BJJ Technique: The Calf Crank

The calf crank is certainly the black sheep of the BJJ realm…

It’s true guys, the calf crank is quite possibly the most under utilized and most disregarded leg lock technique out there. Sure, there are some guys out there who have some pretty sick calf cranks, but for the most part, we don’t really see much of them compared to some of the other leg lock submissions.

One reason why the calf crank may not be as popular as some of the other foot locks and leg locks in BJJ is because calf cranks are primarily used to cause pain. Most of the time, a calf crank will not directly threaten a particular joint, ligament, or tendon. Instead it will focus on applying pressure to any part of the calf muscle using the shin bone.

Don’t get me wrong, it can cause some serious damage including broken bones, but it tends to not be such a direct threat, unlike heel hooks and knee bars, etc., which attack ligaments and hinging joints.

Again, this might be a large reason why we don’t see too many calf cranks in competitions.

This following video was made by No Gi Pan Am brown belt champion Dan Faggella, who in my opinion is a conceptual genius when it comes to BJJ, and was made help you guys out there understand the calf crank better. This includes calf crank concepts, fundamentals, and an overall ability to navigate the calf crank positions.

So after watching this and getting a better understanding of how to finish the calf crank, lets go over some of the main ideas and concepts that are displayed by this video:

Backside variations vs Frontside variations:

So right off the bat, Dan talks about distinguishing between backside and frontside calf crank variations.

A backside calf crank is when you are directly facing your opponents back while applying pressure by grabbing the hip. The frontside calf crank is when you and your opponent are facing opposite directions, and you apply pressure by grabbing the foot and pulling down.

Eddie Bravo loves to use his infamous “ninja roll” technique to end up in a killer frontside calf crank position. Definitely one of my favorites.

Inside leg and Outside leg variations:

Dan then goes on to explain that the calf crank is finished by using either the inside or outside leg to put pressure into the calf. As you can see from the demonstration, the inside leg is typically the one being used to apply pressure in the case of a frontside variation. Again, Eddie Bravo loves this one, as do I.

Cross bite vs Same Side bite:

Note that this detail only pertains to the backside calf crank variation. Dan shows us that when in a backside calf crank, the placement of your opponents trapped foot can make a difference.

There can be a “cross bite”, where your opponents foot rests on your outside hip, or a “same side” bite, where your opponents foot rests on your inside hip. This can make all the difference when trying to finish the submission.

Overall Concepts for Finishing:

Even though these variations can be hard to remember at times, especially while rolling live, there are a few key concepts to remember that will guarantee the submission.

• Maintain control of the two levers, those being your opponents foot as well as their hip.
• Your shin must be able to drive into the back of your opponents knee.
• The shin must be at a 90 degree angle against the back of the knee in order to create the strongest and most effective pressure.

If you weren’t big on calf cranks before, give these variations a try the next time you are training some new techniques. If used properly and effectively, the calf crank can be a great submission, and will totally give you cool guy points as well. Enjoy!

-N

The 50/50 guard: BJJ Evolution

In the modern BJJ competition scene, the 50/50 guard is becoming more prevalent and more popular than ever.

10 years ago, no one was doing the 50/50 guard in competition. You just didn’t see it. Nowadays, you can watch it being used with great success in the gi and no gi competition scenes.

The 50/50 guard is definitely a groundbreaking technique to say the least, but some people feel that it is impracticable, or would rather use another set of means to achieve victory in a jiu jitsu match.

However, we have recently been seeing guys like Keenan Cornelius and the Mendes brothers absolutely smashing the competition with 50/50 guard techniques. Not to mention, Ryan Hall has been heel hooking dudes from the 50/50 guard before you probably ever heard of the 50/50 guard.

If you thought an armbar from the 50/50 guard is impossible, think again…

Keenan Cornelius, a Team Lloyd Irvin brown belt has been gaining a lot of popularity after he was able to armbar Joao Miyao from the 50/50 guard earlier this year. It was quite an impressive win to say the least, and in my opinion, the submission somewhat solidified the idea that the armbar from the 50/50 guard is a legitimately dangerous technique. Not only did it do that, but it also made me wonder how much more of this we will see in the immediate future.

Here is a clip of the match:

Keenan Cornelius is definitely a guy to watch out for, as he is one of the top players of the newer generation that is helping jiu jitsu evolve so rapidly. A lot of top guys come out of Team Lloyd Irvin, and Keenan is certainly no exception.

The 50/50 Guard in No Gi competition has been essential for its gain in popularity…

So if you watch the finals match between Rafael Mendes and Cobrinha at the 2011 ADCC  under 66kg weight division, you see a boat load of the 50/50 guard being used.

Check out the clip:

The one dangerous aspect of fighting in ADCC is that they do in fact allow heel hooks. Therefore, you see a bunch of foot lock attempts on Cobrinhas‘ part, many of them being inside heel hook attempts from the 50/50 guard. You’ll see both fighters hiding their inside foot under their outside knee is an attempt to block the potential for a heel hook.

This match just goes to show you how strategic both players have to be while in the 50/50 guard. Not only do you have to defend and prevent heel hooks and other dangerous foot locks, but you also must focus on the entanglement of your legs in relation to your opponents.

Navigating in and out of the 50/50 guard can be difficult sometimes, due to the simple fact that you and your opponent have no advantage over each other, and the guy who makes the first advance to submit or transition usually controls the match from that point on. ( Here is a great article on navigating the 50/50 guard)

BJJ is evolving more and more each day, and I predict that we will see a lot more advances in the 50/50 guard in the future.

As a farewell, here is a sweet clip of Ryan Hall doing damage with an inside heel hook from the 50/50 guard:

  -N

Galvao and Rodolfo: Guard Passing Machines

Andre Galvao and Rodolfo Viera are two masters of passing the guard in BJJ competition…

If you take a look at these two BJJ fighters and how they play their games, it’s pretty easy to see that a lot of their success come from their ability to demolish the guards of their opponents.

Sure, there are plenty of guys out there who are great at passing the guard, but Andre Galvao and Rodolfo Viera stand out to say the least.

Galvaos’ Passes:

Watch any of Andres‘ matches, and you can get a pretty good picture of his style of passing.

-He likes to isolate the hips so they are rendered immobile

-He uses a lot of grips on the knees

-He likes to move around and even behind his opponents when he passes

Check out this match between Andre and Clark Gracie. You can see just how strong Andres’ guard passes are, and how much pressure his style of passing can cause. Here it is:

On numerous occasions, he is able to move around Clark Gracies’ legs in order to get the pass. Later on in the match, you can see Andre trying to work in some knee cut passes. The knee cut pass is another favorite of mine. (Check out this article for more details on how to execute it properly)

By watching the match, you can tell that his best guard passes come from pinning the hips and knees, driving weight into his opponent through his head and shoulders, and moving around his opponent. A really heavy, yet mobile passing game, one which I truly admire.

Rodolfo’s Passes:

If you watch some of Rodolfo’s matches, you will see that he too has a menacing guard passing game. Here is a match between him and Victor Estima. Some truly awesome guard passes:

Here are some of Rodolfo’s key techniques:

-He hits many “mid-range” guard passes.

Most BJJ fighters tend to either crowd their opponent and smash them to pass the guard, or play a very distant game in order to close distance fast to pass the guard. Rodolfo is able to pass from the “mid-range” area, which is extremely impressive and displays his immense passing pressure.

-He moves around his opponents to pass.

Just like Andre, Rodolfo likes to play a passing game where his moves around his opponents, not through them. This is not to say that his passing game is strictly moving around his opponents, but if you watch his matches, you can see that he has a ton of success by doing so.

-He passes with his opponents legs facing him

A lot of Rodolfo’s guard passes include a back step, which then leads to him passing the guard while his opponents legs are still facing him. He then drives his knee to his opponents hip to consolidate the pass. Many guys are having success with guard passes that involve facing your opponents hips away (leg drag, double under, etc…), but Rodolfo does the opposite, and looks awesome while doing it.

Both Andre and Rodolfo have their own unique style of passing, and a lot can be learned from watching their matches.

Even if you are much lighter, or even heavier, than both of these fighters, these techniques and guard passes are great to observe and study.

I hope that this article has inclined you to work on your passing game, because you should!

As a treat for you guys, here’s a match between Andre and Rodolfo. I won’t spoil it, but it is one that is definitely worth watching!

Now go pass someone’s guard.

-N

Jiu Jitsu Breakdown: Eddie and Marcelo

Eddie Bravo and Marcelo Garcia are two highly regarded black belts in the world of jiu jitsu…

I must say, I was excited when I first saw the following clip of Eddie Bravo and Marcelo Garcia battling each other.

Turns out that Eddie Bravo and a few of his guys decided to take the trip out to New York to visit Marcelo Garcia‘s gym. Usually I would be breaking down competition footage or a high level match in the finals of some tournament, but this friendly rolling session between these two jiu jitsu titans was too much to pass up.

Even though Eddie and Marcelo are just simply rolling together for fun, there is still so much that can be learned from watching them roll.

Both Eddie and Marcelo have great technique, and watching them play their own games against each other is awesome to watch.

Here is the clip of the two BJJ legends:

The Basic Breakdown:

This friendly rolling session between Eddie and Marcelo was great to watch for many reasons.

One reason was because of the contrast between styles. Eddie has mostly a bottom game, consisting of a strong half guard, dangerous closed guard/rubber guard variations, and tight head control. It was really interesting to see how Marcelo reacted to Eddie‘s unorthodox techniques with his own game.

At the very beginning, Eddie nearly catches Marcelo in an omoplata, and then he almost hits a twister! For those of you who don’t know, the twister is Eddie‘s signature technique, and for him to hit it on Marcelo would be undoubtedly epic.

Marcelo barely flinches, as he disentangles from Eddie‘s twister and takes the top position.

A lot of guys have trouble dealing with Eddie‘s rubber guard, and Marcelo seems to just pop right out of it. Really amazing stuff. You can check this out that around the 4:30 mark.

Head on Against the Half Guard

Another reason why I was impressed by this session was because of Marcelo‘s complete smashing of Eddie‘s Half Guard. As I said earlier, Eddie has a gnarly half guard. It almost seemed like Marcelo was purposely giving Eddie the half guard, just so he could bulldoze through it.

You will see Marcelo putting his knee in the middle and absolutely cutting through the half guard of Eddie. I was really impressed with the control and isometric strength that Marcelo displayed.

At around the 7:50 mark, Marcelo hits a beautiful knee cut pass on Eddie. This is after Eddie manages to keep Marcelo‘s leg trapped in his weird looking half guard.

This is where Marcelo turns up the heat and really starts to impose his will on Eddie, slowly taking control of the rolling session. Once Marcelo started to mentally wear on Eddie‘s jiu jitsu, the odds started to change. (If you are interested in the mental game of winning in BJJ, you have to check out this article)

The Back Take From Butterfly Guard

One of my favorite parts of this match was the back take that Marcelo pulls off on Eddie at about the 5:20 mark. He starts to set up his butterfly sweeps, and is able to completely bypass the top position and take control of Eddie’s back. Seriously high level stuff. Just goes to show you why Marcelo is one of the world’s best.

Don’t get me wrong, Eddie Bravo is a high level black belt and I have a ton of respect for him, but Marcelo is on his own planet when it comes to jiu jitsu.

This is definitely one for the books!

-N

Flashy Jiu Jitsu: 5 Fun to Watch Techniques

Have you ever seen a BJJ match where one fighter, or even both fighters, performs a technique that really impresses you?

Whether it be an interesting guard variation, a slick back take, or a crazy submission attempt, there are techniques out there that I personally like to refer to as “cool guy” techniques.

Even if you haven’t been around the BJJ scene for too long, I am sure that you have seen either one of your coaches, training partners, or even favorite BJJ idols perform a technique that leaves you sitting there either in awe or in complete curiosity.

I have put together a short list of my favorite “cool guy” techniques to share with you guys. These techniques made my list because they either impressed me, looked cool to me, or intrigued me in any way shape or form.

The Flying Arm Bar/Flying Triangle

Two of the most impressive techniques in the jiu jitsu realm are the flying triangle and flying arm bar. They are hard to pull off in a live match, but if done properly, they can end a fight quickly right from the feet. Here’s a quick glimpse at these two awesome techniques:

Like I said, they look cool, and they are one of the most exciting techniques to watch.

De La Riva Variations

The De La Riva guard is a super exciting technique to watch, especially when you include it’s variations and use it to go inverted. Not only does it look awesome, but many of the super high level black belts at the lighter weights are using these techniques with good success. Check it out:

In this video, Cobrinha uses the de la riva guard to try to sweep Raider for almost the entire match. He goes inverted many times, and makes it look so easy. These guard techniques are exactly what some of the best lighter weight guys are using today, and they are great examples of top notch jiu jitsu.

Reverse Half Guard

Reverse half guard did not make this list on the grounds that it was necessarily a flashy or fancy technique. It is on the list because I believe that it is one of the most interesting positions in the sport of BJJ. Marcelo Garcia can be seen using this technique quite often, and he uses it greatly to his advantage. Reverse half guard is attained when the player on top in half guard uses his/her free leg to back step in the direction of his/her trapped leg, in order to pass the guard or set up other various attacks.

As you can see, the top player has a huge advantage if he can get to reverse half guard. He can either pass, or set up submissions or back takes. That is why I think that this technique belongs in the “cool guy” technique category.

The Twister

The twister has been around for a long time and was made popular by BJJ black belt Eddie Bravo. Eddie Bravo received his black belt from Jean Jacques Machado, a legend in the sport. He then went on to create his own jiu jitsu system, commonly known as the 10th planet system. In the 10th planet system of jiu jitsu, the twister is one of the most dangerous techniques.

It is a total “cool guy” technique for a few reasons. The twister is a spine lock, which you do not see much of these days in BJJ and even MMA competition. Also, it’s an alternative to just simply taking your opponents’ back and choking them, therefore it can be a big deal if one of the fighters wins via twister.

So there it is!

Those are definitely some of the techniques that get the biggest applause at the competition scene and even sometimes in the local gym. There are surely more techniques I could have put on the list, but who knows, maybe I will write a part 2 to this one in the future (it almost seems like the right thing to do)

If any of these techniques tickle your fancy, pick your favorite and try repping’ it out a few times at your academy and learn it.

Enjoy!

-N

Overcoming Injury

As practitioners of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we all at some point deal with an injury. Whether its as simple as a slight soreness, or a torn ligament, we all go through it.

Injury is something that any athlete must deal with. When we put our bodies through demanding activity such as jiu jitsu, it can eventually take a toll on the entire human composition.

As someone who is recovering from a jiu jitsu related injury, I can tell you from personal experience that getting injured can affect you in many ways. Sure, there is the physical pain and frustration, but there is also a level of mental difficulty when dealing with an injury.

When the doctor told me that it could take up to an entire month for my sprained MCL to heal, I was pretty disappointed. Then again, there are injuries that can affect you for much longer, so I had to look at it in the most positive way possible.

After a few weeks of not training, I felt much different. I didn’t have as much energy and wasn’t as hungry throughout the day, due to less energy exertion and a slowed metabolism. I definitely was going through what some people might refer to as “BJJ withdrawals”.

I really missed being on the mats with my friends and training partners, and at a great gym like Black Diamond MMA, it was really difficult to deal with (If you live in New England, come train with us for a day or two!)

Even though I was injured, I still was able to find a way to train off of the mats. Of course when you cannot physically be on the mats, your training cannot reach anywhere near its full potential, but there are several things that I personally did to train off of the mats and help keep my mind sharp as a dagger.

Here are some things that can help you stay sharp and help you train while off the mats:

Being with the team

As frustrating as it can be to watch when you’re injured on the sidelines, attending practices when possible great for keeping the mind sharp and focused on training. The sense of involvement with the team is there, and it’s almost impossible not to coach your own team mates during the live sparring sessions. (I am totally guilty of this lol)

While attending training sessions injured, I would bring my notebook, which helped me stay up to date with what the coaches were teaching, as I would write down the days’ techniques and lessons. This way I would not lose anything, and I could refer back to my notes once I was capable of the physicality.

Visualization

This is actually an extremely effective training technique performed by many uninjured athletes, BJJ or non BJJ. The mind becomes strong when you visualize your techniques in great detail. If you think about every little detail and nuance of your techniques and you continuously and consciously visualize them, you will see improvement.

This can help greatly when you cannot physically perform the techniques!

Studying the Game

If you are unable to train because of an injury, what better way to stay in touch with the sport than to study it rigorously? For the past month I have been watching all sorts of live matches between some of the worlds top black belts, ranging from galo/pluma weight all the way to heavy weight. I’ve been studying everything from the best sweeps to the most common gi chokes seen in competition. I must say, doing this has definitely helped me in a cerebral sense, and I feel like I am more of a BJJ nerd than ever.

If you are dealing with an injury whether serious or minor, try these 3 things out. I guarantee they will keep your mind sharp and as my coach would say, keep you “on the path”.

One last word of advice to anyone who is injured:

Have patience. Healing takes time, and there is no point in getting frustrated about it. It is a situation where you have little to no control over how long it takes to recover, so just do what the doc says a rest up!

Heal fast!

-N

Modern Jiu Jitsu: The Mendes Brothers

BJJ is a game that is evolving every day. The sport and martial art of BJJ has seen more than a few pioneers and innvovators in its time. It is safe to say that BJJ is growing faster than ever.

2 of those innovators and pioneers of the modern jiu jitsu world are the Mendes brothers, Rafael and Guilherme. The Mendes brothers are a very hot topic today in the BJJ community, and with the style of BJJ that they bring to the table, it’s really no suprise.

If you are new to BJJ and haven’t heard of these guys, you need to check them out. With their raw talent and their extremely dangerous style of BJJ, they are surely a force to be reckoned with.

Rafael and Guilherme Mendes

Rafael:

Rafael Mendes in my opinion is the definition of a BJJ phenom, considering he was winning gold medals since blue belt and was smashing guys at black belt before he even turned 21. The scariest part about Rafael is that he is still getting better and evolving. I can’t even imagine what level he will be on in 5 to 10 years from n0w. He represents Team Atos, and received his black belt from Ramon Lemos in 2009. In his recent years of competition, Rafael has been absolutely dominating his weight class. Earlier this year, he defeated his long time rival and featherweight nemesis, Reubens Charles “Cobrinha”, at both The Pan American Championships and The World Championships. Rafael Mendes is an absolute monster on the mats, and is easily one of the top 5  BJJ players currently competing in the world today.

Guilherme:

Guilherme Mendes is also a super talented and hard working BJJ player. He is slightly smaller than his brother Rafael, and also dominates the majority of his weight class. Guilherme is a mastermind when it comes to BJJ innovation. He is a very cerebral BJJ player, meaning that he is an extremely smart player. Guilherme is always analyzing and improving his game through his increasing knowledge of positions, leverage, and body mechanics. Like his brother Rafael, Guilherme is also a black belt under Ramon Lemos.

As we talk about what the Mendes brothers have done as far as pioneering and innovating the jiu jitsu game, lets take a look at some of the techniques that they use on their opponents frequently in their competitive matches.

The Leg Drag:

The Mendes brothers both use this technique often in order to pass the guard of their opponent. It involves dragging the opponents leg across your body in order to face the hips away from you and placing your knee over your opponents leg to complete the pass. Check this clip of the leg drag technique in action:

De La Riva Guard Variations:

De La Riva Guard variations are another common technique displayed by the Mendes brothers. Although these techniques are very popular today and are being done by many BJJ players, the Mendes brothers are masters of it and greatly use it to their advantage. Here is a clip of The Mendes brothers putting their De La Riva Guard variations on display:

The Berimbolo:

The Berimbolo may just be one of the fanciest and most fun to watch techniques that the Mendes brothers have made popular. It involves entangling with your opponent, going inverted, and then taking your opponents’ back. It Looks a little like this:

As you can see, the dynamic between the two brothers is tremendous, and their innovation of the game has been astounding. The Mendes brothers will continue to shine in the BJJ realm for years to come, and I cannot wait to see what lies ahead in their journey through competition. My BJJ coach was lucky enough to attend one of their seminars, and even got the chance to interview them personally (you can check out the article here, it’s a must read!!).

They are truly amazing at what they do, and are perfect examples of what talent and hard work can produce.

-N

BJJ Tips and Concepts: Developing a Killer Back Mount

In the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the back mount is by far one of the most dominant and advantageous positions in the entire sport.

Everybody who trains BJJ knows that the back mount position wins fights. In my opinion, I would rather be on someone’s back than in any other position, just based on the fact that it is so dominant.

It is super important to have a strong back mount. Sure, getting on someone’s back is cool and all, but how long can you stay there? Is your control any good? How good are your submissions from the back mount?

These are some serious questions you should be asking yourself if you are really looking to improve your back mount.

Lucky for me, back mount is a position I have spent a lot of time working on, even since the early days of my BJJ training. My instructor always emphasized that back mount was the king of all positions, and he made sure that we all put time into developing our back mount attacks and control (and still does to this day).

Many of today’s best BJJ competitors use the back mount as their “check mate” position, and look to end their fights from there. Guys like the Mendes brothers, Cobrinha, and Marcelo Garcia have revolutionized the entire back mount game. It’s on a whole new level now.

Check out some of the back takes and back mount attacks in these videos featuring Rafa Mendes and Cobrinha. Rafa and his brother have made the “berimbolo” a super effective and cool looking technique , while Cobrinha continues to amaze us with some of the most crafty and agile back attacks from so many different positions.

Being a back mount guy, I’d like to think that I know a little bit on the topic of back mount, so here are some good tips and concepts to help improve your overall back mount game.

There are things that you should constantly be consciously thinking about and working on during your training.

Back Mount Control

Alignment

Having good control from the back mount is arguably the most important skill to have as a BJJ fighter who is looking to improve this position. A huge concept to understand is alignment.

The alignment between your chest and your opponents spine is crucial in staying in the position and being able to keep control.

The more your opponents spine becomes out of alignment with the middle of your chest, the more potential your opponent has to escape and the less control you have.

The more your chest falls in alignment with the middle of your opponents spine, the less potential your opponent has to escape and the more control you have.

An example of good alignment

It’s a very simple, yet extremely effective concept to have in mind. Try to consciously think about how your alignment is while on somebody’s back during training, and try your best to keep proper alignment.

Fighting with the hooks

Another way to keep control is by constantly attacking with your hooks. Mind you that this is done at the same time you are setting up your perfect alignment between you and your opponent.

The hooks should always be attacking. If possible, dig your hooks into your opponents side abdomen as you push your hips forward to stretch your opponent out.

Marcelo Garcia using the hooks to attack

This can make it very difficult for your opponent to defend against chokes and other hook variations. It is also can cause discomfort and help break your opponents will to defend and keep fighting.

Defending with the hooks is also possible as well. If your opponent is trying to escape by turning into you, certain methods like placing your top hook behind their top knee will help you readjust and keep the position (see photo above)

Drilling your setups

Your back mount can become very dangerous when you are able to get there from many different positions. If you look at the Cobrinha video above, he takes his opponents backs from all angles and has no problem transitioning until he gets there.

You can take someone’s back from top side control, bottom side control, top and bottom half guard, deep half guard, open guard, mount, x guard, de la riva guard, reverse de la riva guard, inverted de la riva guard….Need I really say more?

Pick a few setups that you like, each from a different position, and drill the heck out of them for a couple of months. Pick ones that you think will work well for you, and strictly focus on them. Soon you will notice them becoming very sharp and crisp.

I can remember drilling only arm drags and de la riva back take setups for a few months consistently. I saw a huge improvement in my back mount game because I was always threatening my training partners with these two setups.

If you are able to achieve a good understanding of the concepts of alignment, focus on constantly attacking from the position with hooks and submissions, and develop effective setups for taking the back, then your back mount game will see enormous improvement.

Just watch the pros and how they incorporate these concepts in their jiu jitsu games.

-N

BJJ: The World of Leg Locks

As far as advanced jiu jitsu goes, having a solid leg lock game is essential.

If we observe some of the modern jiu jitsu techniques that we see being done today by some of the best guys, each one of them has a pretty solid, if not, dangerous leg lock game.

Leg locks can be some of the best submissions if executed at the right time. If you take a look at BJJ fighters like Toquinho, Davi Ramos, and even Caio Terra, you can easily see that their leg locks are some of the best and most devastating in competition.

A perfect example of a nasty leg lock game is Davi Ramos. His leg lock game is sharp and he is fast with his transitions. Take a look at some of his setups and finishes:

 

Davi Ramos is the epitome of how a good leg lock game can win you fights, especially in absolute divisions against much larger opponents.

If leg locks are the discussion, then it’s impossible not to mention Rousimar Palhares, aka “Toquinho”.

Unless you’ve been under a rock for a few years now, Toquinho has some of the most brutal heel hooks anyone has ever seen. He has used his heel hook to win many grappling matches and even UFC fights. He is strong and relentless:

The leg locks of Toquinho are extremely dangerous. He is another great example of how dominant leg lock skills can win you fights.

Here are the basics:

There are five basic foot/leg lock submissions that are commonly used.

• The straight Achilles foot lock 
• The heel hook 
• The toe hold
• The knee bar
• the calf crank

These submissions are what make up the world of leg locks.

The Straight Achilles Foot Lock

The straight achilles foot lock is one of the more basic and less dangerous foot locks. This technique should be in everyone’s jiu jitsu encyclopedia. It involves applying pressure with the arm to the achilles tendon. It has many variations, but generally looks something like this:

A basic straight Achilles foot lock

The Achilles may not be as dangerous or painful as some of the other leg locks, but if executed at the right time with proper technique, it can can be a serious weapon. (for a more in depth look at this technique and its variations, check out this article)

The Toe Hold

The toe hold is a technique that involves applying pressure to the ligaments and tendons on the outside of the ankle/foot. A “figure four” type grip is applied  to the foot which causes your opponent to either tap or allow his foot to be destroyed. A toe hold looks like this:

The Toe Hold causes the foot to bend in such a way that it pushes force through the weak tendons and ligaments of the foot

In my opinion, toe holds are a slightly more reliable submission, and generally happen from scramble positions where the opponents shin is positioned horizontally across your torso.

Heel Hooks

Heel hooks could easily be the most dangerous and devastating type of leg lock. They involve placing the inside of the wrist under your opponents heel, and twisting the heel while keeping the knee stationary. You would think that being called a heel hook, this technique would cause pain to the heel, right?

It actually puts immense pressure on the structure of the knee and can cause serious and/or permanent injury. Heel hooks look like this:

An example of how painful a heel hook can be to your opponent

If you are training this submission, always be careful with your partner. When this submission is applied properly, it does not take much to get the tap and even cause damage to your partners’ knee, so be extremely careful when doing this one guys.

The Knee Bar

The knee bar is a submission that involves applying pressure to the top of the knee cap by pulling the top of the leg with your arms and using your hips to hyper extend the knee. It looks a little something like this:

A knee bar puts a ton of pressure into your opponents knee cap and can end a fight quickly

Like the heel hook, the knee bar is one of the more dangerous leg lock submissions, and should be practiced with reasonable caution. In my opinion, it is a powerful technique, but not the most reliable leg lock compared to toe holds and some heel hooks.

The Calf Crank

The calf crank is one of the lesser seen leg locks. Although it is a viable submission, it is probably the least reliable. This is because the calf crank mostly applies pressure to the calf muscle and to the tibia and fibula bones, and not necessarily to a specific joint.

This causes substantial pain, but a lot of guys may fight through the pain long enough to escape. Here is what a calf crank looks like:

A Calf Crank variation that pushes against muscle and bone

Not only are leg locks reliable submissions if executed properly, but they are also excellent weapons against larger opponents

Here is an example of a smaller grappler, Dan Faggella, using leg lock techniques against larger opponents in absolute divisions. For those of you who do not know, Dan has an extremely crafty leg lock game and he used it to help him win the No Gi Pan Ams at brown belt. (He also has a great article on leg lock setups for competition here, definitely worth taking a look at).

As you can see, leg locks can even the playing field against larger opponents.

These techniques and submissions make up the world of leg locks, and are all formidable weapons on the mats.

As leg locks become more and more popular, it is important to know these techniques and more importantly, know how to defend against them.

If you don’t already train leg locks, you should study them, as they will add to the depth of your jiu jitsu game.

-N

Judo Seminar of Glory at Black Diamond MMA

When I heard that Alaa El Idrissi was putting on a Judo seminar at the Black Diamond Mixed Martial Arts Academy, I was more than pumped about it.

I have always had an interest in Judo since I started my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. If you watch a lot of the high level BJJ black belts, many of them have an extensive Judo background.

BJJ world champion Andre Galvao always emphasizes the benefits of having a strong Judo background for BJJ training and competition. All BJJ competitions start from the feet, and the BJJ guys/gals with Judo backgrounds do extremely well from there.

I first met Alaa one day when he and a fellow student came to the BDMMA academy to train. Knowing that he was a world-class Judo player, I was more than honored to tumble around with him on the mats for a few minutes.

Man was this guy impressive! With his extensive Judo training, he was easily able to hang with the Brazilian jiu jitsu guys in the gym. He was very humble and respectful (not to mention he had some serious butterfly sweeps)

Alaa El Idrissi with his hand raised in victory

Here’s a little background on Alaa:

• 6 time Moroccan Judo Champion
• 2 time African Judo Champion
• 3 time North African Judo Champion
• 3 time Arabic Judo Champion
• Ranked 9th on the 2009 World rank list
• 2 time Judo World Team Member

…Starting to get the picture?

This guy is serious. To top it all off, he is a very nice guy and has a great sense of humor. Just don’t let his kindness fool you, he will easily throw you on your head if he wants to.

The Seminar:

The seminar kicked off with some warm ups. We did some light stretching to loosen up, along with some quick calisthenics to get elevate the heart rate slightly.

We then quickly made our way into some foot work drills. He explained to us that Judo is like dancing. You move with your opponent in certain ways to disrupt his balance, and you take advantage of his actions and reactions.

A lot of the foot work drills we did were completely Judo specific, and gave us a good idea of what movements were necessary for learning these Judo techniques

After the solo drills, Alaa showed us some great and simple Judo techniques that were “low-risk” and applicable to the BJJ realm

We paired up and worked on some inner foot sweeps, particularly the Kouchi Gari. I really enjoyed this specific technique, because it does not put you in a bad position if the technique fails, yet it is extremely effective.

I was lucky enough to be Alaa’s demonstration partner for some of the techniques, and I can say for myself that Alaa is one strong dude. Holy crap.

We then worked on some other techniques including the Ouchi Gari, Kata Garuma, and Uchi Mata.

I must say however, I really enjoyed the Sumi Gaeshi technique. This technique is considered a sacrifice throw, because if it doesn’t work, you could end up on your back losing.

I loved this technique because it was very similar to pulling guard into a butterfly sweep in BJJ, and showed an interesting parallel between BJJ and Judo.

Here is some sick footage from the seminar:

This seminar was a great experience, and it was an honor to have Alaa at our gym to teach us some of his techniques

After this seminar, I hope to put some of these techniques to good use in the gym and in competition. I already feel more confident than ever on the feet after this seminar, and I totally would recommend Judo training to any BJJ fighter looking to supplement their game.

For more info on the seminar, go ahead and check out this link

Well, what are you waiting for? Go check out some Judo!

-N