Rickson Gracie: I have two ways to train: One is when I’m just teaching and trying to maintain my level. The other way is when I’m preparing for a fight. That’s when I increase the intensity and the rest periods so I can recover and reach maximum performance.

When you’re not training for a fight, what does a typical day consist of?

Rickson Gracie: It always has some kind of recreational activity — like surfing, bike riding or some kind of cardio. And then I teach and eventually spar.

Do you consider teaching a workout?

Rickson Gracie: Yes. It’s not a very stressful workout or something I need to recover from, but I always break a sweat and get my blood circulating. I definitely get something from it.

Do you lift weights?

Rickson Gracie: Sometimes prior to a fight, I exercise with weights.

Is most of your sparring grappling, or do you also practice stand-up?

Rickson Gracie: I do a little bit of everything. But I always try to establish a purpose for my secondary training: to bring something to my abilities. I don’t try to be the best in every segment of the martial arts.

In a previous interview, you said you have no favorite technique — that you use the openings your opponent gives you. Is that still true?

Rickson Gracie: Definitely.

Do you have a favorite way of ending a fight?

Rickson Gracie: As quickly as possible. (laughs)

Spectators might not like that because they won’t get a chance to see a demonstration of Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques.

Rickson Gracie: Yeah, that’s a problem. (laughs)

What effect has your family had on the status of Brazilian jiu-jitsu around the world?

Rickson Gracie: There has been an explosion of jiu-jitsu. The exposure it has today is 100 times more than it had eight or 10 years ago. That has a lot of positive elements because Brazilian jiu-jitsu has such a good reputation and good credibility.

But there are also negative elements, such as when people think only of the effectiveness of jiu-jitsu so they can display their power and superiority. They don’t know that being a true warrior means you don’t need to beat people or prove you’re better. Because of them, some people think Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighters are like animals who don’t understand the true martial arts. Personally, I am very concerned with balancing those two elements: the Zen aspect of the martial arts and the effectiveness of jiu-jitsu.

A few years ago, everyone thought Brazilian jiu-jitsu was unbeatable. But now some people are defeating the best Brazilian fighters. Has that affected the state of the art?

Rickson Gracie: Always it is the individual that wins or loses. A fight is not won because of a technique or specific drill. It is won because of the physical, strategic, emotional and technical qualities of the fighter.

At one point, Brazilian jiu-jitsu was so unpredictable for other fighters that it was easy to win because no one knew what to expect. Now everyone knows. Now everyone trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu — even if they are boxers or karate experts or wrestlers. They develop a sense of where the danger is, and that brings the fight to a higher level.

Fighters who practice Brazilian jiu-jitsu now have to develop their other senses: their [strategy], their heart, their emotional control. Sometimes those elements — if they have been developed so much during a fighter’s life — will allow even a guy who has not trained a lot in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to succeed without being technically superior. Now that the raw techniques of Brazilian jiu-jitsu are not a secret anymore, you have to prove yourself as a fighter in a more general way.

If a big wrestler on steroids acquires a basic understanding of jiu-jitsu — enough to avoid leaving his arm to be trapped in an armbar, for example — is that a great advantage for him?

Rickson Gracie: Just being big and well-prepared is already a great advantage for him. That makes the smaller guy the underdog no matter what he does. I still believe it’s possible for the smaller guy to win because a fight is not decided by the prevention of one technique. He has to create a nightmare, create smoke, then all the elements must be pushed to the limits. Even if he gets tired and confused, he has to be able to make quick decisions because that’s when the opportunities start to pop up. It’s hard to win quickly against a tough opponent.

Do you think all MMA fighters — even those who deny it — train in jiu-jitsu?

Rickson Gracie: They definitely have a sense of the positions they need to avoid, and to develop that physical sense they have to practice.

How do you plan on contributing to the rise of the sport after you retire? Will you start an event of your own?

Rickson Gracie: Anything is possible. Right now, I don’t think about the day after tomorrow; I’m too busy thinking about today, about the projects I have going on now. But I do plan to be involved not just in Brazilian jiu-jitsu but also in the positive development of the martial arts. That’s my mission in life — to give people a sense of how the warrior spirit can make them more peaceful.

Resources
To read Part 1 of this interview, go here.

For more information about Rickson Gracie, visit his official website.

When you’re considering taking a fight, what’s important to you?

Rickson Gracie: Of course, money, location and opponent, as well as the size of the event. But mainly what I look for is an event that will show the sport as a beneficial and positive influence for others. I am concerned about how the event presents itself, the goal behind the fight and the values of the organizers. I believe the Zen aspect of the martial arts is very important — including respect among fighters and the way an event is run.

You want to be involved only with people who promote fighting in a positive way, not in a violent way?

Rickson Gracie: Exactly.

Some Brazilians have told us violence is a big part of the jiu-jitsu scene in Brazil. They said the art’s status used to be very high there, but now people think it is just a tool of street thugs. Is that true?

Rickson Gracie: Jiu-jitsu is the fastest-growing sport in Brazil because everybody wants to be a fighter. Many students now think they have to fight to prove themselves. They train at a jiu-jitsu school and go out to nightclubs to fight. That’s been a big problem for Brazilian society. It’s because a lot of gang members, tough guys and problem kids have jiu-jitsu techniques put into their hands, and they become like little supermen. They beat everybody, and they create a lot of problems. This is the negative side, the wrong use of the power of jiu-jitsu. Now in Brazil, people say, “Oh, anyone who trains in jiu-jitsu normally creates problems.”

But that’s not exactly what happens. Professionals who are involved in jiu-jitsu try to develop the positive side of the art. Only the people who study jiu-jitsu to cause trouble on the street bring this kind of bad image. But the police understand it’s not a jiu-jitsu thing; it’s a criminal thing. It’s the same as the way a lot of people use guns to commit crimes. Jiu-jitsu training gives a sense of power, and people sometimes use it the wrong way.

Have you noticed similar problems in the United States?

Rickson Gracie: No, because it’s much harder here to solve disagreements by fighting. You can get sued, and the criminal-justice system is much more effective here. In the United States, if you make a problem, you definitely will pay for it.

Is it true that there’s a rivalry in Brazil between jiu-jitsu and luta livre?

Rickson Gracie: Yes and no. Yes because you can say there’s even a kind of rivalry between jiu-jitsu and jiu-jitsu. We all compete with each other, but because we are practitioners of the same sport, this rivalry only goes to one level. Jiu-jitsu people don’t have that kind of thought for luta livre people. They don’t think, “I’d like to beat him, but he is a nice guy because he practices the same sport as I do.” Because it is only a similar sport, there is competition between jiu-jitsu and luta livre practitioners.

But things used to be much worse than they are. Now it’s more respectful, and the students are starting to compete together in important international events. Things will get better until the problem disappears.

Why has Kazushi Sakuraba been so successful against Brazilian jiu-jitsu stylists?

Rickson Gracie: He doesn’t make many mistakes. He’s very calm … the kind of fighter who waits for you to make a mistake and then capitalizes on it. I saw fights where people kept pressure on him — like when he fought Kimo [Leopoldo] — and he got beat up pretty easily.

I saw fights where he didn’t really win — like with Royler [Gracie]. Sakuraba stayed outside and kicked Royler’s legs and punished him, and because of the weight difference, he got the advantage.

I saw him fight Royce [Gracie], and Royce had the advantage in the first rounds. And then he just got tired and could not keep the pressure on Sakuraba. He could not finish the fight before he got tired.

And I saw him fight Renzo [Gracie]: He was always very calm, waiting for Renzo to give him the space to create new options for himself.

Basically, Sakuraba’s not a destroyer; he’s not a guy who has a great expertise in anything. But he’s very smart and very tough. He’s not afraid of getting beat up, and he plays with the crowd and makes a mess in his opponent’s head.

How does a person acquire that kind of mindset? Could a fighter consciously develop his mind to use those same tricks?

Rickson Gracie: I think you can develop that kind of mind, but some people are born with it. It’s just that in every match Sakuraba has won, it was not a victory he could put over his shoulders [to display]. Of course, he deserved to win — he’s a tough opponent — but he never made the victory. A lot of people allowed him to slip through their fingers. Nobody who lost to him says, “That guy is really good; he kicked my butt.”

So you don’t see much technique in Kazushi Sakuraba’s fights?

Rickson Gracie: Of course he has technique, but I don’t see anything that impresses me. The mental aspect of his game is the most valuable possession he has.

Do you feel any pressure to fight Kazushi Sakuraba — to protect the Gracie name, if for no other reason?

Rickson Gracie: I don’t feel pressure to fight anybody because I don’t have a commitment to myself to prove anything or to my family to protect the name. The family will always be respected. I don’t think winning one more time or losing one more time will shake it. But in my heart, I really think Sakuraba deserves to get beat because it’s like he’s lucky all the time. He’s just very slippery.

If you don’t fight him, who would have the best chance of beating him?

Rickson Gracie: A simple fighter can beat Sakuraba if he gets the “enlightenment” he needs to get the mental and psychological elements to guide him through the fight. Sakuraba is not a great puncher or a great submission fighter. He just stays calm and takes advantage of the openings. And if another fighter is calm enough to wait for his shot and tight enough to not give spaces and lose the opportunity, he can win.

(To be continued.)

Resources
For more information about Rickson Gracie, visit his official website.

For information about Jean Jacques Machado’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu books and DVDs, go here.

As a result, a BJJ techniques practitioner has to use patience, timing and momentum as part of the overall strategy. To someone new to submission grappling, this is an accepted part of the learning process simply because the student has nothing to base his experiences on.

However, this can be a frustrating time for an experienced grappler who is new to training with the gi because the pacing of BJJ techniques is decreased, the training is more methodical, and the grappler has to worry about defensive and offensive positions that they never had to before. The gi creates new challenges for the practitioner that forces a modification in their approach to submission grappling.

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4 Submission Escapes From Jean Jacques Machado

Submission grappling is in the middle of the pyramid because its technical palette is smaller than jiu-jitsu’s. Unlike the world of BJJ techniques, there is no gi — so there aren’t as many offensive and defensive techniques available. Without the handles to hold onto as in BJJ techniques, numerous means of control and submission are gone and the game becomes much faster.

Competitors can move with greater ease and speed than some of their colleagues in the BJJ techniques arena. And when you factor in sweat, controlling a match with position becomes even more difficult.

Speed also can inhibit the practitioner’s vision when executing techniques. Imagine driving a car down a city street going approximately 30 miles per hour. At that speed, you can see every street sign, every exit and every option available to you.

Now imagine going down the same street at 80 mph. At that speed, your options are limited because your vision is limited. You need to stay in control of your driving and taking your eyes off the road can be disastrous. There will be options, but not as many if you were driving slower.

Where Submission Grappling Becomes Easier Without a Gi

While it would appear that everything in the submission-grappling game is more difficult without a gi, there are elements that become easier. The first is the ability to perform choking techniques.

During the course of BJJ techniques, certain arm chokes can be difficult to perform because the collar inhibits your ability to securely wrap your arms around an opponent’s neck.

In submission grappling, there is no fabric to interfere with your execution, and chokes are even easier to apply if your opponent is sweaty. With little friction and virtually zero space between your limbs and your opponent’s body, your attacks occur quickly, which make them difficult to defend against.

Another element of submission grappling that becomes easier is the ability to perform leg locks. One of the most important aspects of ground work is the ability to control the posture of the person on top. With no gi to hold onto as one would in BJJ techniques, this becomes more of a challenge.

If an opponent can move with greater freedom, the legs become vulnerable to attack. As a result, leg locks make up a large part of the submission-grappling arsenal.

The Top of the Pyramid: MMA Techniques

The top of the pyramid is mixed martial arts because striking further limits the number of submission-grappling techniques available. There are two reasons for this.

The first is that certain techniques can only be applied safely in a sportive environment. Although they have a high percentage for success, the techniques can leave you vulnerable to strikes. Also, because striking is now an option, it can be an easier and safer route to achieving victory.

For example, if you have attained the mount position on your opponent, why risk going for an arm lock or other submission? The penalty for failure can be steep. Your safest bet is to simply rain strikes down on your opponent. You have a dominant position, and if he cannot defend himself, he will either tap out or the referee will stop the match.



Which Approach Is Best: BJJ Techniques, MMA Techniques or Submission Grappling?

We are not endorsing any of these styles — BJJ techniques, MMA techniques or submission grappling — as the best way to train. That is a personal choice. We are simply providing the information as a means of exploring the relationship among the three. If you are a beginner, this information can greatly assist you in deciding which style is best for you.

If you are an experienced grappler, this information will assist you in successfully adjusting your technique and strategy when crossing over to a new style.

The Pyramid as a Symbol

The pyramid is the same shape as a triangle, which is a universally recognized symbol in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Academies specializing in BJJ techniques worldwide use the triangle as part of their school logo, and there are several reasons for this.

First, the triangle symbolizes the perfect three-point base. Regardless of which way you turn it, it is always stable and maintains perfect balance. This follows the Brazilian jiu-jitsu training methodology, which encourages practitioners to be flexible and free flowing while always maintaining a solid base.

Also, because the triangle symbolizes balance, this is an attribute that submission-grappling practitioners strive to attain not only on the mat but also in life. So its importance extends beyond the technique and crosses over to the emotional and spiritual side of your life.

The pyramid also reflects the symbolic nature of the martial arts journey you are embarking on. The wide base signifies the foundation you are laying down as you gain technical knowledge.

Once you have your base, the pyramid begins to narrow as you work toward mastering the physical application and develop your individual style.

Reaching the top means you can effectively execute your techniques in any setting and have a complete understanding of any situation you find yourself in.

• The Grappler’s Handbook: Gi and No-Gi Techniques (book)
• The Grappler’s Handbook Vol. 2: Tactics for Defense (book)
• The Grappler’s Handbook: Gi and No-Gi Techniques (3-DVD Set)

For more information about Jean Jacques Machado, visit the official Jean Jacques Machado website at jeanjacquesmachado.com.

Watch John Machado executing BJJ techniques in the Black Belt studio!

BJJ Techniques in Self-Defense Moves

Category 1: Pain-Compliance Techniques

“Pain is one of the tools available to you in grappling, but it has limitations because a lot of people don’t feel pain,” BJJ techniques expert John Machado says. “Sometimes when you try a pain-compliance technique on someone’s arm, leg or neck, he’ll feel nothing. He doesn’t have to be drunk or on drugs; he just doesn’t feel it.”

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In schools that teach BJJ techniques such as leg locks, the calf crush is a popular pain-compliance technique. “You can do a foot lock on the ankle, or you can hold the calf and ‘cut’ it,” John Machado says. “A lot of people will tap right there. Just remember that for some, there’s no effect.”

He advises martial artists to avoid spending an undue amount of time trying to make a pain-compliance technique work when training in self-defense moves. “When you apply a hold, watch your opponent’s reaction,” he says. “If you see him lifting his hand to tap, it’s a sign the lock is working. Otherwise, quickly move to a different hold.”

Pain-compliance techniques will serve you well in training for efficacy of both BJJ techniques and self-defense moves, John Machado says. Before you try them in a tournament, though, find out if they’re permitted.

BJJ Techniques in Self-Defense Moves

Category 2: Breaking Techniques

Breaking techniques target the body’s joints, not the bones. Some of them are so cleverly designed that they attack more than one body part at the same time during execution of self-defense moves.

“When you do a triangle choke, for example, you’re doing a neck crank, a choke and an armbar,” John Machado says. “You can finish your opponent with all of them together. The kimura usually targets the shoulder, but it can also attack the arm with an inverted armbar. It depends on the angle.”

Learn five sneaky armbar setups from BJJ techniques experts Jean Jacques Machado, Rigan Machado and John B. Will!

The most efficient breaking techniques in the BJJ techniques spectrum use both of your arms against one of your opponent’s limbs. The strength differential makes it relatively easy for you to hyperextend the joint, rupturing the ligaments and even breaking the bone. “The techniques are even more effective when you have your whole body working against one joint — whether it’s a knee, wrist or elbow,” John Machado says.

Many attempts at executing one of the most popular breaking techniques — the cross-body armbar — fail because the fulcrum, or the part of your body against which the opponent’s arm is forced, isn’t slightly above the elbow.

“If you do it that way, you don’t have the lock,” John Machado says. “You’re putting pressure on the bone. You need to switch to a different technique quickly because if you don’t, he’ll escape.”

Breaking techniques are good for self-defense moves, but before attempting one, you must determine if the situation will permit you to safely execute it. “You don’t want to use an armbar in a fight in a nightclub with hundreds of people around,” John Machado says. “Every technique has its place, and that’s not the right one for an armbar.”

In epic battles, just how debilitating is a broken limb? “In any form of combat, you have to deal with adrenaline and the fight-or-flight reaction,” BJJ techniques master John Machado says. “Sometimes a person doesn’t realize that his arm is broken until the end of the match, so he keeps on fighting back. That’s why, in some respects, chokes are superior.”

BJJ Techniques in Self-Defense Moves

Category 3: Choking Techniques

The fighting arts teach two types of choking techniques: air and blood. “You can suffocate someone to death if you squeeze the throat, or you can subdue him the right way, which is by squeezing the arteries on the sides of his neck so blood stops flowing to his brain,” John Machado says.

It’s obviously imperative to learn the difference before adding such an option to your self-defense moves or BJJ techniques repertoire. “You should never do a choke against the windpipe because you can kill your opponent,” he says.

Once you begin applying pressure, it takes about three to five seconds for unconsciousness to follow.

Blood chokes can be effected with your arm or your opponent’s uniform. “Both are very important in grappling and very effective,” John Machado says. “The arm choke is powerful. You can do it while wearing a gi or while not wearing one, so it works in a variety of situations. You can be on the beach in Rio and get into a fight and choke someone out using your arms. Or you can be in a cage tournament and use the same move.”

But the key to success with self-defense moves that incorporate BJJ techniques, he says, is learning how to execute the choke with the collar. “It’s more useful because everybody is wearing something — a shirt, a jacket, a uniform,” he says. “Even a T-shirt can work. There’s a chance it’ll rip, but if you know how to grip it deep and pull, you’ll have a better chance of making it work. The thing to remember is, if you can get your hand in deep enough to grab the T-shirt right, you can probably do an arm choke. It’s all about being versatile.”

When it comes to choking, builders of bulging biceps beware when trying to execute BJJ techniques as self-defense moves: Skinny arms are easier to insert into tight spaces such as the gap between a resisting opponent’s head and shoulder or chin and chest, and bony limbs make the constriction more immediate. “And if your biceps are too big, it’s hard to even get your arms in deep enough,” he says.

Caveat for execution of self-defense moves: Depending on the state or country in which you live, you may want to forgo all-out choking as a strategy among your self-defense moves because juries often misinterpret it as an attempt to kill. “It’s better to use a choke to restrain someone than it is to render him unconscious,” John Machado says. “A choke is like a gun: You cannot use it on everybody who assaults you.”

Believe it or not, there are people who are immune to some choking techniques, John Machado says. “It’s very rare, but I’ve encountered martial artists who cannot be choked out. One was a friend of mine in Brazil: Renaldo, an old-time black belt under the Gracies. When we would see him, he would say, ‘Come and test your choke.’ He would give us his neck, and we couldn’t choke him because of the way his body was built.

“At my school in Culver City, California, I have one student like that. If you try a collar choke or cross-choke on him, your grip will get tired before you beat him. With a full back choke, though, he’ll tap.”

If you ever encounter an opponent who’s resistant to chokes, John Machado says, follow the same principle described above and move on to an armbar or some other grappling technique.

Kazushi Sakuraba is the biggest name ever to come out of the Japanese no-holds-barred circuit. Although he has an extensive wrestling background, it’s his unconventional strikes, pre-fight humor and all-around showmanship that make his star shine brighter than that of any other competitor in the under-200-pound division. … He rose to the top of the NHB world with victories over the greatest names in the sport: Vitor Belfort, Ebenezer Fontes Braga, Carlos Newton, Vernon ‘Tiger’ White, Marcus ‘Conan’ Silveira (a member of the Carlson Gracie team), and Royler and Royce Gracie.

Note the last three names on Kazushi Sakuraba’s win list.

Before the year was out, Kazushi Sakuraba had defeated Renzo Gracie and Ryan Gracie. His new nickname reflected his fight record: “Gracie Hunter.”

Ralek Gracie’s brother, Rener Gracie, shows you and your kids how to stop violence before it starts in this new FREE Guide — Stop Physical Bullying: The Rener Gracie Guide to the Facts on Bullying and Ways to Prevent Bullying Using the Gracie Bullyproof Program.

Then Ralek Gracie came along.

Ralek Gracie: The New Kid on the Block

Born to Rorion Gracie in 1985, he was 16 years younger than his family’s nemesis, but he was also a lot less experienced despite focused training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu moves. Kazushi Sakuraba had 41 bouts under his belt when the two met, while Ralek Gracie had only two. For most mixed martial artists, that 39-fight gap would be insurmountable.

Characteristically Gracie, Ralek took his cache of Brazilian jiu-jitsu moves into DREAM 14 to face Kazushi Sakuraba with total confidence, even though the event took place in Japan, his foe’s home turf. Ralek Gracie bore the weight of three generations of jiu-jitsu champions on his shoulders as he took his shot at vanquishing an enemy who’d done his best to tear down an empire.

The two clashed on May 29, 2010, at the Saitama Super Arena. One man attacked while the other nullified and countered, then they switched — like a couple of chess masters waging war. The fight went the distance, after which the judges unanimously gave Ralek Gracie the nod over Kazushi Sakuraba.

Sure, the victory lacked the glamour a knockout or a submission would have conferred, but in the oh-so-technical world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu moves — where every technique, every escape, every reversal is a work of art — it spoke volumes about the enduring validity of the family’s fighting method.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Moves for Countering the Kimura

When the Black Belt crew caught up with Ralek Gracie at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California, the action of the bout was so ingrained that he could recall all the Brazilian jiu-jitsu moves he used — every technique and every response. This, of course, was a fortunate turn of events for all martial artists who like to learn from experience, even when it’s not their own.

“In the fight, I got behind Sakuraba with my hands locked [around his torso],” Ralek Gracie began. As he spoke, he kneeled behind his demo opponent, placing his chest against the man’s back.

“He’s known for his kimura — he’ll grab your wrist and wrap his [other] arm around your arm and hold onto his wrist,” Ralek Gracie continued. “This can be devastating because if he’s able to turn and bring your arm [behind your back], he can cause a lot of stress in the arm.”

How then can you advance to the next level and teach yourself to trap a skilled opponent and finish him on the ground? There are three ways:

• Be a better grappler. This means you must know more than he knows, catch and hold him in positions that are difficult to escape from, force him to make mistakes and capitalize on those mistakes. To make all this happen, keep training. There’s no easy or fast way to jump to this level.
• Tire him out. Even when someone knows the attack you’re attempting, being tired or weary can make it hard for him to fend you off. You can facilitate his fatigue by fine-tuning your fitness level — so he gets tired before you do — and by being smart about how you expend your energy, resting in good positions and holding him in positions that tire him out. Again, there’s no easy way to make this happen.
• Use sneaky setups. This strategy is one you can learn and practice right now, and it will have an immediate effect on your grappling game. That’s because your opponent can’t be prepared to foil your attack if he doesn’t see it coming.

To start you on that third path to success, this article will present five sneaky Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques to set up armbars: one from the guard, one from the side-control position, two from the back, and one while passing the guard. Master each BJJ technique — sourced from Rigan Machado, Jean Jacques Machado and John B. Will — and you’ll be ready to devise plenty of others on your own.

BJJ Technique No. 1: Armbar From the Guard

BJJ Technique Source — Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Rigan Machado of Redondo Beach, California

BJJ Technique Analysis — This Rigan Machado technique starts with a basic observation: When your opponent is in your guard and your legs are locked around his body — in what’s referred to as the closed guard — he’s probably well aware of the danger to his limbs. Therefore, he strives to keep them bent while holding your hips down to ensure that you can’t rise up and catch him in an armbar. But when you fight with your legs open or with your feet under his thighs — in the butterfly guard or two-hooks-in guard — he’s much less concerned about defending his arms and much more concerned about being swept.

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When he senses that you’re trying to control his left hand and feels his body lift, he’ll fight to place that hand on the ground as a “post” to maintain his balance. At this point in the Rigan Machado technique, you’ve tricked him into straightening his arm, leaving it vulnerable to attack.

Place your right hand under his left elbow, then shift your body to the right and guide his left wrist onto your right shoulder. Next, cup your hands behind his left elbow, rotating it so the bone of his elbow points up. You’ll then be able to apply downward pressure to hyperextend the trapped limb in a “cutting” armbar.

This attack can fail if your opponent rotates his arm to alleviate the pain. If that happens, use your left hand to continue cupping his left arm, then pull it across to your left hip. Spin your head to the left, and with his arm deeply across your body, you’ll be set up for a tight armbar. Use your right hand to hold his head down, clamp your left leg high across his back and move your right leg over the top of his head. Keep your legs heavy on him so he can’t rise. Then simply drop your feet and lift your hips for the finish.

BJJ Technique No. 2: Armbar From the Side-Control Position

BJJ Technique Source — Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor John B. Will of Melbourne, Australia

BJJ Technique Analysis — To execute this John B. Will technique, begin in side control with your body on your opponent’s left side. He’s properly defending his arms by keeping them bent and close to his chest, between your body and his. Place your left knee on the ground near his hip. The action will free your left hand so you can slip that wrist under his left wrist. As an added distraction (or real attack), move your right forearm across his throat and threaten him with a collar choke. At this point, he’s completely unaware of any armbar danger.

In one dynamic move, rotate on your left knee, bringing the inside of your left ankle against his left shoulder as you swing your right leg over his head. Sit deeply under his left shoulder with your left foot tight against your right thigh, then squeeze your knees together. His left arm is now weak and isolated, making it easy for you to grab it with one or both hands and lean back to straighten it for the tapout.

BJJ Technique No. 3: Armbar From the Back (No. 1)

BJJ Technique Source — Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Jean Jacques Machado of Tarzana, California

BJJ Technique Analysis — Begin this Jean Jacques Machado move in the back-control position with your legs around your foe’s hips while you and he are seated on the mat. Reach around his neck with your right hand and attempt a vigorous choke. Use your left hand, which you’ve extended under his left arm, to control his left wrist. As you fight for the choke with your right hand, begin leaning back and to your left. Move your feet to your opponent’s right side, then fall farther to your left as you bring your left leg high across his torso. Move your right hand to the left side of his head and push him away and down as you shift your right leg over his head for the armbar.

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BJJ Technique No. 4: Armbar From the Back (No. 2)

BJJ Technique Source — Rigan Machado

BJJ Technique Analysis — Begin this Rigan Machado move by taking your opponent’s back while he’s on his elbows and knees. Move your left hand across the back of his head and, coming from the top of his right shoulder, place it around and under his right arm. Reposition your left foot until your shin presses against the back of his neck and simultaneously move your right foot across his stomach. Push down with your left shin while grabbing his right pant leg with your right hand. Use your right hand to pull his foot widely over your head, lifting with your right leg to flip him. As he falls onto his back, keep hold of his pant leg to prevent him from rising to his knees in your guard. Move your left leg over his face to complete the armbar.

BJJ Technique No. 5: Armbar While Passing the Guard

BJJ Technique Source — Rigan Machado

BJJ Technique Analysis — This Rigan Machado sequence begins on your feet in your opponent’s open guard. He’s sitting up and using his left hand to control your right sleeve. Pinch your knees together to limit the amount his feet (his “hooks”) can move you. Bend your right leg to the left to free your left leg, then reposition your left leg alongside your right as you begin to move around his guard to your right. He’ll turn to his left side to improve his guard defense, and when he does, drop flat to pin his legs together. Use your right hand to grasp his left sleeve and your left hand to hold his left pant leg.

In one motion, place your hands on the ground and jump to your feet, maintaining the integrity of your grips. Thrust your hands toward the ceiling, which will result in your adversary’s being lifted by his left hand and leg. That action will turn him away from you and onto his right side. Immediately step over his head with your right leg and collapse your legs to sit into an armbar on his left arm. To make the technique tight, keep your left foot against the left side of his body. If you wish, you can squeeze your thighs together, turn your knees to the right and move your left leg to the other side of his body as previously described.

These five sneaky setups for armbars by Rigan Machado, Jean Jacques Machado and John B. Will will give you a real advantage over almost any opponent. Remember that in no case do you want to lose your position for a chance at a long-shot attack. That’s why it’s best to focus on solid, high-percentage moves like the ones described above.

• BJJ America — started by David Meyer and John B. Will
• Rigan Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association — official website for Rigan Machado
• JeanJacquesMachado.com — official website for Jean Jacques Machado

Whether you call it “cross-training,” a “hybrid approach” or “mixed martial arts,” your goal is clear: to diversify your skills by adopting techniques from other styles of fighting. And to anyone with experience in the martial arts, your reasoning is equally clear: Because nothing is perfect, all systems of combat can be improved.

Throughout the history of the martial arts, many masters have recognized this. Bruce Lee was one of them. Sensing the shortcomings of his original art, he studied other styles from the East and a few from the West. He learned new theories and techniques and tested them before creating what’s now regarded as one of the premier fighting systems on the planet: jeet kune do.

Another pioneer was Imi Lichtenfeld, founder of the Israeli art of krav maga. He developed his system for survival on the battlefield. Like Lee, Lichtenfeld researched various fighting arts and extracted what he believed would be the most relevant for his soldiers. Over time, krav maga developed further, making it functional for police officers and civilians.

The newest pioneers in the martial arts are Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners. Using the methods the Gracie family learned from a Japanese judo champion, they created what’s arguably the most effective grappling system in the world.

Can these three successful hybrid arts be improved? Of course. While you’re reading this, experts in each art are probably analyzing and fine-tuning their methods. Because my expertise is in wrestling, I’ll leave the analysis of JKD and krav maga to others and concentrate on what I know — specifically, on how American wrestling can be used to augment Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Cousin Arts
Although Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling are both systems of hand-to-hand combat that are effective on the ground, they use very different approaches. Jiu-jitsu uses fluidity and suppleness, whereas wrestling often relies on direct aggression. Wrestling has a multitude of attacks executed from the standing position, while jiu-jitsu is less well-versed there. Jiu-jitsu exponents strive to master the science of submission and strangulation, while wrestlers focus on subjugation techniques and, if they’re into MMA, the ground-and-pound method.

There’s an ideological divide between the two systems, but are they really at the opposite ends of the spectrum? No. A review of the techniques of both arts reveals how easily they can supplement each other in combat. This article will teach three wrestling techniques that can boost the effectiveness of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. They pertain to common positions in which the jiu-jitsu exponent can find himself. Although the Brazilian art teaches methods of escape and reversal for each position, I’ll present new options drawn from wrestling.

The Switch
The switch is a reversal that starts from one of the least desirable positions in grappling: when your attacker has taken your back. Start on your hands and knees in a base position, and expect that your opponent will have his hands wrapped around your waist in some sort of lock.

Your goal is to effect two actions simultaneously: Clear your near hand over your far hand, placing your arms in a position that resembles an “X.” Then raise your far knee and pass your near leg under your far leg. Your near hand is now planted on the ground, creating a “post.” Your far arm leaves the ground and moves close to your body. Raise your butt off the ground, balancing on your feet and your post (near hand). This motion will allow you to turn your hips 180 degrees and begin the reversal. Note that at the beginning of the switch, your pelvis is facing the ground. If you execute the two aforementioned steps correctly, your pelvis will face upward.

The second phase of the switch involves using your far arm to apply pressure to the attacker’s far shoulder. This action also creates a fulcrum, allowing you to take his back. To do it, bend the arm you cleared and use it to smash his far shoulder. Quickly extend your arm, reaching your hand deep between his legs to increase your leverage on his shoulder. Your goal isn’t to break the lock but to lock his shoulder into a secure position.

When you reach into his crotch area, secure your hand on the thigh closest to you with your palm facing up. To create a fulcrum at your attacker’s shoulder, continue to place your weight on it. Simultaneously attempt to curl your arm as it’s planted on his inner thigh. Your butt is still raised, which allows you to place your weight on his shoulder.

The final phase is accomplished by swinging your far leg over your opponent’s back in a high arcing motion. The fulcrum you create will facilitate your taking his back. Once you’re on top, the reversal is compete.

The Inside-Leg Stand-Up
Brazilian jiu-jitsu embraces the strategy of keeping your opponent on the ground and finishing him there with chokes and submissions. However, many hand-to-hand combat instructors advocate getting off the ground as soon as possible, arguing that it’s especially important if you’re the one on the bottom. They teach that the optimal position of control occurs when your attacker is on the ground and you’re on your feet.

One technique that can help you get off the deck and into a better position is the inside-leg stand-up. Consider it a worst-case-scenario technique for use when the fight has gone to the ground and your attacker has your back.

You’re in a base position, and your opponent has a lock around your waist. You must immediately explode upward. This process, called “building up,” may require tenacious second and third efforts. To build up, you need to execute two independent but related actions. For the first, power up by raising your near leg and planting your foot on the ground a little more than 45 degrees to the side. Look up, then raise your torso so your back and head are vertical. You should be pushing slightly into your attacker, not pulling away from him. As you began to rise, you should have covered his hand with your hands.

As your inside leg carries you upward, rise to your feet by “rolling” your far foot. Accomplish that by using an outward rolling motion from your current position of full outside-leg flexion. As you roll your foot and knee, extend your leg and plant your far foot on the ground. Then rise while continuing to push backward into your attacker. The only thing holding you at this point is his hands locked around you. You need to exploit his grip — which you do by pushing back into him while keeping your knees slightly bent and pressing your hips forward. This action puts pressure on his lock and extends his arms.

You’re now up but not out because your adversary’s lock on your waist is preventing you from escaping. To get back into the fight, you have to break free and face him. When you came up on your inside leg, you covered his hands with your own; you must now break his grip. First, move either leg slightly forward while maintaining your balance. Second, move his grip toward the hip that just moved forward. Next, dig your thumbs between your stomach and his inner wrists while thrusting your hips forward. As his arms straighten, his grip will weaken.
Cover his top hand and use your same-side hand to pry up his four fingers. Recruit your free hand to lift his other hand. To minimize the chance of being counterattacked, keep hold of his digits as you pull his lock apart and move your hips forward. Place his far hand against your far hip — it’s called “putting his hand in your back pocket” — and turn toward it to face him.

The Short Sit-Out and Roll
This basic technique exists in the arsenal of the jiu-jitsu practitioner, but wrestling teaches a variation called the short sit-out. It starts with your opponent at your back with a lock around your waist. You must initiate two actions simultaneously: Cover his lock with your far hand and execute the short sit-out. That entails starting in the base position and sitting on your butt while keeping your head and spine upright. Keep your back toward your opponent’s chest. Dig your heels into the ground and push backward to maximize his discomfort. To compensate, he’ll attempt to reposition himself by moving forward — which is your cue to roll.

As he pushes forward, quickly return to a base position at a 90-degree angle in front of him. Maintain your far-side grip on his locked hand. Some wrestlers execute this move by grabbing their opponent’s wrist or forearm so they can create a hook with their elbow when they roll; however, that can telegraph your intentions. The preferred method is to cover the four fingers of his hand and squeeze hard, then use your hips to create a fulcrum under his torso.

Your next task is to load him onto your hips. He’s pinned there because of your grip on his hand and the outside position of his arm. Holding his hand tight, roll onto your outside hip and shoulder. He’ll be forced to roll, as well, and land on his back, leaving you in a more advantageous position from which you can easily dominate him.

About the Author:
Mark Mireles is a freelance writer with more than 25 years of experience in the martial arts. He works as a police officer in Southern California.

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU DVD TRAILER VIDEO
Jean Jacques Machado and Jay Zeballos’ Upcoming Three-Disc Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu DVD Set Demonstrates Techniques Found in The Grappler’s Handbook: Gi and No-Gi Techniques Book

Special features in this set will include the following:

• Jean Jacques Machado’s Belt-Promotion Ceremony, Featuring Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Icon Rickson Gracie
• Behind the Scenes of Shooting the Printed Book
• Previews of Black Belt Martial Arts Books and Martial Arts DVDs
• Optional Subtitle Track Detailing Corresponding Page Numbers in the Printed Book

Techniques featured in this set will include (but certainly will not be limited to) the following:

• Closed Guard to Back Control
• Gi Choke Using Sleeve Control
• Omo Plata Reversal When Opponent Posts One Leg
• Guard Pass Defense to Brabo Choke
• Arm Drag to Back Control to Rear-Naked Choke
• Progressive Attacks From Leg-on-Shoulder Closed Guard
• Double-Underhook Pass to Crucifix
• Leg Sweep Butterfly-Guard Pass
• Side-Control Escape Counter to Armbar
• Tripod Choke
• Anaconda Choke From Turtle Top
• Jumping to Closed Guard
• Butterfly Guard
• Arm Trap to Shoulder Lock to Strikes
• Reversal From Closed Guard
• Standing Guard Break With Pass
• Triangle Choke From Open Guard

DO YOU HAVE THE BOOK? … NO???!!! … STEP UP TO THE MAT!
If you’re interested in these upcoming DVDs, the book on which they are based is available in our online store! World-renowned teacher Jean Jacques Machado highlights the secrets behind gi and no-gi techniques for martial artists of all levels to successfully transition between styles.

Each day starts with mat time during which the instructors will cover Gracie Combatives, the Master Cycle, Women Empowered and Gracie Bullyproof, among other topics. Classes are geared for all ages and experience levels.

Training will be followed by athletic activities on the beach, including volleyball, ocean kayaking and Boogie boarding. You’ll also have access to WaveRunners, a rock-climbing wall, a zip line and a “crazy ropes” course at the nearby wharf.

A variety of restaurants and nightclubs will accommodate all tastes once the organized activities have ended. Rooms start at $112 per night.

For more information or to make a reservation, visit GracieImmersionCamp.com.

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU TECHNIQUE VIDEO
Ralek Gracie Shows You How to Stack Your Opponent!

GRACIE BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU VIDEO
Take a Quick Tour of the Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California!

One thing I was disappointed about, however, was the hand-to-hand combat training — or the lack thereof. We spent a few hours with bayonets mounted on our M16s, running through slash-thrust-buttstroke drills without a target, and that was it. Essentially, we did a bit of kata with no bunkai and definitely no kumite. Preparation for empty-hand combat was nonexistent.

Fast-forward to 2003. The Army has radically changed its training philosophy, and recruits are required to cycle through the MACP, or Modern Army Combatives Program. It’s composed of the most effective and versatile techniques from the Asian arts, as well as battlefield knife fighting and weapon-retention skills. The mechanics are seared into muscle memory during PT, the physical training that takes place every morning of every weekday, and it’s all taught in a way that meshes with the Army culture and lifestyle. The result is a fighting force that’s second to none in both armed and unarmed combat.

A Man With a Mission
The man behind MACP is a 43-year-old warrior-scholar named Matt Larsen. To understand how he wound up being at the nexus when the Army’s light bulb switched on, we need to rewind to 1984. Just 17, Larsen joined the Marine Corps and was sent to the Far East — first stop, Tokyo. “I thought if I spent two years there and didn’t learn martial arts, it would be a wasted opportunity,” he says. “So I trained in judo and shotokan karate. The karate was harsh, but the teacher was great. My next station was Okinawa — that was more like what you see in a karate movie.”

Before departing, Larsen did some research and determined that he wanted to train with Eizo Shimabukuro, the man who taught Joe Lewis. “I went to his house, and he sent me to a dojo,” Larsen says. “Seven days later, he showed up at the school, and afterward, we went to his house to work out. For the next nine months, off and on, I trained at his house on weekends.”

Larsen says “off and on” because duty assignments frequently took him away from the Okinawan base. One such mission sent him to Korea, where he ended up fighting the ROK Marines’ taekwondo champ in a bare-knuckle bout. “I was the only guy in the battalion who was training in martial arts, so they got me to do it,” Larsen says. “When I turned to face him, he kicked me in the stomach and knocked me into the crowd. I got up, and he tried a spinning back thrust kick, but I just charged him.” After some give-and-take, he used his fists to dominate and then defeat the kicker.

Another assignment sent him to Thailand, where he fought in several muay Thai matches, and to the Philippines. “I met a guy in a tattoo shop, and he said karate weapons fighting was inferior to the Philippine arts,” Larsen remembers. “So I tried it, and he tore me up.”

Although he was a good puncher back then, he wasn’t a great one. “I entered a boxing smoker and lost,” he says. “When it was over, I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to learn that,’ so I studied boxing the rest of the time I was in the Marines.”

That willingness to augment his arsenal with new skills, coupled with an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude about losing, put Larsen on the path to becoming a well-rounded martial artist with a nose for what works and what doesn’t.

Career Change
After four and a half years in the Corps, Larsen enjoyed civilian life for all of three days, then enlisted in the Army. “I went straight in the 1st Ranger Battalion and stayed for six years,” he says. “Near the base in Savannah, Georgia, training was weak. There was a guy who taught taekwondo and aikido, and there was one who taught ninjutsu, and I studied with them. When I was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, I trained with Bud Toline, who taught yudo, hwa rang do and hapki yusul.”

Larsen’s multi-art experience, which also encompassed kickboxing and judo, would soon serve him well because by the early 1990s, the mixed martial arts had exploded on the scene. “When I transferred to the 2nd Ranger Battalion, the battalion commander was Stanley McChrystal, who went on to become the commanding general in Afghanistan, and he’d given an order to reinvigorate the hand-to-hand combat program,” Larsen says. “They were doing ninjutsu before I showed up, which meant I fit in because I’d done some of that.”

Larsen was tasked — this time officially — with figuring out what worked and what didn’t. “Because I was the most experienced martial artist around, it wasn’t long before I was the combatives honcho in the battalion,” he says. “We had Rorion and Royce Gracie come up, and we realized what we had to do. Brazilian jiu-jitsu wasn’t a perfect fit because it’s oriented toward competition. Nobody there will poke your eye out or punch you in the testicles. Our relationship to Brazilian jiu-jitsu is similar to Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s relationship to what Esai Maeda taught the Gracies. We learned a lot from it, but we saw how it didn’t quite fit what we did, so we added elements from other arts.”

Larsen molded that mixture until it fit the Army culture, and it proved to be a hit at Fort Lewis. “Two years later, Gen. McChrystal took over the Ranger Regiment and brought me down to Fort Benning to honcho the training for the entire regiment, which is about 2,500 to 3,000 guys.” The fledgling fighting system had left the nest.

A Wider Audience
Larsen was transferred to Ranger School, which is run by the Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning, to rewrite the field manual on combatives. “They wanted to change the Army’s doctrine to what we were doing,” he says.

From the get-go, he knew his limitations. “The limited amount of time soldiers can devote to formal training means you won’t get very far trying to have them perfect a catalog of techniques,” he says. “Instead, MACP uses its basic techniques as a tool to teach a set of principles and training methods. These are reinforced as more advanced techniques are taught in a series of short courses that, over the soldier’s career, act as a guided path of self-discovery.”

MACP works because it never dictates how to reach a specific goal. “Instead, we teach soldiers to figure out how to accomplish the goal,” Larsen says. “A truck driver delivering food supplies and an airborne Ranger kicking in doors searching for bad guys have very different hand-to-hand combat needs, but that doesn’t change the nature of how to train. Our program is intentionally about training methods and principles. Then, a soldier, whatever his mission may be, can still learn to fight.”

The instruction begins with basics that are similar to what civilian martial artists study: how to punch, kick and knee-strike; how to fight in the clinch; how to integrate takedowns; and how to grapple on the ground. “You must have the techniques to implement the strategies the situation demands,” he says. “Those techniques span the spectrum of combat, from bashing in somebody’s head with your helmet to making sure you don’t hurt an opponent who isn’t your enemy.”

Including techniques and strategies from across that spectrum meant Larsen had to analyze the world’s fighting arts. “While developing the program, we would put two people on their feet and say, ‘You can only go for a takedown,’ and it looked exactly like two wrestlers. Then we would say, ‘Now you can knee each other.’ The first thing that happened was they stood up to defend against knees. So we’d say: ‘Let’s evaluate the way you train for takedowns in wrestling. Is it good? Sure. What’s wrong with it? Well, it gives you bad fighting posture.’ We looked at every training method like that.”

MACP trainers use the same drills to convey that message to soldiers — following the philosophy that showing is better than telling and doing is better than hearing.

Inevitable Complications
Life would be a lot simpler if, whenever a belligerent invaded your space, you could just punch him in the face and be done with it. Alas, neither military nor civilian life is like that. “Hand-to-hand combat training has to address a variety of situations,” Larsen says. “It might be a guy who wants to kill you, or it might be a person who just doesn’t want to do what you want him to do. It might be a person with Stockholm Syndrome you’re there to save, in which case you don’t even want to hurt them. You have to do the appropriate thing, whatever it happens to be.”

In a martial arts school, a sensei is free to reject students who are deemed unsuitable for learning deadly skills — which makes teaching them to do the appropriate thing a bit easier — but military recruiters aren’t quite so selective. “When trainers get someone off the street, they have no idea what their values are or what their parents are like,” Larsen says. “We have to turn them into the sort of warrior our republic can be proud of, and MACP is a big part of that.”

For more information about Matt Larsen and MACP, visit moderncombatives.org.

About the Author:
Robert W. Young is the executive editor of Black Belt.