December 17, 2006
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas (or Happy Chanukah, etc) and a Happy New Year. I'd like to thank you for your support in 2006 and hope that 2007 has good things in store for you, your family and your friends. May you have an injury-free and breakthrough-filled year of training.
Sincerely
Stephan Kesting
www.grapplearts.com
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
Sincerely
Stephan Kesting
www.grapplearts.com
Labels: Injuries
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
Calling All Grapplegirls
A female MMA fighter and I are am working on a short article about women's grappling. I want to add some color to this article, so I'm I have a question for the female readership of this newsletter: namely why do you think that grappling is valuable for women.
Please send your answers to stephan@grapplearts.com. If possible, please make your comments short and to the point (c. three or four sentences), and include your name (or an alias) if you want to be credited for your contribution. You can also include the name of your school and/or your teacher.
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
Please send your answers to stephan@grapplearts.com. If possible, please make your comments short and to the point (c. three or four sentences), and include your name (or an alias) if you want to be credited for your contribution. You can also include the name of your school and/or your teacher.
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
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 your timing was off. In these cases you can sometimes use the submission to force a reversal, forcing your opponent to the bottom. Now that you are on top you can either continue attacking with the same submission or switch to a different strategy.
To illustrate I am going to talk about 3 different submissions: the Kimura, the Omo Plata, and the Ten-Finger Guillotine.
The Kimura is a versatile move that can be applied from many different positions. From the bottom you can use it from inside the guard, the half guard, or even when you are pinned in side mount. When you lock this submission onto an opponent he will often roll to alleviate pressure on his shoulder: if you are expecting this counter you can follow him to the top. If you manage to maintain your grip as you roll then you are usually in a much better position to finish the Kimura; if he manages to escape his arm then you have still accomplished a sweep and can continue attacking him from above with some other technique.
The Omo Plata is one of my favorite attacks from the guard, but if I had to guess I'd say that it only results in a submission about one third of the time. The rest of the time it results in a sweep, either as your opponent tries to roll or as you force him over using the leverage created by the position.
The Ten Finger Guillotine is considered by some to be a top secret move, but Chris Brennan and I recently wrote an article about it. I'm not a Ten-Finger expert yet, but I'm using it a lot these days to force reversals. Whether I apply this choke from the guard, half guard or the sprawl it always generates a reaction. People either tap out or freak out, and the freaking usually involves frantic somersaulting with me ending up on top.
OF COURSE the goal is to get the submission not the sweep! But goals can't always be achieved directly, sometimes you have to take a few detours to get there. Locking on a submission and using it to reverse or sweep your opponent is just a detour. Submissions are usually easier to apply from the top anyway!
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
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 your timing was off. In these cases you can sometimes use the submission to force a reversal, forcing your opponent to the bottom. Now that you are on top you can either continue attacking with the same submission or switch to a different strategy.
To illustrate I am going to talk about 3 different submissions: the Kimura, the Omo Plata, and the Ten-Finger Guillotine.
The Kimura is a versatile move that can be applied from many different positions. From the bottom you can use it from inside the guard, the half guard, or even when you are pinned in side mount. When you lock this submission onto an opponent he will often roll to alleviate pressure on his shoulder: if you are expecting this counter you can follow him to the top. If you manage to maintain your grip as you roll then you are usually in a much better position to finish the Kimura; if he manages to escape his arm then you have still accomplished a sweep and can continue attacking him from above with some other technique.
The Omo Plata is one of my favorite attacks from the guard, but if I had to guess I'd say that it only results in a submission about one third of the time. The rest of the time it results in a sweep, either as your opponent tries to roll or as you force him over using the leverage created by the position.
The Ten Finger Guillotine is considered by some to be a top secret move, but Chris Brennan and I recently wrote an article about it. I'm not a Ten-Finger expert yet, but I'm using it a lot these days to force reversals. Whether I apply this choke from the guard, half guard or the sprawl it always generates a reaction. People either tap out or freak out, and the freaking usually involves frantic somersaulting with me ending up on top.
OF COURSE the goal is to get the submission not the sweep! But goals can't always be achieved directly, sometimes you have to take a few detours to get there. Locking on a submission and using it to reverse or sweep your opponent is just a detour. Submissions are usually easier to apply from the top anyway!
Labels: the guard
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
December 10, 2006
Beating the Big Guy (Again)
Of all the questions I am asked, the most common question has to be how to beat someone bigger and stronger. I've tackled this issue in a previous tip of the week but people keep on asking me for more tips and techniques to topple the Godzillas that walk among us.
The fastest way to beat a big, strong, INEXPERIENCED guy is to mount him and wait for him to try to bench press you off. When he pushes your chest you pivot around and take the armbar. This strategy works great for the first few times, and then the the big strong guy figures out not to bench press you when mounted. What now?
If we're talking about big, strong EXPERIENCED opponents it's harder to recommend a specific submission strategy that will work all the time. Instead of a technique per se I will suggest a positional strategy: get behind him and take rear mount. Rear mount is THE place to be when you are fighting someone who is 50 or 100 pounds heavier than you. If someone had just told me this on my first day of jiu-jitsu it would have made my life a lot easier!
Picture: Rear Mount in BJJ Competition
It might be a little strange to take advice about fighting a big guy from someone who weighs in at about 210 pounds himself, but I do follow my own advice occasionally. I have had the dubious pleasure of rolling with a skilled big guys ranging from 240 to 300 lbs. The last time I rolled with one of these man-monsters I got flung around for a few minutes, and then I went into survival mode by using my half guard to hold him off (albeit getting a bit crushed in the process). The tables finally turned when I nailed a back climb from half guard, sank my hooks in, and finished the match with a rear naked choke. The rear mount did the trick, whereas I wasn't having much luck from other positions.
P.S. If you haven't already seen my Youtube instructional on sinking the Rear Naked Choke you can should check it out
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
The fastest way to beat a big, strong, INEXPERIENCED guy is to mount him and wait for him to try to bench press you off. When he pushes your chest you pivot around and take the armbar. This strategy works great for the first few times, and then the the big strong guy figures out not to bench press you when mounted. What now?
If we're talking about big, strong EXPERIENCED opponents it's harder to recommend a specific submission strategy that will work all the time. Instead of a technique per se I will suggest a positional strategy: get behind him and take rear mount. Rear mount is THE place to be when you are fighting someone who is 50 or 100 pounds heavier than you. If someone had just told me this on my first day of jiu-jitsu it would have made my life a lot easier!
Picture: Rear Mount in BJJ CompetitionIt might be a little strange to take advice about fighting a big guy from someone who weighs in at about 210 pounds himself, but I do follow my own advice occasionally. I have had the dubious pleasure of rolling with a skilled big guys ranging from 240 to 300 lbs. The last time I rolled with one of these man-monsters I got flung around for a few minutes, and then I went into survival mode by using my half guard to hold him off (albeit getting a bit crushed in the process). The tables finally turned when I nailed a back climb from half guard, sank my hooks in, and finished the match with a rear naked choke. The rear mount did the trick, whereas I wasn't having much luck from other positions.
P.S. If you haven't already seen my Youtube instructional on sinking the Rear Naked Choke you can should check it out
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
December 04, 2006
No-Gi Scissor Sweeping
Q: Do you have any tips about doing the scissor sweep without a gi? I tried it last night and had a hard time doing it!
A: The scissor sweep is used a lot more in gi-based grappling, where you can control the sleeve and collar of your opponent. In fact, some people have argued that it is the single most important sweep in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
This sweep is a lot less common in no-gi grappling because you don't have convenient grips to control your opponent's head and arm. This lack of control makes it more difficult to break your opponent's posture, and also more difficult to stop him from posting on his hand, thereby preventing the sweep. Finally many no-gi grapplers counter a this sweep by leaping into an ankle lock or heel hook as they are being swept.
That being said I DO use the scissor sweep motion to set up other moves in no-gi grappling. For example, say I'm in closed guard and want to transition to open guard, but I'm having difficulty getting my feet on his hips due to him controlling my hips and legs. To accomplish this transition I might fake the scissor sweep, bringing my left knee across his chest while creating a bit of movement and space. Now I can circle that same knee up so it points at the ceiling and voila: my foot is on (or very near) his hip.
You can also use the scissor sweep to set up other sweeps and submissions in a no-gi context, just do your best to control your opponent's head and watch out for those footlocks!
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
A: The scissor sweep is used a lot more in gi-based grappling, where you can control the sleeve and collar of your opponent. In fact, some people have argued that it is the single most important sweep in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
This sweep is a lot less common in no-gi grappling because you don't have convenient grips to control your opponent's head and arm. This lack of control makes it more difficult to break your opponent's posture, and also more difficult to stop him from posting on his hand, thereby preventing the sweep. Finally many no-gi grapplers counter a this sweep by leaping into an ankle lock or heel hook as they are being swept.
That being said I DO use the scissor sweep motion to set up other moves in no-gi grappling. For example, say I'm in closed guard and want to transition to open guard, but I'm having difficulty getting my feet on his hips due to him controlling my hips and legs. To accomplish this transition I might fake the scissor sweep, bringing my left knee across his chest while creating a bit of movement and space. Now I can circle that same knee up so it points at the ceiling and voila: my foot is on (or very near) his hip.
You can also use the scissor sweep to set up other sweeps and submissions in a no-gi context, just do your best to control your opponent's head and watch out for those footlocks!
Labels: the guard
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon