I think I have issues....Please tell me I'm not alone?

[Ghosted3]

Ok, I have always had a pretty strong turtle. I have a really short neck so a lot of chokes are hard to get on me at times unless I do something foolish. I am starting to notice that I would rather work from turtle than from guard. Anyone else have this issue, or am I just on a broken path?

[jakem]

well heath herring works alot from turtle.he will frequently give his back,just to roll for a leg or reversal.

[Ryan]

do what works for you. Just don't be one of those guys that turtles up just to prevent the loss.

[Ghosted3]

do what works for you. Just don't be one of those guys that turtles up just to prevent the loss.

Na, not in me to stall. Maybe catch my breath for a sec, but not run the clock out. I usually go for a sweep or reversal from there, and the only attack I know from there is the roll to knee bar. Maybe I can find some more stuff on it.

[Shonuff]

If you are just training for JJ competition I don't see a problem with it... if you are training for self defense or the like though I wouldn't start relying on it too much. Not something you want to do reflexively off a matt with a ref standing by.

[Ryan]

I saw somewhere someone saying something about getting a kimura from turtle

[CEB]

I defend the turtle OK but I don't like to be there. I believe in the "Gracie hierarchy of positional dominance". I can't attack from the turltle.

If I am in turtle it is because I messed up and am getting my butt handed to me. Going turtle or face down on belly is a bad impulse I have when I'm getting worked over because in Judo that is a neutral position. It is a bad conditioned response that Judo can often reinforce. All those postions do in reality is get your head beat in.

If you are talking about kimono sparring then there are two things I would work on defending from the turtle if you want to go there. Against the turtle I will do a cursory check of the neck and arm and maybe an exploratory attack to see what I can shake loose but ... I don't worry about "attacking" the turtle per se unless someone just gives the crucifix or a choke. I especially like a choke I call the 'Masa Masacre'.

The 2 options I go for against a turtle is 1) grab the opponents belt and start to power clean him. I think Ari called it the suitcase. 2) Maybe an ankle pick into side control. I would do some specifity training against those 2 options to see if you really want to be in turtle.

Option 1 is my favorite, it opens a lot of things up and I can often take the back and I suck. If I was good I think it would be a really attack to stop.

Option 2 is good too especially the top guy is good at control his body pressure. Sitting on the sidelines at my son's wrestling camps wasn't so bad after all. :D

But that is just me.

[BadKarmaRising]

A good ACTIVE turtle will confuse the hell out of a lot of guys. After the first time they insert a leg or arm and find themselves defending a strong submission attempt, they start treating the position more like a porcupine than a turtle.

[CEB]

Yeah that is why I like to just grab their belt yank real hard and set the hooks. But ..... I have a pretty good deadlift :D

[Ghosted3]

Yeah that is why I like to just grab their belt yank real hard and set the hooks. But ..... I have a pretty good deadlift :D

True, but usually when someone grabs the belt they are leaving something open, maybe a leg, or slightly off balanced to get a roll to side control. Some people pull that off pretty good though.

[flying gogo-plata]

watch eduardo telles in competition and his instructionals on youtube, he gos straight to turtle in most matches then sweeps or submits from their it''l give u some ideas

[Ghosted3]

watch eduardo telles in competition and his instructionals on youtube, he gos straight to turtle in most matches then sweeps or submits from their it''l give u some ideas

I was just checkin out his dvd on a website lol.

[CEB]

It is really funny when I read through old post. Because of my rate of development of my newaza since taking up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu half the stuff I write no longer applies a month or so down the road.

I have been working with Randy for about 6 weeks on an active turtle game and it is completely changing how I approach sparring. My favorite opening move when sparring on the knees now is get an arm the launch myself into turtle. :D

[Sandman]

It's funny because mentally I have been thinking that no the position is to be avoided as much as the turtle. In my recent tournament, I ended up in this position after a throw and my opponent got my back. Needless to say, I figured it was all over.

Then I snuck out the back door and ended up having him in side control where, after a number of submission attempts on my part, I won on points. Not the most glamorous first battle ever but in retrospect giving up my back for a second was actually a positive.

I'll check out those videos for sure. Thanks for the lead.

[Nixed]

Being in turtle position feels natural to me mostly due to my wrestling background. I spent a lot of time on the receiving end of good sprawls after mediocre shots in highschool so I'm used to outworking guys from down there for takedowns, or to end up in a dogfight position. I've noticed a lot of guys will go right for a guillotine or other chokes from there, leaving the arms in and letting you force a Granby Roll (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1NzCqzb4cU) by latching onto that arm (which is what you, or at least I, do to defend the choke anyway) turning your body perpendicular to them grabbing a leg and rolling. It transitions nicely to Twister Side Control. Basically anything from a basic wrestling bottom/referee position seems to be applicable at least from what I've found.

[l8njames]

Have seen this kind of thing when watching UFC ppl getting an arm and then looking to roll ain't seen it pulled of though
anyone got some examples they could put up or link to.

[Sandman]

This is a classic clip from UFC which shows the same principle from standing. Remco essentially gives his opponent his back and then "sweeps" him with the arm. (It's also a legit Judo throw)

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

[Ghosted3]

It is really funny when I read through old post. Because of my rate of development of my newaza since taking up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu half the stuff I write no longer applies a month or so down the road.

I have been working with Randy for about 6 weeks on an active turtle game and it is completely changing how I approach sparring. My favorite opening move when sparring on the knees now is get an arm the launch myself into turtle. :D

Telles would be proud!