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Marcus Soares

The Single Leg X Guard – A Surprising Way to Pull Guard…

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Should you pull guard in competition?  And if you decide to pull guard, then how do you do it correctly? In a certain sense, I am uniquely unqualified to answer these questions... You see, much of my BJJ comes from 8th degree black belt Marcus Soares, and Marcus is very much from the old-school Carlson Gracie way of doing things. The Carlson approach to jiu-jitsu is definitely focused on … [Read more...]

3 Open Guard Options vs. Standing Opponents

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If you don't have a gameplan from the open guard then this position can quickly become a confusing and ineffective tangle of arms and legs . And open guard chaos gets much, much worse when you don't have a good grip on your opponent. Even a single solid grip on your opponent's arm, neck, foot, heel or gi allows you to control his posture, limit his movement, and set up your own attacks. … [Read more...]

Old School Closed Guard Pressure Pass

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In the era of the inverted inside-out de la worm guard it's sometimes easy to forget how brutally effective the closed guard is. Until someone puts you in it, shuts down your guard passes, chokes you silly and armlocks you until you want to rip your belt off and throw it across the mat. The closed guard is old school but it still works. And for self defense and MMA it's still an incredibly … [Read more...]

A Powerful Surprise Choke Attack from Sidemount

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This is one of my very favourite attacks from Sidemount. It works in a BJJ context (i.e. with the gi), in submission grappling, and even in MMA. It's a very powerful attack, but the best thing about is that if it doesn't work then you don't typically lose position. You stay on top and can easily switch to a followup attack. … [Read more...]

Why Don’t More BJJ Students Ask Questions?

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I know I've been lucky, but most of my martial arts instructors have encouraged questions. For example, my BJJ coach, Marcus Soares, is known for his killer conditioning sessions ('warmups,' he calls them...). But right after putting his class through hell he always starts the technical part of class by asking, "Are there any questions." He then takes time to answer each and every question, … [Read more...]

The Biggest Gi Choke Mistake (And How to Fix It)

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How a single 'quick fix' can triple the power of your gi choke attacks Gi chokes are a fundamental and effective strategy in BJJ. Maybe the two best known gi choke are the cross collar choke from guard and the cross collar choke from mount.  We'll explore that choke in more detail below, but rest assured that it has been used to submit world class competitors at the highest levels of … [Read more...]

Technique 2: Reverse Shoulder Lock

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Marcus and Denis demonstrate the reverse shoulder lock. (1) Marcus starts out with Denis in his guard using a basic sleeve and lapel grip (2) He puts his left foot on the hip and his right foot on his opponent's bicep (3) He steps over Denis's head with his right foot (4) Putting a lot of pressure on his opponent's shoulder he hooks his instep under Denis's right … [Read more...]

Marcus Soares technique 3: Half Guard Pass and Cervical Choke

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Marcus Soares and Denis Kang demonstrate a Half Guard Pass and a Cervical Choke. (1) To avoid getting swept in Denis Kang's half-guard, Marcus keeps Denis flat on his back and pins his face with his shoulder. One arm (left) hooks his head and grips the collar, and the other comes through Denis's legs and grips his belt. (2) By kicking his trapped leg backwards and keeping his weight … [Read more...]

Marcus Soares – Kimura from Open Guard

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Marcus Soares demonstrates the Kimura from the Open Guard Photo 1 - This time your opponent is standing in your open guard and trying to pass it. Start with a sleeve and lapel grip, with one foot pushing your opponent's hip and the other hooking behind his knee. Keep your opponent bent over to limit his ability to move or mount an offence. Photo 2 - If your opponent grips your knee then you … [Read more...]

Marcus Soares – Kimura from Mount

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Here's how the Kimura can help you transition from the Closed Guard, to the Mount, and then to your opponent tapping out. Photo 1 - If your opponent is quick he may be able to counter your Kimura from the guard by posting his foot and grabbing his pants. You may be able to simply rip his grip free from his gi pants if you are stronger or he is sloppy, but the following is a more elegant … [Read more...]

Marcus Soares Kimura from Closed Guard

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Marcus Soares demonstrates a basic attack from the guard: Closed Guard to Kimura Photo 1 - In Brazil this sequence is often taught as one of the most basic attacks from the guard. You start with your opponent in the closed guard and a grip on his sleeve and lapel. Photo 2 - With your sleeve grip you pull your opponent's hand to the ground. At the same time you open your guard, escape your … [Read more...]

Mastering the Kimura

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By Stephan Kesting and Marcus Soares Originally published in Grappling Magazine, May 2002 The Kimura lock is one of the most important submission holds in Jiu-jitsu. It is also found in many other grappling systems, where it might be called a hammerlock, a chickenwing, or ude-garami. Whatever it is called, it is a powerful and versatile attack. Wherever you see grapplers competing, whether … [Read more...]