Cross body arm locks

Today let’s look at a few details of a couple of arm locks. I’m sure you have likely seen these arm locks (paint brush, snap arm bar, kimura) at some time during your training. The video below has some nice details about how to make the locks tighter and more efficient, how too properly transition from one lock to another and it also shows the difference between a sport lock and a self-defence lock.

==> Cross body armlocks<==

But wait you say won’t the same lock I do rolling in class work on the street? Well… yes it will BUT it’s not the most effective most powerful of preforming the lock. In the above video we focus on the paintbrush lock but this is true for many other locks as well.

Let’s have a closer look at this and where it came from. We do the motions we do in sport grappling to get the submission AND to protect our partner. In self-defence I DON’T have a partner only an attacker and I WANT to hurt them.

Sport paintbrush lock

• Key lock arm
• Pull arm down to their side as tight as possible
• Turn hand out for tightest lock
• Lift up on the elbow to get the tap.

Everything is done in a controlled way to ensure you don’t actually injure your partner. Will this work on the street yes, but it’s not the most efficient use of time, leverage or strength. This about when you try the paintbrush lock in class against someone much larger than you, what happens… they power out of it.

Let’s looks at the self-defence version

Self-defence paintbrush lock

• Key lock arm
• Turn hand out
• Lift elbow and pull arm down to side as hard as possible, rotate your body to add extra power.

There are fewer steps, it comes on quicker, you’re using your whole body and it’s far more likely to work on somebody that is twice your size.

==> Cross body armlocks<==

Try both but be nice to your partner and be very careful once you turn their palm out with the paintbrush lock as it will be super tight and very little pressure is needed.

Happy training. 

As always is you are looking for more great videos or to learn the wonderful art of jiu-jitsu please check out our web site at www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com. There you will our distance education program so you can learn jiu-jitsu anywhere at your own pace.

If you would like to repost this blog article or the videos with in you may do so but must include the following credit "The above information / video has been provide by Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling and is used with their permission, www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com, www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com"

Cheers,

Jamie Rickard (Sensei)

Head Instructor

Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling

Located at:

The Academy of Martial Arts

851 Princess Street

Kingston, Ontario

www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com

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Choke Them With The Wall!

Many times in these type of blogs we look at how to get out from having your back to the wall in a fight. Today let’s look at how we might use the wall to OUR advantage if our opponent has THEIR back to it.

==>Choke Using the Wall<==

It may not look like much on the video but this is a very powerful choke. When you apply the choke make sure you are pushing in and up as if trying to smear them up the wall. This will up a ton of pressure on their neck and head and bring them up on their toes taking their balance and strength from them. Remember to sink low to leverage your whole body, not just your arms, with this technique.

Next time you’re out and about here is a little mental game you can play. Look at the people around you and imagine what you might do if they suddenly attacked you. Look for what you could use to defend yourself, or what you could use as blocking terrain. Think how you might use your environment help you or distract your attackers. Think about where the exits are and how you might get there without getting caught up in a brawl. Think about what martial art techniques you know that would help and what techniques you would need to avoid.

==>Choke Using the Wall<==

This like this may seem like just fun and games but it has been proven that visualization is almost as good, if not AS good, as live practice. By playing this game with yourself you are in fact “practicing” or studying this type of scenario and your mind will fill away all the information. So why not play a little game and get the benefit now rather than wait until your need it at which time it will be too late.

Besides you can talk about locations / multiple attackers in the dojo but it’s nothing like actually being in the environment and visualizing whit might happen and what you would do.

As always is you are looking for more great videos or to learn the wonderful art of jiu-jitsu please check out our web site at www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com. There you will our distance education program so you can learn jiu-jitsu anywhere at your own pace.

If you would like to repost this blog article or the videos with in you may do so but must include the following credit "The above information / video has been provide by Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling and is used with their permission, www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com, www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com"

Cheers,

Jamie Rickard (Sensei)

Head Instructor

Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling

Located at:

The Academy of Martial Arts

851 Princess Street

Kingston, Ontario

www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com

www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com

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Sneaky Triangle Choke Setup!

Today let’s look at a sneaky sport grappling set-up for a triangle.

My favorite techniques are the ones that no one sees coming or ones that appear to be something they are not. This set-up to a triangle choke is the latter of the two. Check it out below.

==>Sneaky Triangle Choke<==

So for this technique we start out in the bottom of the closed guard position. We carry out all our setup and actions as if we are going to try a scissor sweep. Now when we typically go for a scissor sweep we bring our knee / leg under our opponents arm and place our leg on a 45 degree angle from the near side hip to far side shoulder… BUT with this set-up instead of bringing our leg under their arm we bring our leg over their arm!

What! Over their arm, I thought we were trying to sweep them, you ask. Well yes and no. Yes we bring our leg over their arm because no we are in fact not really trying to sweep them, we just want them to think that we are.

When we bring the leg over their arm instead of under it, it allows us to cut down on their arm and break their grip. It also more importantly traps their arm to their body so we can now rotate our leg (and body) around into the proper triangle choke position without their arm getting in the way.

==>Sneaky Triangle Choke<==

Try it out and while you’re at it take a look at other techniques you know and play with them to see if they might lead into something unexpected.

Here are a few other examples:

• Hip bump sweep to kimura
• Omoplata to triangle choke
• Triangle choke to Omoplata

As always is you are looking for more great videos or to learn the wonderful art of jiu-jitsu please check out our web site at www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com. There you will our distance education program so you can learn jiu-jitsu anywhere at your own pace.

If you would like to repost this blog article or the videos with in you may do so but must include the following credit "The above information / video has been provide by Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling and is used with their permission, www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com, www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com"

Cheers,

Jamie Rickard (Sensei)

Head Instructor

Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling

Located at:

The Academy of Martial Arts

851 Princess Street

Kingston, Ontario

www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com

www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com

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Breaking the Ground Strangle

Today we are going to continue our discussion on failed techniques and what we can do to keep the pressure on our attacker until we can finish them.

Lets look at the breaking ground strangle between the leg technique. In this technique your attacker has knocked you to the ground and is strangling you. You were lucky enough to get your legs wrapped around them in the closed guard position.

Now in a sport setting there are many ways of dealing with this and anyone trying to strangle you while in your guard is just asking to get tapped out. In a self-defence setting our responses are similar but still different.

==>Breaking Ground Strangle Follow-ups<==

To break the ground strangle between legs we:

• Put our hand on their chin and lock their arms to us.
• Push them away with your legs to remove the choke.
• Strike their kidneys with your heels. (causes their head to come back further and distracts them)
• Bring both legs over their shoulders and lock ankles behind their head.
• Finish them with an arm lock (armbar).
• Roll to the side, strike their groin.
• Get out of there.

But as we bring our leg up to apply the arm lock (armbar) they pull their arms out. Now what do we do. We immediately move on to another technique!

• Keep pushing on their chin, this keeps their head back and breaks their posture by keeping their spine out of alignment. 
• Quickly drop your legs and hook or grapevine their leg and push out as hard as you can. Please be careful with your training partner as this is really hard on the back.
• Palm strike back of their head with one of your hands to stun them.
• Turn their head HARD!
• Roll yourself and them to the side, you are now on top.
• Hold their head / chin down.
• Punch them in the neck to finish.

==>Breaking Ground Strangle Follow-ups<==

It's a nice chain of events but most importantly the techniques flow from one to the other without the need for major adjustments or releasing your control on the attacker.

As always is you are looking for more great videos or to learn the wonderful art of jiu-jitsu please check out our web site at www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com. There you will our distance education program so you can learn jiu-jitsu anywhere at your own pace.

If you would like to repost this blog article or the videos with in you may do so but must include the following credit "The above information / video has been provide by Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling and is used with their permission, www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com, www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com"

Cheers,

Jamie Rickard (Sensei)

Head Instructor

Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling

Located at:

The Academy of Martial Arts

851 Princess Street

Kingston, Ontario

www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com

www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com

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Our Facebook Group

Our Facebook Page

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Fight Ending Strikes!

Last week we looked at fight distance. The short version of last week’s article is that the farther away they are the better! When they must step in to attack it give you that extra fraction of a second you need to see what’s coming at you and react.

An attacker at distance become a lot more like what we commonly train for in the dojo. Once again this is where we want them if at all possible. We keep the distance to improve reaction time AND to force them to fully commit to the attack. But there are times where maintaining distance just is not possible.

==>DevastatingStrikes<==

When attacked at short range our response needs to be simple (short movements), direct and powerful. It must stop or redirect their attack and hurt or disorient the attacker allowing you to apply a finishing technique(s). If we are very lucky our reaction to their attack will stop of finish them without the need for anything else.

In the attached video I show some very powerful response techniques that have a high percentage chance of ending the encounter right away. Even if they don’t drop them they will put you in a very good position to execute another technique or simply gain space or get out of there to a safe spot.

==>DevastatingStrikes<==

Have a look at my stance and hand position, it does a few very important things:

1.  It looks non-aggressive, hopefully to help lower the tension of the situation.
2. Anyone looking on instantly knows that I’m not the one starting the fight which may be very important later.
3.  It lulls the attacker into thinking I do not know how to fight.
4. I’m actually in a fighting stance but the aggressor isn’t likely to notice.
5. My hands are up and ready to react, to block, strike, make space, whatever I need.
6. I have the inside line. As my have are up and in front, any attack is far more likely to be a hook than a straight punch, making my reaction time even better.

It may seem like a good idea to strike a bad ass fighting stance but displaying the “Attack me and I will F—K you up!” stance may not be your best bet. Remember the best self-defence is to not NEED to defend yourself in the first place.

As always is you are looking for more great videos or to learn the wonderful art of jiu-jitsu please check out our web site at www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com. There you will our distance education program so you can learn jiu-jitsu anywhere at your own pace.

If you would like to repost this blog article or the videos with in you may do so but must include the following credit "The above information / video has been provide by Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling and is used with their permission, www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com, www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com"

Cheers,

Jamie Rickard (Sensei)

Head Instructor

Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling

Located at:

The Academy of Martial Arts

851 Princess Street

Kingston, Ontario

www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com

www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com

Our Google +Page

Our Facebook Group

Our Facebook Page

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Fight Distance...Too Close!

Lets take a look at fight distance.

In most martial arts we practice our techniques in "kata" form. A per arranged set of techniques chained together. While most of us know that karate has katas we don't really think  of jiu-jitsu having katas but it does. Anything that has a preset series of attacks and counters is in essence a kata. Now some of you grapples / BJJ people are saying right now, "We don't have kata we drill!"... but you do! Drill is just another term for kata. While they may not be a long and as involved as a karate kata, they are kata none the less.

This kata style of training is great for the learning of techniques but can lack the realism of proper fight distance. This is OK for general training but we DO need to think about fight distance and practice it a bit to understand the affects it has on your self defence.

==>Fight Distance<==

Lets look at our options for fight distance below, and I have ranked them from best to worst:

1. Far - your attacker needs to take a full step forward to be able to hit you.
2. Moderate - your attacker needs to take a shuffle or half step forward to be able to hit you.
3. Close - your attacker is at arms reach and can reach you with a punch.
4. Very close - Your attacker is half way between close and extreme.
5. Extremely close (Chest to chest) - you and the other person are chest to chest with no space between you.

It's no surprise that 1 and 2 are the best for self defence. These distances are what we typically practice in our kata / drills. This is where we want to be is at all possible as it gives us the most reaction time.

Not 3, 4 and 5 are not where we want to be if we can at all avoid it. Now 3 and 4 are not too bad IF the fight has not all ready started BUT you never ever want to have somebody chest to chest with you (ie in your face). There just is NO reaction time at this stage.

In the video below I talk about how to maintain at least a level 4 distance, I also look at body language and hand position in a way that can help you avoid a fight rather than escalate it.

==>Fight Distance<==

Now that you have thought a bit about distance it's time to practice your techniques at various distances. This will give you a good idea what techniques work at what distances and what don't.

Next week we will look at in close strikes. These are fight enders!


As always is you are looking for more great videos or to learn the wonderful art of jiu-jitsu please check out our web site at www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com. There you will our distance education program so you can learn jiu-jitsu anywhere at your own pace.

If you would like to repost this blog article or the videos with in you may do so but must include the following credit "The above information / video has been provide by Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling and is used with their permission, www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com, www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com"

Cheers,

Jamie Rickard (Sensei)

Head Instructor

Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling

Located at:

The Academy of Martial Arts

851 Princess Street

Kingston, Ontario

www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com

www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com

Our Google +Page

Our Facebook Group

Our Facebook Page

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Oops that didn't work... well how about this?

Today lets look at the straight arm lock.

Many style of jiu-jitsu will have something similar and even grapplers may see some similarities with the ground game.

==>Straight Arm Lock Follow up Techniques<==

So your attacker grabs your wrist to pull your arm and punch you... BUT you grab their wrist and go to apply a straight arm lock. Now the problem is they are the cautious type and as soon as you go for the straight arm lock they pull their arm away!

Now at this point you have three options;

1. Panic!
2. Freeze up
3. CONTINUE YOUR COUNTER ATTACK.

I have said if before and will say it again, if you haven't through about and practised it you have no chance of doing it when it counts.

So what can we do from here? Well if you have done the first part of the straight arm lock properly, and not stepped in front of the attacker, you are now 45 degrees or so to them. If you have stepped in front and given them your back, well... your going to get punched in the back of the head. Here are some options.

1. Strikes (hit brings the head down and a strike to the back of the head or neck)
2. Knee (a nice follow up after the strikes)
3. Chokes (strike to the groin brings their head down, hit to the front of the throat, apply choke)
4. Throws (front scissor, body drop... there are many that will work from here but make sure you strike them first)
5. Take them into a ground control (remember to strike first)

Play with the different techniques you know see what feels natural to you. Just remember that you need to keep them hurt or off balance at all times (preferably both hurt AND off balance!)

==>Straight Arm Lock Follow up Techniques<==

As always is you are looking for more great videos or to learn the wonderful art of jiu-jitsu please check out our web site at www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com. There you will our distance education program so you can learn jiu-jitsu anywhere at your own pace.

Cheers,

Jamie Rickard (Sensei)

Head Instructor

Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling

Located at:

The Academy of Martial Arts

851 Princess Street

Kingston, Ontario

www.tigersdenjiu-jitsu.com

www.learn-jiu-jitsu-online.com

Our Google +Page

Our Facebook Group

Our Facebook Page

YouTube Channel