Tag: BJJ Video

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How To Do A Twisting Arm Control Submission

The twisting arm control submission is an excellent BJJ attack that draws on a fundamental principle of Jiu-Jitsu and uses an opponent’s energy against them.

Mount is an extremely effective and dominant position in BJJ, but you may find yourself unable to finish a submission from mount due to your opponent’s strength, excellent defense, or escape attempts. In those cases, the twisting arm control submission is a useful transition to the back and the rear naked choke. 

Twisting arm control is a frustrating position for the bottom player, and many BJJ fighters will fall into this trap just to move out of the position. In MMA or a fight, the position leaves one of the top fighter’s hands free for punches, forcing the bottom fighter to escape or be knocked out.

This technique by the great Rener Gracie for his Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy Youtube channel is part of the Gracie How To Get a Blue Belt in BJJ guide.

Start: Mount

Step 1: Secure a cross-grip on one of opponent’s wrists and using your free hand to push their elbow, drag that wrist across their body to their opposite shoulder

Step 2: Lay your chest on the twisted arm and post your gripping hand into the mat to secure their arm in place

Step 3: Slide your free hand under opponent’s neck and grab their wrist, switching which hand has the grip

Step 4: Slide your back knee (the side that now has the grip on opponent’s wrist) up behind their shoulders and post front foot next to their stomach

Step 5: Pull opponent’s wrist towards you while pushing their elbow with your free hand, forcing them to turn away

Step 6: When opponent turtles (either out of frustration, to escape punches, or to avoid the discomfort of your heel digging into their stomach), abandon the twisting arm control and post both hands on the ground to get both hooks in and take the back.

Step 7: Slide one arm under opponent’s neck and through to other side, figure four your arms and reach free hand behind their head to finish a rear naked choke

Finish: Tap due to Twisting Arm Control Submission

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Filmjitsu – BJJ in Four Christmases

Every once in a while, Jiu-Jitsu finds its way into popular culture in a way that leaves BJJ geeks pointing at the screen and going “ooh ooh I know that one!” (Insert meme of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at screen). This is the first entry into a recurring (maybe) segment. 

In four christmases, Vince Vaughn’s character Brad is forced to visit his family for Christmas (a horrible fate I wouldn’t wish on anyone but my worst enemies, people who see that a toilet paper roll is getting low and don’t wipe as much as they normally would so that they won’t have to replace it). Seconds from walking through the door, Jon Favreau’s character Denver jumps a rear naked choke on Brad (née Orlando) and Tim McGraw’s character Dallas grabs what looked like a gift wrap position. 

Minutes later, after Brad acts like a dummy twice and calls MMA human cockfighting (shoutout to the late great John McCain for that immortal sound bite) and then insults Denver’s wife using spray cheese as if Easy Cheese on Ritz isn’t a delicious treat, his brother pulls him into a diamond position and taunts him by turning the arm the wrong way for an arm bar (but keeping the diamond position, because position before submission) before possibly switching to a wrist lock for the tap.

In the end, the Four Christmases proves that art imitates life and the brother who practices Jiu-Jitsu (Denver) is happier, healthier, and has a rich home life filled with love while the brother who judges BJJ is fundamentally unhappy and is about to see his personal life fall to pieces in front of his eyes.

Image via Four Christmases Theatrical Trailer on YouTube

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How To Escape The Half Guard Lockdown in BJJ – 3 Lockdown Escapes

The lockdown position in half guard is a very powerful way to secure your opponent when you are in half guard bottom. Getting the lockdown from half guard bottom opens up sweeps, submissions, and prevents your opponent from passing to mount or side control. Getting stuck in the lockdown can be frustrating and like many positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, spazzing and trying to muscle your way out of lockdown can lead to injuries.

These are three great ways to use Jiu-Jitsu to escape the half guard lockdown safely.

Half Guard Lockdown Escape 1: Lift Off

Start: Half guard top, opponent has lockdown

Step 1: Shift weight as low onto opponent’s hips as possible

Step 2: Switch hips and face towards your trapped leg, posting free foot at an angle and pinching free knee in to trap opponent’s free leg

Step 3: Lift trapped heel up and towards your butt

Step 4: Post formerly trapped foot out away from opponent’s legs to prevent them from restoring lockdown

Finish: Half guard top

Half Guard Lockdown Escape 2: Knee Cut

Start Half guard top, opponent has lockdown

Step 1: Get arm underhook on lockdown side and overhook on other side

Step 2: Switch head to free side of opponent’s head and sprawl out, flattening yourself onto mat

Step 3: Use free foot to pry opponent’s inside leg down and away from lockdown

Step 4: Pull trapped knee forward past opponent’s knee into knee cut pass

Step 5: Slide knee over opponent’s thigh and past their half guard

Finish: Side control top

Half Guard Lockdown Escape 3: Donkey Kick

Start: Half guard top, opponent has lockdown

Step 1: Shift weight as low onto opponent’s hips as possible

Step 2: Tilt to free side and shoot free-side hand through underneath opponent’s thighs

Step 3: Grips hands together and pinch opponent’s knees together

Step 4: Move hips back and sprawl free leg out

Step 5: Sprawl or kick trapped leg back

Finish: Scramble

Curious about the lockdown? Check out How To Do the Half Guard Lockdown in BJJ, How To Do a Half Guard Lockdown Arm Triangle Choke in BJJ, and How To Do a Half Guard Lockdown Calf Slicer in BJJ.

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How To Do a Half Guard Lockdown Calf Slicer in BJJ

The half guard lockdown is a great BJJ position that secures half guard, preventing your opponent from passing while allowing you to work on submissions and sweeps. By simply wrapping your feet around your opponent’s shin, you can prevent their movement and they have to work on passing your lockdown before they can think about passing your half guard. That extra step gives you a chance to work on submissions from half guard lockdown. 

If you’re unsure of how to get the lockdown position in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, check out our writeup How To Do the Half Guard Lockdown in BJJ.

A calf slicer is a brutally painful submission in BJJ that put the shin of your leg into the calf muscle of your opponent, causing immense pressure. This move is illegal to use in gi BJJ competitions but is legal in nogi BJJ and MMA, but this submission can do serious damage so be careful training it in your gym.

Start: Halfguard with lockdown

Step 1: Dive inside hand under opponent’s opposite armpit and sit up so that they are on all fours and your top half is clear of their body on the side of their trapped leg

Step 2: Grab opponent’s trapped shin with your inside hand

Step 3: Abandon the lockdown and figure four your legs with the outside foot on your inside knee

Step 4: With both hands, pull opponent’s foot towards you

Finish: Submission via half guard lockdown calf slicer

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How To Do a Half Guard Lockdown Arm Triangle Choke in BJJ

The half guard lockdown position in BJJ is a strong option to turn what can be overlooked as a transition position into a brutal attack position. With the half guard lockdown, your feet wrap around your opponent’s leg at the shin and prevent them from passing your guard while also limiting their movement so they are unable to prevent your attacks. (check out our writeup on How To Do the Halfguard Lockdown in BJJ here).

The arm triangle choke is a simple yet effective choke that involves wrapping your opponent up and pitting the geometry and strength of both of your arms against the strength of one of their arms (just like the halfguard lockdown).

Start: Half guard bottom with lockdown, opponent has an arm under your head to control your movement

Step 1: Wrap your arm on opposite side of opponent’s controlling arm around opponent’s head

Step 2: Gable grip your hands together

Step 3: Figure four arms with your wrapped hand in the elbow of free arm

Step 4: Grip opponent’s forehead with free hand

Step 5: Squeeze

Finish: Submission via arm triangle from halfguard lockdown

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How To Do the Half Guard Lockdown in BJJ

Half guard is a powerful position in BJJ. Because your legs are intertwined with your opponent’s, half guard opens up a lot of options for sweeps and submissions. On the other hand, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu half guard doesn’t provide the same ability to control your opponent’s hips as the full guard or mount does, so it can be a tougher position to work from than those and is easier for your opponent to escape from.

The half guard lockdown in BJJ offers an option to stop your opponent from moving their trapped leg while in your half guard, stopping them from escaping. The lockdown wraps both of your feet around your opponent’s leg, preventing them from moving anywhere without dragging you with them in exactly the same position (and just tiring themselves out in the process).

Start: Half guard

Step 1: Step outside foot over opponent’s leg to inside their legs

Step 2: Lace outside foot under inside calf

Step 3: Weave inside foot under opponent’s shin

Step 4: Extend outside leg to inside ankle and press into opponent’s shin

Finish: Half guard lockdown

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How To Do An Omoplata From Mount

The omoplata is a fantastic BJJ submission. It pits the strength of your hips against your opponent’s shoulder, which is super effective. The omoplata also involves twisting around so that you’re attacking your opponent from behind and from the side, reducing their options for defenses. 

While the omoplata submission is most often attempted from the closed guard in BJJ where that is an advantageous position, in MMA or a street fight the guard can be a dangerous place to be. The omoplata from mount is a BJJ technique that you can use even when strikes are an option but you still want to end the fight using jiu-jitsu. 

Start: Mount

Step 1: Trap one of opponent’s arms over your hip, this will be the arm you attack

Step 1: Kick your attacking leg forward underneath opponent’s arm

Step 3: Bend opponent’s arm down over your attacking leg

Step 4: Pivot towards your attacking leg, dropping to that knee

Step 5: Drop attacking side shoulder to the mat and step free leg over opponent’s head to attacking side

Step 6: Roll over attacking shoulder

Step 7: Scoot away from opponent’s body

Step 8: Pendulum your attacking leg and drive opponent towards the mat

Step 9: Lean into opponent and push his hand forward

Finish: Submission via omoplata from mount

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How To Do An Omoplata From Side Control

The omoplata is a simple Jiu-Jitsu submission that uses your hips to twist your opponent’s shoulder. Once the omoplata position has been reached it is very quick and easy to complete the submission. Using a strong part of your body against a relatively weak body part, you are able to create a very painful amount of force with relatively little effort with the BJJ omoplata. 

The other reason the omoplata is a great submission is that it looks very cool. The typical omoplata from guard looks pretty cool, but setting up the omoplata from side control involves spinning around on top of your opponent so that you are facing the same way as them and the finish involves sitting over the other person while they are smashed face first into the ground. 

The omoplata from side control is one of those great BJJ submissions that makes you feel like a ninja. 

Start: Side Control

Step 1: Switch to reverse kesa gatame position facing opponent’s feet

Step 2: Hop your butt back and sit on opponent’s shoulder

Step 3: Step your outside leg back, spreading your legs so that you can grab opponent’s arm and trap it between your legs

Step 4: Drive into opponent and drag their arm with you so that you can slide your inside foot below their shoulder

Step 5: Post inside hand on mat next to opponent’s hip and grab your inside shin with your outside hand

Step 6: Continue spinning in that direction around opponent’s head, dragging them onto their stomach with their arm trapped in the omoplata

Finish: Submission via omoplata from side control

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How To Do A Crucifix Choke From Turtle In BJJ

The turtle position can be one of the most frustrating defensive positions in BJJ. A good Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter can sit in turtle for what seems like forever, wasting your time and making you feel like your advantageous position is a complete waste. Just like a turtle in its shell.

When you’re frustrated by someone who is good at turtling, all you want to do is obliterate them and use their defensive position as a jumping off point for your attacks. One of the greatest attacks for absolutely destroying your opponent from turtle and leaving them completely exposed and vulnerable like a turtle on its back is the crucifix choke which splays your opponent out, arms spread like Jesus on the cross.

Start: Turtle

Step 1: Drive your knee between opponent’s elbow and knee

Step 2: With free leg, hook your foot over opponent’s arm

Step 3: Reach over opponent’s body and secure their free arm by snaking your bottom-side hand underneath their armpit and grabbing their hand

Step 4: Look towards top of opponent’s body and roll over your trapping shoulder, landing on your back with opponent in crucifix position

Step 5: Reach free arm across opponent’s neck and get cross-collar grip and bridge into choke

Finish: Submission via crucifix choke

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How To Do A Ten Finger Guillotine In BJJ

The guillotine is one of the safest submission to attempt in all of BJJ. Going to a guillotine submission in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu doesn’t sacrifice your position or run the risk of leaving you in a weak position if your opponent is able to escape like the triangle from guard or other common submissions. Instead, a missed guillotine leaves you face to face with your opponent, almost exactly the same position you were in when you started. For that reason, the guillotine can be an easy submission to attempt even if you’re unsure of your ability with it.

The ten finger guillotine is one of the variations of the guillotine choke. The ten finger guillotine has the advantage of not requiring one of your opponent’s arms to be trapped, which also means that your opponent can’t use the trapped arm to escape if they’re strong or crafty.

Start: Front headlock position 

Step 1: Grip under opponent’s chin and secure your chest over their head

Step 2: Grip free hand underneath choking hand like a cup and saucer (props to Still Rolling for that delightfully southern way of describing it)

Step 3: Rotate both hands towards your body and into opponent’s neck so that the base of your choking hand thumb pushes up and towards opponent’s chin, keeping your chest and shoulder over opponent’s head

Finish: Submission via ten finger guillotine