Punch Kick Choke- the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Blog

UFC 101 Predictions

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:35:00 +0000

UFC 101 is tomorrow night!

My picks for the winner's circle:

BJ Penn Vs. Kenny Florian - Lightweight Title Fight
Penn by TKO or Submission

Anderson Silva Vs. Forrest Griffin - Light-heavyweight Fight
This is heresy, but I'm going with Griffin by Decision

Amir Sadollah Vs. Johny Hendricks
Sadollah by Submission

Kendall Grove Vs. Ricardo Almeida
Grove by TKO (I do think Almeida is a better fighter.)

Josh Neer Vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Pellegrino by Submission

Shane Nelson Vs. Aaron Riley
No clue. Let's go with Nelson by Something.

Tamdan McCrory Vs. John Howard
McCrory by Decision, mostly because I like his last name.

Thales Leites Vs. Alessio Sakara
Leites by TKO

Matt Riddle Vs. Dan Cramer
Riddle by TKO

George Sotiropoulos Vs. Rob Emerson
Sotiropoulos by Submission

Jesse Lennox Vs. Danillo Villefort
Villefort by TKO

Cracked: Top 10 Ragdoll Moments in MMA

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:31:00 +0000

If you guys haven't read this already:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/10-mixed-martial-arts-knockouts-that-displayed-rag-doll-physics/
I think I coughed up a lung laughing at this.

Here's a few excerpts:

Pride Total Elimination 2003 - The Classic Ragdoll
"Mirko Cro Cop is a martial artist, part of the Croatian Parliament and a member of a special forces anti-terrorist unit. Also, after kicking 25 brave human heads into low orbit, he is personally considered Croatia's only space program. (He is for ages 10 and up, Aqua Battlebike sold seperately.)..."

UFC 22 - It's Ragdollin' Time
"Brad Kohler had so many muscles that he was more thumb than man. And when he took a big step and wound up for a double splash page Thing vs. Hulk haymaker punch, everyone in the entire world saw it coming except poor Steve Judson. This punch was such a force of nature that local wildlife left the area the night before. The fact that Steve Judson woke up later, not dead, means that he will spend the rest of his life being hunted by military researchers wanting to harvest him for tank parts."

I salute you, cracked magazine, for being able to make time disappear, 2 hours at a time.
Read the rest by clicking on the link above.

Transitions from Mount (Cowboy Walk)

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:47:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzgRAOnM_-M&feature=player_embedded

This isn't as much of a singular move as it is a series of transitions that you should practice.

When you get a mount, and your opponent immediately begins to shrimp out, if you're not very good at keeping your mount, it may be a better idea to move off into side control rather than get trapped in half guard/closed guard after you've worked so hard to get a better position.

I'll run you through the first 1/2:

-Start in mount

-Opponent begins to frame/elbow his way into an escape

-As your opponent begins to turn towards your leg, throw your arm diagonally over his head, and plant your elbow on the floor to trap it. This way, you have a good range of movement with that arm.

-Post out with the other hand, and with that side's leg, throw it over the other side to get to side control. Drive that knee to the hip, then get the posted hand over to the hip as soon as possible to sprawl and establish your position.

-To move to a north south, post the hand that's on his hips straight down to the floor to continue blocking his movement while you switch your hips, and being the leg closer to the hips up to his shoulder, then toss the other leg over that one to establish north-south.

-Continue, except reversing the steps to get to side control on the other side, and back to mount after that.

Ugh... busy. But if anyone wants a brand new Nintendo DSi for cheap...

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Well, @#$%. I've been busy as hell.

Fluid Mechanics midterm for the summer session at UCLA, working on construction of the new restaurant in downtown LA that my parents are opening (You can see pictures here), and other issues that have been just bogging me down these last few days.

Most readers who have been around for a while and know my track record know that I don't post very often during times when I'm busy as shit, or if I'm going through some issues that are pretty important. If you saw me posting during those times, the steps I would write about would likely go something like: "Well, after you put your foot on his hip and trap his arm, go fuck yourself." And so, QED, I don't post during those times.

Also, at UCLA, they have this neat little arcade game called the "Barber Cut Lite" and they hang up brand-spanking new Nintendo DSi and Sony PSP handheld systems to attempt to win. And guess what? Yours truly got one of these damn things! But since I have a DS Lite already, I'd rather just sell it, so I put it up on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160352028213

These things retail for around $170, and you can bid on mine for much cheaper- so go bid on it. It's Matte Blue, and the thing has a camera on it. I have no idea why, but it has a camera on it. Must be another one of those things the geniuses at Nintendo thought would be a necessary accessory to their gaming systems.

Hey did I mention? If anyone wants to show off their awesome writing skills, I'd be more than willing to post it up: just shoot me an email at ysc87@hotmail.com telling me what you intend to write about, and after you do write it, if it's not a complete pile of crap, I'll put it up, with a link back to your own website, if you have one.

Watch Fight Quest: Muay Thai - Discovery Channel (online video)

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:08:00 +0000

A bit busy today, so here's the first episode of the new season of Fight Quest: Muay Thai streaming online.

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLwzuemZPrE
Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsPLTY3vtsI
Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxualy5iruw
Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRANp1MFW4w
Part 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLGVWFwh3sA

I got inspired by the neck training with the weights that Doug did in part 3, so I did the same. My neck is in so much pain right now. On fire. I am so stupid.

That being said, this was another great Fight Quest episode. This episode, if nothing else, showed me that I have a lot to work on in terms of the Muay Thai Clinch.

BJ Penn can Jump OUT of a Pool

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:57:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXoqfIU0C6Y&feature=player_embedded

That's a hell of a combination of strength, timing, and flexibility.
Holy christ, I'm seriously considering going to the pool right now to try this.

[Insert joke about BJ cardio and work ethic.]

-y

Shutting Down the Half Guard - Stephen Kesting

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:08:00 +0000

I'm not sure if you guys subscribe to the grapplearts.com newsletter (subtle hint to go sign up), but Stephen Kesting put up a video on how Brock Lesnar shut down Frank Mir's half guard, and what we can learn from it.

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIDmNMisXQc&feature=player_embedded

And the commentary:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brock Lesnar probably wouldn't be on my list of people to invite to a book club or an evening of wine tasting. But love him or hate him, you have to admit that he's a hell of a fighter and force to be reckoned with.

What I found most interesting about Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir at UFC 100 was that it was a case study of how to shut down the half guard.

Frank spent most of the match in the half guard, and I have no doubt that he has a TON of highly effective sweeps and attacks from there.

But that night none of his techniques worked on Brock...

Of course it's partially that Brock Lesnar is a very large human being. I mean he actually cuts weight to make it down to the upper limit for heavyweights (265 lbs)!

He's also explosive, incredibly agile and has great endurance.

Let's start by taking a look at two strategies that form the foundation of most successful half guard attacks:

1. Being on your side, facing your opponent, and
2. Getting your body under his center of gravity

Now in the fight Frank Mir was basically never able to apply either strategy, and it wasn't only Brock's physical attributes that shut down Frank Mir's half guard game. There was a lot of deliberate technique there too!

Brock deliberately kept Frank on his back and/or facing away from him, and also didn't let him get under his center of gravity.

How did he do this? At various times in the fight Brock used the following techniques and tactics:

* He stiff armed his neck (keeping Frank away),
* He pinned the head and moved his body back
* He turned the head away with his forearm
* He secured the far underhook and applied chest pressure
* He used his head to grind into Frank's jaw, and drive into the chest and armpit
* He grabbed the far armpit to turn Frank's face away and place it directly in the line of fire

Finally, when Frank tried again to turn in at the very end of the fight, Brock let him turn, and secured the far wrist. The brutal flurry of unanswered blows that ended the fight came right after that.

The thing is that there are counters and preventive measures to all these half guard top position techniques and tactics. And I'm sure that Frank knows them and practiced them.

It's just that when the size difference is that large then your timing has to be razor sharp in order to apply your game. And a bit of luck helps too...

A rematch between these two fighters is inevitable. Maybe the next time Frank will be sharp enough or lucky enough to impose his half guard game on Brock!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd like to add that Mir was holding on to the Lockdown, preventing Brock from passing, but also locked his hips to Lesnar's. When the Lockdown isn't working, you have to let it go to be able to attack a little more freely.

Leg Locks from Half Guard - Sambo

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:27:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/v/p6uK2Wl0RWI

Ever see a MMA fight where you see the fighter who is pulling half guard suddenly turn into the opponent and shoot his hand under the non-trapped leg? It's because that person is either working a sweep, or looking for a kneebar. While initially, if you're not experienced, it looks impossible to pull off a kneebar from such a position, watch the video above. This setup is becoming more and more popular as Sambo grows.

Since I'm short on time, I'll just explain the first technique shown, as it is the base for the variations shown after.

1. You're in half guard, and you managed to squeeze the outside knee in to prop your opponent up on it.

2. Shoot your arm under the non-trapped leg of your opponent and pull, while pushing off the body of your opponent with your knee, which should create enough leverage to knock him over.

3. Throw your outside leg over the body, while bringing the inside leg deeper and up to lock up the legs and finish the kneebar.

UFC100 Results and Thoughts

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Results:

Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty
Winner Gugerty 1st round Guillotine

CB Dollaway vs. Tom Lawlor
Winner Lawlor 1st round Guillotine

Dong Hyun Kim vs. T.J. Grant
Winner Kim Unanimous decision.

Jon Jones vs. Jake O'Brien
Winner Jones 2nd round guillotine.

Mac Danzig vs. Jim Miller
Winner Miller Unanimous decision.

Mark Coleman vs. Stephan Bonnar
Winner Coleman Unanimous decision.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher
Winner Akiyama split decision

Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping
Winner Henderson 2nd round KO

Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago
Winner Fitch unanimous decision.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves
Winner GSP Unanimous decision.

Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir
Winner Lesner TKO 2nd round.

My Notes:

Mir shows some pretty good striking, but off balanced himself in the process- probably shouldn't have gone the counter-punching route. Not that it really matters against someone walking around at 290 pounds, but still. Lesnar did the appropriate thing: Sit on the guy, make sure you don't get submitted, and just pound at the guy's face. Dickchest still forgets that he's no longer in the WWE and needs some PR lessons goddammit, he's frustrating to watch.

Henderson made Bisping look like a week-old corpse with that shot: http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2340/1247367977823.gif
Holy hell that was awesome. Then he dropped what looked like the Rock's "The People's Elbow" right afterwards, which is also awesome. Bisping was circling to the wrong side most of the fight, which ultimately led to that brilliant KO.

GSP showed pure grappling dominance- 10 takedowns against a guy that was apparantly stronger and harder to take down than any of St. Pierre's previous opponents. Also, his reach made for a good equalizer on the stand-up. "Hit him with your groin!"

The takedowns definitely gave Akiyama the win (Judo FTW). Belcher was not really robbed, although it was damn close, and I thought Belcher had the better stand up.

Bonnar, what the fuck is wrong with you? As much as I hate to say it, but being beaten by Coleman alone deserves being cut.

Good job by Fitch, Jones, and Miller. The Kim fight turned out as expected. And holy hell, a good night for guillotines.

UFC 100 Predictions

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:15:00 +0000

Here are my predictions for tonight's fight:

Brock Lesnar Vs. Frank Mir
Brock Lesnar is most likely going to steamroll Mir, but a blogger can dream.

Georges St-Pierre Vs. Thiago Alves
The only thing that worries me is Alves's 6" reach advantage and his uncanny ability to connect power shots.

Jon Fitch Vs. Paulo Thiago

Dan Henderson Vs. Michael Bisping
As much as I want Henderson to win, I think Bisping is going to somehow manage to TKO Hendo.

Yoshihiro Akiyama Vs. Alan Belcher
I hope he doesn't disappoint in his UFC debut and gets a rematch with Denis Kang.

Mark Coleman Vs. Stephan Bonnar
If Coleman wins, I'll go ahead and commit ritualistic suicide. And by ritualistic suicide, I mean drink heavily.

Mac Danzig Vs. Jim Miller
He may be a vegetarian, but he's still a very good fighter.

Jon Jones Vs. Jake O'Brien
Expect KO by some ridiculous feat of athleticism.

CB Dollaway Vs. Tom Lawlor
I'd like to see another Peruvian Necktie.

Matt Grice Vs. Shannon Gugerty
Flip a coin.

If you don't like my picks, tough.

Join the Punch Kick Choke Facebook Group

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:58:00 +0000

*edit* - fixed the link.Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/PunchKickChoke-the-MMA-and-BJJ-Resource/131559126912

Join or else you'll get herpes. If you have herpes already, you'll get syphilis. If you have both of those, I feel bad for you, and wouldn't wish anything worse on you. Also, give me a "thumbs up" on your stumbleupon toolbars while you're at it. And send me flowers, poetry, and candy.

But seriously- I don't know what these 'Facebook Page' things are for. Someone please explain it to me.

And since I don't like my posts to be under a certain length, here's a funny cartoon: (click to enlarge)

Setting Up the Big Punch by Attacking the Lead Hand (Fedor/Sylvia)

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:00:00 +0000

I'd like to briefly go over a simple but often overlooked punching technique used to set up a big hook or straight- Watch the old Fedor vs. Tim Sylvia footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWCaqbvYTP8

Watch at 18 seconds- Fedor hits the front hand of Sylvia right before blitzkrieging his ass into the ground. It's not a one-off move that he does: you can see him do it quite visibly against Big Nog a few years back, and Lyoto Machida does it all the time.

So, how does it work? It's just a really, really simple way to distract an experienced opponent. An inexperienced guy would have a hard time stopping a barrage of punches coming straight at him, but at a pro and even amateur level, people can protect themselves from direct blows most of the time. So, a good way to close the gap and KO the other guy is to distract him, and this technique does it quite well.

1. Check your stances, because this will determine how you attack.

2. If your lead hand is on the same side (southpaw vs orthodox), hit the back of the hand. If your lead hand is on opposing sides (same stances), hit the inside of the wrist.

3. As your hand moves out to punch, lunge forward. A big component of this move is the fact that it distracts your opponent momentarily from seeing that you're closing in.

4. Start swinging for the fences. If you can't get it within a couple of shots, jump back out.

Simple and effective- try it out.

Rolling Kneebar from Turtle

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Attacking the turtle to get into back mount for the choke has become so common that plenty of creative and effective counters have been developed, and one of my favorites to watch is the Rolling Kneebar from the Turtle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27u3OylXY38

It's a simple move, and one you can always look for while your opponent looks to stabilize his position in terms of controlling your turtle.

1. You are turtled, and your opponent is behind you, controlling you

2. You feel that his near leg is in between yours

3. Use your near side foot to trap that leg

4. Forward dive roll with your near side arm, and look to grab that trapped leg

5. As you roll, kick up with that trap foot into him

6. Once the roll is complete, look to finish the kneebar submission

Fun little move, and one worth investing time on, especially for no-gi.

That being said, vote on your favorite submission on the right side of the page if you haven't done so already!

Clarifying my views on Ari Bolden (Submissions101)

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:08:00 +0000

I've gotten more than a fair share of emails regarding Ari Bolden, the young man who you know as the face of Submissions101, and now a 10thPlanet Affiliate, asking how I could defend such a fraud and whatnot by using his videos, and I'd like to just explain myself and explain to those of you who don't know what the issue was.

Now, why is Bolden hated by a good number of those in the Jiu Jitsu community? I'll go ahead and just bullet point the main issues:

He's a JJJ Black Belt (unsure of lineage) teaching BJJ.
Well, actually, when you press him, he doesn't say BJJ. He teaches "10thPlanetJJ."
His videos don't cover a lot of crucial details, and relatively often show techniques that will get you countered to hell and back.

Probably the funniest thing I've heard about Submissions101 before 10th Planet Victoria is this:
"They have no rank in BJJ, but presume to teach grappling because:
a) They put in a hell of a lot of time on JJJ knife-defence and
b) they once shared a joint with Eddie Bravo." -PointyShinBurn, Bullshido Forums

Now, why do I not hate on the guy, despite being generally committed to taking out the trash when it comes to frauds? Well, because while I think he misrepresents himself, I do believe he knows the 10th Planet stuff fairly well, has pretty good students and people to learn from currently, he's fairly dedicated to learning it, and while his videos aren't top notch, it's still pretty good stuff to show to get the general gist of the techniques I'm trying to explain. I believe that for free, he's done a pretty good thing.

Read Eddie Bravo's thoughts on the whole thing:
http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/eddie-bravo-ari-bolden-1004647/

Would Eddie have been so supportive if Ari hadn't brought throngs of 10th Planet supporters together online? Probably not, but he has, and I am confident that he'll be just fine of a Jits teacher in the future once he puts his game together and patches the holes that are there.

So, hate him if you must, but don't expect me to blast him online. If you're a fan of his videos, just make sure you take some of them with a grain of salt, and review them with a proper instructor. If you're a hater, just don't watch his videos, and inform the ignorant so that they can make a decision for themselves.

Rear Naked Choke (RNC) Setups - Frank Shamrock

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Frank Shamrock shows us a few good ways to force, bait, and annoy your way into sinking a solid Rear Naked Choke.

Frank Shamrock teaches Pro-Star MMA Choke Set Ups

Here's the gist of it:

Hook his nose
Hook under his eyebrows
Crossface
Mandible Crush
Seesaw with punches
Combination of these things to make your opponent's life miserable.

God damn Frank Shamrock is a goofball. Good at communicating his thoughts, but still a goofball.

For self defense purposes, hooking INTO the eye socket and nose are viable options as well, but I wouldn't recommend trying it during sparring, unless you want to make people very upset at you.

Oh, and another good way when you're attempting a RNC in MMA sparring, cover his mouth and nose with your glove-covered hand, and when he tries to move his head to avoid it, use that motion to sink the choke in.

Wrestler's Sit Out (Turtle Escape)

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:59:00 +0000

If you're anything like me, I tend not to go for double legs because I'm always getting sprawled on. However, avoiding such an effective move altogether is not the best of ideas. Just like how you have to be good at the guard to have an effective offensive mount due to the assortment of sweeps you can encounter, you have to be able to recounter counters to a takedown attempt to be good and confident in your takedowns.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Kdfov1FQ0to

Often, when sprawled on, you end up in a turtle position, with your opponent taking an over-under control with his arms. If that's the case, the Wrestler's Sit Out is perfect for you. Keep in mind that having a good core is very important for this move.

1. You're turtling off your opponent's sprawl, and your opponent has over-under control.

2. Reach across to just outside of your opponent's knee with your trapped arm. Move on to the next step immediately or else you're going to find yourself in a much worse position.

3. Tripod, throw the leg of the trapped side out diagonally as well while turning away and back, grab the hand of the arm that's inside with your free hand as you're turning. Use your head and shoulders to push into your opponent.

4. Spin around immediately, and you will have effectively just switched positions with your opponent. Transition as you please from here.

Judo Throw Combinations and Set Ups

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Throws more often than not require strings of combinations and setups to successfully toss a skilled and resisting opponent on their head, much like how without knowing how to combo submissions in Jiu Jitsu, you won't get very far in your game.

http://judoinfo.com/gaeshi.htm

The link above goes to a judoinfo.com page (a great resource overall, btw.) regarding Judo throw combinations, counters, and set up attacks. All the attacks are linked to illustrations regarding how to perform the throw, making it easier to visualize among those of you who can't always seem to remember what a specific throw is called (myself included).

So, here's your homework assignment: Pick 4-6 throws that you want to be able to perform and write down the corresponding row of moves. Turn that sheet into a map. On that map, take notes on important details regarding each and every move- everything from entry to grip. Then take that map and a willing partner and go through each series in a simple progression-

1. Successful set up throw
2. Countered set up into successful throw
3. Countered set up and throw into successful follow up throw.

I guarantee you that your ability to take people down will improve significantly.

As everyone loves a video demo, here's an old favorite that I haven't used in a while:
Foot Sweep to Large Wheel (O Guruma)

Also, buy Karo's Judo Book

Basic Hand Position and Posture for Top Guard

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:06:00 +0000

This is going to be a short and simple BJJ post without video, but it is something that all beginners need to know and keep in mind, because improper hand position is all a good jits guy needs to own your ass when you're in their guard. Also, it's very easy to forget these rules when you first start or after a long period of not sparring.

Let's look at the ideal proper posture for top guard:

1. Good back posture, not hunched over and looking down

This alone will give you more time and will force your opponent to work harder to do anything. Having your head down makes it easier to pull you down to work submissions and sweeps.

2. Hands on opponent, not on ground

Unless you really enjoy giving your arm up to your opponent to do as he wishes, likely in the the form of a Kimura, or at the very least, an overhook, don't put your goddamn hands on the mat. Be proactive in this, because it's likely the other person will be trying to force your hands there.

3.Each hands on respective side, not crossed over

Often I see shitty crossface attempts and guard opening attempts that make me cringe. Unless you know what you are going for and know what's coming, don't leave your arm dangling across your centerline. Otherwise you are going to be victim of a whole assortment of things such as armbars, triangles, arm triangles, and getting your back taken.

4. Hands palm down, right underneath the opponent's ribcage

This makes it much harder for your opponent to sit up and just grab you. This is a very integral part of the top game in terms of establishing position and helping you move on to passing the guard and preventing submissions. However, I'd suggest keeping your fingers together, unlike the picture above. Also, try to line up your elbows with just outside the center of your opponent's thighs.

5. Both arms over legs (Or both arms under when passing), not one in and one out

To top it off- not really shown in the picture, but remember, arms on the same side of the legs, always. Either they are both over or both under the legs, otherwise your opponent gets a triangle served on a silver platter.

Hope you guys keep these things in mind next time you roll, and if you're playing guard, look for the opportunity when your opponent doesn't follow one of these rules.

Also, buy this book: Jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro

Dave Camarillo - Stopping the Armbar from Guard (RNC Armbar Escape)

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:48:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW9JQQtS2oA

Most of you have seen a million and one armbar from guard defenses already, but this one in particular, shown by Dave Camarillo, is always a good escape to have in mind. I call this one the "RNC Escape," but there are many names for this one.

1. Opponent traps your arm and pivots to go for the armbar. Remember that this escape really only works well for the traditional armbar with both arms inside the guard.

2. Immediately go for a RNC position with your arms, arm that's being attacked grabbing the bicep of the other arm, and the hand of the other arm open, waiting.

3. The open hand is to catch the leg that will be coming over your head. You need to catch the leg to prevent your opponent from being able to extend his hips.

4. Push the leg off, and escape the position, either by stacking or yanking the elbow out, as shown in the video.

Stephan Kesting's BeginningBJJ.com

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:49:00 +0000

Today, I'll talk about one of the best free resources available to beginners I've come across: beginningbjj.com

I've been meaning to write the review for some time now, and apologies to Mr. Kesting for not doing so sooner.

As many of you know, Stephan Kesting is a grappling expert who runs http://www.grapplearts.com, and he made a website aimed specifically at those of you just beginning or thinking about starting your BJJ journey.

You should go ahead and download the "Roadmap for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu," (free with just writing down your email address, which he won't sell to anyone.) I could go ahead and review this booklet for you, or I could just copy/paste the gleaming review I wrote that's already on his page:

"BJJ is an incredibly complex martial art, and at the beginning of one's training in it, learning even those basic positions can be a daunting task, not to mention the transitions and flow of one position to another. As a MMA and BJJ Blogger as well as a BJJ practitioner, I have seen failed attempts in many pricey instructional books and videos on breaking down the basic positions of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for beginners.

Mr. Kesting's BJJ Roadmap is one of the best readings on jiu jitsu I have come across in a very long time, and not only does it break down the positions carefully and simply, it's free! I have already recommended it to many of my readers as well as my friends who are just starting out in BJJ, and I will definitely continue to do so."

Now, it would seem kind of silly for me to be writing all this for just a free ebook, and so, I'm going to try to sell those of you with a little spending cash who read the ebook and liked it on buying his beginner's package, which can be found here: http://www.beginningbjj.com/package/

As someone who's helped work on pricing for a home shopping network, I'd be lying if I said that the little thing about having the package be "worth $1075.90" wasn't a little bit of an exaggeration, but it's sure worth the actual $197 price tag in my humble opinion. Why? Basically, if you're a beginner, you're getting about 5-10 private session's worth of information for the price of 1 or 2. I've personally re-watched the DVDs about 4 times now and the poster that comes with it is proudly taped on my bedroom door.

I might actually also suggest that BJJ schools and clubs carry this on hand as "required study" for newcomers, because I know that in small clubs, it's often frustrating to reteach the basics over and over again every time someone new comes in.

So, please check it out. :)

-Y

PS- if you buy Stephan's stuff, feel free to leave me a donation as well :)

Getting out of the Thai Clinch: the "Throw-By"

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Well, first post in a while, but since I'm sure you guys don't want to hear about my life, let's get to it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIxCCuBf3ew

The Thai Clinch is a problem for just about anyone, and a serious nightmare for anyone who doesn't have any experience with it. I have a story to go along with that, but I'd rather not post it here. If you're dying to hear the story, email me.
(Also, remember the guy who just won a fight against Wanderlei? Remember his two clashes with a guy named Anderson Silva? Remember the facial reconstruction he had to undergo?)

The Throw-By shown in the video above is a go-to move for many fighters, and is pretty easy to learn.

1. Opponent has the plum on the base of your skull, and is squeezing it real tight.

2. Go ahead and make sure you keep proper posture: minimize space between your bodies, keep an upright back with the hips pushed forward, with your feet pointing out at 45-degree angles slightly more than your shoulder’s width apart.

3.Before you start to eat any vicious knees, and be forever known as "Johnny Toothless," begin the escape.

4. Feed an arm through your opponent's arms- let's say put your right hand into the space between the arms, and grab his right bicep. Reinforce the grip with your outside left hand. Hold real tight.

5. In a quick twisting motion to the left, shuck your opponent's arms forcefully off your head, using your right elbow.

6. Now, you can push off your opponent for the escape, or you can use the opportunity to trap the head and arm. This sets up very nicely for a leg sweep straight into an arm triangle.

Escape From Belly-Down Armbar

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:03:00 +0000

http://one.revver.com/watch/382329

One of the hardest moves to defend against is the belly-down armbar, as it is a lot easier to finish the armbar from that position for the attacker.

Note: This defense works if you catch the leg before the extension. Otherwise, you'll find it darn near impossible to pin the leg down.

-You find yourself caught in a belly-down armbar.

-Before the opponent can finish the submission, grab the heel near your head, and push it down and in, then drop your chest on it, making it difficult to extend the legs for your opponent.

-Bridge up on the shoulder being attacked, and curl in a bit. Kick your legs out and throw your body over your opponent.

-Turn in to your opponent and drive into him for side control and to prevent him from regaining guard.

Classic Read: Kill or be Killed by Col. Rex Applegate

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:12:00 +0000

I stumbled on this not too long ago-

"Kill or be Killed"
by Colonel Rex Applegate

READ HERE: http://judoinfo.com/pdf/Kill_or_Get_Killed.pdf

If you don't know what this book is, it is the former Marine Corps Close Quarters Combat manual that Col. Applegate wrote while at OSS and training Special Forces.

It's a bit outdated, of course, but it is a great read, and knowing that Kill or be Killed is considered the classic text on Western H2H combat. Applegate took a lot of William Fairburn's Defendu style of fighting (that was developed during Fairburn's time with the Shanghai police and his exposure to Chinese Martial Arts) and added a bit more Judo and Jujitsu to it.

This book, along with unarmed combat, also covers the knife fighting methods that he and Fairburn created, pistol combat, baton usage, and much more.

Definitely a good weekend read- right click on the link and download it!

Reverse Triangle

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:59:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBAmwVFrr2A

This is a submission that you can use against a stuffed single leg takedown.

I personally don't see the use in the set up they show in the video, where you attempt the reverse triangle against a very poor turtle position, which honestly isn't very realistic unless you're up against someone inexperienced.

Instead, the ideal setup is against a single leg attempt that you sprawl out against.

Instructions (Note: couple extra things than the video touches on)

-Opponent attempts single leg, you sprawl out.

-If you manage to drive your opponent down onto his knees, it's time to look for this move.

-Hold the position until you feel your opponent let go of his grip to put one or both hands onto the ground.

-Now, in one motion, drive into him, push his head down, throw your free leg over his inside arm, scoop and underhook his outside arm and roll him over.

-Instantly, figure four your legs and twist your body into him while holding on to the arm. You now have both a triangle and an armbar.

You should note that you can wiggle your way into a straight armbar from this position, but you should only go for it if you feel like you're losing the choke. Remember to frame against his side with a free arm if you do attempt this.

(BJJ) Half Guard Sweep to Taking the Back Option

ysc87@hotmail.com (Punch Kick Choke) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:18:00 +0000

This should be obvious, but to make most moves work reliably, you have to make your opponent react in a way that helps you, whether by baiting or forcing him to do something, ie pulling to make your opponent pull back, then Osoto Gari-ing him to the mat, or forcing your opponent post his hands on your chest from under mount by punching him in the face, then armbarring him.

This sweep from the Half Guard completely relies on this principle, as you can't finish it without your opponent resisting your initial motion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-Eum8iKJpQ

-You start in Half Guard bottom, (On your side, facing your opponent, not lying flat) with your opponent sitting up.

-You grab the far side sleeve/wrist and pull across while using your legs to assist in the motion.

-Of course, your opponent will try to pull back to defend a sweep attempt he believes already happened.

-Using this to your advantage, whip the arm you are controlling around to the outside and pull. You are trying to pull his body in a perpendicular direction from you.

-Lift with the legs, (Your leg that was previously outside should be barred across the waist) and continue the roll over your shoulder.

-You can either secure side control from here, or try to force him towards you to take the back, as your arm placement at the end is ideal to do so.