Totalbjj.com/blog

June 27th, 2011 by jgatienza

45 minutes of Self defense
Scenario: somebody comes from behind and puts their arm around your neck:
1. first thing first protect your neck, place your hands on their arm and bend your knees and lean forward and feet shoulder width apart. You should be able to lift him off his feet.
2. The attacker does the same thing (see above) except he pulls you backwards, protect your neck (see above), place your right foot behind his right foot, take small steps with your left while going around your opponent, this should cause your attacker to loos balance and should be able to take him down easily.
3. An attacker comes from behind and grabs you around your waist with both arms, immediately bend over, feet shoulder width apart, hands to the ground, your weight is leaning forward, with your right hand reach between your legs and grab the back of his heel, start walking backwards while holding his foot this will make him fall to his back.

Scenario: attacker comes from behind and grabs your neck with both hands, immediately protect your neck, establish a good base, place both hands on top of his hands, hold on to the meat of his thumb with your right hand and take a step back with your right foot and swing under his arms, with your left hand place it on the pinky side (fingers over his palm) and twist his hand over and away.

Use this same technique if he uses only 1 hand on your neck.

Sport jiu-jitsu
Breaking Guard
You are in your opponents closed guard. Grab both sides of his collar with your right hand and place your left hand on his belt. Lean to one side (it doesn’t matter which side first), post up on your right foot, lean the other way and post up with the left foot, keep your head up and stand up like you are doing a squat, as you are raising up you suck him under you.

Adding another step.
Right hand in collar, grab his pant leg with your left hand, step back, swing his leg between your legs, keep your right elbow tight to prevent him sneeking a leg or knee in, dorsi flex on his right leg and pass to side control.

If he opens his guard and drops his knees to your waist and grabs your heels, grab his collar and pull him and lean into him. Note* if he tenses up you tense up, when he relaxes you relax. From this position use take your right hand and let go of his collar and grab the opposite side above your left hand. Take your left hand and swing it behind you and hook his right foot and bring it to the front and proceed to side control.

A few other ways to pass if he grabs only one foot (right foot) is to take his right leg and swing it over to your right side, another way is to swing his right leg over on top of hhis left leg and push it down, with your left foot step on his left hand holding your right foot and pull your right foot away, another way is to take small steps over him so that he rolls backwards, he will roll over his shoulder, you can take a leg and go for an ankle lock.

Ankle lock, you can go for an ankle lock once he opens his guard, place your left knee in the middle of his butt, fall backwards, squeeze your knees together.

If your opponent is on his back and is controlling your sleeves and his feet are on your hips, grab his pant legs and walk backwards placing his feet on the mat.

If your opponent is on his back and is controlling your sleeves and one foot is on your bicep and the other on your hip. Take your hand that doesn’t have his foot on your bicep and grab his pant leg and swing it to the opposite. Or you can walk backwards and sway side to side until his foot is off and then proceed to side control.

Questions & Answers:
knee lock
your opponent has both feet between your legs in the butterfly guard. squeeze both his legs together, place your right leg behind his feet, you can use your left hand to help do this, apply a figure 4 lock on his legs and straighten him out for the submission.

Practice on your good side until you have mastered the technique and then work on your weaker side.
Try new techniques on smaller, less experienced partners and when you get better try them on bigger partners.

breaking guard, guard passing

April 30th, 2011 by jgatienza

Deep Half Guard
You have your opponent in your half guard, work to get a knee shield up (shin to his rib cage), place your left hand under his armpit, at the same time push with your shin and hand and with your right leg pull back to straighten out his right leg. Swim your right arm under his left leg so that you are under his torso. And then sneak out the backdoor or fake him out and go over his leg

50-50
Your opponent is standing, your head is inbetween his feet, grab on the outside of his left heel, curl your body up onto your shoulders/neck and hook your right leg around his left leg from the outside in, with your right hand still on his heel move it so you are now holding it between your bicep and forearm, turn on your back so that you are facing him (you turned 180 degrees), lock your legs in a figure four, straighten your body out for the takedown

d’arce or if you use your sleeve it’s called a sl’arce

Knee on belly to side control
Your opponent’s back is on the mat, place your right knee inbetween is legs and on his chest, both hands goes to the mat above his head, use your left leg for momentum to push his legs to the right, pull your right leg out, while maintaining the top position and bring both legs back behind him, he should be on his left side.

Guillotine
A good way to remember how to grip is to remember “pinky to pinky”

50-50, d'arce, deep half guard, guillotine, sl'arce

July 10th, 2010 by jgatienza

Warmed up with breaking the grip (standing), basic collar choke (standing) and jumping guard

Takedown

• opponents right foot steps forward
• scoop it with your left arm (using the crook of your arm) trap between with the knees and squeeze the knees
• left hand goes to the heel and left foot steps around the foot and take down
  Or
• after you scoop the leg and squeeze it between your knees
• replace your left arm with your right arm and swing your right leg over his leg
• your left hand goes to his gi (around his collar), your hip to his hip
• you can step with your right leg and sweep his left leg
  Or
• you can sweep with the left leg and trip him forward
• if your opponent blocks, you drop to your knees and scoop his other foot for the takedown

Defending the Butterfly pass (2 techniques)

• your opponent has both feet between your knees
• lift your left knee and place it between his feet
• underhook with your left arm and turn him to your right
• finish in his half guard

Or

• your opponent has both feet between your knees
• squeeze your knees together
• take your left hand hug his legs together, grab the gi material on the left side of his pant sleeve
• with your right hand grab the back of his gi collar
• straighten your left leg back
• turn your your opponent clock wise, in a circular motion
• hold his pant leg until you can establish side control

Guard break

• starting in your opponents guard
• right hand on his lapel, left hand on the belt
• get on your left foot
• shift your weight so you can get up on your right foot
• stand up and pull him under you
• place your right knee behind his butt and step back with your left foot
• work your knee between his legs until he breaks his guard
• pass over his leg and into side control

OR

• if he extends his legs you also extend up, if he crumbles you crumble with him, up and down, up and down
• once he breaks his guard, work your right elbow between his knees
• take your left hand and swing it behind you hooking his right leg
• grab his lapel with your left hand and into side control

Jumping over the legs (Advanced move)

• you have your opponents leg pinned down, your chest is above his knees and you are trying to get to side control
• he blocks your shoulders with his hands to prevent you from going any further
• press down on his knees with your left hand and jump over his legs
• repeat the steps if he turns into you alternating your right and left hand

breaking guard, takedown

July 18th, 2009 by jgatienza

A review of what we were taught.

fighting for the clinch (drill, this was a warm-up)

Scenario: your opponent grabs your neck

• protect your face and have your hands in front of your face and bob and weave, you must protect your face so you don’t get kneed

Scenario: if your opponent is tight on your body with his hands around your neck

• place your hands on his chest, step back and push off and bob and weave under his arms

Scenario: while fighting for the clinch

• take your right hand and go over his arms
• lock your hands together
• place your right leg by his right leg and trip him

Scenario: your opponent is much larger than you and has his hands around your neck

• you are in your opponents clinch
• turn your body slightly to the left to drive your right hand up and around his head
• left hand by the tricep
• right leg step inward and place in front of his right leg, left leg circles to the front of your opponents left leg
• bend forward to complete the throw

OR and alternative is to…

• pop his elbows up
• drop down a little
• drive your face in his chest
• hands lock behind his back and suck him in and bend him backwards

Scenario: your opponent has you against the wall and is choking you

• with both hands reach straight back to his fingers
• feel for the weak finger (depending on what side) and grab it
• right hand goes to your opponents right wrist and break his finger

Arm in guillotine
Scenario: your opponent is on all fours with your chest applying pressure above the back of his shoulders/head

• slide your right hand under his chin or grab his gi collar
• with your left hand push his right arm inward and grab behind above the elbow with your right hand
• lock your hands together to prevent his trapped arm from escaping
• slide your right knee to block it Note: if you can’t slide your knee in, lift up his upper body to get your right knee in
• roll over your right leg and wrap your legs around him and extend your body for the submission

Or if your opponent tucks his arm in to prevent the arm in guillotine go for the normal guillotine

Guillotine
Scenario: your opponent is on all fours with your chest applying pressure above the back of his shoulders/head

• slide your right hand under his chin or grab his gi collar
• lock your hands together
• slide your right knee to block it. Note: if you can’t slide your knee in, lift up his upper body to get your right knee in
• roll over your right leg and wrap your legs around him and extend your body for the submission

To be able to pull this off you need to set your opponent up. If he pulls back or defends his neck go for the arm in guillotine. If he pushes in go for the normal guillotine. Take what your opponent gives you.

North south body triangle
Scenario: your opponent has you in his side control from your right side. His left arm must be on the left side of your head.

• take your left hand and grab behind your left knee (grab the gi material)
• get a underhook with your right hand and work to a north south position
• scootch your body down. Note: scootching your body down allows you to be able to lock your opponent down easier
• with your left hand release your grip on your knee and grab your right bicep, your right hand grabs his belt
• squeeze your arms and body together and raise your hips for a choke

From the back arm bar
Scenario: you have your opponent’s back and you have your grips on his right arm

• with your left arm place it behind you and move your hips to the right, you might have to do this a couple of times
• make a frame across his face with your left arm
• embrace his right arm with both of your arms
• as he is trying to pull away throw your left leg over his face  and squeeze the knees  and raise the hips for the armbar

Or you can choke him with your gi with the help of your knee
Scenario: you have your opponent’s back, he is defending his neck. His left arm is over his right arm

• pull your gi out
• with your left hand feed the end of your gi to your right hand
• place your left hand behind you and move your hips to the left lowering your opponents head
• work your knee under your right arm and between your chest and your opponents head
• grab the gi material on his knee
• drive your knee into his face and pull your gi for the submission

Monson choke
Scenario: you are in the north south position, you on top

• take your right hand and slide it under his neck
• take your left hand and slide it under his left arm (starting from under the pit area and finish by his head)
• lock your hands together and drop your right armpit under his chin and squeeze

Questions that were asked
Q: What can I do when someone is defending with an open guard (holding on to both sleeves and feet on their hips).
A: Sit back try and work your knees between his legs, alternative is to try and do a toriano pass

Q: How do I defend an underhook from half guard
A: Place your left hand on his shoulders and the right hand on his hips and try and push away

Q: After I get my opponent off me while I’m in his side control using the underhook, I get caught in the turtle position what can I do to prevent that?
A: First, Royler said that I don’t need to bump if I already have the under hook all I have to do is keep (shrimping) moving my hips around and then get to your knees and roll back over your leg and pull your opponent into my guard

This is all that I remember from the seminar if anyone remembers any details that I might have missed or I might have explained something incorrectly please leave a comment.

arm bar, choke, clinch, gi choke, guillotine, take down, under hooks

February 21st, 2009 by jgatienza

Over the weekend I attended David Adiv’s seminar held at our academy.

His warm-up exercises were as follows:
- forward rolls
- back rolls without using hands
- shrimping
- feet, hip, shoulders. Starting on your back, both feet goes to the side, hip out, pull your shoulder towards you until your are completely over your shoulder.
- shrimping, right leg back, shoot your left leg under your right leg and squeeze your straight left arm under your body and the mat and and roll over your right leg and back onto your back, repeat
- monkey stance then alligator crawl
We did these exercises from one end of the room to the other.

Take downs
Hip throw: 1) with your right hand grab your opponents gi on the right side. 2) pull him into you and get your hips under his and pull him over. *Note: you don’t even have to use your left hand for this throw.

Single leg: 1) your right hand is behind your opponents back holding on to his belt and your left hand is over his right arm and your head is on the right side of his. 2) with your right leg drop down and shoot it between his and lay it flat behind his left foot. 3) shift your weight over his trapped foot to cause him to fall backwards.

Foot sweep: 1) your right hand is behind your opponents back holding on to his belt and your left hand is over his right arm and your head is on the right side of his. 2) suck him into you so that his back is straight, your right shoulder should be against his chest. 3) pull him to the left, when you feel him take a step sweep his right foot with your right foot.

Questions and answers.

Keeping the mount (2 variations):
First variation: 1) your opponent tries to push you away with both hands, lean into him. 2) with your right hand shoot it under and in between his hands and post up above his head. 3) do the same thing with the left hand.

Second variation: 1) your opponent tries to push you away with both hands, grab his right sleeve with your right hand, left hand goes behind his tricep pull him to the right. 2) where your left knee was replace it with your left foot and then drop your knee forward. 3) do the same to the other side.

Attacking from the mount
Armbars: 1) your opponent is defending the armbar and has his hands locked together. 2) with your right leg place it over his left arm to break the grip and finish the armbar. You should be able to finish the armbar sitting up.

I know there were other small differences in the armbars but I can’t remember it…

Americana: 1) with both hands grab your opponents lapel and open it up. 2) using his gi to force his right arm to the mat. 3) place a kimura lock on it and place your forehead over your right hand, finish the submission.

Collar chokes from the mount (these are the ones that I remember).

Basic collar choke: 1) you have your grips in nice and deep and your opponent defends by  grabbing your wrists. 2) hop up on your feet where your knees was just at and bring your knees down on to his arms to break his defense. If you have too, place your forehead on the mat.

Collar choke while trapping your opponents hand in his gi: 1) you are in the mount, turn your opponent to his left side. 2) your right foot should be by his midsection, your left leg should be laying flat against his back, your left hand should be under his head. 3) at this point you may have his lapel but he maybe defending really well, which prevents you from submitting him, simply take your right hand and take the lapel from your left hand and wrap it around his defending hand and re-establish your grip again with your left hand. 4) you can cup his elbow or make a fist under it and squeeze and pull for the submission.

Baseball choke (I call it a baseball choke): from what I remember 1) get your left hand under your opponents head and grab his collar (thumb in side). 2) place your right hand in his gi above your left hand like you are holding a bat. 3) slide your right leg over to your opponents right side. 4) walk in a clock wise motion and drive your right elbow to the mat.

There was so much information in such a short amount of time please feel free to post details that I have forgotten or correct the information that I have given.

armbar, collar choke, mount