Brazilian Jujutsu Over 40: A Guide to Ground Work and Grappling for the Working Professional
Brazilian Jujutsu Over 40: A Guide to Ground Work and Grappling for the Working ProfessionalBy Mark Cheng, L.Ac. / Photos by Rick Hustead |
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I clearly remember my first grappling workout even though it took place more than a decade ago. After meeting the instructor for a private lesson, he told me to try to place him in a submission hold, pin or choke. We began on our feet, where I had a decent understanding of how to execute joint locks, takedowns, throws and sweeps. Once we dropped to our knees and started grappling, however, I was lost. In the classes that followed that first lesson, I watched experienced students work to advance their skills, struggling to keep from being bested by higher belts and eager to show their own moves by forcing others to tap. I floundered as I tried to imitate the submissions the blue, purple and brown belts used. Without guidance and a progressive structure, I eventually found myself sidelined by an injury when a muscular teenager effected an ankle lock with a little too much gusto. Despite my eagerness to learn the art, perhaps Brazilian jujutsu wasn’t for me. Then I glanced around the academy and noticed that I wasn’t the only one with an injury. Others were forcing themselves through the pain of sprained fingers, twisted ankles and other torqued joints. That got me wondering how people with active occupations or demanding lifestyles can endure such punishment over the years it takes to achieve proficiency. While every martial artist strives to persevere through incidental injuries, this seemed too risky to justify. I couldn’t afford to sacrifice productivity on the job because of repeated injuries sustained while pursuing a hobby. Nor did I want to wake up 15 years later as the World’s Most Dangerous Arthritic, unable to hold my grandchildren because I was too macho in my youth. Fast-forward to the present. A San Diego-based Brazilian-jujutsu black belt named Roy Harris has invited me to his academy to show me his new training method for grappling, dubbed “Brazilian jujutsu over 40.” Because I was reticent about the prospect of receiving more injuries while grappling—even though I’m in my mid-30s—I accepted with curiosity and hesitation. I was eager to see if Harris could present a training method for 40-plus, working professionals without sacrificing effectiveness or relying on techniques that would better suit a person who stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. What I saw was surprising. Harris, known for his step-by-step delivery of often-difficult concepts, began with a whiteboard talk. He broke his new idea into six parts: fundamental movements, postures, positioning, techniques, escapes and training. Each part builds on the previous ones, offering students a means of developing proficiency and understanding Brazilian jujutsu in a progressive, logical manner. So far, so good, I thought.  Fundamental MovementsThe first part of the course focuses on the body mechanics, strength and coordination you need to execute most of the techniques and maneuver into the positions encountered in ground grappling. For example, the back bridge or upa position, the side-to-side “shrimp” position and others that are usually taught as warm-ups or Brazilian calisthenics all have relevance as training methods because they improve coordination, balance and power. (Photos to right -- BACK BRIDGE APPLICATION: Brazilian-jujutsu instructor Roy Harris demonstrates the upa maneuver [1-2]. He advises all his over-40 students to practice the movement because it's used in the execution of numerous jujutsu techniques, including the armbar [3].) “We’ve all heard people say that you can do an upa or arch your back to bump someone and destabilize him when he’s mounted you,” Harris says. “But you need that same body mechanic when you execute an armbar or create space from the side mount, as well. The ability to drive the hips forward is more than just a warm-up, so when you practice it, why not be aware of all the possibilities of when and how you can use that motion? In this way, the activity carries depth because of your awareness of intent and application.” Postures Harris continues with instruction in defensive postures. “Young guys in their 20s do plenty of attacking, so let them attack,” he says. “We’ll work on our defenses, and eventually, after they waste their energy trying for the hot-shot techniques, they’ll make mistakes and give us openings. But to get to that point, you need to have solid defenses.” To address that need, he focuses on three basic defensive positions designed for the three main positions of vulnerability in Brazilian jujutsu: the mount, side mount and guard. Defensive posturing revolves around using positions to buy time to create escapes or otherwise capitalize on your opponent’s mistakes. “As a 40-something-year-old, you have to face the reality that your body may not have the same endurance, strength or resilience as the buff 20-year-old you’re grappling with,” Harris says. To highlight his points, Harris demonstrates the postures with one of his younger brown belts, who is told to attack at full speed on the ground. In each case, he assumes a defensive posture while the student works to effect a submission. However, when one position fails to yield a fruitful outcome, the brown belt moves to a different one. At that moment, Harris capitalizes on the transition by pushing his opponent off and standing up, by sweeping him or by executing a submission. Positioning Slightly different from posturing, positioning incorporates the defensive postures and fundamental movements in ways that further destabilize the opponent or nullify his attacks. It develops your understanding of how to position your legs, hips, arms and head to achieve those ends. To illustrate, Harris has his partner pull him into his guard, after which he simply sits back on his right shin and instep, and spreads his knees for stability. The sole of his left foot is close to his buttocks, and his left knee is high to obstruct his opponent’s hip. His spine stays straight, and his elbows are pulled inward and kept close to his ribs. “My goal is to keep his left foot off my hip,” Harris says. “I don’t worry about his other foot because I haven’t left him any room to get to a position of control or leverage on my left hip. Now I can sit back, use my hands and elbows to keep his feet from gaining leverage over my body, and wait for him to give me an opportunity to pass his guard by simply putting my left knee down over his left thigh for an early Christmas present.” He punctuates his statement by snatching the brown belt’s left ankle for a foot lock.  PASSING THE GUARD: Held in his opponent's guard, Roy Harris controls the man's arms [1]. He repositions his left leg for balance [2], then pins the man's left leg against his ribs to prevent him from attempting a triangle [3]. Next, Harris places his left arm under the opponent's right thigh [4] and swings his leg [5] across his body to complete the escape [6]. Techniques Brazilian jujutsu has combinations of moves designed to meet the needs of grapplers—needs that include moving from a position of inferiority to a position of neutrality or advantage. “It’s very simple,” Harris says. “If you end up on the bottom of someone’s mount, you want to escape by placing him in your guard. If you end up in his guard, you want to side-mount him. If he has you on the bottom of a side mount, you want to go to your knees or replace the guard. “As far as submissions go, you’re just looking for the highest-percentage techniques that work for people with smaller or lighter builds—not the crazy, flying arm locks that look like they came off a highlights reel. If this were Brazilian jujutsu for teens or pro fighters, that’s one thing; but people who have only a couple of hours a week to train generally don’t have time to develop those highly athletic techniques.” The bent-arm locks (kimura and “paintbrush”), the guillotine choke and the heel hook are the mainstays of Harris’ course. “You may be wondering where the straight-arm lock and rear-naked choke are,” he says. “Let me remind you that we must first focus on the highest-percentage techniques that are still readily executed by people with minimal strength and athleticism.” Escapes Harris identifies two easy-to-exploit situations in which you can apply an escape in Brazilian jujutsu. The first occurs when your opponent drives his weight down and into you with his legs, hips and lower back. The second occurs when he shifts his weight off your body and onto his legs or knees to change position. Escapes are to Brazilian jujutsu as apologies are to conversation. If you find yourself in a position in which you’ve upset someone, the easiest way out is simply to assuage his wrath. In grappling, if you find yourself in a vulnerable position in which you’re about to be submitted, the most efficient way out is to effect an escape so your opponent no longer has you in a position of inferiority or your limb is no longer in a position of jeopardy.  “The basic escapes you’ll need most are from the straight armbar, the bent-arm locks and the triangle,” says Harris, who also holds a senior full instructor rank in jeet kune do. Some of the nullifications he teaches are so simple that they can be taught in seconds. For example, if you find yourself in your opponent’s guard and he attempts a bent-arm lock, you can often neutralize it by turning your fingers outward and corkscrewing your elbow inward toward your ribs. That keeps your weight back on your base and prevents him from gaining leverage over your limb. (Photos to left -- PREVENTING THE ARMBAR: The opponent mounts Roy Harris [1]. When Harris pushes up on the man's chest [2], he traps Harris' left arm and repositions his body for an armbar [3]. Harris immediately grabs the opponent's right knee [4] and maneuvers his head out from under it [5]. With his head ree, Harris turns to face his foe in the guard [6].) Training Also known as “rolling,” training is the free-form phase of grappling in which you can use all the concepts, skills, abilities and techniques you’ve learned in the earlier stages of training. However, the most important thing to remember is also the easiest to forget.  (Photos to right -- ROLLING TAKEDOWN: Roy Harris lies on his back as Mark Cheng approaches [1]. As soon as he's within reach, Harris seizes his closest leg with his right arm and left leg [2]. He rocks onto his knees to straighten the man's leg [3], then uses his left hand to remove Cheng's left arm from his head [4-5]. Next, Harris rolls forward to flip him [6]. With Cheng on his back, Harris climbs to the side control position [7].)It’s tempting to get caught up in the adrenaline rush of rolling and go full speed ahead, but the older and wiser grappler will remember that the defensive postures, positions and escapes are what set him apart from his younger, more aggressive opponent. While the defensive game is certainly not the most eye-catching, it does make you less prone to injury by minimizing the openings that you’d otherwise present to your opponent and by allowing you to conserve energy instead of fighting speed-on-speed and strength-on-strength. No matter your age or ability, following Harris’ training method will get you back to the mat without fear of injury. More important, it will provide you with a way of preserve your life outside the dojo—without having injuries to heal and frustrations to overcome. About the author: Mark Cheng is one of Black Belt's contributing editors. |
