Grappling Arts Publications 1 Grappling Arts Publications This is the third installment in our series of outtakes from Strategic Guard, the third book in the series Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Details and Techniques. Here we look at ways to deal with your opponent s arms as your opponent tries to pass your guard. More specifically, we will consider what to do if your opponent uses his arm to control the inside of your knee. We ll see three techniques to remove that arm and two submissions that follow the third technique. Obviously these three techniques don t cover all your options, but they do cover some very common situations, all of which you need to know. All of the techniques here result in you ending up with some kind of control over one of your opponent s arms. From there it is up to you to attack and/or continue to better your position. Stay on offense to keep them on defense. For more information on dealing with an opponent s arms as he tries to pass, see our books Strategic Guard and The Guard. Ch. 8 of Strategic Guard deals extensively with how to deal with your opponent under-hooking your legs, and Ch. 10 has material on what to do from sitting guard if he holds the outside of your knee. See also the first installment of our free outtakes from the Strategic Guard on Attacking Good Base. Regardless of the grip your opponent throws at you, remember you can stop any technique if you take away one or more of the elements your opponent needs to execute it. Most guard passes involve your opponent controlling your legs with his arms. If you take away your opponent s control over your legs, at the very least you take away the pass they were attempting. Train hard, train smart. Ed Beneville
2 Grappling Arts Publications Strip the Grip White is holding the inside of both of Blue s knees. This could turn into problems for Blue. White has the most control over Blue s pinned left leg, so Blue acts to free it first. Blue turns on his left side and crunches his torso. Blue clasps his hands together palm to palm. Blue pulls his upper body back. The inside of his left wrist grinds into White s right wrist. White s wrist is not as strong as Blue s upper body, and White s grip is stripped. Blue turns his back to the mat and lifts his left knee. Blue puts his left foot on White s hip. Blue has a two-on-one grip on White s right arm. Blue can circle his right foot over the top of White s left arm if Blue feels the need to clear that grip also (see e.g. The Guard, pgs. 28-31).
Grappling Arts Publications Twist the Elbow Out 3 This technique starts with Blue and White in a similar situation as before, only this time White is posting his right hand on the mat instead of using it to hold the inside of Blue s pants. Blue does not want to let White start any sort of guard pass. Blue hooks his left foot behind White s right knee preventing White from lifting Blue s leg. Blue s torso turns left, toward White s posted hand. Blue posts on his left elbow as he cups the back of White s arm with his right hand, at or just above White s elbow. Since the move began, Blue has slightly pulled his right knee back, across, and forward into White s chest, pushing him away. Once Blue has the grip with his right hand secured, he no longer needs to post on his left elbow. Instead, Blue pulls himself up from his right grip. Note how Blue s head has changed position between the picture in the far column and the one above it. Blue is sitting up. He cups around White s elbow with his left hand, ready to pull. With a tight hold on White s elbow, Blue puts his back into it, pulling White s elbow out and away. Blue twists White s elbow so that its tip is pointed away from White. White is way out of base for the moment. From here Blue could fix guard, arm drag, or attack White s arm.
4 Grappling Arts Publications Frank Mir Attack This is an attack against the elbow. UFC fans may remember this as the one Frank Mir used to defeat Pete Williams. Use this technique when you are in open guard and your opponent has his elbow to the inside of your knee. White has his right forearm to the inside of Blue s left leg. Blue sits up. Here, his left palm is on the mat. This is because he is about to post on it to help slip his hips a few inches left. As he does so, he cups his right hand behind White s right elbow and pulls it toward himself and across his body. This small hip movement can make a big difference in setting up the technique. Blue s left side is blocking White s right wrist, so as Blue pulls White s elbow, White s arm is tweaked. As that happens, Blue s left wrist takes the place of his right hand. Blue switches his grip so that his left palm is down, right palm up. With his grip secure and White s elbow tweaked inward, Blue tightens up his arm upper body and sits back diagonally to the left. White is submitted by pressure to his elbow, or possibly his shoulder. Blue is using both of his legs to block both of White s knees. Blue drives the thumb edge of his wrist into the outside of White s arm, at or just above White s elbow. The direction of Blue s force is up and across (approximately toward the camera in this picture). Blue s right foot blocks White s knee to prevent escape.
Grappling Arts Publications Frank Mir Attack: First Follow-Up 5 Continuation: White tries to escape by straightening his arm. Blue keeps control of White s arm, repositions his torso, and finishes with an elbow extension. White can escape the attack on his elbow if he is able to straighten his arm. This is in fact how your opponent will try to escape the lion s share of the time. Aware of this, Blue already has part two of the attack at the front of his mind. Blue sits back up and moves his head to center. Blue drops back and to his right. As he does his right foot goes to White s hip. Note that Blue is maintaining his palm to palm grip. Blue brings his left knee tight to the back of White s shoulder. White s hand is trapped in Blue s armpit. Blue left wrist is both a fulcrum and a pressure point against White s elbow. Blue gets extra pressure by pushing off with his left foot and thrusting his left thigh into his own left arm.
6 Grappling Arts Publications Frank Mir Attack: Second Follow-Up Continuation: The primary escape from the straight elbow lock is for White to roll his elbow and shoulder forward. The counter to that is the omo plata. White s escape to the previous technique is to roll his right shoulder forward; this changes then angle of his elbow so it is out of danger. Key to the transition is that Blue applies pressure with the inside of his knee onto White s right shoulder to keep White broken down. Blue stiff-arms White s temple, which in turn helps his body pivot under White; this helps his leg come over. Blue keeps pushing with his right hand until his shin comes in front of White s face. Now Blue s shin makes pressure into the side of White s face as his bottom (right) leg comes out. Blue sits up and secures a grip around White s waist to prevent a rolling escape by White. Blue used his posted right hand (see picture above) to help him un-weights his hips and shift them away from White. Blue makes an S position with his legs and puts on the omo plata.