April 29, 2007
Armbar Defense vs. Crossed Ankles
Q: How do I escape the armbar when my opponent is crossing his ankes?
A: Crossing the ankles during the armbar is controversial, but is an effective way to shut down many of your opponent's escapes. For example, the simple escape shown here doesn't work if your opponent has his ankles crossed.
To escape an armbar where your opponent has crossed his ankles one good option is to fight (very hard) to get onto your knees and drop your weight down over him while protecting your arm by applying placing your arms into a rear naked choke position. Once you are above him then you can stabilize the position, crush him a little bit, and start to extricate your arm an inch at a time.
If he is crossing his ankles and also controlling your leg then you need to use your free leg to kick his arm off of your leg before getting your knees underneath you
It is a tough position to escape though...
Labels: armlocks
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The Berserker
There's one at almost every club. The guy who can't lose. The guy who always goes 100%. The guy who applies every submission with speed and power. The guy who fights as if his life depends on it. One sure indicator that someone is a grappling berserker is that he is always injuring his training partners and/or himself.
A favorite trick of a berserker is to say something like "I'm feeling tired (or sick, or injured) today, let's just go 50% and flow". Usually it takes less than 10 seconds of sparring for them to go into turbocharged berserker mode. Now you've got to make a decision to get crushed or to play his game and match his intensity.
There's nothing wrong with hard-fought, high intensity rolling, especially if you have competitive aspirations. Making EVERY sparring match a battle to the death, however, is suboptimal for several reasons:
First of all, the chances of injury increase, both for you and your opponents.
Secondly, since everything is tense, tight and explosive it limits the development of that elusive attribute 'flow'.
Thirdly, it limits your pool of training partners. People will start avoiding you on the mats, either because they don't want to get injured or simply because they aren't in the mood for an all-out dogfight.
Finally, it can stop you from becoming well rounded, because if winning every sparring match is the only thing that counts then you probably won't willingly put yourself into bad situations or positions you need to improve at.
If you have a berserker at your club I'm not saying that you shouldn't spar with him; in fact they can be very useful training partners depending on what aspect of your game you are working on. The main thing is that you have to know what you are getting into and be prepared for a battle every single time. Don't get sucked into starting out light and easy and then, without warning, having the intensity escalated on you.
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A favorite trick of a berserker is to say something like "I'm feeling tired (or sick, or injured) today, let's just go 50% and flow". Usually it takes less than 10 seconds of sparring for them to go into turbocharged berserker mode. Now you've got to make a decision to get crushed or to play his game and match his intensity.
There's nothing wrong with hard-fought, high intensity rolling, especially if you have competitive aspirations. Making EVERY sparring match a battle to the death, however, is suboptimal for several reasons:
First of all, the chances of injury increase, both for you and your opponents.
Secondly, since everything is tense, tight and explosive it limits the development of that elusive attribute 'flow'.
Thirdly, it limits your pool of training partners. People will start avoiding you on the mats, either because they don't want to get injured or simply because they aren't in the mood for an all-out dogfight.
Finally, it can stop you from becoming well rounded, because if winning every sparring match is the only thing that counts then you probably won't willingly put yourself into bad situations or positions you need to improve at.
If you have a berserker at your club I'm not saying that you shouldn't spar with him; in fact they can be very useful training partners depending on what aspect of your game you are working on. The main thing is that you have to know what you are getting into and be prepared for a battle every single time. Don't get sucked into starting out light and easy and then, without warning, having the intensity escalated on you.
Labels: Injuries, the mental aspect, training
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April 19, 2007
Butterfly Guard Crash Course
As I was heading home from a workout recently, someone mentioned that the butterfly guard just wasn't working for them. I didn't have a lot of time but I put down my bag, got back on the mat, and started trying to metamorphose his butterfly guard. I think I gave him some pretty useful and concise advice, which I'm now going to share with you:1 - Float Like a Butterfly, Sweep Like a Bee
The butterfly guard is a DYNAMIC position. This means that you need to keep on moving and attacking. Your legs aren't locking your opponent in place, so if you stop and hang out your opponent will probably figure out how to pass your guard. By always threatening the sweep you make it difficult for him to impose his own game plan.
2 - Get Up, Sit Up
To be effective from the butterfly you need to get your back off the mat and sit up. There ARE some people who are effective with their backs flat to the mat, but they are in the minority. Furthermore it is possible that these same people would be even more effective if they would only sit up...
Sitting up allows you to generate more momentum on your sweeps. If you sit up you can drive forward, fall to the side or fall backwards; all these movements can generate a lot of power. If you are already lying on your back you have less options and it takes a lot more effort to generate power.
3 - Develop At Least Two Reliable Attacks
In order to attack your opponent effectively you need a couple of reliable sweeps to start everything else off. These bread and butter attacks will become the foundation of your game, kind of like the jab and cross in boxing. For many people two such techniques in the butterfly guard game are the 'basic' butterfly guard sweep the armdrag.
The 'basic' butterfly guard sweep works at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, so it is anything but basic. Learn to do it both sideways and at a 45 degree angle (discussed in more detail here).
The armdrag is a great way to take your opponent's back, but even if it doesn't work it still harasses your opponent and puts him on the defensive. I have learned a lot about the armdrag by studying video footage of Marcelo Garcia in competition.
4 - Develop Your X Guard and Half Butterfly Too
The butterfly guard works particularly well in conjunction with the X guard and the half butterfly guard. The X guard is very useful if your opponent stands up or posts a foot: when he does this you can slip underneath him, completely destroy his base and sweep him. It is also good to know what to do from the half butterfly because some opponents will basically put you in this position as they try to pass your butterfly guard. If you don't know what the half butterfly guard look at position 2 of this preview clip.
If you know even a few techniques from the half butterfly and X guard you will be able to take advantage of your opponent's moves rather than feeling intimidated or not knowing what to do.
Until next time....
Labels: the guard
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Hatashita International
I'm happy to announce that another major distributor, Hatashita International, has decided to start carrying my DVDs. I recently visited their warehouse and was impressed by the range of products they carry: everything from MMA gloves to large quantities of Judo tatami mats. If you're shopping online for martial arts gear you might want to check out www.hatashita.com
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April 08, 2007
How to Train Dangerous Submissions
The easy answer to how one should train dangerous submissions is "slowly, gently, and with control". Everybody knows this already, though, and people still get hurt, so obviously more explanation is required.
Below are some solutions used by different schools to solve the problem. None of them are perfect, but they should provide some food for thought.
-Use With Caution-
Many schools simply tell you to "be careful" when you are using dangerous submissions. What this means exactly is rarely clear in advance, but the implication is that you should moderate how hard and fast you apply your submission, which is certainly better than the applying them full force.
For this approach to work students need to be well informed about which submissions are dangerous. It's not always obvious how damaging certain submissions can be.
Ego is the enemy in this training method: ego makes you apply dangerous submissions a little too fast, or makes you tap out a little too slow when you're caught in them yourself. If there is someone in your club who just can't handle losing or tapping out then this is NOT the method of choice.
Finally, keep in mind that the level of force you might consider to be safe could be quite different from what the class spaz thinks is safe, so pick your sparring partners carefully if you are playing under these rules.
-The Complete Ban-
Another valid approach is to just to ban dangerous submissions - many clubs, for example, forbid heel hooks and neck cranks outright. This approach requires the instructor to make the ground rules clear to all new students and visitors so that there are no misunderstandings.
The problem with this approach is that you really only learn to be aware of, and defend, submissions when you are attacked with them in sparring. If you're never attacked with wristlocks, for example, then your ability to defend wristlocks will be weak. This is a particular problem if you're a competitor: if you want to compete successfully then the competition rules must be reflected in your sparring.
-The Rank-Dependent Ban-
Some schools ban certain submissions for students below a given rank or belt level. For example, you might have to be at least a purple belts to attack with, or be attacked by, neck cranks.
This approach assumes that higher ranks have greater control, awareness and discipline, which, for the most part, is true. The other assumption is that the higher belts are better able to recognize when they are caught in a dangerous submission and tap out earlier. A beginner doesn't differentiate between tapping to a triangle choke and a toehold, but the consequences of refusing to tap are very different: one results in unconsciousness, the other in torn ligaments, muscles and broken bones.
-Catch and Release-
Another approach is to use the 'catch and release' method when attacking with dangerous submissions. Here you apply the technique but don't finalize it - no pressure is actually applied against the joint. As soon as you have the submission positioned you let go and continue with your sparring.
The problem with this approach is that it could result in an argument that goes like this:
"I got you"
"No you didn't, I would have escaped"
"Yes I did get you - I was blocking your counter"
"Whatever, but my dad is still stronger than your dad"
I guess we're lucky that everyone we train with is a LOT more emotionally mature than this...
-10 Second Rule-
A variation of the catch and release method used by some schools is to have a '10 second rule', which means that holding a submission position for 10 seconds (but not actually applying it) is considered to be a successful attack. You might end up putting your opponent into a heel hook but not applying any pressure against the joint. For the next 10 seconds your opponent tries to get out while you use your arms and legs to prevent and block his escape attempts.
This method does require some emotional maturity, because initially you are going to 'tap' less people when you train like this - 10 seconds is a long time for people to work their way out of a submission. You also have to be on the lookout for somebody inadvertently cranking the the submission on tighter while they are wildly twisting around, trying to escape.
This method can actually IMPROVE your submissions, because you will learn how to control an opponent and counter his escape attempts, rather than relying on speed to obtain a quick tapout. This way of applying a submission is basically what Jean-Jacques Machado did to me the one time we ever sparred.
-The Bottom Line-
Regardless of the rules and restrictions placed around certain submissions, it all comes down to preserving your training partners. The ethic of applying submissions carefully comes from the top down. If the instructor and senior students at a school take the time to explain the dangers of certain submissions to everyone then they've just help make the training environment a whole lot safer.
It is critical that everybody is on the same page. I'd rather be sparring under anything-goes rules than be in a scenario where my opponent and I have differing assumptions about which submissions are legal. I remember one sparring session where I spun to attack my opponent's feet, secured a toehold and then stopped (basically I was using a 10 second rule). Instead of trying a technical escape my opponent applied his own vicious toehold with all his strength. I screamed in pain, yelling out "Why the hell did you do that?", "I had to", he replied, "it was the only way I could get out". Our differing assumptions resulted in my injury.
In closing, remember that, no fool-proof system of dealing with dangerous submissions is proof against a sufficiently talented fool. Even if your school bans a certain lock DON'T get complacent about it, or leave yourself vulnerable to it, or refuse to tap to it. Maybe it will be a newbie who just doesn't know, maybe it will be a visitor who just doesn't care, or maybe it will be your friend who just applied it by accident, but dangerous submissions DO get used at every school. Protect yourself at all times, and remember that protecting yourself includes tapping out early and often, whether the submission is 'legal' in your school or not.
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Below are some solutions used by different schools to solve the problem. None of them are perfect, but they should provide some food for thought.
-Use With Caution-
Many schools simply tell you to "be careful" when you are using dangerous submissions. What this means exactly is rarely clear in advance, but the implication is that you should moderate how hard and fast you apply your submission, which is certainly better than the applying them full force.
For this approach to work students need to be well informed about which submissions are dangerous. It's not always obvious how damaging certain submissions can be.
Ego is the enemy in this training method: ego makes you apply dangerous submissions a little too fast, or makes you tap out a little too slow when you're caught in them yourself. If there is someone in your club who just can't handle losing or tapping out then this is NOT the method of choice.
Finally, keep in mind that the level of force you might consider to be safe could be quite different from what the class spaz thinks is safe, so pick your sparring partners carefully if you are playing under these rules.
-The Complete Ban-
Another valid approach is to just to ban dangerous submissions - many clubs, for example, forbid heel hooks and neck cranks outright. This approach requires the instructor to make the ground rules clear to all new students and visitors so that there are no misunderstandings.
The problem with this approach is that you really only learn to be aware of, and defend, submissions when you are attacked with them in sparring. If you're never attacked with wristlocks, for example, then your ability to defend wristlocks will be weak. This is a particular problem if you're a competitor: if you want to compete successfully then the competition rules must be reflected in your sparring.
-The Rank-Dependent Ban-
Some schools ban certain submissions for students below a given rank or belt level. For example, you might have to be at least a purple belts to attack with, or be attacked by, neck cranks.
This approach assumes that higher ranks have greater control, awareness and discipline, which, for the most part, is true. The other assumption is that the higher belts are better able to recognize when they are caught in a dangerous submission and tap out earlier. A beginner doesn't differentiate between tapping to a triangle choke and a toehold, but the consequences of refusing to tap are very different: one results in unconsciousness, the other in torn ligaments, muscles and broken bones.
-Catch and Release-
Another approach is to use the 'catch and release' method when attacking with dangerous submissions. Here you apply the technique but don't finalize it - no pressure is actually applied against the joint. As soon as you have the submission positioned you let go and continue with your sparring.
The problem with this approach is that it could result in an argument that goes like this:
"I got you"
"No you didn't, I would have escaped"
"Yes I did get you - I was blocking your counter"
"Whatever, but my dad is still stronger than your dad"
I guess we're lucky that everyone we train with is a LOT more emotionally mature than this...
-10 Second Rule-
A variation of the catch and release method used by some schools is to have a '10 second rule', which means that holding a submission position for 10 seconds (but not actually applying it) is considered to be a successful attack. You might end up putting your opponent into a heel hook but not applying any pressure against the joint. For the next 10 seconds your opponent tries to get out while you use your arms and legs to prevent and block his escape attempts.
This method does require some emotional maturity, because initially you are going to 'tap' less people when you train like this - 10 seconds is a long time for people to work their way out of a submission. You also have to be on the lookout for somebody inadvertently cranking the the submission on tighter while they are wildly twisting around, trying to escape.
This method can actually IMPROVE your submissions, because you will learn how to control an opponent and counter his escape attempts, rather than relying on speed to obtain a quick tapout. This way of applying a submission is basically what Jean-Jacques Machado did to me the one time we ever sparred.
-The Bottom Line-
Regardless of the rules and restrictions placed around certain submissions, it all comes down to preserving your training partners. The ethic of applying submissions carefully comes from the top down. If the instructor and senior students at a school take the time to explain the dangers of certain submissions to everyone then they've just help make the training environment a whole lot safer.
It is critical that everybody is on the same page. I'd rather be sparring under anything-goes rules than be in a scenario where my opponent and I have differing assumptions about which submissions are legal. I remember one sparring session where I spun to attack my opponent's feet, secured a toehold and then stopped (basically I was using a 10 second rule). Instead of trying a technical escape my opponent applied his own vicious toehold with all his strength. I screamed in pain, yelling out "Why the hell did you do that?", "I had to", he replied, "it was the only way I could get out". Our differing assumptions resulted in my injury.
In closing, remember that, no fool-proof system of dealing with dangerous submissions is proof against a sufficiently talented fool. Even if your school bans a certain lock DON'T get complacent about it, or leave yourself vulnerable to it, or refuse to tap to it. Maybe it will be a newbie who just doesn't know, maybe it will be a visitor who just doesn't care, or maybe it will be your friend who just applied it by accident, but dangerous submissions DO get used at every school. Protect yourself at all times, and remember that protecting yourself includes tapping out early and often, whether the submission is 'legal' in your school or not.
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