Leglocks have been around for a long time, but modern grapplers use them in slightly different contexts than classical grapplers. Here's how a submission grappler might link a takedown and a match-ending ankle-lock... (This technique is from the Submission Grappling vs. Classical Ju-Jutsu article on Grapplearts.com) Stephan squares off against his opponent. He shoots in with … [Read more...]
Leglocks
The Very First Time I Used the Logsplitter Sweep…
Check out this video, which shows the very first time I stumbled across the 'logsplitter' position. it was a complete fluke, but it still won me the match and a silver medal. Then read on to find out what happened AFTER that competition... Click here to watch the same logsplitter sweep video on YouTube. Cool, huh? This is a guard variation I now use all the time because it offers both … [Read more...]
Box a fighter, fight a boxer
"Box a fighter, and fight a boxer." This old saying isn't only limited to boxing - you can use the very same principle in grappling, jiu-jitsu and MMA.In a competition, or a 'serious' match you DON'T want to play the other guy's game. His game is what he's good at. … [Read more...]
The Reverse Mount; Another Unorthodox BJJ Position
The first time I saw the Reverse Mount I was at an Erik Paulson seminar. My reaction was something like "yeah, right...." I honestly thought that Erik had run out of high percentage things to teach and was now just making stuff up. … [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...]
Leglocking Interview
I recently had a great discussion with Dan and Caleb from TheFightwork's Podcast about the role of leglocks in Brazilian jiu- jitsu. We discussed a lot of things leglock, including how to train them safely, how to use them to help augment your guard passing game, and how their role has changed and evolved within the sport. Check the interview out on the site or download it to your iPod. … [Read more...]
Leglock Entry from Standing Clinch
Jumping into a leg lock is a great alternative to pulling guard! Here's a technique to go from standing directly into a leglock that I've used successfully multiple times, both in competition and in sparring. This clip is from the 'Entries' section of the High Percentage Leglocks DVD, available on this site. You can view the same Standing Clinch video on YouTube by clicking this link! … [Read more...]
The Four Most Common Leglock Mistakes
When you're doing a leglock a tiny adjustment can have a huge effect. And if you're doing something wrong then it can totally shut down your attack. Leglocks are no different - if you can simply avoid making these common mistakes then you'll put the power of your leglock attacks through the roof. In the video below I go over the four most common leglock mistakes. This is a small … [Read more...]
The ‘Hip Hop’ Counter to the Anklelock
Here's on of the highest percentage leglock escapes from the Counters and Recounters section of the High Percentage Leglocks DVD. Click here to see the same Hip Hop Counter video on YouTube. … [Read more...]
Counter to the Rolling Toehold vs. de la Riva Guard
The rolling toehold is a very powerful, very surprising attack. Here's a way to counter it and shut it down when your opponent tries to do it to you. This clip is from Bonus Toeholds Section of the High Percentage Leglocks DVD. Click here to view the same Rolling Toehold Counter video on YouTube! … [Read more...]
Congratulations to a Leglock Master
Oleg Taktarov was one of the early pioneers in the UFC. Coming from a sambo background he had a very distinctive skill set. And nobody had more heart!! I'm delighted that Oleg recently stepped back into the cage and defeated Mark Kerr with a kneebar, which has always been one of Oleg's signature moves. Oleg was very influential on my leglock game development, both in terms of technique and … [Read more...]
The Twister Vs. The Toehold
Q: You've previously discussed dangerous submissions. Do you think that the twister spine lock is a dangerous submission? How dangerous is the twister compared to other submissions, say something like a toehold? A: The quick answer is that both submissions (the toehold and the twister) are dangerous. If you were to collect injury statistics, you would probably find that more people have … [Read more...]
How to Train Dangerous Submissions
In the previous article we discussed some of the most dangerous submissions in grappling, and ended with the question of how one can train these submissions realistically... The easy answer "slowly, gently, and with control". But even with this advice people still get hurt, so obviously more explanation is required. Below are some solutions used by different schools to solve the problem. … [Read more...]
The Dangerous Locks
Not all submissions are created equal: some cause pain, some put you to sleep, and some do a lot of damage. Today I want to talk about the latter category, those submissions most likely to send you to the orthopedic surgeon. Knowing which locks are dangerous is important for at least two reasons: first, you need to know which submissions to tap out early to if you are caught in one yourself, … [Read more...]
My Favorite Hightlight Reel
It seems like every MMA, BJJ and submission grappling competitor has a highlight video nowadays, and I'm going to share my favorite one with you. … [Read more...]
Foot Injuries in Grappling
Grapplers are a tough bunch, and generally tend to ignore injuries unless broken bones are actually protruding from a wound. I want to temper this tendency by using the Grapplearts pulpit to discuss a very serious category of orthopedic injury: strains and sprains of the lowly foot. … [Read more...]
Sambo Leglocks
A reader writes: Q: " I have a question about the relevance of Sambo in helping improve a fighter's leglocks. Does it really help that much to practice Sambo if you want to become very skilled at leglocks?" A: I've learned a lot about leglocks from Sambo practitioners (Oleg Taktarov, for example). Sambo has a lot of leglocks in its submission arsenal, most of which are directly relevant to … [Read more...]
Kneebarring the Top or Bottom Leg?
Someone recently asked me if they should attack the top or the bottom leg when doing a kneebar. This is actually the second or third time I've been asked this question, so I think it is worthwhile to address it here in writing. When you are doing a kneebar, 90% of the time you will be on your side, attacking either the top or the bottom leg. Say you are attacking your opponent's right leg with … [Read more...]