Elevator Sweep - Guard
If you can’t maintain the mount, use the guard to control your opponent. While trapped in your guard, an unskilled larger opponent may attempt to drive their weight forward onto your upper torso, in an attempt to immobilize your or submit you with their body weight. Little do they know, because they are inside your legs, their weight is distributed in such a way that it makes it quite easy to withstand the forward pressure. In fact, any time a larger opponent is driving all their weight forward from within your guard, there is a good chance that they are actually creating an opportunity for the Elevator Sweep. In this lesson you will learn two variations of the Elevator Sweep starting with the Standard Variation.
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Rear Takedown
When you establish the clinch, your opponent’s arm may end up over your head. In some cases it happens inadvertently, in other cases it’s a deliberate attempt to catch you in a Guillotine Choke. Either way, any time your head ends up under your opponent’s arm, you can use it to transition into the Rear Clinch control position, from where you can set up the Rear Takedown. In this lesson you will learn how to transition from front to back of your opponent as well as how to take them down once you get there.
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Shrimp Escape - Side Mount
Against a much larger opponent, there is a good chance that you will find yourself on the bottom of the fight. If this happens, the safest thing to do is to get your opponent in your guard, because from there, you can neutralize punches and win the fight. If your opponent is able to get past your guard, you will need to use the Shrimp Escape to put them back where they belong. In this lesson you will learn three variations of the Shrimp Escape, starting with the Block and Shoot Variation.
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Body Fold Takedown
Instead of exchanging punches with a larger opponent, we recommend that you establish the clinch and take them to the ground where you can exhaust and submit them. Once you establish the clinch, there is a good chance that they will get desperate and try to hit you in the face. In doing so, they will lean back and unknowingly create the perfect opportunity for the Body Fold Takedown.
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Kimura Armlock - Guard
The Kimura shoulder lock was named after the Japanese Jiu-Jitsu champion, Masahiko Kimura, after he used the technique against Helio Gracie in 1951. Although this technique can be applied from several different positions, we have chosen to teach it to you from the bottom of the guard, since that is where you are most likely to end up against a larger opponent. In the first slice you will learn the Basic Application, then we’ll discuss two reliable variations that can be applied from the guard.
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Leg Hook Takedown
Your goal in any one-on-one physical altercation should be avoid dangerous punches while standing, and then get the fight to the ground where you can more effectively control and defeat your opponent. The safest place to be in a fight, while standing, is in a clinch. From the clinch, your opponent’s striking power is almost entirely eliminated. You will learn how to close the distance and establish the clinch in a future lesson. In this lesson, we will teach you how to take the opponent down once you get there.
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A surprise attack from behind is one of the most challenging attacks to overcome. In this lesson, we teach you how to defend when someone attempts to choke you or bear hug you from behind. If we can wrap our sneaky arms around his neck, we have several reliable chokes that can help us end the fight. In this lesson, we will learn the Guillotine Choke for when the attacker lowers his head to tackle you.
Rear Bear Hug Defenses (2 variations):
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Guillotine Choke (Standing/Guard Pull):
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Our next chapter in the Master Cycle classes focuses on Standing - Clinch and Takedown Strategies. Recognizing that most fights begin standing and eventually transition to the ground, we'll concentrate on controlling this descent, ensuring that you end up in a dominant position through effective clinch and takedown techniques.
Punch Block Series (Stage 5) - Guard
From Stage 4 it is important that you drop your opponent back to Stage 1 as quickly as possible so that you are safest from punches and have the best control over their body. If, while in Stage 4, your opponent is not leaning forward heavily enough to be dropped to Stage 1, it is best to kick them away to Stage 5. In this lesson you will learn how to defend from Stage 5 as well as what to do if the opponent tries to throw your legs aside in their quest for a knockout punch.
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Haymaker Punch Defense
In many cases, the precise movement and aim of your opponent’s strikes are hard to predict. Sometimes, however, your opponent is so eager to attack you that their punch is totally predictable. The Haymaker Punch Defense is used when a determined attacker comes at you from a distance with the objective of putting all of their bodyweight behind one fight-ending punch. Because of this punch’s power and predictability, the best option is to slip underneath it and get behind your opponent.
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Elbow Escape - Mount
Any time you find yourself trapped underneath your opponent in the mount position you should aim to use the Trap and Roll Escape, since it will place you on top of the fight. If your opponent is too big, or the Trap and Roll is not possible, the Elbow Escape will serve as your emergency escape. First, you will learn the Standard Elbow Escape and then you’ll learn several variations to call on when the primary doesn’t work.
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Pull Guard
In an ideal situation, you would be able to close the distance, establish the clinch, execute a takedown, achieve the mount and win the fight. Sometimes however, your opponent is expecting the clinch and is very resistant when you try to establish control of them. If you get into a clinch and you are unable to take your partner down because they are too strong or you lose control of their hips, you have two options: let go and try again or Pull Guard. If you let go, you risk getting knocked out when you try to reestablish the clinch. If you pull the opponent in your guard, you can neutralize the punches, exhaust their energy, and eventually win the fight in a variety of ways.
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Reflex Development - Guard Focus Class Previe
In this class we'll bring together all of the guard controls, escapes, and submissions with some extra details, bonus slices, and scripted fight simulation drills that will help prepare you for your transition into Master Cycle!
Gracie Combatives Test - Drill 2: Guard Techniques
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Hook Sweep - Guard
If your opponent leans all their weight forward from Stage 4, drop them into Stage 1. If they stand in Stage 4 without leaning any weight, kick them back to Stage 5. If they are leaning forward from Stage 4 but have one leg forward for base, you may have difficulty dropping them back into Stage 1, and this is precisely when you would use the Hook Sweep to reverse the position.
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Guillotine Defense
When you establish the clinch, and your opponent no longer has the space or distance to strike you effectively, they will often wrap your neck in an attempt to submit you. For this reason, the Guillotine Choke is one of the most common techniques used by unskilled individuals because it’s simple and it gives them a feeling of control during the chaos. Although the proper clinch position should prevent the Guillotine Choke, your opponent may surprise you if your head is too low, and in this lesson, you will learn the most important Guillotine Defense principles.
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Whether you’re being attacked by a man or another woman, getting your hair grabbed can greatly reduce your mobility and leverage in a fight. In this lesson, we teach you how to defend against the most common hair grabs, whether standing or on the ground, starting with a Standing Armlock that turns their grab into your submission opportunity!
Hair Grab Defenses (Standing/Guard/Guard Pull/Hair Drag):
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