The highest level of confidence is displayed when a child uses their skills to protect someone else. In this chapter, the emphasis is to give children the permission and the techniques to stand up for others when they feel empowered to do so. We also remind them that even when they have the opportunity to help, it’s not a requirement, especially if they don’t feel safe.
Armbar - Guard
The most common type of attack you will encounter from an opponent who is trapped inside your guard is a punch to the face. Once they realize that they can’t effectively punch you they will try to get access to your neck or face by any means necessary. Whenever someone attacks your neck or face from within your guard, they are giving you the opportunity to catch them in a Straight Armlock. In this lesson you will learn two variations of the Straight Armlock as well as what to do if the opponent escapes by pulling their arm out.
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Clinch (Aggressive Opponent)
Most martial arts rely heavily on the use of strikes to defeat the opponent. This strategy may work against a smaller opponent, but is very risky against a larger, more athletic opponent who could potentially knock you out each time you put yourself in range to strike them. The best strategy is to establish a clinch and take the fight to the ground where you can conserve energy, neutralize strikes, and win the fight with ease. The key to establishing a clinch on an aggressive opponent is to understand that there are two safe distances in a fight: all the way out, or all the way in.
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Shrimp Escape - Side Mount
Against a much larger opponent, there is a good chance that you will find yourself on the bottom of the fight. If this happens, the safest thing to do is to get your opponent in your guard, because from there, you can neutralize punches and win the fight. If your opponent is able to get past your guard, you will need to use the Shrimp Escape to put them back where they belong. In this lesson you will learn three variations of the Shrimp Escape, starting with the Block and Shoot Variation.
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Body Fold Takedown
Instead of exchanging punches with a larger opponent, we recommend that you establish the clinch and take them to the ground where you can exhaust and submit them. Once you establish the clinch, there is a good chance that they will get desperate and try to hit you in the face. In doing so, they will lean back and unknowingly create the perfect opportunity for the Body Fold Takedown.
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Double Ankle Sweep
Your most important task from the bottom of the guard is to avoid all knockout punches. Depending on what your opponent does from within your guard, there are many techniques you can use to reverse the position or win the fight. One situation in which your opponent is vulnerable for a sweep is when they stand up directly over you to throw punches from within the guard. The Double Ankle sweep is a premium example of how leverage and timing can overcome size and strength. In this lesson you will learn two variations of this powerful sweep.
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Guillotine Choke (Guard Pull)
In a street fight, your opponent will most likely try to defeat you using one of two methods: 1) knock you out while standing, or 2) tackle you and then knock you out on the ground. You have already learned how to establish the clinch if they attempt to knock you out while standing. If instead, they try to tackle you, you should resort immediately to the Guillotine Choke. In this lesson you will learn the Basic Application first, and then you will learn the two variations that you can resort to in a street fight.
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Some sexual predators will use weapons to intimidate and control their victims. In this lesson, we address the psychological aspects of dealing with an assailant armed with a gun or knife, and then we teach you the most reliable techniques to use if your life is on the line and you MUST act.
Weapon Defenses (Straight Armlock/ Kimura Armlock):
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Headlock Escape 2 - Side Mount
Headlocks are one of the most common attacks in street fights. If you can anticipate the headlock before it happens, chances are you will be able to use Headlock Escape 1, the Frame Escape, to neutralize the threat. If you are caught by surprise, and don’t have enough time to use the first option, you can resort to the option number two - the Leg Hook Escape. In this lesson, you will learn the Standard Leg Hook escape along with two variations that you might need if the opponent resists.
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Clinch (Conservative Opponent)
The goal in a fight is to avoid getting knocked out, establish the clinch, and get the fight to the ground where we can neutralize the opponent with greater efficiency. The easiest time to do this is when your opponent commits to attacking you aggressively. For this reason, it is best to keep the distance and wait for their attack if at all possible. In the event that your opponent approaches you conservatively during the fight, and you would like to close the distance, you can use the “surprise entry” method to establish the clinch.
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Kimura Armlock - Guard
The Kimura shoulder lock was named after the Japanese Jiu-Jitsu champion, Masahiko Kimura, after he used the technique against Helio Gracie in 1951. Although this technique can be applied from several different positions, we have chosen to teach it to you from the bottom of the guard, since that is where you are most likely to end up against a larger opponent. In the first slice you will learn the Basic Application, then we’ll discuss two reliable variations that can be applied from the guard.
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Leg Hook Takedown
Your goal in any one-on-one physical altercation should be avoid dangerous punches while standing, and then get the fight to the ground where you can more effectively control and defeat your opponent. The safest place to be in a fight, while standing, is in a clinch. From the clinch, your opponent’s striking power is almost entirely eliminated. You will learn how to close the distance and establish the clinch in a future lesson. In this lesson, we will teach you how to take the opponent down once you get there.
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The highest level of confidence is displayed when a child uses their skills to protect someone else. In this chapter, the emphasis is to give children the permission and the techniques to stand up for others when they feel empowered to do so. We also remind them that even when they have the opportunity to help, it’s not a requirement, especially if they don’t feel safe.
Reflex Development - Mount Focus Class Preview
In this class we'll bring together all of the mount controls, escapes, and submissions with some extra details, bonus slices, and scripted fight simulation drills that will help prepare you for your transition into Master Cycle!
Gracie Combatives Test - Drill 1: Mount Techniques
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Punch Block Series (Stage 5) - Guard
From Stage 4 it is important that you drop your opponent back to Stage 1 as quickly as possible so that you are safest from punches and have the best control over their body. If, while in Stage 4, your opponent is not leaning forward heavily enough to be dropped to Stage 1, it is best to kick them away to Stage 5. In this lesson you will learn how to defend from Stage 5 as well as what to do if the opponent tries to throw your legs aside in their quest for a knockout punch.
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Haymaker Punch Defense
In many cases, the precise movement and aim of your opponent’s strikes are hard to predict. Sometimes, however, your opponent is so eager to attack you that their punch is totally predictable. The Haymaker Punch Defense is used when a determined attacker comes at you from a distance with the objective of putting all of their bodyweight behind one fight-ending punch. Because of this punch’s power and predictability, the best option is to slip underneath it and get behind your opponent.
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If the opponent is in your guard, the goal is to subdue him or get back to your feet. If he gets past your legs and approaches the side mount, all efforts should be dedicated to getting him back inside your guard. In this lesson, we will discuss three reliable methods for reestablishing the guard when the attacker gets around our legs, starting with the Block and Shoot Variation.
Shrimp Escape (Block & Shoot/ Shrimp & Shoot/ Rider):
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Shirt Choke:
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