Avoid the TERROR of getting stuck in dangerous positions. LEARN BJJ POSTURE Tired of getting stuck in horrible positions? Tapping to someone crushing you or being squished into a submission? With so many positions in BJJ in can be a little overwhelming to recognize which one connect together. In this article we discuss the various places to position yourself so your opponent has less opportunities to attack and makes for easier escapes. [1]
Learn BJJ Fast POSTURE THE PROCESS OF LEARNING PROPER POSTURE Learn the specific details to having bulletproof defensive postures and the steps to developing them. Invest some time exploring the finer details of each position to unlock it s true potential The True Secret of BJJ Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the best Martial Arts in the modern world. It has seemingly endless opportunities based on a foundation of simple principles. Ones ability to survive the many positions of BJJ is not that challenging, the true challenge is being able to dominant someone who has mastered the basics. Mastering the basic postures will drastically increase your ability to escape from the various positions and give your more time to recognize when your opponent is closing in on you. Reap the Benefits or Suffer the Consequences By knowing your defensive postures, you will be able to keep your cool and wait for the right time to escape. By building up your ability to escape, you will be more likely to attempt more offensive movements knowing that if you fail you have the defensive tools to recover or counter attack without hesitation. [2]
THE CHALLENGES YOU LL FACE... Be prepared for a challenging journey, the reward however is far greater than the effort used. The biggest challenge with working defensive postures is that you are constantly underneath someone who is likely attacking you with pressure or submissions. Once you have found a partner you can work with and you understand the details involved in the postures, then you can start drilling the postures live. The key here is to remind yourself that you are developing a specific set of tools that will help you out when you really need it. When working these skills, be sure to pick a partner that you trust to not injure you, but not someone so skilled that you do not even get a chance to get your defenses in place. Picking someone at least one belt lower than you will make a huge difference. Again, be aware of picking brand new people as they can be quite sporadic with their movements and may injure you inadvertently. This is the fun and rewarding part. Instead of focusing your efforts on submitting your opponent, you will be working on shutting down his attacks... playing a ANTI-Jiu Jitsu style of game. The frustrating part here is you will not be getting any taps and likely be giving several up at the beginning. Don t take this badly, any tap your opponent doesn t get, and every position they are unable to attack from is your tap. Be sure to stay alert when playing this style of game, or you may give up too much. KNOWING THE RULES Although the Rules of BJJ change from level to level (more amendments are added at each level) you will find solid truths to the following as a white belt. KEEP YOUR ELBOWS IN DON T LET THEM GRAB YOUR HEAD DON T LET THEM CONTROL YOUR HIPS DEFEND THE POSITION, NOT THE SUBMISSION DON T LET THEM OCCUPY THE SPACE BY YOUR RIBS [3]
MOUNT YOUR CRASH COURSE TO SAFETY Study the picture and make note of the key points to unlock the secrets. Before you escape mount, you MUST get to proper posture first. Here are the secrets to escaping every time. 3. By keeping your elbows in front of their knees you limit his ability to attack you with submissions. 1. A key point to keeping mount is having the big toes touching and keep the feet in contact with the opponents Hamstrings. Do your best to separate them from your body. 2. To hold mount effectively, the top player must keep consistent pressure against the ribs, or have their knees in the armpits. 4. One thing that works great for winning the war of the legs is to drop one leg straight and turn the pinky toe to the floor. This will also raise your hip and set up the proper angle to get the most out of your bridge. Refer to the pictures and study the details. What not to do! (freak out) [4]
Being stuck in Side Mount is a very challenging position for the majority of BJJ practitioners. The biggest key to defending side mount is not be flat on your back. Not only should you be on your side, bit your back an shoulders should be curved. See pictures 1 & 3. The next biggest detail is to not let them control your head and obtain an underhook. Even if you are flat these can be quite effective. Re Pictures 3 & 4 Ideally the position you would like to achieve most is shown in picture 3/4. This one looks the least like a side mount position (at least for the top player), but it offers the greatest level of escape. If you are to late to recognize the opportunity for this position, then the position shown in the first picture would be your next choice. It still offers you the freedom to get to your side rather easily and ensures that they are unable to secure a grip around your head. The last resort position is shown in picture number 2. This is the most common of defenses used, but if more attention is given to your opponents intentions, you will likely not have to resort to using this inferior position. You can see similarities in the picture below of Kesa Gatame as well. On the side, elbow on the floor and blocking the strikes by the free arm. SIDE MOUNT A good rule of thumb is to always stay on your side [5]
SHIN RIDE KNEE RIDE DEFENSE TO MOUNT IF THE OPPONENT ATTEMPTS STRIKES Different Positions, Similar Concepts Regardless of the position you are stuck in, certain truths can be found in most. Whenever possible you want to be on your side. By staying flat on your back, you not only carry a greater amount of your partners weight, but it drastically reduces your ability to move, which makes it much easier for your opponent to not only stay their but set up their submission attempts. While initially the escapes may be challenging, they will eventually become easier to perform. Below is a list of concepts to focus on as you make your way through the ranks. This will enable you to revisit each of your moves and add extra details without getting overwhelmed by taking them all on at once. WHITE BLUE PURPLE BROWN BLACK Structure The most important and easiest one to do. Once the basic structures are learned, the moves become much simpler. Pressure Focus should be on applying pressure while maintaining proper posture. Movement from one position to the next as well. Accuracy Applying pressure works much better when your grips and applied pressures are accurate. Timing This is one of the most challenging concepts but is one of the most effective when done well. Look for moves that feel effortless. Connection Not just to the ground but your opponent as well. Joined with the other concepts, you will be nearly unstoppable. [6]
IT S ALL ABOUT SURVIVAL Don t get caught up with trying to submit your opponent. The first focus should be about survival. The biggest challenge with working defensive postures is that you are constantly underneath someone who is likely attacking you with pressure or submissions. Remember that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is designed for Self Defense first and must be initially taught this way. Once you are able to survive a variety of attacks then you are are ready to focus more energy on submitting your opponent. One of the best benefits of learning to survive is that you will be more likely to try sweeping and submitting. The more your confidence grows in your defenses the more likely you will be to switch to offense knowing that you can always fall back to your great defenses (you see this most commonly with people pulling guard because they spend so much time developing it). And, as fun as the sport of BJJ is, if you are unable to hold off and experienced BJJ practitioner attack, you will surely have your hands full with a competitive athlete. KEY POINTS Your Quick Checklist WHEN MOUNTED: WHEN SIDEMOUNTED: KEEP YOUR ELBOWS IN DON T LET THEM GRAB YOUR HEAD UNHOOK THEIR FEET DEFEND THE POSITION, NOT THE SUBMISSION DON T LET THEM OCCUPY THE SPACE BY YOUR RIBS STAY ON YOUR SIDE CURVE YOUR SHOULDERS KEEP YOUR ELBOWS IN DON T LET THEM GRAB YOUR HEAD [7]
A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mike Yackulic began his training in BJJ after going to a local Submission Grappling tournament. At the time he had zero experience wrestling or doing submissions, but after seeing the fee to compete was only $7 he entered anyways. After losing his first match in 13 minutes to a Judo Blackbelt he was tired and overwhelmed (he had no idea what to do). After watching some of the other matches he picked up some tips and was able to submit his next opponent (with a super bad Armbar). Since then he has sought out instruction and trained nearly every day (that was in 1997). Those Before Him Mike continued his training and was able to find amazing instruction under Mestre Sylvio Behring, a 7th Degree Red/Black belt from Rio De Janerio. Eventually earning a Black Belt in 2009 under Mestre Behring and his Canadian Coordinator (one of the first 5 people in Canada to receive a BJJ Black Belt), Shah Franco. Play your Game, Keep your Base, Don t Let Mestre Behing F e e l i n g a b o o s t o f confidence he decided to try and takedown his next opponent, a Judo Brown belt. This ended up being a huge mistake as he was Guillotined in about 7 seconds. To contact Mike Yackulic please email him directly at myackulic@arashido.com, for m o re B J J i n s t r u c t i o n a l lessons, visit LearnBJJFast on YouTube and Facebook.