Two Weapons, One Grip

Most people take the underhook in half guard for one reason: to get to deep half. It is a good reason. But on a Saturday morning in October we spent the No-Gi class on what else is sitting right there, in the same grip, before you ever go deep.

Block first

It starts with a habit I want gone. From half guard, a lot of people push on the hip or the pocket. That is not a good habit. When you get half guard with the underhook, at least block the other arm, so there is no head control straight away. They can still fight for it. But now you are in the fight, not just holding them off.

The knee is already caught

Put your hand under their thigh and pull them up towards you, your shoulder flat on the mat. Not a big movement — just enough. Their knee is now between your thighs, just below the groin. Put your foot over their heel, as low as it goes, pinch your knees, and you have a knee bar. You have not gone into deep half and you have not left half guard. You are in between, and that is exactly where the knee bar lives.

It breaks the same way an armbar does, from the centre. Which brings me to the most important thing in the class.

Slow

This knee bar comes on fast. Like a surprise. So the bridge has to be slow, every single time, in every drill. Do not just bridge. You will hurt your partner’s knee, and your partner is the reason you get to train at all. The person caught taps early. The person finishing stops at the tap. That is the deal, and it matters more than the technique.

The second weapon

Keep the same upper body and change the legs. Both your feet between theirs: one foot catches the ankle, the other crosses under it. That is the lockdown. Now free your hand, push on the outside of their arm, sit up on your palm, look away, punch their arm down and throw your hips forward. If they fall, the sweep is done. Most people do not fall straight away — they go to their shoulder to take the pressure off the leg, and that is the electric chair.

Two weapons, one grip. The knee bar if you give up the legs. The sweep if you keep them.

Do not let go

The correction I made most on the mat was the same one. People sat up and opened their legs. You did not have to leave the leg. Ask yourself: if I let go, why should they not run? Why should they not fight back?

With the lockdown on, they cannot fight with their feet, and their hands are busy stopping the sweep. If they use a hand to post, you throw the hips forward and punch down. Either way, you are winning. Keep the lockdown until you get up.