Figure 4 Armlock in modern submission grappling). As you can see, it's similar but different... (This technique is part of the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com) … [Read more...]
A Drill to Rescue the Armbar from Guard
At a seminar I attended, martial arts legend Dan Inosanto once distinguished between the techniques used in a martial art, and the training methods used to develop those techniques. These are different things! … [Read more...]
New DVD – “Step-by-Step Submissions”
I just want to tell people that I'm adding another DVD to my Roadmap for BJJ Package. It's tentatively titled "Step-by-Step Submissions". This new video will be in a different format from my other DVDs. … [Read more...]
Catch and Release – What to do if your opponent just won’t tap?
Back when I was mostly training in Judo I heard that there were some traditional dojos in Japan where tapping out to a choke was frowned upon - even in club sparring sessions you were supposed to fight the choke right to the bitter end, and your opponent would release the hold only AFTER you passed out. I thought that this was pretty hardcore, and felt lucky that the Judo club I trained at … [Read more...]
Jiu-jitsu, a Game of Inches
One of my favorite expressions is that "jiu-jitsu is a game of inches". Sometimes a whole match can be decided by the battle to move your hand one inch forward. The single best example I can think of to illustrate this concept is the Ten Finger Guillotine as taught by Chris Brennan. Take a look at this picture, paying special attention to the position of the thumbs. Notice how the first … [Read more...]
Armbar Defense vs. Crossed Ankles
A reader writes: Q: How do I escape the armbar when my opponent is crossing his ankes? A: Crossing the ankles during the armbar is controversial, but is an effective way to shut down many of your opponent's escapes. … [Read more...]
Submissions as Sweeps
Submissions end fights, and sweeps take you from the bottom to the top. At first glance they seem like very different types of techniques, but this week I'm going to discuss how they sometimes merge into one another. There are times when you lock on a submission but sense that you won't be able to finish it - maybe your opponent is too strong, perhaps you don't have it on quite right, or maybe … [Read more...]
All Roads Lead to the Reverse Omoplata
I recently came across a very detailed breakdown of a little known technique called the 'reverse omoplata'. As soon as I saw it I knew that I wanted it available on Grapplearts, so I went and sought permission from the author (Matt Kirtley) and now I can happily pass these techniques on to you: Step-by-step reverse omoplata Side ride arm trapping details Standing guard pass to reverse … [Read more...]
Crossed Ankle Armbars, Yes or No?
Want to start an argument? Ask several grapplers whether or not you should cross your ankles when doing the basic armbar. Many people will definitively tell you that you should NEVER cross your ankles. … [Read more...]
A Very Last-Ditch Kimura Defense
There is a slightly wacky Kimura (chickenwing) defense that has saved my butt several times recently. I haven't seen it described anywhere else, so I thought I'd share it with you this week. If you don't know what the Kimura armlock is you can see some examples in this article here. Suppose that your opponent has you in side control; he is on your right side and is attacking your left arm … [Read more...]
Armbar Fundamentals
OK, let's talk about something really fundamental this week: armbars when you and your opponent have your backs on the floor (i.e. bellies to the sky). Even if you are an advanced grappler it helps to review basic techniques. … [Read more...]