Armbar Injury

I have had a tournament coming up that I am was training for, the (Bluegrass BJJ Open), until I jacked my arm up in an armbar the other night.

I have a bad habit of thinking offensively rather than defensively when I am on the bottom stuck in side control. This usually results in me turning to my side and my opponent going for an armbar. So with this in mind and with the Bluegrass BJJ Open coming up I decided to work more on armbar defense. Well...that plan backfired.

I've learned a few different techniques for getting out of the armbar. The one I have the most success with (especially on bigger / stronger guys) is by getting the gable grip, hipping up and turning into him as I come back down, use his momentum of pulling on my arm and roll up on top of him and stack him, grab his collar and drive my forearm into his throat until he lets go of my arm.

The other night I tried the above mentioned technique when rolling with another blue belt (never rolled with this guy before). The blue belt was a lot smaller than I - but he was strong and very quick. Since he was small I figured I should be able to pull off this armbar defense with no problem. I let him get the armbar setup thinking this is a good opportunity to work on my defense. Bad idea!! His speed and execution were good and I missed the defense. He had me laid out in the armbar but I didn't tap right away thinking I could get out of it. Since I didn't tap immediately he cranked on it and it felt like bubble wrap being popped inside my elbow. The popping occurred in the funny bone area and down into my forearm. It was painful for about 15 - 20 seconds and then it went numb. I should have stopped rolling but since I couldn't feel it I just kept going - yes I know, spare me the speech - I just wanted to roll!!

Now I am out of training until it gets better and more than likely out of the tournament. So, to all you guys (like me) who have been told by your coach to tap early and often to prevent injury but you didn't listen because of your pride and underestimation of your opponent - learn from my mistake. Don't let yourself get in a bad position just to work the escape when rolling with a partner that you don't know and don't ever under estimate your opponent's abilities.

Triangle Entry - Follow Up

This is a follow up to my post on 12/3/12 about a particular triangle entry.

After it out a few times it seems that this particular triangle entry is not that easy to pull off from escaping side control. I'd stick to something more fundamental unless you are super agile. However, the spin move into the triangle does work good when coming out of particular scrambles.

Anytime you are up on your shoulders and you have to spin around in order to face your opponent is a good time to deploy the entry. When you are scrambling, and you have to spin around in order to face him, chances are he's going to come into you and he will probably take one arm and try to reach under your leg to pass your guard which sets you up for the triangle.

Triangle Basics - Triangle to Armbar

Yesterday's post about the triangle entry from one of the Roy Dean Academy students lead me to looking at more videos from their academy. This video covers the basic points you'll need to keep in mind in order to execute the triangle choke. Towards the end of the video the instructor touches base on the relationship between the triangle choke and the armbar from guard.

I've recently started exploring more on the relationship between the triangle choke and the ambar from guard and how to transition from one to the other fluidly. Now when I roll/spar I keep in my head that if I am going for a triangle there is also an armbar there and vise versa. So basically I think, "he's defending the triangle - go for the armbar, he's defending the armbar - go for the triangle".

Roy Dean Academy Triangle Entry

A training partner of mine shared a video on facebook from the Roy Dean Academy on one of the students testing for Brown Belt that I thought is worth sharing. The first half of the video shows a lot of good technique then they go into rolling. The part that caught my attention the most was at 1:00 minute into the video the student goes from a side control escape to a reverse spin into the triangle choke.

This is the first time I've seen this move. Although flashy, it looks like it could be a high percentage move, when timed right, since your opponent is expecting you to come in towards him with the knee across the belly to regain guard. However, this triangle entry will take some practice and appears will only work if he doesn't have any of his weight on you and is giving you some space (or you've created the space needed). Creating that much space will be difficult when rolling with an upper level Jiu Jitsu player. It looks like your best bet is to try this later on in the match when he is tired and not as focused.

I am looking forward to trying this triangle entry. The triangle choke was always my favorite BJJ move but I haven't given it as much attention as I should have during my training. Since the BJJ workshop by Chris Griffin on triangle entries I've been going for them more. And now, seeing this triangle entry makes me want to explore other entry options.

Butterfly Sweeps & Triangle Entries from Chris Griffin

Chris Griffin "Captain Asian America"

In the recent past I had the opportunity to learn some very effective moves from Chris Griffin aka "Captain Asian America" or "Kentucky Ninja" while he visited a couple of local Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training centers.

Chris is the founder of Griffin's Submission Academy (Louisville, Ky.) and a very good Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player. In September Chris visited Lawrenceburg Martial Arts (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) and demonstrated a series of butterfly sweeps. In October he visited Valhalla Academy (Frankfort, Ky.) and showed a series of triangle choke entries.

I never really paid much attention to butterfly sweeps because I never really had much success with them. Chris really opened my eyes and made me realize that there are several other types of butterfly sweeps and there are many common entries from which to execute the sweeps. Now, nearly every time I roll I find myself trying to set up some form/version of the butterfly sweep - this is happening easily now that I know what to look for.

About 6-8 months after I first started training in BJJ I started going for triangle chokes from any which way possible. It didn't matter what position I was in, if there was one arm in and one arm out I went for it. But as I learned other moves the triangle choke fell to the way side and didn't get much attention. Chris reopened my eyes, he showed several different entry possibilities that I hadn't considered before.

Thank you Chris Griffin! Both the butterfly sweep series and triangle choke entries have opened my eyes and improved my game significantly. Also, a big Thanks to Tim Hurt (Lawrenceburg Martial Arts) and Brian Jones (Valhalla Academy) for hosting the "Kentucky Ninja" and inviting all Carlson Gracie Kentucky Affiliates to participate.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Basics - Closed Guard Defense

A few weeks ago was the Bluegrass Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament again and was the first time I competed as a blue belt. I went into the tournament feeling very confident - like I was going to walk out of the with a gold medal around my neck and I was going to make my school proud. Wrong!! Didn't happen. I got my but kicked. I thought I had made all of the necessary preparations (cut weight naturally, improved my cardio, improved my explosiveness, had new sweeps in my arsenal, etc., etc.) but non of that mattered because I didn't have my BASICS down like I should have.

In two out of the four matches I was submitted by an armbar and a triangle after my opponents broke down my posture from within their guard. There is no way I should be a blue belt if they can break my posture down that easily. Not only were they able to break me down but they were very quick & decisive, they new exactly what the wanted to do and flowed from move to move without hesitation. Are these guys that good or do I have a lot of work to do? Pretty sure it is a combination of both.

Before my next Jui-Jitsu class after the tournament the instructor asked what I had the most difficulty with; so, I explained that they kept breaking me down from within their guard. As a result he decided to cover that in class that day - not only did I learn that I had been making subtle mistakes that compounded each other which added to the ease of my opponents ability to break me down, but also noticed that the higher ranking belts had the same problems. This reconfirms that no matter what level you are at everyone needs to continue working on the basics!

After re-evaluating my technique and making adjustments were needed I noticed a HUGE difference. Since then I've rolled with 2 different black belts and several other upper belts under black and they had a hard time breaking me down while I was in their guard. Most of the time they resorted to opening their guard and trying a sweep instead. This was a huge wake up call for me. It doesn't matter how many moves you know - if you don't have the basics down you'll never get to use them!

Living up to Blue Belt

Since my last post I went from being a 3 stripe white belt to a blue belt in a rather short period of time. The transition from day one to day blue was about 15 months - much quicker than I had anticipated (I was expecting closer to the two year mark). The feeling of having to hurry up and learn more in order to actually feel like a blue belt set in very quickly and still remains.

The Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt that promoted me must have seen something he liked - however, I don't feel like I have the mental aspect down nor do I have the physical muscle memory required to represent this level in Jiu-Jitsu. The more I think about this the more I realize that being promoted a little ahead of the curve can be a good thing. If you are serious about Jiu Jitsu and feel like you aren't at the level in which you represent then it makes you work that much harder to get there - playing catch up. This is exactly what I am going through and still feel like I have a long way to go!

Guillotine Choke - Defense/Prevent a Broken Neck

There has been some buzz in the Jiu-Jitsu and MMA circuits recently about Guillotine Choke Safety. Not too long ago an MMA fighter broke his neck from a guillotine choke while going for a takedown. In this particular case the fighter decided to continue with the takedown instead defending the guillotine. I don't know any other specifics about this particular case but it was enough for me to start thinking about my safety when I get caught in the guillotine from standing.

Bellow are a couple of videos that provide some good info on what to do when you get caught in the guillotine from standing. 

Safety/Technique on MMA style takedowns while in the guillotine choke.

 

This is the defense I learned when I first started Jiu-Jitsu. I had since forgotten about it until I revisited this subject and came across this video.

Ezekiel Choke

In follow up to my last post on 07/02/12 about loosing a match at NAGA to an Ezekiel Choke from within my opponent's guard I decided to research the choke. I found that there are several different versions of the Ezekiel Choke but I couldn't find the exact version that was used on me - the first video is the closest version.

1. Similar to the Ezekiel from guard that my opponent used on me except the hand gripping the collar was a deep under hand grip. After he had the underhand grip set he pulled me down towards his chest and then reached his arm around my head and grabbed his sleeve for the choke. 

2. Ezekiel Choke using your opponent's gi

3. Popular version of the Ezekiel Choke

4. Arm In Ezekiel Choke & Defense

NAGA Columbus - 1rst Place

On Father's day weekend I had the opportunity to compete in my first NAGA event in Columbus, OH. I took home the Gold in the Adult Gi 150-159.9lbs division. I also placed 2nd in the Masters division but can't claim any credit for it since there were only two people in the division and I lost due to an Ezekiel Choke from within my opponent's guard.

I hadn't learned the Ezekiel Choke yet and as such I didn't recognize what was going on when it was being applied. I just thought he had one hand deep in my collar and that I wasn't in any danger unless he went for the other collar to perform a traditional cross collar choke. It felt like it was just a controlling ploy until he reached around my head, grabbed his own gi at his arm, and then squeezed. No biggie, I'll just stack him and apply pressure at his neck until he lets go - nope, didn't happen that way! While stacking him I was reaching for his collar to pull myself in tight over his head - but before I could finish executing I passed out on top of the guy. So yes, you can bet your @$$ that I'll be learning what Mr. Ezekiel Choke can do for me in the future and how to defend against it!!!

Being my first NAGA event and didn't really know what to expect. I was impressed with the overall logistics of the event and had a great time. It was another great learning experience and plan to compete again in the near future!!

Submission Master Grappling Dummy - Clock Choke

So you want to practice the traditional clock choke from turtle or the tornado clock choke but you don't have a partner to practice on. Here's is where using the Submission Master Grappling Dummy gets creative.

This particular jiu jitsu grappling dummy is great for working with it on its back or postured up to work on grappling techniques from your guard. However, when it comes to techniques from the turtle position it doesn't want to stay in turtle by itself because the arms aren't stiff enough to hold it's weight up. The solution? - simply put something under the grappling dummy's stomach while it's on all fours. You could use a step stool, make a box out of plywood, use an upside down small trash can, etc. I use a small ottoman from Wal-Mart that fits perfectly and will support the abuse.

Tornado Clock Choke

After recently rolling with someone who's gi was super tight I truly see the value in the tornado clock choke. I haven't had a chance to try this out yet but am looking forward to it. We were taught to hook the inside of the thigh/leg but I can see where sometimes that may not work. So, if hooking the thigh doesn't work and grabbing the gi pants doesn't work then I say go F5 tornado on them!!

Clock Choke

During my year of Jiu Jitsu training I've heard of the clock choke but haven't learned it in class or looked it up. Last week my instructor showed it to us and I think I will end up using this a lot. It seems very effective as long as you can keep your opponent from defending.

This video does a good job of showing and explaining the basics of the clock choke.The version we learned in class was starting with one leg behind and one leg beside your opponent (opponent in turtle) and you didn't have a hold of the collar yet. I like how this video shows the transition into the clock choke starting from your back with your opponent in your guard.

Grappling Dummy - Breaking In the Legs

Before Saturday's Jiu Jitsu class I worked technique on the Submission Master Grappling Dummy for about 20 minutes. I had trouble getting it to stay upright because I hadn't used it in a while and the legs went back to their original position. The legs are stiff when you first get the grappling dummy and it takes some time working with it to break the legs in right. I didn't want to overdue it and rip the stitches in the crotch area so I've been taking easy on the legs; as a result, the legs tend to go back to default position if you go a while without using the dummy.

There are two solutions to keeping the grappling dummy's legs trained to stay in a good position when you're not using it. The first is to store the dummy with a push-up bar wedged between the thighs. This will work the stitches and material in the crotch area. Second is to store the dummy postured up with the feet pulled out with it's butt sitting on the floor between it's feet. This will work the stitches and material at the knees and legs.

1. Push-up bar wedged between the thighs.

2. Grappling Dummy postured up with it's feet pulled out and it's butt on the floor.

Al Bundy is a Black Belt!!!

Al Bundy a Black Belt? That's awesome!!

Grappling Dummy - Spider Guard Sweep

In today's Jiu-Jitsu session I had the opportunity to roll with new people at a different school. It was the perfect opportunity to try a new sweep from spider guard I saw earlier today.

I had to slowly fish my legs into position to execute the sweep but it worked twice on an opponent who was about 60lbs heavier than me (and a white belt). When I tried it against a purple belt it didn't work so well because I didn't get my legs set up quick enough before he started to defend. This move will be easy to practice on the martial arts dummy, so with a little practice I think I'll be able to use it against the higher belts. The Submission Master Grappling Dummy only weighs about 80lbs. Although 80lbs isn't much - it is dead weight, so practicing this particular spider guard sweep with the Jiu-Jitsu dummy will be good training.

Jiu Jitsu Grappling Dummy

There is a NAGA (North American Grappling Association) tournament coming up that I really want to attend. I don't feel as if I'm ready as my conditioning and mental strength isn't where I want it to be. So tonight, with only 1hr to train, I had to decide what would be the most effective use of my time.

I decided to work with the Submission Master Grappling Dummy. Out came the Jiu-Jitsu notes from class and we went to work. Most of my concentration was on what to do once I achieved side control since my mind tends to go blank when I get to this point during live rolling. Once I did one move I tried to transition into what I thought would be the next logical move from that position. Rolling with the jiu jitsu grappling dummy didn't really work my conditioning but I figured that working technique and knowing what to do in different situations was more important. Hopefully I'll get some good roll time in this week to help improve my conditioning.

iGrapple - Butterfly Guard

Yesterday's class was a good eye opener to some serious work needed when it comes to no gi.

I've been down this road before but haven't addressed the issue because most of my Jiu-Jitsu training is with the gi. In gi Jiu-Jitsu it is so easy to control your opponent just by simply grabbing the gi and working your way into your next move, whereas in no gi there is nothing to grab onto.

The few gi butterfly sweeps that I know didn't work well yesterday because of a combination of my training partners being more experienced (they know how to defend) and poor execution on my part. In addition to trying the sweeps I also tried some submissions from the butterfly guard but they didn't work either.

This morning I looked at iGrapple to see what additional options it shows from butterfly guard. It turns out iGrapple has a lot of different options and has the moves broken down from the position of your arms on your opponent (Double Underhook, Under & Overhook, Double Overhook, Arms Across Body). Rather than trying to look at all of these I decided to think about what position my arms are usually in (naturally) and came to the conclusion that I usually go for the "Under & Overhook" of my opponent's arms. From here there are three moves that I've decide to concentrate on, (elbow lock, omoplata - when executing the elbow lock you are already in position to go into the omoplata, & taking his back). With a little practice on the grappling dummy these techniques should be simple to apply the next time I roll no gi - I'll let you know how it goes.

Breathing - Conserving Energy

Proper breathing and conserving energy is something that many beginners probably don't think about.

During my last tournament the announcer calls my name for my first match - so I put on my headgear, don my mouthpiece, and stand there waiting for the match to start when I hear Sensei say, "Darren, slow down your breathing, relax". I was breathing hard and was all tensed up before the match had even started.

I definitely need to work on this as I'm sure most beginners do. This video captures the concept of creating space so you can breathe while also concentrating on physically conserving your energy.

Kettlebells for Grapplers

Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend. I was out for 4 days and it felt like I hadn't trained for 2 weeks. Speaking of training, I saw this article today about training with kettlebells. I haven't trained with kettlebells before but after reading this article I am now considering it. The author, Brian Jones, is now a Black Belt in Carlson Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Click here to read the Kettlebells for Grapplers Article

Grip - Gi Pull-Ups

Whether you just started Jiu-Jitsu or you've been doing it a while your hands and forearms usually reach muscle failure relatively quick from holding on to your opponent's gi. Gi pull-ups are a great way to improve your overall grip strength.

There are two grip variations to the gi pull-up - thumb inside the collar and fingers inside the collar. Grab the gi with the preferred grip and do as many pull-ups as you can. Try to alternate grips and move you elbows in and out to utilize different forearm muscles.

If you aren't able to do the pull-ups then use a chair. Put the chair on the floor under the gi, put your feet on the chair and use your legs to assist you in the pull-up.

First grip - thumb inside the collar.

Second grip - fingers inside the collar.

Jiu Jitsu Tournament Performance

During the Bluegrass Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open last weekend I noticed a few people get really upset when they lost their match. I can see being disappointed in your performance but getting down right upset - really? - grow up folks!! When you go into these tournaments you have to go in with the right attitude. Go to the tournament and treat it as a learning experience. If you win every match that's great but how much did you really learn? When you loose a match you end up thinking about what you need to work on so you don't make the same mistake the next time. This is an excellent tool for improving your Jiu-Jitsu.

When you tap out to your training partner you don't take it as seriously as when you tap out in a tournament. I lost one of my matches by being arm barred within a triangle hold - yes, I was disappointed that I lost but that loss made me more determined to practice triangle defense.

Check out this video, this guy competed often throughout his entire Jiu Jitsu career but didn't win a medal until his second competition match as black belt!

Jiu-Jitsu Drills

Here is a good set of Jiu-Jitsu drills you can do at home. Enjoy!

Grappling Dummy & Side Control / Scarf Hold

Before class I had an hour to work drills with the Submission Master Grappling Dummy. I was kind of lazy and didn't go at it full bore but I did work some new technique. The legs are starting to loosen up a little as the grappling dummy is slowly getting broken in.

In today's Jiu Jitsu class we worked more on the side control/inverted scarf hold position that I talked about yesterday. A lot of emphasis was put on not having your chest down on top of your opponent but rather your hip and side the side of your torso. It feels more like scarf hold this way (your legs are still in opposite positions as they would be in scarf hold - a.k.a. kesa gatame) and you have a lot of control.

We also worked a submission from the side control/inverted scarf hold position (really wish I new the name for this position/technique). The submission was a collar/forearm choke from the side control/inverted scarf hold position: take your hand that is closest to his head and reach over the top side of his neck and then down deep into his collar on the far side of his neck with an overhand grip, with your other hand reach under your chest and grab his elbow (this should be easy as he will probably be trying to defend by pushing up on you), now pull your forearm down across his throat while pulling his elbow towards his chest, as you perform the choke be sure to move/switch your hips up towards his shoulder (this puts a lot of your body weight into the choke).

Side Control - Alternative to Scarf Hold

Today's Jiu-Jitsu class focused on the feeling of control between scarf hold (kesa gatame) vs. a another controlling position (I don't know what this is called) - like scarf hold but your chest is putting pressure on his chest/abdomen area and the position of your legs is switched (kind of like half in side control and half in scarf hold). This gives you way more control of your opponent. In scarf hold your opponent can turn into you or have a decent chance at another type of escape. This other move makes it much more difficult. I weigh approx. 170lbs and practiced is on a 230lb guy - he could NOT escape!

This control move is great and I plan on using it a lot!! I've seen it used before but never really drilled it or played around with it. If anyone knows what this is called, please let me know. My JuJitsu instructor doesn't know if there is a name for it.

This video shows what I'm trying to explain, the part where his legs are spread and his weight is over his opponent's chest/abdomen area (not the part where he goes into regular side control).

Wrestling - Turtle Position

Today at Jiu-Jitsu class we focused on a couple of wrestling moves. This was new to me and should prove to be useful as these particular wrestling moves work when someone is in a turtle position and taking the back really isn't feasible.

The wrestling move I liked the best is when your opponent is in the turtle position and you are on the side of him: reach over or under his near side arm and grab his far side wrist, reach over with your other hand and grab his far side ankle, now put your head into the side of his ribs and drive your head forward while pulling back on his wrist and ankle - this will flip him over as you end up in side control.

Yup.....I plan on using this one!!

Grappling Dummy - Quick Workout

Today....home at 6:30, need to work on strength, cardio, & technique with the grappling dummy all within 45 minutes.

Threw in P90X ab ripper X, did some burpies (pushup then jump squat back up), did a few pull ups and then I got out the Submission Master Grappling Dummy. My gi didn't fit him very well so I threw on a pair of fishing pants & a fox racing jersey - works fairly well.

The jujitsu dummy and I had a good little 10 minute roll session. I decided to roll instead of doing repetitive techniques over and over because I need work on transitioning one submission position to another position that is difficult to get into. So I tried to work on going from a bottom position to a top position, from one side to another, ... and so on. I didn't reposition the jiu-jitsu dummy, I just went into what ever move I could from the position we were in. Surprisingly enough the dummy moved around quite a bit and as long as you keep changing positions you can get a pretty good workout. I was even able to simulate an armbar from a sideways back position (hooks not in - not a true back mount) with the grappling dummy rolling over his head (I used my legs to make the dummy roll over his head) simulating an attempted escape while rolling with it and hanging onto the arm for the submission.

Not the most intense workout today but at least I was able to get some training in. Looking forward to tomorrow's no gi jiu-jitsu class!!

iGrapple - Triangle Choke Escape

In yesterday's post I discussed how I got caught up in the triangle hold at the tournament and couldn't escape. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find much on iGrapple about this - but it proved my wrong! There are five techniques specific to the exact setup I was in (arm across my neck while in his guard) and one of them is the exact same technique I was trying to do (gable grip, post and turn, step towards his head). It turns out I had the right concept but I was turning in the wrong direction. It literally took me a matter of 2 minutes to learn what I did wrong from iGrapple. If I had only known this yesterday the outcome could have been much different for that particular match! Now I know and hopefully I won't make that same mistake again.

Bronze Medal

I took home the bronze at the Bluegrass Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open today. It was a fun day and I learned a lot about what I need to work on. Another great learning experience!!!

The number one thing I tried to improve on from my last tournament was my nerves. At my last competition I was worn out before I ever started because my nerves and adrenaline had me exhausted. This time I had a better handle on it but it was still a HUGE factor. We arrived  for weigh-ins at 8:30am & I didn't compete until 4ish. The whole time my heart was beating faster than normal, hands were shaky, felt weird & tingly, etc.. Then when I finally competed I felt worn out. It wasn't as bad as my last tournament but it was a still significant factor in my performance.

I think the reason why I had my nerves a little better under control this time was because of two things - confidence & experience. The more I train and compete the better it will get. My goal is to get to the point where when I go to compete it will feel like another day of rolling at Jiu-Jitsu class.

One of the matches I lost was from not being able to escape the triangle. I stacked him and tried to move around his head but when I started to move around his head I lost the gable grip - this resulted in him tapping me out with an armbar from within the triangle hold . Tomorrow I will look at iGrapple to see if there are any escape options other than the one that I tried.

Another problem I had was overall strength when put in awkward positions and trying to escape. Yes I know........good Jiu-Jitsu is about technique and leverage - not strength! But when your opponent has you in an awkward position that you haven't trained for yet, you don't have much choice but to rely on strength. I think a good start to improving on this is to work on my overall conditioning and to try and find some way to get more roll time with my training partner purposely putting me in bad positions. I will also check iGrapple for any possible techniques that may have helped that I haven't learned yet.

Keep Training!

Tournament Tomorrow

Well, tomorrow is the tournament - I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance review my Jiu-Jitsu notes or look at any moves on iGrapple today. I will rely on visualization when I go to bed and on the way to the tournament. Supposedly when you visualize techniques your brain doesn't know the difference between physically performing the moves and performing the moves in your head - either way you're still training. I will do more research and try to post a good link on this at later date.

Wish me luck!

Chokes - Rear Naked Choke

Most anyone training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu knows the rear naked choke. However, a lot of people let their non-choking arm become vulnerable for attack when they go to grab their bicep and then put their non-choking arm's hand behind the opponent's head.

Typically, if you are inexperienced, when you go to grab your bicep you end up bringing your arm over your opponent's shoulder which leaves your arm exposed for attack. To avoid this, while keeping your arm in tight, take your hand and place it on top of the hand of the arm that is around his neck, slide your forearm along the top of your hand until you reach your bicep for the bicep grab (your hand should now be behind his head), finish executing the choke.

This slight adjustment to your technique will keep your opponent from defending the rear naked choke - provided you already have your choking arm sunk deep around his neck.

iGrapple - Guard Pass From Standing

In 3 days I will be attending my second Jiu-Jitsu tournament (Bluegrass Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open). In preparation I thought I'd study some of the video from my last tournament. Each match seemed to show a weakness that stayed consistent throughout the match. One such weakness was being unable to break my opponent's guard while standing. Since I wasn't able to break his guard I tried to stack him while trying to perform a collar choke. That was probably a BIG no-no since he could have armbarred me. Time ran out and I didn't get submitted but I still lost the match on points. Time to see what iGrapple has on this.

iGrapple shows 37 different techniques from standing within your opponents guard. One of the techniques does show how to get out of the exact problem I was having during my match (unable to break his guard while standing). The technique is much simpler that anything I could think of on my own ("knee wedge, push waist") and I will definitely being using it from now on!

Out of the 37 techniques I will probably study about 50% of them. Why? Because some finish with ankle locks, heal hooks, & leg bars (I'm a 3 stripe white belt, I have no business messing with any locks other than the straight ankle lock or straight knee bar). There are also a couple of other moves that I just don't see my self using right now. However, when I become more experienced the other 50% will probably come into play.

iGrapple - Side Control Escapes

At class tonight we did a couple of drills and then went straight into rolling. It seems each time I roll I have a different problem that stays consistent throughout the sessions. My problem this time was escaping from side control.

This is the perfect opportunity for me to try out the iGrapple to see what I can do to to fix this problem. I logged in, went to side control, opp has side control, under chest to chest position, arm on low side of opp's head,...... there are 11 different videos showing what to do from this point. I didn't realize there were so many different options from this particular micro-position (there are other positions in side control to escape from but I will have visit those another time). This opened my eyes a lot, I will definitely practice these escapes with the grappling dummy this weekend.

Tip: To scroll the tree of positions in or out to make smaller (to see all branches) or larger, hold down the "ctrl" key and roll your mouse wheel forward or backward.

Grappling Dummy - Armbars

Today was my first official day of training with the Submission Master Grappling Dummy. I didn't drill repetitive reps of the same technique over & over. Instead, I went over armbar techniques from my jiu jitsu training notes. I reviewed each technique and practiced it about 3-4 times on each side.

This was a great refresher for me. Not only did I perform the armbar techniques but I also tried to imagine what the next position would be for my opponent as he tries to defend the armbar. Then, I would go into the next move from there - usually some type of a triangle (chances are he will try to roll into you as he hangs on to the gable grip).

Tip: Armbars are great to start out with until the grappling dummy gets broken in as the legs are a bit stiff.

My Quest

Welcome to Jiu-Jitsu Grit! 

My interest in learning self defense lead me to a local school (Lawrenceburg Martial Arts) that teaches Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Japanese JuJitsu , Che-Lu Karate (pronounced Chi-Liu), Combat Sambo, Judo, and other defensive tactics. Naturally, being only five minutes from home, I knew I had to check this place out. 

In May of 2011 I went to the local dojo to find a humble setting. There was wasn't anything fancy - just mats on the floor, old plaster walls, and a smell that said this is a real dojo! I was welcomed and given a brief synopsis of how the dojo operates. The main focus was on Che-Lu Karate, Carlson Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, & Combat Sambo.

I decided to give Jiu-Jitsu and Combat Sambo at try. At first I didn’t know what to think, then after a few weeks of training I became hooked. I found myself looking forward to classes – even passing up overtime at work to go to class! After a few months the Combat Sambo instructor’s military duties were pulling him away from teaching and eventually resulted in a lengthy deployment to Afghanistan. With the Combat Sambo instructor’s deployment came an opening in the class schedule which was filled with more Jiu-Jitsu instruction.  

My training with BJJ has slowly but steadily increased over the past year. I started out training once a week, then twice a week, and now up to 3-4 times a week. It has gotten to the point where it is starting to consume me! If my mind isn’t actively engaged in something intriguing I find myself thinking about Jiu Jitsu.

Constantly thinking about Jiu Jitsu and being good at it are two totally different things. By no means do I think I am any good. The more I learn the more I realize that I have a long way to go just to get proficient at the basics. I found this out the hard way at my first tournament. During my matches my mind went blank and muscle memory was non-existent. That needs to change!!!! This blog is the beginning of my quest to train my mind, muscle memory, and overall grappling performance.

Everyone knows that it is difficult to get a training partner to work with you on your schedule outside of class. With work, family, and other life endeavors, there really isn’t a way to train the moves you learned in class with another Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Repetitive drills are needed in order to develop the much sought after muscle memory we all seek. My solution to this problem is to use a grappling dummy. After reading grappling dummy reviews and jiu-jitsu dummy reviews I settled on the Submission Master Grappling Dummy. The reviews I read on forums and blogs all seemed to conclude that this is the best grappling dummy for practicing Jiu Jitsu. Although a little on the pricey side, it appears that you get what you pay for. Other grappling dummies are cheaper but they don’t appear to measure up to the Submission Master Grappling Dummy. I will be documenting my own experience with this grappling dummy through this blog.

Using the grappling dummy should develop the muscle memory like I want, but now I need a solution for keeping my mind from going blank when I am competing. Unless you are new to Jiu-Jitsu or grappling you have probably heard that grappling is like chess - to defeat your opponent you must use strategy to set him up and gain positions in order to tap him out. Capturing the chess pieces is the muscle memory but the strategy comes from your mental ability to read your opponent and react or adjust accordingly.  

There are many different Jiu-Jitsu Videos and Grappling Videos – even online training programs, but the ones that I have seen don't really seam to help with the problem of, “Ok, now I am in this position, what should I do from here? Ok, now that lead me to this position, what options do I have from here? That previous move lead me to here, now what?” and so on. The videos show great material but you have to rewind or skip to the move that you want, then think about your options and try to find the next move either from your training notes, somewhere else in the video, or on YouTube. There seems to be a lot of time wasted by thinking and searching for “what options do I have from here?” Upon ordering the Submission Master Grappling Dummy I discovered a product that looks like it will help with the problem of “what options do I have from here?” It is called the iGrapple and it appears to be a great tool based on the branch-out system. Click on the iGrapple link and watch the demo video to see how it works.

In addition to documenting my experience with the Submission Master Grappling Dummy and the iGrapple, I plan to post miscellaneous links that I think will be beneficial to those seeking to expand and develop their grappling. I welcome all comments, advice, discussions, and constructive criticisms. Please feel free to post comments as community discussions on any topic related to grappling should prove to be beneficial.