Welcome to Submissions 101

[Ari Bolden]

Greetings Fans and Supporters:

This is the place to discuss techniques and anything to do with the website Submissions 101.com.

Trolling and negative forum behaviour will quickly be submitted or choked out, no questions asked.

Special thanks to Tom and BJG for hosting this forum on his site. We have some great collaborations coming in the near future (Submissions 101 Team Shirt!)

Let's do this........

[Fox1s2]

Hey, I roll around at my gym and i always seem to get stuck in the north/south position on top.....can ya give me a list of things to do from top?

[Ari Bolden]

Hey Fox:

Being in the North/South position is a great place to be. Let's break this down:

1) You're not actually stuck. You are in a transition period ready to go to a more advantageous position.

2) While there are attacks from the N/S, you should think of it as a better than average neutral zone.

3) Sprawl and keep your legs wide. Depending if you have double under hooks, one over under or both on top, you should make every effort to get heavy on your partners face with your chest.

4) I tend to explode to side mount or get my partners back when they shift and try and roll. I immediately go for a submission when I move from N/S to some other position because my partner will most likely be weak from the lack of air they have had because of my "weighted pressure".

5) There are 2 great submissions (actually way more but) that I love from N/S. One is a neck crank and the other a head and arm triangle choke. We'll try and get a video up of that for you.

The name of the game is: be heavy but not stiff. Listen to your partners breathing. Attack is best just after a person has just exhaled completely and there is no oxygen in the blood supply.

Good Luck!

[Tom Gavrilos]

5) There are 2 great submissions (actually way more but) that I love from N/S. One is a neck crank and the other a head and arm triangle choke. We'll try and get a video up of that for you.

Another one I like from this position is the Anaconda Choke.
Ari if you have a vid of that post it up!

Also I want to thank you for doing this section. Not only does Ari make great BJJ Vids he helps BJG get our name out!
Its great to have your expertise on hand on the site everyone including myself will surely benefit from it!

[Ari Bolden]

Thanks Tom...glad to be here!

Fox: As Tom pointed out, The Anaconda choke is a great move from N/S (Pretty much the same as the head arm trianlge that I mentioned.

While this video is not from N/S per se, it gives you an idea:

http://www.submissions101.com/chokes7.htm

cheers!

[Fox1s2]

Thanks guys, i'll have to try those strategies out.

[Ryan]

When I put my friends in the Guillotine choke they always tend to pop out. Is there a good way to improve my choke so it is tighter and they can't get out? I think its because I am up too high but I am not sure. Thanks!

[Ari Bolden]

Ryan:

Make sure your legs are tight around the waist. Squeezing endurance is a must.

Make sure your thumb is pointing up (blade of forearm) is tight against the neck.

Crush...and shake well....

Your guillotine is served ;-)

[Ryan]

Thanks. I have been doing it in guard so my legs haven't been around the waist.

[Tom Gavrilos]

Thanks. I have been doing it in guard so my legs haven't been around the waist.

Explain? If they are in your Guard naturaly your legs should be arorund their waste.

[Ari Bolden]

Unless you are trying to pull off the guillotine IN SOMEONE'S guard. This is a very low percentage submission from this position.

Let us know which position your are in.

Also: here is an escape from the guillotine. by crushing the bicep with your forearm, your weaken the grip so you can pull your head out.

http://www.submissions101.com/other3.htm

Cheers!

[Ryan]

Thanks. I have been doing it in guard so my legs haven't been around the waist.

Explain? If they are in your Guard naturaly your legs should be arorund their waste.

He is 250 lbs to my 190 lbs. so I can manage to only use a butterfly guard or the one where your heel is in their hips.... not a full guard I guess.

[Tom Gavrilos]

Are you saying you cant get your legs around his back.
If hes that big (Im 190 and its never been a problem with people his weight and larger) then I wouldn't even try it. But the fact that you can put heels on hips....unless your legs are fully extended in that position.... then you should be able to get him closer to full guard.

The reason that position so adventagous is because they cant jump to half guard or side control relieveing the pressure on their neck.
Also as you lock the neck in place you can at the same town pull downward with your legs in your closed guard creating more torque on the neck..

[Ryan]

The thing is, is that I am not typical height for a 190 lber. I am 5'4. and he is 6- 6'1". I am trying to lose weight and get down to a weight where more people are my height. I see what your saying. So, when using it I need to throw in the full guard and lock in the head and its golden?

[Tom Gavrilos]

If you can close your guard that would be best but at the very least have your legs there to prevent him from advancing to a better position.

[Ari Bolden]

You can also fight for a different position. Guard isn't working for you because of your stature (length of legs) vs the other guy. I see this all the time in class. My students always ask me: I can't get guard because my partner is too big.

How about half guard then? You can certainly tie up one leg with both of yours. Break down your partner. Hold onto his head or double under hook him while holding him in the half.

Work for butterfly guard and prepare a sweep. Fighting for top position (or side) is a better bet for you because of your size. If you keep finding yourself on your back with a bigger opponent in your guard (at least it isn't mount ALL the time), try and work a scramble.

Drill, drill, drill. Take 15 minutes each class to have a guy lie in your guard. Then work on exploding out, pushing on the face to get to another position. After a while, you get good at transitions.

Remember, Jiu jitsu is 50% of the time in a transition phase (going from one move to another). Don't get locked in on one position. The longer you keep one position (or going for one attack only), the more time you give your partner to figure out an escape. Fake one attack then switch to another. IT's about being 2 steps ahead.

cheers

[Ryan]

You can also fight for a different position. Guard isn't working for you because of your stature (length of legs) vs the other guy. I see this all the time in class. My students always ask me: I can't get guard because my partner is too big.

How about half guard then? You can certainly tie up one leg with both of yours. Break down your partner. Hold onto his head or double under hook him while holding him in the half.

Work for butterfly guard and prepare a sweep. Fighting for top position (or side) is a better bet for you because of your size. If you keep finding yourself on your back with a bigger opponent in your guard (at least it isn't mount ALL the time), try and work a scramble.

Drill, drill, drill. Take 15 minutes each class to have a guy lie in your guard. Then work on exploding out, pushing on the face to get to another position. After a while, you get good at transitions.

Remember, Jiu jitsu is 50% of the time in a transition phase (going from one move to another). Don't get locked in on one position. The longer you keep one position (or going for one attack only), the more time you give your partner to figure out an escape. Fake one attack then switch to another. IT's about being 2 steps ahead.

cheers


Much thanks to everyone for the help. I guess I could work on half guard for bigger opponents because there is more options for me in half guard like a kimura, armbar and the double underhook to guillotine. I should probably buy a sub dvd of some kind......... and lose weight!

[Andy]

I was wondering if you had any tips or so on improving your guard/flexibility.. I just don't know what the best kind of drills are for those areas.
EDIT: I'm sort of looking for just one person type of drills.. My classes start again in September for BJJ, but in the mean time I don't know what kind of things I could do to improve my reaction or to just get use to a move by myself. No partner to practice on, and I don't know another alternative.