Special Grappling Article!!!
First part of this article was written by Golem. The second is written by me.
Introduction
Often overlooked by many who grapple is the stand up phase. Especially those who study Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will soon find out that they are lacking. The truth is, where they have made improvements in their technique and form, they have also forgotten their past. By doing so they have given way to their “Achilles heel” of sorts; to be a grappler means to be ready for combat at all times. In other words, BJJ will focus on the ground more often than standing up and this will leave the practitioner to doom when faced with a proficient judoka. The same could be said for the judoka who dares roll with a BJJ guy. The reason for this is because BJJ comes from Judo. When BJJ was created, they did away with a lot of the knowledge from judo. From this they are only half the equation, to fully understand the art of BJJ would mean to understand judo, for both are from the same tree. A good student will always respect where their knowledge comes from. A good throw or takedown is just as important as a good armbar or rear naked choke. No grappling art is perfect, but it is paramount that one takes notice of every part of the game and plays well.
Often overlooked by many who grapple is the stand up phase. Especially those who study Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will soon find out that they are lacking. The truth is, where they have made improvements in their technique and form, they have also forgotten their past. By doing so they have given way to their “Achilles heel” of sorts; to be a grappler means to be ready for combat at all times. In other words, BJJ will focus on the ground more often than standing up and this will leave the practitioner to doom when faced with a proficient judoka. The same could be said for the judoka who dares roll with a BJJ guy. The reason for this is because BJJ comes from Judo. When BJJ was created, they did away with a lot of the knowledge from judo. From this they are only half the equation, to fully understand the art of BJJ would mean to understand judo, for both are from the same tree. A good student will always respect where their knowledge comes from. A good throw or takedown is just as important as a good armbar or rear naked choke. No grappling art is perfect, but it is paramount that one takes notice of every part of the game and plays well.
The Standup
First what must be established is a good stance, in judo a wide stance is best for when a partner is practicing. On the street, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has taught us that a combative mindset is key to survival. We must get up a certain way, stay out of bad positions when we can, and stand in a way that is not only athletic but also practical. In both Judo and BJJ posture is very important. If one is slouched down or has their weight in a certain direction, they will be toppled over with ease. However we can see that the clinch and gi manipulation is virtually the same in both disciplines. In BJJ one is given less instruction on the many methods of breaking an opponent’s grip and the many ways to grip them, granted practice is varied by school and instructor. The main problem is that, for the most part one is very limited standing up. One should not be rigid but very calm, and only tense at the exact moment when the throw is initiated. In order to get to this point, one must simply break the balance and rhythm of the opponent to get them to a position of weakness. One’s own leverage and technique then would force them over, and the technique will further the impact. The clinch must be loose, but also strong. A good throw takes a lot of work. So what must be done? The simple answer is practice! Stand proud and strong, and be dominant. Get a good grip, fight for it and then put them off their balance.
First what must be established is a good stance, in judo a wide stance is best for when a partner is practicing. On the street, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has taught us that a combative mindset is key to survival. We must get up a certain way, stay out of bad positions when we can, and stand in a way that is not only athletic but also practical. In both Judo and BJJ posture is very important. If one is slouched down or has their weight in a certain direction, they will be toppled over with ease. However we can see that the clinch and gi manipulation is virtually the same in both disciplines. In BJJ one is given less instruction on the many methods of breaking an opponent’s grip and the many ways to grip them, granted practice is varied by school and instructor. The main problem is that, for the most part one is very limited standing up. One should not be rigid but very calm, and only tense at the exact moment when the throw is initiated. In order to get to this point, one must simply break the balance and rhythm of the opponent to get them to a position of weakness. One’s own leverage and technique then would force them over, and the technique will further the impact. The clinch must be loose, but also strong. A good throw takes a lot of work. So what must be done? The simple answer is practice! Stand proud and strong, and be dominant. Get a good grip, fight for it and then put them off their balance.
The Clinch
Getting a superior grip is like a game of tug of war. It is a battle with the opponent, in order to get to a better throwing position. Those with more knowledge, like that of a judoka have many different methods of attaining their grip, and then also breaking posture with it. However a grip such as a double lapel grip (http://www.jimmypedro.com/images/gripping09.jpg) can be used for certain techniques, but at the same time is left open to countering. The point is, no grip is perfect but there are different ways to accomplish the same thing, which is getting them to the ground quickly. Learning different grips is only a way of learning how to throw better and differently and could help any grappler. Trying unusual grips and throws on someone who is less experienced in such a technique may give the grappler a “one up” in the ring. Such old traditional techniques still have validity today, if executed properly.
Getting a superior grip is like a game of tug of war. It is a battle with the opponent, in order to get to a better throwing position. Those with more knowledge, like that of a judoka have many different methods of attaining their grip, and then also breaking posture with it. However a grip such as a double lapel grip (http://www.jimmypedro.com/images/gripping09.jpg) can be used for certain techniques, but at the same time is left open to countering. The point is, no grip is perfect but there are different ways to accomplish the same thing, which is getting them to the ground quickly. Learning different grips is only a way of learning how to throw better and differently and could help any grappler. Trying unusual grips and throws on someone who is less experienced in such a technique may give the grappler a “one up” in the ring. Such old traditional techniques still have validity today, if executed properly.
The Throw
So now we have a good stance and a good grip on them. Maybe we want to go for Osoto Gari,(http://www.judoonline.de/bilder/wuerfe_o-soto-gari.jpg) However just because we have them off balance and we are in a dominant position does not we are out of trouble yet. A good BJJ fighter may pull guard on the judoka mid throw. Or the skilled judoka may move out of the way. There are many variables involved with the throw. One must practice continuously in order to master a throw, and then must continue to practice in order to maintain such knowledge. As this sort of training is a perishable skill. So when we grapple, with our grip, just like on the ground with BJJ we keep body contact, chest on chest. We want to maximize our weight distribution. We keep a good posture, our chin up and then we move in to position, as we use leverage and force to put them off balance. Then with our technique they are swept up and we put them down. This could be the end of the fight, or it could be just half the game. We either stop, or go to the ground and finish it. It’s always important to remember, we wouldn’t be on the ground in the first place without our good standup, and it’s even more important to remember that we would be the one on the ground first without it!
So now we have a good stance and a good grip on them. Maybe we want to go for Osoto Gari,(http://www.judoonline.de/bilder/wuerfe_o-soto-gari.jpg) However just because we have them off balance and we are in a dominant position does not we are out of trouble yet. A good BJJ fighter may pull guard on the judoka mid throw. Or the skilled judoka may move out of the way. There are many variables involved with the throw. One must practice continuously in order to master a throw, and then must continue to practice in order to maintain such knowledge. As this sort of training is a perishable skill. So when we grapple, with our grip, just like on the ground with BJJ we keep body contact, chest on chest. We want to maximize our weight distribution. We keep a good posture, our chin up and then we move in to position, as we use leverage and force to put them off balance. Then with our technique they are swept up and we put them down. This could be the end of the fight, or it could be just half the game. We either stop, or go to the ground and finish it. It’s always important to remember, we wouldn’t be on the ground in the first place without our good standup, and it’s even more important to remember that we would be the one on the ground first without it!
Grappling for self defense
Ok now we move onto an area I am very familiar with. Using grappling to help defend yourself against an attacker(s). While many self defense instructors advise not going to the ground (as I have advised in my previous article on Krav Maga), grappling can be a very useful tool in your self defense arsenal. One such example is found in both Sambo and BJJ. The ability to get to your feet as fast as possible if need be. This can prove to be very helpful in the event that you trip, or are taken down by your attacker. Having this ability allows you to decide if you need to get to your feet a.s.a.p or if you can finish the fight on the ground. This is just one tool that grappling gives you, that you can use in a self defense situation. Now let's move onto an offensive approach to self defense. This may sound contradictory since "self defense" should be defensive only, right? It completely depends on the situation you are in. If you have to ability to walk away from the fight, then do so; but if you are trapped, and the only way to end the fight is with the attacker incapacitated, then grappling gives you the tools you need to end the fight as quickly as possible. Throws are one of the best ways to end a fight quickly, being that most fights take place on hard surfaces. Judo and Sambo have incorporated many different throws into their styles, so if you are interested in a standup based grappling art, look for a Sambo or Judo school/dojo. Using almost any throw taught in Sambo or Judo can be used to stop a fight quickly. Think of a time when you landed on your back on a solid surface. You probably got the wind knocked out of you, and it hurt like crazy. Now multiply that by 10 or so. That is what happens when you use a properly timed throw against an assailant. This impact will end the fight 99% of the time. If not, then the person you are fighting is one of the following 1) A meth head, 2) The Hulk, or 3) A super natural being. We've seen how throws can change the outcome of a fight, now let's look at how we can use our ground game to finish an attacker. In Sambo and BJJ, they primarily focus on ground fighting, so these would be good to study if you are interested in ground fighting. And they provide tools that can be used to defend yourself. Let's say your perfectly timed judo throw did not finish the fight. We must now move quickly to stop our attacker from being able to cause us harm. If you are fairly proficient at sambo or BJJ, you are thinking about what submission move to use. This is where I will give some insight. In the fights that I have been in, that required me to go to the ground, I use whatever move corresponds to the part of their body that I am closest to. So if I am on the ground, and he is attempting to pass my guard, but he has an arm inside. I will use an arm bar. Sambo and BJJ also offer a variety of chokes that can be used to hold or kill your attacker depending on the situation. This is what's so great about these 2 styles of fighting. They give you tools that you can use in any situation. If you are dealing with some school bully, and you are not in any life threatening harm, then you can use say a rear naked choke to hold him. Say, "if you try and get away, I'll tighten this and you'll be out." That usually makes most people comply. If someone throws a punch (right haymaker as most people without any training throw), you can use the sankaku-garami from Judo to bring him to the ground and hold him there.
Outro
Thank you for checking out our special grappling article! We will touch up a bit more on some of the things we have covered her, in later issues. Stay tuned for more on grappling, and other martial arts. That's all folks!
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