The Estima Lock is a footlock attack you can use against the open guard, especially modern forms of guard like the reverse de la riva, inverted guard, and others. You can basically use it any time your opponent uses a side kick style foot position against your chest or belly. And - BOOM - it comes on super quickly so he better tap fast! It was developed by two brothers, Victor and Braulio … [Read more...]
My Favourite Omoplata Escape
The omoplata is one of my very favourite techniques - it's a submission, a sweep, and a setup for other sweeps and submissions. That's why I've got a ton of articles about this technique on Grappearts! But much as I love the omoplata I absolutely HATE getting caught in it myself. I want to show you my favourite omoplata escapes right now... First of all though, let's talk about the … [Read more...]
My Favourite Head and Arm Choke Finish
The head and arm choke (aka the 'arm triangle' and/or 'kata gatame') is one of the staple submissions of BJJ. It works with the gi, in MMA and in submission grappling. A lot of people can get to this position, but then have problems actually finishing the choke, especially if their opponent has a strong neck and upper body. Here is my favourite way to finish the head and arm choke. You … [Read more...]
A 3 Step Process for Making an Angle (and Getting a Big Advantage) in the Closed Guard
When you’re fighting your opponent in the Closed Guard, you don’t want to be facing straight towards your opponent creating a big rectangle. Ideally, you want to be doing a Closed Guard with him off the side. This is analogous to being to the side of your opponent in a boxing match: all all of his weapons aren't aimed at you and all your weapons are pointing straight at him! If you can make … [Read more...]
BJJ Wristlocks Everywhere!
For some reasons wristlocks in BJJ just don't get no respect. Many grapplers consider it OK to tap out to armlocks, triangle chokes, shoulder locks or lapel chokes, but for some reason wristlocks are considered super cheesy. However the wrist is just as legitimate a joint to attack as the elbow, shoulder or knee. In fact there's a meme going around the online BJJ community right now. I … [Read more...]
Five Triangle Chokes You Should Know
This video and article was inspired after a run of triangle chokes in MMA in 2010, including those used by Fabricio Werdum against Fedor Emelianenko, Chris Lytle against Matt Brown, and Brock Lesnar against Shane Carwin. But the term 'triangle choke' can be used for several different submissions, and this can be confusing to the novice or intermediate-level grappler. So to make sense of the five … [Read more...]
How Vinny Magalhães Survived Fabrício Werdum’s Armbar to Win ADCC
In the heaviest weight class of the 2011 ADCC submission fighting championships there was a fascinating matchup between accomplished grappler and MMA fighter Vinny Magalhães and the two time ADCC champion, Fabrício Werdum. After an initial exchange on the feet Vinny caught Fabrício in an omoplata sweep and got ahead on points. Fabrício escapes, they get back to the feet, there's another … [Read more...]
How To Do The ‘Imanari Roll’
The Imanari roll is absolutely one of the coolest submission attacks out there. It's unorthodox, it's fancy, but unlike many other flashy moves it's it's also quite high percentage. If you do it correctly you get straight into the 411 leglock position, which is the most powerful leglocking position we have. So there's definitely a huge upside if you land it. This move has been used … [Read more...]
How to Safely Practice Dangerous Leglocks
Q: Given that leglocks are dangerous, how do you train them safely and still have confidence that they will work in a 'live' setting. A: Although ANY submission is potentially dangerous, cranking someone with a heel hook or toehold can not only end the match, it can end your opponent's athletic career. Go here if you don't know what a heel hook is. . If you don't know what a toehold is, … [Read more...]
Kimura Armlock from North-South Position
The first time I saw this Kimura variation from the north-south position I said to myself, "Yeah right, that'll never work in a million, billion years!" And that's because it looked like you had no control over his body, But the funny thing was that when I actually started training it then it felt pretty good... And then I started catching people in it and tapping them out... And now, … [Read more...]
Three Powerful Neck Crank Defenses
Neck cranks are undeniably powerful submissions often used in submission grappling. Rather than constricting the trachea and arteries at the front and sides of the neck like most chokes, a neck crank typically attacks the cervical spine itself. The trouble is, if you're on the receiving end of one of these attacks and don't tap out fast enough then you can sustain a long-lasting or even … [Read more...]
Jiu-Jitsu for the Zombie Apocalypse
As we get closer and closer to Halloween it's important to shift your priorities from training jiu-jitsu to surviving the impending zombie apocalypse. (After all, it's tough to train jiu-jitsu when you're dead. Or undead, as the case may be.) That's why you've got to check out the most important video I've ever put onto Youtube: Jiu-Jitsu for the Zombie Apocalypse. A lot of people will … [Read more...]
A Bow and Arrow Choke Escape
The bow and arrow choke is one of the most powerful chokes from the back in the entire BJJ repertoire. Many matches in the black belt division of the Mundials have ended with this choke, so you know it works! This attack is called the 'Bow and Arrow' choke because when you apply it your opponent gets bent sideways into a bow shape, while you stay straight (i.e. an arrow). Bending your … [Read more...]
Defense vs the Over-Under Guard Pass
The 'over-under' pass is a pressure-based technique for passing the guard which is used quite successfully in high level competition. In part it's a great pass because you don't have to be particularly fast or nimble to pull it off. When you're on the bottom and defending this pass, however, life can really suck... Not only is it an effective pass, but it's a tiring one to defend. You're … [Read more...]
The Figure 4 Straight Armlock: An Easy and Surprising Submission from the Top Position
The straight arm figure 4 was one of the very first armlocks I was ever shown on the ground. But it was super unreliable. In fact, for the next 3 decades, I would only be able to get it to work occasionally and then only against inferior or very tired opponents. Most of the time my sparring partners would simply twist or muscle their way out of it, or - most discouraging of all - just … [Read more...]
3 Spider Guard Drills to Improve Your Sweeping and Submissions
The last time I had a filming session with my friend and training partner Ritchie Yip he showed something really cool... It was a series of 3 drills to improve your spider guard sweeps and submissions. The first drill is a relatively easy one to that develops hip mobility and leg dexterity. Spider guard is NOT a static position; as your opponent moves and tries to pass your guard you need … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Apply the Omoplata Armlock Submission (and Stop the Rolling Escape)
The omoplata is one of my very favorite armlocks. There are so many opportunities to get to this submission from almost every guard position, the top, in scrambles, etc. And because you're using the strength of both of your legs against his arm it has the potential to be an ultra powerful submission! Trouble is, against better opponents the omoplata often turns into a sweep: your opponent … [Read more...]
Which Leglocks Are Allowed in IBJJF Competition?
I'm old enough to remember a time when almost all leglocks (except heel hooks) and leg locking positions were legal in BJJ competition. But in the last 20 years the IBJJF - the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation - has really clamped down on what's legal in their BJJ competitions, and since it's the biggest organising body in the sport these rule changes have really changed the leglock … [Read more...]
The Main Positions of Modern Leglocking
One of the biggest changes in the modern approach to leg locking is the emphasis on controlling the underlying leglock positions rather than going straight for the submission. In some ways this is an old approach; jiu-jitsu been preaching Position before Submission an this is exactly the same philosophy applied to leglocks. I've put together free PDF book for you with a checklist of the 12 … [Read more...]
Escape the Heel Hook!
Even if you don't like leglocks you still have to know how to defend them! And this is ESPECIALLY true when it comes to the heel hook. (I've been suddenly and powerfully heel hooked by an enthusiastic moron in BJJ class where it's illegal and when we were both wearing the gi. Believe me, it didn't feel good at all!) If there's just one joint lock you should learn to defend it's the heel … [Read more...]