Obsessive Love

Jiu-jitsu, light of my life, bane of my bones.  My pain, my joy.  Jiu-jit-su: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth.  Jiu. Jit. Su.

With profound apologies to the memory of Nabokov, I bring you today’s post. 

Groundwork:

Escapes from sankaku jime (triangle choke): As with all good escapes, timing is paramount.  In the best case, you are aware of the potential dangers in every position, countering them before they develop into full-on threats.  Second best is when you launch your escape early, and that’s where we begin today.

Your opponent  beats your early warning system and is able to lock his legs around your neck, one arm in, one arm out.  You must not allow him to break your posture.  Place the inside of your right forearm along his abdomen and lock up a palm-to-palm grip with your left, resulting in a right angle frame.  This allows you to control his hips, while protecting you from secondary submissions, namely arm bars.  Maintain the frame and push down as you straighten and arch your back.  If his leg-hold breaks, good for you.  If not, no worries.  His hold is compromised enough that when you stack him toward 1:00, it will give way.  Be sure to stack while driving off the balls of your feet.  Your left hand is reaching toward his left shoulder; your right hand cups the outside of his right thigh and pulls it across your body to complete the pass.  End in across side position.

Knee turning pass: You’re a click too slow to react and your opponent is not only able to lock his legs, but is pulling on your head.  Defcon 4!  Step up on the non-choking side (right leg for illustrative purposes) so that the inside of your shin is in contact with his hip.   Your frame is the same right angle as before, but make sure your right elbow is touching your right shin.   Try to make your body perpendicular to his.  The frame you’ve created will relieve some of the choking pressure and allow you to launch the escape.   Rise up and place your right hand near his right shoulder to effect stacking pressure.  Put weight onto your knee, which spins on his hip (the axis), allowing you break his hold.  Extricate your right arm and finish in across side position.

Cheers!

A Man Got to Have a Code!

Comrades!

Today’s title is a tribute to Michael K. William’s character, Omar Little, from The Wire.   For those who don’t know him, Omar is one of the great characters in television history.  He robs drug dealers for a living, and yet manages to be sympathetic and likable in every scene.  Is it the elan and skill with which he plies his trade?  Maybe.  The courage he has to be openly gay in the most homophobic of settings?  Perhaps.  His hilarious quips?  Oh, indeed.  But most of all, it’s his code.  Despite his non-traditional vocation, Omar has a code, and he’s true to it. 

On to the moves.

Takedowns:

• High single-leg takedown.  Secure inside position and raise your opponent’s elbow with your forearm.  Lower your level and drive your head into the open space you’ve created.  Wrap both arms around his left leg and hold firmly at the inner thigh.  In order to prevent your opponent’s many counters — uchi mata, sumi gaeshi, kami basami — take a jab step; that is, as soon as you pick up his leg, take a short jabbing step with your lead leg.  In so doing, you put him on his back foot.  That allows you to lift the leg high and shift it across your body and into your left arm.  “Choke” the leg at the Achilles tendon and hold it as high and straight as you can.  There are three takedowns from here.

1. Leg chop: Maintain choke on the leg with your left arm and seize a collar tie with your right.  Chop his leg out from under him.
2. Outside knee whirl: Place your right forearm at the outside of his knee and force it down and in.  He lands in turtle position.
3. Inside knee whirl: Place your right hand on the inside of his knee; step back 180 degrees with your right foot as you turn his knee to the outside.  He falls to his back.

 

Takedowns (8/8)

• Harai goshi (hip sweep): Your opponent locks a seatbelt grip; you secure a whizzer.  Drive the whizzer to create shoulder pressure, just as you would with the Russian.  You and he are standing parallel.  Replace your right foot with your left and bring his body as close to your right side as possible.  Place your right leg along his thigh and knee.  Twist your body to the left to sweep and throw the opponent.  Land in across side.
• Ko soto gaki (small outside hook): Your opponent thwarts harai goshi by throwing his hip forward.  Step behind him with the right leg and grab an under-hook with the right arm.  Throw your opponent over your knee by using the forward motion of your upper body.  Land in across side.

Groundwork:

3/4 juji gatame: Get in a good tight mount, pelvis driving forward, chest-to-chest with your opponent, arms out wide for base.  Place your left hand under his elbow, right at the tip.  Walk your hand up to bow out the arm.  Once it’s above his shoulder, slide your knee up high (past his ear) to create a barrier.    Keeping your chest low, grab the crown of his head and twist it to the left as you adjust to S-mount.  Slide your pelvis deep into his armpit for control and his discomfort.  Release the head and grab his right arm — not with your hand, but with the inside of your left forearm.  Pinch it close to your chest and place your right hand at 4:00 for base.  Step your left leg over his head and force his face to the outside.  No matter how hard he grips his arms in defense, he’s no match for the action of your hips and legs.

Sankaku jime from the mount (triangle choke):  In the course of applying sankaku jime, your opponent is looking for seams to exploit.  As you transition to S-mount, he finds one, sliding his left arm under your right leg as he tries to shotput the leg and get to his knees.  When you feel him attempt it, pull aggressively on his head to prevent his escape; then seize the opportunity he has given you.  Swing the right leg under his head and base your right hand at 3:00.  Pull his head towards your hand and hook the right foot into the crook of your left knee.  Pull his head up and drive your hips down to finish the choke.  Straighten the arm for juji gatame.  Or, if you like, roll to your back to finish the triangle choke from there.

Cheers!

Well now that’s done: and I’m glad it’s over.

Comrades!

You’ll note the prosaic title of this week’s blog.  Why, you might ask, in a poem so replete with beauty as The Waste Land would I not grace you with a more elevated excerpt?  Because it fits.  I was horrendously busy last week; and now I’m not.  Glad it’s over.

Takedowns:

Tani otoshi: Yes, we revisited our old friend.  We know it well, but let’s review.  Perform a Russian on your opponent’s collar tie.  Circle to his back and throw tani otoshi.  Remember to begin your adjustments (left knee pointing in the direction of the throw) before you actually complete  the throw.  That way you can get to your knees quickly and begin putting on the hurt.  Slide up to your opponent’s head and apply the gift wrap — right arm under his neck, gripping his left wrist.  Your left arm goes under his left armpit and grabs your right wrist.  Align your shin with his spine, making sure that it’s in contact.  If there’s no contact, there’s no pivot.  Your left foot steps up to increase the force of your pull.  Use the gift wrap to pull him on to your chest (where you have maximum control) and into your rear mount.  Finish with the rear naked choke.

Throw tani otoshi.  This time we go for an arm bar.  Lock up the gift wrap and bring him tight to your body.  Place your knee in his hip.  Push the gift wrap towards the ground, which allows you to open your right hip and swing your leg over his head.  Finish with juji gatame.

Ground work:

Handstand sweep: You have your opponent in closed guard and he stands up in his attempt to pass.  Negate the power of his angle by scooping under his left leg with your right arm.  By scooping his leg, and keeping the guard locked, you’re able to keep him directly in front of you.  Place your left hand on the mat, behind your head, and heist up.  As you heist, drive your right hip to the inside of his left hip.  The goal is to turn his knee outward, breaking his balance and bringing him down in a controlled way.  Don’t release your scoop, even after the sweep.  Use it to anchor your opponent as you grip his head with your left hand.  Drive your hips forward and lock up a triangle.  Alternatively, kick your left leg around his face and finish with juji gatame.

Star sweep: You attempt the handstand sweep but your opponent thwarts it by turning his knee inward.  Heist up as before, but release your guard.  Swing your left leg across the front of his body and roll off the top of your shoulders so that you finish in turtle position, parallel to your opponent, with scoop in place, and facing forward.  Drag his foot forward along the mat to fell him.  Turn and throw your left arm under his left leg to prevent him from scrambling.  Climb to across side.

Cheers!

Pick his Bones in Whispers

Comrades!

The above salutation is one of my favorites.  I learned from a Martin Amis book on Stalin that many Bolsheviks began correspondences with the word “Comrade!” – the exclamation point apparently serving to illustrate their zeal for the revolution.  It struck me (and Amis) as amusing.   That’s why I use it.  But one has to wonder, given the dangers of being viewed as counterrevolutionary, if the salutation was actually a sinister litmus test, and if its absence could call into question the correspondent’s fidelity. 

Something to think about.

Takedowns:

• Double-leg defense to Russian (Here we go again with the Ruskies).  Your opponent likes to defend the collar tie with a Russian.  You know this because he goes for it so often.  Let’s use that information against him.  Grab the collar tie.  Your opponent, true to his pattern, initiates the Russian.  Before he can secure the your arm, abandon the collar tie and drop your level.  The Russian has taken his arms out of position and exposed his lead leg.  Grab a high-crotch hold and place his leg between yours.  Your head goes on his ribcage.  Now for the switch.  Hold his captured leg with both hands and retract your head.  This allows you to place your head behind him, at the lower back.  The head switch precedes an arm switch.  Seize his back leg with your left arm (right arm keeps hold of his near leg) and drive him down.
• Tani Otoshi Defense against the Russian.  This time your opponent succeeds in putting on the Russian and is breaking your posture forward.  Act quickly!  Reach across the front of his body and grab his far wrist with your free hand.  Pull it towards you to break his hold.  Drop your level and capture his near leg in a high-crotch hold.  Elevate his left leg with your left arm and secure a seatbelt with your right.   Keeping his left leg elevated, execute a tani otoshi on his right leg.

Ground Work:

Butterfly Passes.

1. Pancake Pass.  You are sitting in your opponent’s butterfly guard.  Push his left knee towards his right.  Make sure to have your right hand close by to receive it.   When his knees meet, you must do three things in quick succession: 1) Grip behind both knees with your right hand.  2) Drop your right shoulder on top of his left thigh.  3) Rise up on your toes.  Number 3 is crucial.  If you remain on your knees, he can easily post on your shoulder, heist up on his back hand, and extricate his legs.  From the “tripod” position, grab his head with your left arm and climb to across side.

             If he blocks your move to across side with a stiff arm, reverse course and circle to his back side.  Make sure to keep shoulder pressure on his thigh.  Also, once you’re safely behind him, consolidate by posting your left hand on his left knee.  Secure a side-head-and-arm grip and slide your shin behind his lower back.  Put him in rear mount.

           2. Pancake Pass Variation.  Post your left hand on your opponent’s right knee and grip a collar tie with your right.  Use your post on his knee to help pop into the combat stance.  Your left leg is back; your right leg is forward, with the knee extending beyond his.  Hands remain in place.  Turn your right knee into his thigh so that his knees touch.  Just as above, we are sealing his hips to the matt.  Back step with the left leg and finish in across side.

          3. Shin-to-Shin Pass.  As above, left hand posts on his right leg while the right hand seizes a collar tie.  However, as you pop up to combat stance, your left leg is back and your right penetrates the middle.  Lay your right shin across his right shin to form an “X.”  You are on the ball of your right foot.   Switch hands on the collar tie.  Your right arm passes under his left leg, setting up the step-back pass.

Cheers!

I can connect nothing with nothing

Comrades!

It’s good to be back in the comfortable climes of Brooklyn.  I’m seven days removed from my last workout and thirteen from my last post.  It just ain’t right, I tell you.  The only time I sniffed jiu-jitsu during my week in Kentucky was when I showed a low single-leg takedown to the 8-yr.-old son of a  friend.  For that I got a nasty little rug burn.  Looking forward to the resumption of my old routine. 

Takedowns:

• Sagging headlock.  Your opponent catches you in double underhooks.  Step back with your left leg to create a sprawling effect.  Place your right hand under his chin and your left on top of your right for added leverage.   Push with the hands and sprawl with the legs to weaken his hold.  (For this takedown, you don’t want to completely break the hold.)  Do the following three things at once: seize his right triceps with your left hand and trace his arm along your midsection; swing your right arm around his neck; stab your right leg through his legs as you spin him to the ground.    You end up in kesa gatame.  Make sure to place your right knee deep under his armpit and control his right arm at the triceps.  If you’re not tight here, your opponent can take your back.  If your opponent circles his legs in an attempt to capture your left leg, hook his trail leg (the right) with your left leg and feed it to your left hand; your right remains wrapped around his neck.  Once you have a firm handle on his leg, release his head and slide your right hip down so that you’re straddling his leg.  Go to a kneebar.
• Sagging headlock counter.  Yank your right arm free and drive your left shoulder into your opponent’s back so that he’s off-balance and you’re standing behind him.  Seize a seatbelt grip with your leg and push his head down your right.  You’re in side-ride position.  Weave your left hand under his left armpit and grab his wrist as you slide your right hook in.  Rotate your body to form a “t” shape.  Attack the banana split series.

 

Cheers!

Torchlight red on sweaty faces

Comrades!

Let’s get right to it.

Takedowns:

Please see the previous post for a review of single-leg takedown defenses.

Ground techniques:

The banana split.  You are in butterfly guard and your opponent posts his right hand on your left leg.   Use an arm-drag to take his back.  Your left hand goes to his lat muscle, your right to the floor.  Heist up and point your torso down so he cannot free his right arm.  Slip in a hook with your right leg and heist up further so that you can cross your opponent’s body like a “Y” to his “X” axis.  Tuck your right shoulder into his armpit to consolidate the position.  Grab his left ankle with your left hand, step your left leg back for leverage and pull the ankle as you fall backward.  Kick the hooked leg skyward so that he lands in a compromised position.  Two things must happen quickly: one, you must adjust your hook so that you have a locking channel around his leg.  You accomplish that by forming an “X” around his Achilles tendon.  Two, you must gain a better hold on his left leg.  A butterfly clasp or palm-to-palm grip around his bent knee should do the trick.  Now for the fun.

Submissions off the banana split.

• Groin Stretch.  You have your opponent in the banana split.  Stretch your legs out as you pull his knee toward your chest.  The pressure is on the groin muscles.
• Calf Crunch/Calf Slicer.  Release your grip on the knee and turn your body toward his hooked leg.  Make a figure-of-4 with your legs as you seize his ankle.  Pull the ankle down to crush his calf with your shin.  To ratchet up the crunch, drive the sole of your foot into your heel.
• Near-leg Cafe Crunch.  Stick your right forearm behind his left knee and turn it so that the thumb-side blade is facing you.  Push his ankle into the blade.
• Hip Lock.  Release his left knee.  Weave your right arm over his biceps muscle and under his neck.  Your left hand crosses diagonally over his torso and meets the right in a ten-finger grip just over his ear.  Pull the head as you stretch the leg.  The pressure is on the hip.

 

Cheers!

Hot town, summer in the city

Comrades!

This desultory blogger begs your forgiveness.  It has been two long weeks since my last entry, and my reader(s) wants to know what in the name of all that is sacred and true could be taking me so bloody long.  I have no excuse, no convincing one at least.  I’ve been, figuratively speaking, elsewhere.  So sorry.

Takedowns:

• Counter to head-inside single.  Your opponent attacks with a single-leg takedown, his head on the inside.   Push his head down with your right hand to defuse the force of his drive and sprawl back slightly with your right leg.   Weave your left hand through his left armpit and grip his left wrist.  The right hand leaves the head and joins the left on your opponent’s wrist.  Left should grip right Kimura-style.  Do not allow him to straighten his posture.  Your captured leg hooks in the crook of his left knee.  Hop in with your right and throw sumi gaeshi.  Maintain the Kimura grip.  Pin your opponent’s captured hand to his waist.  This prevents him from getting to his knees.  You can follow him in either direction, and can finish with juji by getting to your knees and stepping over his head, or take his back.
• Counter to single-leg takedown with head on the outside.  Your opponent attacks with a single-leg, his head on the outside.  He has your right leg.  Sprawl onto him slightly to lessen his forward progress.  Snake your right arm around the inside of his head and along the right side of his ribcage before cupping the inside of his right thigh.  Drive your right leg back to release his hold.  Secure a seatbelt grip with the left and go to his back.

*A couple of notes regarding the first takedown.  If you are unable to find the Kimura grip, place your left hand on his lat muscle and throw sumi gaeshi.  It works, though it’s decidedly second-best: you’re left with a scramble  at the end instead of a control position on the ground. 

If you are having difficulty slowing your opponent’s drive, hook your captured leg on the outside of his knee until you’re ready to throw.

If he holds fast to the leg after being thrown, form a figure-of-4 with your legs and kick straight out to release.

Ground Techniques:

We reviewed butterfly guard passes.

1. Your opponent is in a seated butterfly guard.  Step between his legs with your right foot.  Simultaneously capture his right triceps muscle with your left hand and bang the left side of his neck with pinky-side of your forearm (palm up).  It’s a shearing motion and the force of it spins your opponent to his side.  Initiate the slide-through pass with your right knee, but do not complete it before you have secured an under-hook with the right hand.  Sit through to kesa gatame while pulling up on his triceps.  Place his right arm across the inside of your right thigh and under your shin.  Raise your hips to finish the Americana.
2.  Your opponent is in seated butterfly guard.  Step between his legs with your right foot.  This time he wraps both arms around your penetration leg, head on the inside.  (If his head were on the outside, you could take a wide-sweeping step with the right leg and secure rear mount.)  Grab his right lat muscle with your right hand and scoop under his right knee with your left.  As you scoop, lower your level and back-step into an S-postion at his side.  Transition to across side.
3. Your opponent is in seated butterfly guard.  Push his head to the right and seize a Kimura grip on his right arm.  Lower your level and back- step to S-position.  It’s important to keep chest-to-chest pressure here.  Grip low on his wrist with your right hand and release the left.  You now have a one-handed Kimura hold.  Use the left hand to fold his knees toward you.  Step over to mount and release the Kimura.

Cheers!

Devil Horns

Comrades!

For those who haven’t heard, Mr. Ronald James Padavona – ne’ Ronnie James Dio – has taken leave of this world.  Though I was partial to Ozzy as the frontman for Black Sabbath, it would be improper, even un-jiu-jitsu like to not give old Dio his due.  He is, after all, widely credited with popularizing the “devil horns” hand gesture.   And, one could legitimately ask, where would heavy metal be without it?

He certainly left a lasting impression on this blogger.  I remember it like yesterday: August nights at the Kentucky state fair, long-haired teenagers with pitted faces and faded concert t-shirts swinging their heads in the midway to the sounds of Crue and Dio.  So what do you say?  Should we throw him the horns?  I thought so.

Butterfly guard:

In the last two lessons, we’ve looked at the butterfly guard as a launching pad for offense.  Here goes:

• Butterfly sweep: Your opponent is on his knees and attempting to pass your half-butterfly guard (one knee up, the other leg folded, with the heel close to your butt).  Remember that you are not bound by duty and law to keep this half butterfly.  It is easy to switch to full butterfly guard or half-butterfly on the other side as your opponent switches weight and position.  You are, above all else, trying to secure an over-hook.  Without it, he will prevent your sweep by basing out.  Seize the over-hook on one side and under-hook on the other.  Bring your opponent in close.  Clamp the over-hook fast to your side while lifting the under-hook such that it opens his elbow.  When done properly, you get a strong rotating effect.  The leg hook, which is opposite the over-hooking arm side, elevates your opponent.  The other leg straightens and goes through the middle of his legs as your execute the sweep.

Some details: You must angle your body so that there is a space into which you can sweep your opponent.  Your head stays on the side to which you are sweeping.  (It would be an awful shame to not engage the weight and power of your head, wouldn’t it?) 

Some things to keep in mind: Do not fall back, but always to your side!  Do not get fixated on sweeping to one particular side.  Take what he gives.  Hand fight.  Swim.  Switch from side to side.  Remember, it’s about taking the over-hook.

• Arm-drag sweep: You are in full butterfly and your opponent posts a hand on your knee.  Place your outside hand (left) on his wrist, your right hand on his elbow and drag.   If succesful, he will be on his hands and knees.   Immediately reach around his back and seize the left side of his lat muscle.  You no longer need to hold the arm.  Instead, heist up on your right hand and twist your body so that your torso prevents him from releasing his trapped arm.  Put your right foot in as a hook.  Use the lat grab, the heist and the hook all together to sweep your opponent to his side.  Maintain your hold on his lat muscle so that he cannot turn into you and muck up your side control.
• Wing sweep/sumigaeshi sweep: You are in half butterfly and your opponent over-hooks your upright knee (let’s say with his right hand).  Grab his hand at the wrist with your right hand and place your left on his far side of his lat muscle.  This time put your left foot in as a hook.  Pull the lat and sweep him over your body.  Now for the submissions.  Do not release his hand.  After sweeping him over, pendulum up with your right leg and get to both knees.  Push down on the wrist of his trapped arm, with your calf as the fulcrum, for juji.  If he goes to protect the trapped arm with his other, catch it and apply Kimura.

 

Cheers!

‘You know nothing? Do you see nothing? Do you remember ‘nothing?

Comrades! 

I am going to plow right into this past Sunday’s lesson, completely ignoring Wednesday, as if it never happened.   It’s an old Stalin trick.  Uncle Joe was expert at doctoring statistics, geography, photography, history — whatever suited the revolution.  I can do it too.   Wednesday never happened!  There — it’s done.   

Stalin was also expert at “disappearing” people for all manner of offenses (including displeasing him with their census findings).  I am too.  Don’t cross me. 

May 1:

We looked at the proper mechanics for attacking foot locks and defending against them.

Setting up foot locks (a.k.a. Achilles locks and straight ankle locks).  Your opponent is in open guard.  Step in and create a shelf with your left leg.  His bent leg should rest high on the shelf (i.e., close to your hip) and deep on the shelf (i.e., the back of his knee is in contact with your shelf leg, with the whole of his bottom leg dangling on the far side).  This makes a simple bridging escape impossible.  Use your left hand to pull his knee in and consolidate your control position.  Right hand is on his chest.  Slide your right shin into the crease of his right hip at a 45 degree angle.  Hands remain in their places.  Fall back; at the same time, bring your butt as close to his as you can.  Immediately squeeze your legs together to prevent his twisting out.  Left foot plants on his right hip, toes pointing out.  Right foot curls around his right buttock.  Slide your left arm down so that you are lassoing his Achilles tendon, not his calf.  Your elbow tucks to your side, which tightens the hold while depriving your opponent of an easy under-hook handle.  Turn to your side, forehead on the mat.  Drive your hips outward for the finish.

Drill: Your opponent is in open guard.  Create a shelf and go for a foot lock on that side, then the other.

Escaping  Foot Locks:

• When he goes for it from standing position.  Your opponent captures your leg at the Achilles tendon and you sense he’s about to spring a foot lock.  Bridge on your shoulder (same side as the foot) and execute a slight hip escape as you turn your foot so the toes are pointing out.   Couple of things can happen here.  One, your angle is such that a simple chambering of your captured leg will free it.  good for you.  Two, he realizes the futility of the attack and moves on.  Fine for you.  Three, he sits back to attack the ankle anyway (amateurish as that is).  If so, place your left foot on his hip, pushing it as you pull the captured leg free.
• Defending a well-executed foot lock.  This time your opponent has set-up the foot lock properly.  Defending it requires several steps.  First, to buy extra time, “put on the boot;” that is, kick your captured leg in deep so that his squeezing pressure is more on the calf (still ouchy, but less so than the Achilles tendon), and curl your foot in his armpit to delay his adjustment.  Two, grab his top foot with your right hand and force it off of your hip.  Hold it on the mat so that he doesn’t reset.  Three, release his foot and jump your butt over it; as you do — and this is crucial! — block his top knee from sliding over your leg.  You do this by posting his knee with your left hand, though it doesn’t hurt to block him with both hands.  If you forget this step, you are begging for a belly-down foot lock.  Four, scoot your hips close to his head to create a perpendicular angle.  Five, chamber your left leg, place it on his opposite hip and execute the same push-pull motion as in the earlier escape.

Cheers!

I play my enemies like a game of chess

Comrades!

In what’s fast becoming custom, I will dish a double portion of Bjj.

April 21:

Takedowns:

We reviewed the fireman’s carry and the double-leg off a failed fireman’s carry.  Please see “Loitering heirs.”

Groundwork:

Upper-body position flow drill.  The goal is to transition among dominant positions while opening your opponent’s elbows.   Your mounted opponent attempts an elbow escape to your left side.  As he turns to his side and frames on your hip, reach with your left hand across your body and grip his lat muscle; pull him into you so that he cannot create the distance necessary for a hip escape.  Now it’s time to dismount.  Step your right leg back and plant your knee firmly into his right hip.  Welcome to side mount.  Sit through to kesa gatame.  Sit through again to north-south, and once more for reverse kesa gatame.  Take your choice from here.  You can pull his knees toward you and step over for mount, or you can switch your base and walk back around his upper body — side mount to kesa gatame to north-south to reverse kesa gatame.

As you “walk” his body, look to drag his arms with the force of your transitions.  Your hips and, to a lesser extent, forearms, should help to “scoop” up arms for arm-in guillotines, Kimuras, etc.

April 25

Takedowns:

• Low single-leg takedown.   You and your opponent are circling each other cautiously.   Drop your level so that your chest is nearly in contact with your lead knee — back straight, head up.  Shoot in deep between his legs (Have fun with that, Dan!) and wrap him up.  Your left arm hooks him mid-calf; your right hand grabs his Achilles tendon.  Place your temple against his calf and drive his knee outward to take him down.  Come up as he goes down.  As always, keep it efficient: when you rise, do so with your right leg forward; your right hand goes to the crease of the hip and the left pins his right knee to the ground.  Kick back your right leg (the old high-leg) and end in knee-on-belly.
• In the event your opponent is exceptionally strong, heavy or able to collapse his knee inward to prevent the takedown, step up on your right foot — doing so will vastly increase the power of your drive — and make sure to attack straight on; that is, don’t spread the force: keep all parts aligned in order to overmatch his leg.
• In the event your opponent thwarts you by withdrawing his lead leg, stay low and attack his other leg.  Because you can generally move forward more quickly than he can backward, you should come out a winner.

Groundwork:

Escape from front-head-and arm.  In this version, we escape to the non-choking arm side.  Grip his choking arm with your right hand, plant your left on the ground behind you for base and step up your right foot.  Slide in close to your opponent so that your left shin is across his thighs.  Now that you’re close, grab a seatbelt with your right arm and step your right leg over his left.  Heist up on your left hand and turn your head out to release his hold.

Once you release the head, you have several options.  We looked at three.

1. If his whizzer is not strong, maintain the seatbelt and reach across his body with your left hand.  Seize his far knee (right) and pull it towards his left.  By narrowing his base, you force him over to his side.  Keep your weight on him and transition to side control.
2. If his whizzer is strong, go with the force.  Dive under his right thigh with your left hand and grab his hamstring.  Roll him over your right side and into side control.
3. If his whizzer is strong, counter with softness.  Let your seatbelt grip go limp.  Fling it free.

 

Cheers!