The best types of questions to ask on the mat

  • June 19, 2018

How, why and when.

Those right there are the best types of questions to ask.

Bam.

End of post.

Not clear enough? Alright. Here’s what I mean. How explores the mechanics. Why delves into the concepts. And when hones in on the timing.

Frankly, asking those three questions about any technique is an easy way to identify areas that can be improved on.

Case in point:

The hip bump sweep was one of the first sweeps I ever learned from the closed guard. It’s considered to be a fundamental technique. Early on, though, I struggled to hit it against anyone who wasn’t brand new to pajama wrestling.

What changed?

First, I realized that the goal was to spin my opponent like a top rather than knock them back (how).

Second, I noticed that as I sat up connecting my armpit to my opponent’s shoulder created the perfect condition for establishing strong control of my opponent’s arm (how).

Third, the ezekiel choke became my bread and butter for a few years, so sweeping from closed guard to mount was no different than checking the king in chess for me (why).

Fourth, in the past, guys had frustrated me by posturing back up after I worked hard to be break them down and eventually I noticed that that was the perfect movement to hit the sweep. It worked like gangbusters (why and when).

And that process of analysis and improvement can be applied to anything.

If you’re curious about the timing that goes into improving the hip bump sweep though, a breakdown is on this video:

Why the reverse shrimp should be drilled more

  • June 18, 2018

Many years ago, when yours truly was a purple belt, I attended a seminar taught by Wilson Reis.

It was hosted all the way in the mountainous region of Frostburg, Maryland at Ryoma Academy, an affiliate of my alma mater, and there, for the first time ever, I exposed to a new way to shrimp.

Before that, I had never once done a reverse shrimp.

And at first, it was so odd. I had no concept of what it could be used for either. But I soldiered through and tried to figure it out to the best of my ability.

It takes years after that for me to finally understand the applications of that movement. And now I firmly believe that reverse shrimp must be drilled.

It’s important.

Case in point:

When an opponent isolates an arm and transitions to S mount, doom is looming. The armbar is on the way, and if they’re good, it’s going to be lethal quick.

That’s a horrible situation to get caught in.

And it happens all the time. That’s one of the fundamental transitions of the game. If you haven’t run into anyone who is good at hitting that armbar yet, it’s just a matter of time.

You won’t be able to avoid it forever.

But did you know that there is an absolutely ridiculous escape from the situation?

In fact, it’s just the reverse shrimp.

No fancy grips, elaborate setups, or extreme athleticism required. Just the reverse shrimp. Yes, that’s all.

So if you haven’t been drilling the reverse shrimp, it’s time to change that now. This is just one application. There are others. And it is a tool that will benefit you.

I guarantee it.

And if you want to see how stupid simple this S mount escape is, I broke it down on video.

Learn it here:

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How to prevent the stack pass when going for the triangle

  • June 18, 2018

A closed guard sequence pieced together from many sources

  • June 17, 2018

Coming up through the ranks, one of the things that gave me the most satisfaction was hitting the armbar from the bottom of closed guard.

It didn’t happen that much though.

Whenever I would grab the wrist and tricep, my opponents would go into hyper defense mode. It wasn’t until I learned the power of the sleeve drag that I started hitting them more consistently.

And you know why?

It’s because once you get that arm across the centerline and lock down on the upper body, it creates a unfair advantage. One that is, in fact, rife with offensive potential.

Not only is it the perfect setup for the armbar, but naturally flows into the pendulum and much more.

In fact, once I started getting that position more often, I even pulled a choke so sinister that I once put someone to sleep with it, by mistake, during a demonstration from my memory banks.

It was a natural fit in the sequence.

And that’s not all either, but I’ll speak no more on it.

Why?

Because you can easily learn the entire sequence in under 30 minutes here:

A simple BJJ drill for improving submission transitions in closed guard

  • June 13, 2018