The Top-game from the Bottom Up

“If the enemy holds the high ground, do not ascend and do battle with him” – Sun Tzu

While there are many opportunities to defend oneself and initiate attacks from the bottom, fighting from the top has significant advantages. Here are some points to keep in mind when fighting from the top-position.

To begin, let us first consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of each position. The man on the bottom rests on the ground, and because of this he is able to use his legs to his advantage. In addition, he can post off of the mat to initiate attacks, all without fear of losing his balance or being reversed. Momentum, mass, and mobility, work to the advantage of the top-position. The man on the top can use his legs for mobility. His mass pins his opponent and adds to the momentum of his attacks. The key to the top man’s success lies in his ability to generate momentum and use gravity to his advantage -- this is where the base becomes important.

To understand the role of the base, we need only follow the transmission of force through the body. Consider the following example: an individual in a boat is unable to win a tug-of-war contest against someone pulling from the shore, irrespective of their size. Although, as in this instance, the arms pull, without a base pushing in the opposite direction, force cannot be transferred to an external object. Knowing this, the bottom man will seek to nullify your base by attempting a reversal or bending you forward at the waist. The adage that a chain is only as strong as the weakest link holds true here. The midsection links the torso with the base. When bent forward, the strongest muscles of the body, namely the abdomen and the loins, are rendered useless. Once in this position it is difficult to fend off attacks from the bottom. In addition, because your center of gravity rests outside your base, your opponent will find is easy to unbalance and sweep you. This is why Judoka prefer an upright posture when fighting from a standing position. It also explains the importance many martial artists place on the hara.

With an understanding of the importance of the base and posture, it is possible to infer some general strategies of the top-position. First, as mentioned earlier, the legs must be utilized both for mobility and to transfer power to the extremities. To do this effectively involves utilizing the first principle of the top-game – passing the guard. Unless you have already secured a positional advantage with a throw or takedown, passing the guard must become your first priority. Many inexperienced grapplers skillfully pass their opponents legs only to find that they lose their hard won position. One common reason for this is that, having passed the legs, there is a tendency to reach too greedily for the shoulders and head. Work methodically through the pass. The subtleties of any pass will usually lie in controlling the opponent’s hips. When passing the guard the devil is truly in the details. Pick a handful of passes and practice them religiously.

Once you have secured a top-position, take full advantage of the natural levers of the neck and shoulders. By pinning the opponents head to one side or another you will greatly diminish his ability to bridge or shrimp in the opposite direction. The same can be accomplished by overwrapping the neck. Knowing to which side your partner will escape is a tremendous advantage. Advantages such as these are key when pinning a larger or stronger opponent. The shoulders are the largest lever along the spine. From a standing position, any rotation along the axis of the shoulders will bring you opponent off balance. On the ground, control of the shoulders will keep your partner from rotating to his side and regaining his guard or base.

Lastly, lead your opponent into a submission through his own efforts to escape. If you have to press the submission it is likely that you have not developed a tight top-game. Once an opponent is sufficiently pinned he will find it extremely uncomfortable and inevitably expose himself to submissions. Within the confines of grappling as sport, there may be some advantage to stalling from the bottom, for example, if you are winning and there is little time left on the clock. You will, however, see few Mixed Martial Artists employ this strategy. An adversary will gladly rest on top of you as he strikes with impunity. Learn how to escape pins and practice regularly. You will learn much about position through escapes.

In summary here are some key points to remember:

1.      Do not forfeit the top-position by pulling guard.

2.      When standing, resist the urge to bend forward at the waist. Although this will lower you center of gravity, you will lose power, balance, and mobility.

3.      Practice the transition from throws to groundwork. Often an opponent will be disoriented or incapacitated from the fall. Use this as an opportunity to pass the guard. Do it skillfully, however, or you may find yourself on the bottom.

4.      If the opponent closes his guard, use stand-up passes whenever possible. Make passing the guard your first priority.

5.      Be certain to control your opponent’s hips and midsection as you execute the guard pass.

6.      Utilize the levers of the neck and shoulders to tighten the position and expose your partner to submissions.

Robert Burge, MA

Contributor Bio - Robert is a judo nidan, Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt, and has a master's in mental health counseling. He is the head instructor of the University of Kentucky judo club and a member of the Valhalla Grappling Academy.

Police and Grappling

First off - I would like to state that this article is merely to create a point of discussion. I am not a police officer and I respect those whose jobs put them in harm's way. The point is to discuss the usefullness of grappling and defensive tactics training for police after the basics learned in the academy not to criticize the individual officers in these videos. Also, these videos contain real violence so if that bothers you don't watch.

Police must often arrest suspects who do not want to be arrested. For every person who submits and goes quietly there is one who fights back. Perhaps they are drunk, high, or simply angry and running on adrenaline. In this situation, techniques based on pain compliance tend to either not work due to the analgesic effect of drugs/alcohol/adrenaline or they simply escalate the situation as the person will resist arrest more violently. Techniques based on body control and leverage work best.

Takedowns and grappling controls are safer for both officer and suspect and are much more legally defensible in court than beating someone into submission with fists, feet, or a stick. The following videos show situations where grappling training would have been ideal. Again, this is merely for analysis, not for critcism of police or the individual officers in these videos. They have a dangerous job and I appreciate they work they do.

This first video shows two British police officers who struggle to get control of a single suspect who is not a particuarly large man. They end up using pepper spray and getting the situation under control but only after a great deal of fighting. Judo and BJJ would have shortened this encouter considerably. For those of you trained readers, look for missed opportunities to apply techniques.

In this next video we see two Eastern European officers who simply refuse to engage and control the suspect. I realize laws differ from country to country but this situation could have been over much more quickly.

This last video is somewhat disturbing from both a civilian standpoint and from the officer's standpoint. It is obvious that this officer has little defensive tactics training and does not want to engage hand to hand. The subject assaults him with a push and he responds by drawing his pistol. In my opinion this is an overreaction. Once the suspect calls his bluff, he gets away. Most likely because the officer realized that he had no justification for deadly force. A quick takedown to control would ended this situation more quickly and safely.

Brian Jones, PhD

Mutual Welfare and Benefit

Jita Kyoei (mutual welfare and benefit) is one of the governing principles of Judo. It acknowledges the innate interconnectedness of our lives and the consequences of our actions on others. Failure to understand this principle is the source of many problems both in the dojo and in our everyday lives. We live in an individualistic society, and without fail bring many of these values onto the mat. If we are unable to temper these values with the principles of Jita Kyoei we lose much of the value in our training. Some examples are obvious, such as the need to train without injury. Others are more subtle but just as important, for example, offering the proper amount of resistance to your training partner. When this principle is embodied in our everyday lives, we find that people are friendlier and more apt to help us. When utilized on the mat people enjoy training with us, offer their advice, and most importantly make significantly more progress. The simple truth is that we cannot make an effort to improve our environment without having a positive influence on ourselves. Those of a more utilitarian mindset, however, may be critical of this method. It has been my experience that these types, while many times highly motivated, do not last. Often, lacking the same respect for their bodies as they do their training partners, they injure themselves. In addition, they do not play on the mat and as such do not have fun on the mat. Training with the principle of Jita Kyoei in mind will not only facilitate a safer training environment, but, as the proverbial tortoise beats the hare, will train superior fighters.  

Robert Burge, MA

Contributor Bio - Robert is a judo nidan, Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt, and has a master's in mental health counseling. He is the head instructor of the University of Kentucky judo club and a member of the Valhalla Grappling Academy.

Claustrophobia and Panic in Grappling

It seems that one of the major problems new trainees have is giving up from a simple pin due to a severe anxiety response. Claustrophobia, or fear of tight/enclosed, spaces is actually quite common. It is also commonly experienced when a new trainee gets pinned on the bottom.

The sensation of being on the bottom often combines claustrophobia with other fears. First there is pressure on the chest that interferes with breathing and induces a sensation of dyspnea (shortness of breath). Even mild dyspnea can trigger panic because sudden loss of breath is one of those deeply-rooted human fears. Second there is the mild sensory deprivation. Many times a pin involves someone crushing your face with his or her body. This deadens sound and blocks sight and in many cases the gi acts as a sort of hood. Hooding is a common method of psychological torture and some have argued its use with prisoners of war is in violation of the Geneva Convention. Whatever your thoughts are on this particular issue, it is impossible to argue that it can invoke a feeling of panic and suffocation.

These are all issues that new grapplers must learn to deal with if they are to continue. In researching this topic I found that Stephen Kesting had already posted a great article on this on his website. Instead of writing another article I will just post a link to his. This is a great article for novices but also for coaches who need to help their students get through this fear.

http://www.grapplearts.com/Grappling-BJJ-Claustrophobia.html

Brian Jones, PhD

A Guide To Defense

The fundamental idea behind defense in grappling is to stop one of the necessary steps in the completion of the technique. This is true whether you are talking about a submission, sweep, or takedown.  Offense can be thought of a set of sequential steps much like a string of Christmas lights. If you take out a single bulb, everything downstream goes out. This means that a thorough understanding of offense will help you more effectively defend. You know what your opponent is trying to do and you can work on preventing it. Likewise a thorough understanding of various defenses will improve your offensive game. Learning defense highlights the key points of the attack.

Layers of Defense

Awareness

                Knowing which attacks are possible from various positions is vital, as is knowing how to position yourself so that your opponent has fewer targets. Consider the principle of “elbows in”. As a rule you are much safer on the mat if you keep your elbows bent and tucked near your body. Arm and shoulder locks require that the opponent isolate and extend your arm. With your elbows in this is difficult to do. If the opponent tries you have more warning and are in a better position to defend. Awareness of your elbow position at all times and the vulnerability of extending the arms will make you less likely to get submitted with an armlock.

Block

A block prevents the opponent from finishing his technique. However, it does not get you out of the dangerous position. If at any point you stop blocking, the opponent may be able to complete his attack. A block gives you time to improve your position and will often cause your opponent to give up on the attack. Consider a double leg takedown. The opponent attacks you with a shot and you sprawl. He has both arms around your right leg but is flattened out on the mat by your hip pressure. At this point you have effectively blocked the technique. If you stop blocking and relax your sprawl, taking away the pressure, your opponent will pull in your leg and finish the takedown.

Escape

Escaping a technique involves stopping the opponent’s attack then getting out of the dangerous position. It is helpful to remember that this is an extension of the block. If you don’t first block the technique, you can be submitted as you are attempting to escape.  If your opponent attacks with an armbar from mount and you block it by bending your arm and grabbing your gi, you have to keep your elbow bent during the escape. Straightening your arm during the escape attempt will give him the armbar regardless of what you are doing with the rest of your body. Remember to block first and keep blocking as you escape.

Counter

The highest level of defense is the counter. Here you block or avoid the opponent’s attack and apply your own attack. Anticipating an opponent’s attack is very difficult so counters often require you to draw out an attack by baiting. In other words, you have to leave yourself open to a particular type of attack so that your opponent will attempt it. Unless you have the counter fully mastered this strategy could backfire. An example would be to bait your opponent into attempting to triangle choke you from the guard by putting one arm between his leg and your body. As he goes for the choke you block his leg so that he cannot trap your head and arm and move around the side into the pass.

Brian Jones, PhD

Daki Age or the Guard Slam

Everyone who trains jiu-jitsu or submission grappling should watch this video and consider what it means for the application of grappling to self-defense. The guard slam is prohibited in judo competitions and in most bjj tournaments. This tournament is an exception. Daki Age (aka the High Lift or Guard Slam) is an officially recognized Kodokan judo throw that has been banned from competiton due to a high incidence of injury. Basically, while you are in the guard you pick up the opponent drop him hard on his back. In this video it is performed after the opponent jumps to guard. The result is unconsciousness.

Dropping the person on his back in this way is no more dangerous than any other hard throw from standing. There is a tendency for people to get dropped on their heads and injure their necks. During the discussion of banning this throw from judo the dissenting opinion was that leaving it out would promote sloppy ne waza attacks (armbars and triangles). In other words there should be a penalty for poor ground technique.

What is the lesson contained in this video? When you are off the ground, you should be on your feet. Period. It doesn't matter if you have an armbar or triangle set. If the person goes unconscious you are going to land on your head. Getting lifted and hanging on your opponent, jumping to guard as in this video, or trying to jump on the persons back while they are on their feet are bad ideas. They represent a watering down of the combative roots of judo and jiujitsu and should not be encouraged.

Thanks to my friend and training partner Stonnie Dennis for sending this video to me.

Follow this link to another blog with a similar view about the unfortunate trend judo has taken over the years: http://betterjudo.com/the-sissification-of-judo/

Brian Jones, PhD

The Three P's of Top Guard

For most beginners the guard position is something of a puzzle. They get stuck in closed guard by a more skilled opponent and simply don’t know what to do. The new trainees might try a submission from inside the guard or simply move wildly until their lack of balance gives the opponent an easy sweep.  Even more advanced trainees can get in the habit of “working in the guard” rather than “working through the guard”. They get comfortable and forget that their actions should be goal directed.

So what exactly are the goals from guard? An easy mnemonic is to remember “the three P’s” of guard top. They are passing, punching, and pinning. I include punching for completeness even though strikes are not allowed in sport jiu-jitsu, judo, and submission wrestling. Grappling should always be considered in a cross-contextual way so that mindset and tactics don’t require dramatic changes when moving from mat to cage to parking lot. In other words, never forget that you could strike.

A general principle is to never attempt a submission on your opponent from inside the guard. Yes people do occasionally get choked, arm barred, or neck cranked by the person on top. However, it is not tactically sound to focus on these submissions as part of your fundamental game. They typically happen only when there is a major size/strength advantage. Likewise, leg locks are available when the opponent opens his guard. These should also not be considered fundamental attacks for two reasons; (a) they place you in poor position if they fail and (b) you will expose your own legs to attack most of the time. So for clarification, unless you are freakishly strong and only roll against people smaller and weaker than you or you are a leglock master, focus on the three P’s.

Passing – Although top position is dominant, staying in someone’s guard gives them an opportunity to attempt submissions. Certainly you can defend these submissions - but why stay there and give your opponent multiple chances? You could eventually get caught. The tactic of passing includes all of the standard passing techniques but also picking your opponent up to slam him (when the context allows this) or disengaging completely from the ground by backing out and standing up.

Punching – In the context of mma and self-defense, striking the opponent from the guard can be devastating. One only has to look at all the victories due to ground-and-pound in modern mma. Advantages of punching from the top include the use of gravity to add power and the opponent’s inability to roll with the strikes. It is important to practice proper ground and pound technique because improperly executed strikes can get you submitted or swept. Included in the punching category are strikes to the head or body using the fist, hammerfist, or elbow. In a self-defense situation, headbutts may also be included. Obviously, you should not strike when the context does not allow it.

Pinning – Just as from the bottom guard position, it is occasionally necessary to stall out the match. This could be to catch your breath, or to recover from getting hit during a successful takedown. The key is to pin the hips of your opponent by keeping your head tight to his stomach and pinching your elbows tight against his sides. Follow him as he tries to scoot away and maintain your straight line position so that he can’t take an angle for attack. You can use this to prevent him from standing or attacking with submissions.

Brian Jones, PhD