No guard, no jiu-jitsu. That's something I try to remind everyone in my jiu-jitsu classes. Even though there are numerous styles of classical jiu-jitsu that don't use the guard, the way I see it is that jiu-jitsu begins with the guard. It's not the mount, side control, or even the back position. It's the guard.
The most important skill in jiu-jitsu, to me at least, is guard replacing. Guard replacement simply means getting to guard from any and all positions. After all, if you can't get guard, how are you ever going to use it? If you suck at guard replacements, what's the point of learning to submit from it?
Guard replacement is a rather simple science, but like all skills it requires dedication to repetition. It should be the skill that precedes all others. Learn how to get to guard while you're mounted, side controlled, etc. Work three or four solid replacements and then you're on your way to learning how to use the guard. Instead of learning the upa, (the bridge-and-roll mount reversal), learn how to go from being mounted to getting your guard. Once you have confidence in replacing your guard, only then try to learn other escape methods.
Since we're on the subject of the guard, let me say that the second most important skill is breaking your opponent's posture and establishing solid control. Instead of learning how to submit, learn how to shift in such a way as to set him up for those submissions. We tend to be too eager to learn submissions at the expense of the foundation that provides for them.
Learn to replace guard, and then learn how to break your opponent down in the guard. Only then worry about your submissions. Just a thought.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Triangle Part Two - Three Triangle Principles
Be sure to read the post beneath this one first. This is part two.
The triangle is a very simple submission. Few might agree with me on that, but oh well. I should be accustomed to that by now. Anyways, the triangle can be done in just one step, or up to three, depending on the application, set up, and positioning. But it should NEVER take more than three steps. If your triangle requires more than this, go back and look at your triangle. Start cutting out the superfluous movements.
The triangle, the way I see it, is based on three principles (ESR). Expose, Secure, Rotate. You must expose the head and one arm. You must have an immediate hold on your opponent with your legs and hands (Secure). And you must rotate your body in order to sink it in deep and to avoid getting slammed. Notice I didn't mention getting his arm across his neck or pulling down the head? That's because if you get these three principles down, those things are usually unnecessary.
The three principles that make the triangle work do not require three distinct steps. In fact, there are ways of getting all three in a single motion. This isn't always the case, but it often is. Also, once you learn how to use the three principles the way we teach them here at the gym, you will avoid things like getting slammed Rampage Jackson style, or getting stacked and dumped wrestler style, or fighting for his arm to cross his neck standard jiu-jitsu style. And you won't sap your resources by yanking down on his head to force the tap. Though we sometimes will pull the head if it's the expedient thing to do, we seldom do that. I find it far more efficient to do it the way we do it.
When you are taught the triangle, start looking at how many steps you're being taught. If there are more than three, your instructor may not have simplified the triangle enough. That's not a slam against him, it's just that I believe anything more than three is too much. Usually you should get the triangle in two motions. Often just one. Look at ways of simplifying it, making it faster.
Learn the triangle well. Because like I've said before, the rest are just details.
The triangle is a very simple submission. Few might agree with me on that, but oh well. I should be accustomed to that by now. Anyways, the triangle can be done in just one step, or up to three, depending on the application, set up, and positioning. But it should NEVER take more than three steps. If your triangle requires more than this, go back and look at your triangle. Start cutting out the superfluous movements.
The triangle, the way I see it, is based on three principles (ESR). Expose, Secure, Rotate. You must expose the head and one arm. You must have an immediate hold on your opponent with your legs and hands (Secure). And you must rotate your body in order to sink it in deep and to avoid getting slammed. Notice I didn't mention getting his arm across his neck or pulling down the head? That's because if you get these three principles down, those things are usually unnecessary.
The three principles that make the triangle work do not require three distinct steps. In fact, there are ways of getting all three in a single motion. This isn't always the case, but it often is. Also, once you learn how to use the three principles the way we teach them here at the gym, you will avoid things like getting slammed Rampage Jackson style, or getting stacked and dumped wrestler style, or fighting for his arm to cross his neck standard jiu-jitsu style. And you won't sap your resources by yanking down on his head to force the tap. Though we sometimes will pull the head if it's the expedient thing to do, we seldom do that. I find it far more efficient to do it the way we do it.
When you are taught the triangle, start looking at how many steps you're being taught. If there are more than three, your instructor may not have simplified the triangle enough. That's not a slam against him, it's just that I believe anything more than three is too much. Usually you should get the triangle in two motions. Often just one. Look at ways of simplifying it, making it faster.
Learn the triangle well. Because like I've said before, the rest are just details.
The Triangle Part One - The Rest are Just Details
Master the triangle. That's what I tell everyone who comes into the gym. Master the triangle first and only then worry about the other stuff. That might sound overly simplistic, but I've used that advice for myself and others and it works. I would never be arrogant enough to believe I have mastered anything, but the effort to do so is there. So when I say "master" it, I'm simply saying get really damn good at it.
Master the triangle. In your effort to get a kickass triangle, everything else will be child's play. Forget about the arm bars, kimuras, key locks, ankle hooks, rear chokes and guillotines. That might sound blasphemous, but it works. I'm not saying don't use one of those techniques if it's staring you right in the face. And I'm not suggesting that you should never learn the other stuff. I'm simply saying that if you work on getting your triangle down, to just plain sick ability, all else falls into place.
One of my newer students was taught this. I had him focus on the triangle to the exclusion of all other techniques. Of course he had to know how to replace guard so he could actually be in position to pull the triangle off, but it was the only submission we worked. A student came in from another gym to roll with us. He had two years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. My guy, with only three months of training, all of it focused on the triangle, and weighing only 135 pounds, caught the guy four times in three minutes. At the end of it, the guy stammered in frustration "Is the triangle all he knows!?!" I told him yes, it was. (Many of you at the gym witnessed it. But those who didn't it, it was Geanne who did that. Good job young man).
Also, a student named Christian, after only two months of training, caught another jiu jitsu trained guy (one year of consistent training) with two triangles in a row. None of this is to boast. By no means. We are always improving and always have things to work on. And I'm not suggesting we are some kind of badasses compaired to other gyms. We're not. But the facts are the facts. I'm simply using them to illustrate my point.
And to re-emphasize my point: master the triangle. Don't worry about arm bars and all that other stuff until you can pull your triangle off from all positions against all kinds of fighters. Pull it off from the guard, the mount, back control, and even when caught in his side control, north-south, and others. Practice the standard set ups, and then the not-so-standard set ups. I guarantee you that your game will jump up considerably.
In the Spartan Gym the very first submission you will learn is the triangle. You will learn it until you're deliriously bored with it. But then you will start catching those people you thought were un-catchable. Then it won't seem so boring. Master the triangle. The rest are just details.
Master the triangle. In your effort to get a kickass triangle, everything else will be child's play. Forget about the arm bars, kimuras, key locks, ankle hooks, rear chokes and guillotines. That might sound blasphemous, but it works. I'm not saying don't use one of those techniques if it's staring you right in the face. And I'm not suggesting that you should never learn the other stuff. I'm simply saying that if you work on getting your triangle down, to just plain sick ability, all else falls into place.
One of my newer students was taught this. I had him focus on the triangle to the exclusion of all other techniques. Of course he had to know how to replace guard so he could actually be in position to pull the triangle off, but it was the only submission we worked. A student came in from another gym to roll with us. He had two years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. My guy, with only three months of training, all of it focused on the triangle, and weighing only 135 pounds, caught the guy four times in three minutes. At the end of it, the guy stammered in frustration "Is the triangle all he knows!?!" I told him yes, it was. (Many of you at the gym witnessed it. But those who didn't it, it was Geanne who did that. Good job young man).
Also, a student named Christian, after only two months of training, caught another jiu jitsu trained guy (one year of consistent training) with two triangles in a row. None of this is to boast. By no means. We are always improving and always have things to work on. And I'm not suggesting we are some kind of badasses compaired to other gyms. We're not. But the facts are the facts. I'm simply using them to illustrate my point.
And to re-emphasize my point: master the triangle. Don't worry about arm bars and all that other stuff until you can pull your triangle off from all positions against all kinds of fighters. Pull it off from the guard, the mount, back control, and even when caught in his side control, north-south, and others. Practice the standard set ups, and then the not-so-standard set ups. I guarantee you that your game will jump up considerably.
In the Spartan Gym the very first submission you will learn is the triangle. You will learn it until you're deliriously bored with it. But then you will start catching those people you thought were un-catchable. Then it won't seem so boring. Master the triangle. The rest are just details.
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