Rear Naked Choke (RNC) Setups - Frank Shamrock

Frank Shamrock shows us a few good ways to force, bait, and annoy your way into sinking a solid Rear Naked Choke.

Frank Shamrock teaches Pro-Star MMA Choke Set Ups

Here's the gist of it:

• Hook his nose
• Hook under his eyebrows
• Crossface
• Mandible Crush
• Seesaw with punches
• Combination of these things to make your opponent's life miserable.
  

God damn Frank Shamrock is a goofball. Good at communicating his thoughts, but still a goofball.

For self defense purposes, hooking INTO the eye socket and nose are viable options as well, but I wouldn't recommend trying it during sparring, unless you want to make people very upset at you.

Oh, and another good way when you're attempting a RNC in MMA sparring, cover his mouth and nose with your glove-covered hand, and when he tries to move his head to avoid it, use that motion to sink the choke in.

Wrestler's Sit Out (Turtle Escape)

If you're anything like me, I tend not to go for double legs because I'm always getting sprawled on. However, avoiding such an effective move altogether is not the best of ideas. Just like how you have to be good at the guard to have an effective offensive mount due to the assortment of sweeps you can encounter, you have to be able to recounter counters to a takedown attempt to be good and confident in your takedowns.


http://www.youtube.com/v/Kdfov1FQ0to

Often, when sprawled on, you end up in a turtle position, with your opponent taking an over-under control with his arms. If that's the case, the Wrestler's Sit Out is perfect for you. Keep in mind that having a good core is very important for this move.

1. You're turtling off your opponent's sprawl, and your opponent has over-under control.

2. Reach across to just outside of your opponent's knee with your trapped arm. Move on to the next step immediately or else you're going to find yourself in a much worse position.

3. Tripod, throw the leg of the trapped side out diagonally as well while turning away and back, grab the hand of the arm that's inside with your free hand as you're turning. Use your head and shoulders to push into your opponent.

4. Spin around immediately, and you will have effectively just switched positions with your opponent. Transition as you please from here.

Judo Throw Combinations and Set Ups

Throws more often than not require strings of combinations and setups to successfully toss a skilled and resisting opponent on their head, much like how without knowing how to combo submissions in Jiu Jitsu, you won't get very far in your game.

http://judoinfo.com/gaeshi.htm

The link above goes to a judoinfo.com page (a great resource overall, btw.) regarding Judo throw combinations, counters, and set up attacks. All the attacks are linked to illustrations regarding how to perform the throw, making it easier to visualize among those of you who can't always seem to remember what a specific throw is called (myself included).

So, here's your homework assignment: Pick 4-6 throws that you want to be able to perform and write down the corresponding row of moves. Turn that sheet into a map. On that map, take notes on important details regarding each and every move- everything from entry to grip. Then take that map and a willing partner and go through each series in a simple progression-

1. Successful set up throw
2. Countered set up into successful throw
3. Countered set up and throw into successful follow up throw.

I guarantee you that your ability to take people down will improve significantly.

As everyone loves a video demo, here's an old favorite that I haven't used in a while:
Foot Sweep to Large Wheel (O Guruma)


Also, buy Karo's Judo Book

Basic Hand Position and Posture for Top Guard

This is going to be a short and simple BJJ post without video, but it is something that all beginners need to know and keep in mind, because improper hand position is all a good jits guy needs to own your ass when you're in their guard. Also, it's very easy to forget these rules when you first start or after a long period of not sparring.

Let's look at the ideal proper posture for top guard:

1. Good back posture, not hunched over and looking down

This alone will give you more time and will force your opponent to work harder to do anything. Having your head down makes it easier to pull you down to work submissions and sweeps.

2. Hands on opponent, not on ground

Unless you really enjoy giving your arm up to your opponent to do as he wishes, likely in the the form of a Kimura, or at the very least, an overhook, don't put your goddamn hands on the mat. Be proactive in this, because it's likely the other person will be trying to force your hands there.

3.Each hands on respective side, not crossed over

Often I see shitty crossface attempts and guard opening attempts that make me cringe. Unless you know what you are going for and know what's coming, don't leave your arm dangling across your centerline. Otherwise you are going to be victim of a whole assortment of things such as armbars, triangles, arm triangles, and getting your back taken.

4. Hands palm down, right underneath the opponent's ribcage

This makes it much harder for your opponent to sit up and just grab you. This is a very integral part of the top game in terms of establishing position and helping you move on to passing the guard and preventing submissions. However, I'd suggest keeping your fingers together, unlike the picture above. Also, try to line up your elbows with just outside the center of your opponent's thighs.

5. Both arms over legs (Or both arms under when passing), not one in and one out

To top it off- not really shown in the picture, but remember, arms on the same side of the legs, always. Either they are both over or both under the legs, otherwise your opponent gets a triangle served on a silver platter.


Hope you guys keep these things in mind next time you roll, and if you're playing guard, look for the opportunity when your opponent doesn't follow one of these rules.


Also, buy this book: Jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro

Dave Camarillo - Stopping the Armbar from Guard (RNC Armbar Escape)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW9JQQtS2oA

Most of you have seen a million and one armbar from guard defenses already, but this one in particular, shown by Dave Camarillo, is always a good escape to have in mind. I call this one the "RNC Escape," but there are many names for this one.

1. Opponent traps your arm and pivots to go for the armbar. Remember that this escape really only works well for the traditional armbar with both arms inside the guard.

2. Immediately go for a RNC position with your arms, arm that's being attacked grabbing the bicep of the other arm, and the hand of the other arm open, waiting.

3. The open hand is to catch the leg that will be coming over your head. You need to catch the leg to prevent your opponent from being able to extend his hips.

4. Push the leg off, and escape the position, either by stacking or yanking the elbow out, as shown in the video.

Stephan Kesting's BeginningBJJ.com

Today, I'll talk about one of the best free resources available to beginners I've come across: beginningbjj.com


I've been meaning to write the review for some time now, and apologies to Mr. Kesting for not doing so sooner.

As many of you know, Stephan Kesting is a grappling expert who runs http://www.grapplearts.com, and he made a website aimed specifically at those of you just beginning or thinking about starting your BJJ journey.

You should go ahead and download the "Roadmap for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu," (free with just writing down your email address, which he won't sell to anyone.) I could go ahead and review this booklet for you, or I could just copy/paste the gleaming review I wrote that's already on his page:


"BJJ is an incredibly complex martial art, and at the beginning of one's training in it, learning even those basic positions can be a daunting task, not to mention the transitions and flow of one position to another. As a MMA and BJJ Blogger as well as a BJJ practitioner, I have seen failed attempts in many pricey instructional books and videos on breaking down the basic positions of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for beginners.

Mr. Kesting's BJJ Roadmap is one of the best readings on jiu jitsu I have come across in a very long time, and not only does it break down the positions carefully and simply, it's free! I have already recommended it to many of my readers as well as my friends who are just starting out in BJJ, and I will definitely continue to do so."

Now, it would seem kind of silly for me to be writing all this for just a free ebook, and so, I'm going to try to sell those of you with a little spending cash who read the ebook and liked it on buying his beginner's package, which can be found here: http://www.beginningbjj.com/package/

As someone who's helped work on pricing for a home shopping network, I'd be lying if I said that the little thing about having the package be "worth $1075.90" wasn't a little bit of an exaggeration, but it's sure worth the actual $197 price tag in my humble opinion. Why? Basically, if you're a beginner, you're getting about 5-10 private session's worth of information for the price of 1 or 2. I've personally re-watched the DVDs about 4 times now and the poster that comes with it is proudly taped on my bedroom door.

I might actually also suggest that BJJ schools and clubs carry this on hand as "required study" for newcomers, because I know that in small clubs, it's often frustrating to reteach the basics over and over again every time someone new comes in.

So, please check it out. :)

-Y

PS- if you buy Stephan's stuff, feel free to leave me a donation as well :)

Getting out of the Thai Clinch: the "Throw-By"

Well, first post in a while, but since I'm sure you guys don't want to hear about my life, let's get to it:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIxCCuBf3ew

The Thai Clinch is a problem for just about anyone, and a serious nightmare for anyone who doesn't have any experience with it. I have a story to go along with that, but I'd rather not post it here. If you're dying to hear the story, email me.
(Also, remember the guy who just won a fight against Wanderlei? Remember his two clashes with a guy named Anderson Silva? Remember the facial reconstruction he had to undergo?)

The Throw-By shown in the video above is a go-to move for many fighters, and is pretty easy to learn.

1. Opponent has the plum on the base of your skull, and is squeezing it real tight.

2. Go ahead and make sure you keep proper posture: minimize space between your bodies, keep an upright back with the hips pushed forward, with your feet pointing out at 45-degree angles slightly more than your shoulder’s width apart.

3.Before you start to eat any vicious knees, and be forever known as "Johnny Toothless," begin the escape.

4. Feed an arm through your opponent's arms- let's say put your right hand into the space between the arms, and grab his right bicep. Reinforce the grip with your outside left hand. Hold real tight.

5. In a quick twisting motion to the left, shuck your opponent's arms forcefully off your head, using your right elbow.

6. Now, you can push off your opponent for the escape, or you can use the opportunity to trap the head and arm. This sets up very nicely for a leg sweep straight into an arm triangle.