Favorite Techniques ❖ 1/6

Favorite TechniquesPart 1

12/11/06

In this second installment of the Favorite Techniques series we have two unrelated techniques. Normally I like to show related things together, as in the Passing the Guard and The Guard books. This is a different animal however, so the relation between these moves is simply that I like them.

First is the Bow and Arrow Choke. This one is old school, which is why it works. These days people are so intent on the newest strategies and techniques that they lose sight of the old gems. There is a relatively simple way to counter this technique but if it is buried deep in your opponent’s memory banks it won’t do him any good (quick-do you know the defense?). Even if they do know the defense, it is one thing to know it and quite another to execute it.

The second technique is a takedown to the omo plata. Again, for the zillionth time, be careful. With this takedown it is easy to hurt your buddy’s shoulder or smash his face in the ground. So then, keep that in mind as you work this one out. You are not doing to be able to hit the omo plata from standing unless you already have the basic version wired. You need to walk before you can run.

A new book is in the works!

Regards,Ed BenevilleEd@grapplingarts.net

Introduction #2

Favorite Techniques ❖2/6

The players are in the closed guard position.

White holds blue’s lapel with a thumb in grip.

With his other hand White grips four fingers in. Both hands are at Blue’s chest level, not deep.

This technique features James Boran black belt Bill Messick. I have been training with Bill for over ten years. He is one of my favorite people to roll with. Bill has caught me with his Bow and Arrow choke many times. If you know it is coming it is easy enough to make an early defense to it. But the beauty of the thing is that to the player getting choked the attack comes as something of surprise. I have been caught in this when Bill got his grips and I was too intent on passing the guard to take the seemingly shallow—for most chokes—grips seriously. So I try to pass an arm to the inside, he waits and as soon as I posture up, bam! he throws it on. Used effectively it keeps opponents honest about trying to pass.

Bow and Arrow Choke

Favorite Techniques ❖ 3/6

White opens his legs and posts his left foot on the mat. Next he moves his hips to the left a few inches. Simultane-ously he pulls down with one hand and thrusts his fist up into the front of Blue’s throat with the other. White’s hands don’t slide up and down the lapel, rather he slides the lapel around Blue’s neck.

White throws his left leg over Blue’s head. Note how far White has rotated his upper body, his head is 90 degrees from where it began. Also, he is on his right side, not flat on his back. This elevates the left side of his hip making is easier to get his left leg across Blue’s face.

Now Blue makes the “bow and arrow” motion. His right hand pulls on the lapel (the bow string). His left arm levers into his left leg (the bow). White’s left hand is making a fist and drives up. His hips turn back in line with Blue. His head is back to where it started.

White keeps rotating to his left. He pushes off the inside of his right knee to help him. He keeps his back curved making the rotation easier. His left leg blocks Blue’s head up, keeping Blue’s throat exposed to White’s fist.

Bow and Arrow Choke

Favorite Techniques ❖4/6

White has the underhook. This could be a problem for Blue, but it is also an opportunity.

Blue wraps around White’s arm and grabs White’s lapel. Blue can make this easier by grabbing the lapel with his left hand first and then feeding it to the right.

Blue grips with both hands. Blue takes a bent over stance. This type of stance is not good for take-downs normally but for this particular technique it is okay.

Blue sticks his left foot just above White’s knee. He pushes on White’s knee while pulling on White’s lapels. At the same time Blue drops to his side. It is essential that as Blue drops that his right arm that White’s arm is trapped. Blue needs to lock White’s arm so that White has to drop to defend his elbow.

Omo Plata Takedown

Jiu-jitsu players tend to neglect the standup aspect of the art. When they do practice it, they tend to play from a bent over defensive posture. For the most part a bent over posture inhibits your ability to use judo. There are some moves that still work and this is one of them.

The key to this move is that you need to have your opponent’s elbow trapped so that he is forced to fall forward as you drop to avoid a very abrupt shoulder or elbow lock. Your opponent goes to the mat to avoid the armlock.

Favorite Techniques ❖ 5/6

As Blue’s foot is in place on White’s thigh and he is dropping to the mat, he also pushes off a bit with his right let to help pull White’s upper body forward. White has to post out his right arm. If he does not he will land on his face.

Blue’s planted foot immediately comes up and over. Blue uses momentum from the take down to help get it over. He also moves his head back and continues pushing with his left leg. Note how White’s arm is locked out.

Blue drops his foot to the side of White’s head, blocking where it can move. This also gives Blue a lever to help as he pulls his bottom leg out in the steps which follow.

Without missing a beat Blue pulls his bottom leg out. He is able to do so because White used his right hand to break his fall and he has not re-gained his balance or composure so as to be able to use it to control Blue’s bottom (left) leg. Blue’s ankle in White’s ear is also distracting.

Continued...

Omo Plata Takedown

Favorite Techniques ❖6/6

Pay close attention to how Blue’s head rotates over the last four frames. Core body movement is—as usual—crucial.

Blue’s keeps the pressure in White’s face as he rotates to his back.

Blue reaches over White’s back and sits up to finish the omo plata.

Blue gets his left leg out from under White’s torso. He turns his upper body so that his spine is parallel to White’s. You can see from the wrinkles in the mat that he is pushing off with his left heel to help position himself.

Blue props up on his right elbow applying the shoulder lock.

Omo Plata Takedown