Last night during our BJJ Team Training we added several details to a basic sequence of techniques inorder to make them easier to apply. The main technique of this class was the armbar from the bottom of Guard. The guard is what makes BJJ different from other martial arts, assuming that the fight does not end once you are put on your back. If nobody is coming to save you, you must learn to defend yourself in all positions, even on your back a position where you are actually very vulnerable to being punched you need to know what to do. It is not enough to simply say “I wouldn’t get there” because you never know what could happen in a fight, or even in a BJJ competition. One of the first submissions you learn in jiu-jitsu is the arm-bar, however in this class we added details to know when you should attack the armbar from the bottom and when your training partners hand positions will make attacking the arm only an opportunity for them to pass.
After attacking the armbar we went into the BJJ Top players most common defense and how to capitalize on that movement and use it to our advantage to take the back. From this postion we discussed a simple method of effectively controlling the arm and eventually trapping it with our legs. By trapping the arm when you have pack control you leave your opponent only one hand to defend and make applying the choke that much easier. In jiu-jitsu if I can take away your tools I have a much better chance for success.