Single or double leg takedown?

Generally speaking, it's best to go for a single leg takedown when an opponent is in a wider and lower stance because it's more challenging to drive in and get both legs since the opponent's rear leg is too far back. Conversely, when the opponent is in a more narrow stance and is relatively upright, a double leg takedown works well.

When to go for a takedown

An ideal time to try to take your opponent to the ground is when they are striking because the weight transfers to their front foot which makes it more easily accessible for a grab. It is much more difficult to take someone to the ground when their weight on their feet is light and equally balanced, without any transfer of weight to their front foot.

Defending against a club

If someone is approaching you with a club in their hand, one of the best moves to do before the opponent has a chance to swing at you is to charge in and clinch them. If, however, this is not possible, and the opponent swings at you with a typical forehand strike, shuffle back, then charge in and clinch them on their backhand strike, similar to the American kenpo technique Returning Storm.

Misconception about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

One of the common misconceptions about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is that fights that start from a standing position must ultimately end up on the ground to finish an opponent. There are countless techniques in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that both start and end from a stand-up position.

Problems with American Kenpo knife techniques

One of the biggest problems, in my view, with the American kenpo knife techniques (i.e., Glancing Lance, Thrusting Lance, Entwined Lance, Raining Lance, Piercing Lance) is the length of the techniques. The reality is that the longer you "stay in the pocket" when someone has a knife, the greater the odds of being severely hurt. In other words, while it is highly likely you will be cut if you have to defend yourself against a knife regardless of how fast you are or how quickly you disengage, the longer the duration of your technique, the higher the probability that you will be cut more and severely hurt.

How to deal with the turtle position

Ideally, if we side mount our opponent, we maintain good position, such that our opponent is rendered helpless and eventually we submit them. However, if the person is strong and/or we don't maintain strong control from the side mount, they may try to get to the turtle position as a way to escape. If they try to get to their knees in an attempt to go to the turtle position, immediately we need to sprawl to prevent the opponent from grabbing and controlling one of our legs. Once we sprawl, we can quickly control the opponent, spin around and obtain the back mount.

Tips when applying the rear naked choke

- wrap deep around the opponent's neck
- be sure your elbow lines up under the opponent's chin in a V-shape
- pull straight in when you choke and expand your chest (don't push their head)
- ensure that your bicep plugs one carotid artery while your forearm plugs the other

Taking the Back from the Mount

One of the most important techniques to perfect in jiu jitsu is learning how to take the back from the mount. The reason for this is that most people who are mounted and are laying on their back will try to roll to their knees to try to get up because they are worried about getting punched to the face.

Considerations when mounting an opponent

If you are able to achieve the full mount on an opponent on the street, there is a very high probability that he will want to roll to his knees to get up because of fear of getting punched. This is where consistent practice on modifying your mount and taking the opponent's back becomes so important.

Tips for Improving the Americana Armlock

When applying an Americana armlock, be sure to not lift your opponent's elbow up without moving his/her hand. Instead, the opponent's hand shoud brush straight down as you pull and apply the armlock.

Lapel Choke Prevention

While it is very challenging preventing a strong, skilled opponent from getting an initial one hand grip of your lapel, once they have the grip, your focus should be on the other free hand, not the hand gripping your lapel. Unfortunately, once both hands are in, it's almost impossible preventing yourself from being choked.

Preventing the Triangle Choke

When you find yourself inside someone's triangle set-up position, try to get the inside arm out of the mix and under the opponent's legs by effective posture.

Preventing the Butterfly Guard

When your opponent is trying to underhook you to get you in the butterfly guard, sit low and back and keep your elbows tight to prevent the underhooks. As another option, try standing up, and then try to pass the opponent's guard.

Defending the Triangle Setup

Generally speaking, lower belts in jiu jitsu prefer to stack an opponent in their efforts to avoid being triangle choked, whereas higher belts like to posture up.

Guard Passes: Gi vs. no Gi

Gi grappling makes it much easier to pass the guard than fighting no-gi. The advantage of gi grappling is that you are able to control your opponent on the bottom much easier with respect to their ability to escape because of your control of the gi. Of course, we won't be fighting gi vs. gi on the street, so practicing guard passes with no gi is a cruical part of your training.

Wrestling match vs. Jiu jitsu match

One of the biggest differences between a wrestling and jiu jitsu match is the pace. In the former, the pace is very fast, and the fights typically go for three 2-minute rounds, with the winner declared by who has the most points. In jiu-jitsu, the pace is typically more relaxed, and the goal is to wear your opponent down, exhaust them, and then submit them.

Considerations in Guard Training

Something we should all consider when practicing the guard is that someone who is not trained in jiu jitsu, and that is in our guard, is going to use techniques with low skill but that can still hurt us, such as using a forearm across our throat or putting us in a headlock. In fact, these attacks are even common among wrestlers who are unfamiliar with the submission strategies of jiu jitsu.Therefore, practicing techniques against these common attacks is of utmost importance.

January-February Belt Promotions

Congratulations to the following students on their belt promotion in February, 2017, at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy:

Jaycob D: Advanced Yellow
Cailyn P: Advanced Orange
Isaac P: Advanced Orange
Lucas R: Advanced Orange
Filip K: Blue
Victoria B: Advanced Blue
Noah B: 2nd Degree Brown

Blast from the Past

Here is a group photo from a past Larry Tatum event held in London, Ontario. In the bottom right is my daughter Morgan, and I am standing above her. Who else do you recognize in this photo?