Fat Guy in a Little Gi #3
Forbidden Knowledge
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge” – Stephen Hawking.
When I started my journey, I found that I was fairly proficient in toe holds. I could slap them on many people with ease and get the tap. A few years later, when I started getting really into BJJ specifically, I found out that my ‘go to’ move wouldn’t be available to me in many tournaments until I was a purple belt! I was flabbergasted, and a little pissed off. How could someone claim to represent the art, by banning something as simple as a toe hold? It wasn’t much longer until I saw firsthand the damage a toe hold could do when applied by a complete beginner to another complete beginner. While the victim’s knee was still intact, his ankle popped so loud that I could hear it from a few mats away. Luckily it was just a severe strain and he was only out a few weeks, but if any more leverage or force and he could have been out for much, MUCH, longer. Yet, even then, I rationalized that I was disciplined enough so I should be able to use them. Then I got caught with one just a year later. A young man I was training put me in a toe hold. I thought I could fight it, but when I realized I wasn’t getting out, it was too late. My ankle went pop and my knee got slightly tweaked (lucky I know). I limped for three weeks and didn’t train. That’s when I realized it wasn’t just about knowing when to let go as an attacker, but about knowing when to give in and tap as a defender as well.
That singular event made me re-evaluate the limitations BJJ has placed on lower belts. Sure I was disciplined enough to apply the hold slowly and with good technique, but would my partner be disciplined enough to tap? Along these lines, I used to think that heel hooks blowing out knees was the stuff of gym legend. Just a bit of research showed me how entirely wrong I was. Could it be that the tournaments had it right?
Even with that though, I lament. If the instructors had taught us what these moves could do, and advised us on how to tap and what to look out for; wouldn’t we then be prepared to use these techniques? Over the years I have watched more and more seemingly ‘run of the mill’ techniques become outlawed or restricted in different venues. In Judo, recently, we have seen that any sort of leg attack is now outlawed, even a Judoka fireman’s carry. In BJJ we have seen leg locks and neck cranks become more and more restrictive. In all grappling, we have seen that the takedown must not ‘slam’ the opponent. All of these are sport aspects designed to give the competitor a longer career. However, it severely limits the self defense aspect of the grappling arts. All this begs the question…
Are we helping or hurting our students?
I am sure all of us in this lifestyle have sat on one side or the other on the debate. Total openness or ‘you’ll learn it when you’re ready’. Depending on what base art and instruction culture they hail from, some practitioners can’t even fathom that the other side could be remotely correct. Luckily, most people can agree to disagree or understand the risks that certain techniques have. Yet the debate always seems to spark passion. To understand it, we need to look into some key ideological differences within some of the base grappling arts. There are literally hundreds of grappling arts, but I am going to only look at four. These four make up my own game and I have had exposure to all of them;
Catch as Catch Can Wrestling
Judo
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Sambo
Additionally I will providing some historical/cultural citations (most of which are links) to help paint the picture of contrasting ideologies of these four arts.
Catch Wrestling
You may look at that small list and immediately notice that I put catch wrestling first. The reason for this, is that catch culture is completely at odds with a lot of submission grappling restrictions. Catch is ruthless, with slams, cranks, and leg locks that are designed to bust cartilage and shred tendons. That isn’t a bad thing. Catch capitalizes on a solid wrestling foundation and adds to it holds and submission that force the opponent to be in a bad position for a pin or suffer a humiliating submission.
Catch is far more aggressive than BJJ and Judo. Many view it as the most aggressive grappling arts in general (I disagree to an extent, but in the right practitioners hands it definitely can be). It is less about baiting and more about forcing your opponent to mess up. To quote Sal Bandini from Ready to Rumble “Don't let up until you hear cartilage snap, or they crap in their pants.” That pretty much sums up the culture of catch wrestling (albeit humorously and not entirely accurate, you can tap out before you crap your pants). However, due to this aggressive culture, catch is often seen as ‘brutish’ among the grappling arts. Yet watching a catch wrestler work is a thing of brutal beauty. Each movement measured, each submission used to set up the opponent for something worse. Personally speaking, the catch wrestlers I have met have a higher drive and professionalism on the mats than some of the other arts. One must also note, that catch uses cranks, leg locks, and big slams without many instances of career ending accidents; even though catch tournaments are traditionally ‘no holdsbarred’ (that is literal).
One down side, is we don’t see many catch wrestlers continue to train after their 40th year. The years of brutality do take their toll on a body. The ones that do continue to train, have learned how to defend themselves early in their career, and are often at the pinnacle of their chosen art.
Quick overview of catch culture here (it isn’t much but it hits the important parts)
Judo
Jigoro Kano’s Ju Jitsu, Kodokan Judo, is precursor BJJ, and also has a huge influence on Sambo (one of its founders was a second degree Judoka under Jigoro Kano himself). While it mainly focuses on the takedown, Judo is a complete grappling art. It came into being for many reasons, but primarily because Kano’s scholarly dedication to Ju Jitsu and keeping the dying Japanese martial arts alive. Due to his education and his relationship with high level politicians, Kano was able to secure a foothold as the founder of Japan’s national self defense art. During this time, scores of Ju Jitsu and other martial arts masters brought their teachings to Kano, in hopes that he would keep their teachings alive within his new system. Since its foundation, Judo had always been approached by practitioners with a scholarly or philosophical dedication. Students would incorporate other arts (such as wrestling) into their ‘game’ to ensure they were continuing to develop. Jigoro Kano even fireman carried and pinned a rival Ju Jitsu teacher during a demonstration, to show that the practitioner must always be willing to learn and use techniques to better themselves.
Sadly, the current Judo competition atmosphere seems to have moved away from this. While Judo schools still teach leg attacks and takedowns, they are no longer allowed competition. In fact, you cannot even touch an opponent’s legs anymore, or else you will be disqualified. Some say it is to preserve the art, others have valid arguments against certain takedowns (scissors takedowns can blast knees EASY), yet most I speak with say it is for the same reason- a fear that traditional wrestlers will dominate the competition. While I don’t subscribe to that theory as a primary, it has sparked a huge debate over the integrity of Judo.
This book is an amazing look into the philosophical ideologies of early Judoka including the founder himself.
The Way of Judo – A portrait of Jigoro Kano and His Student by John Stevens
Also this website has a transcript of Kano’s own writings on Judo
http://judoinfo.com/kano2.htm
BJJ
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or Gracie Jiu Jitsu for some of you who prefer, is a gentle art. It focuses on technique and leverage. By design, you should be able to negate your opponent with minimal effort and gentle repose. This gentleness and focus on using an opponent’s own movements against them, is what allowed both Grandmasters Carlos and Helio Gracie to participate and train until they left the world for the big mat in the sky. It is not uncommon to find 50yr+ white belts in a BJJ academy. The bjj lifestyle is supposed to be about patience, commitment, dedication, and bettering yourself. When competitors do go hard, they are less brute force, and more heavy pressure (there is a viable difference between the two).
By design, BJJ strives to keep its practitioners safe. It is an art that is self defense at heart, sport secondly. While ‘modern’ BJJ seems to be more sport than self defense, it doesn’t change the original ideology of being able to survive in any situation. With self preservation at its core, it is a small wonder that BJJ has started to really regulate the techniques allowed at the lower levels. Keeping the practitioners safe is within the base ideology of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. That being said, some schools do not adequately prepare their fighters against neck cranks and, more pressing, leg locks. Many do not even begin to play with leg locks until blue or purple belt. If a white belt attempts an MMA fight or a No-Gi tournament, it may place them at a potentially large disadvantage.
Sambo
Sambo is an acronym created from the phrase; Samozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, or self defense without weapons. It was created to be a complete military self defense system, designed to equip the Red Army’s soldiers with a system that would allow them to negate any enemy in hand to hand combat. It is no small wonder that Sambo practitioners are extremely intense when they work on the mat. Still in use today by the Russian military, most of Russia’s top Judo players, wrestlers and MMA fighters all have experience in the sporting arm of Sambo . With the original system designed for military purposes the intent of survival and elimination can still be found in the drive of even the sporting competitors.
Similar to MMA, Sambo utilizes strikes, takedowns, and submission holds to render an opponent unable to continue. It is best known in the grappling world for its dedication to leg locks and slick transitional takedowns. Knee bars, calf locks/slicers, heel hooks, ankle locks etc, all make the Sambo practitioner dangerous. Students of Sambo learn these techniques very early and use them often. Whereas BJJ tends to wait for higher level belts before these techniques are taught. Yet, even as these techniques are taught, there is a strict competition limitation (depending on the type of Sambo competition; in sport Sambo there are limitations, in Combat Sambo there are not). For example; Novichok (novice) practitioners may compete in sport Sambo or Combat Sambo but the allowable locks would differ in each, the leg locks used in sport Sambo are much more similar to those used in BJJ competitions with the exception that Sambo promotes leg reaping, while all leg locks are legal in Combat Sambo including heel hooks.
While I don’t like using Wikipedia as a source (even if colleges are starting to allow it), this article is really well done
THE MOVES THEMSELVES
Now that we have explored some of the founding ideologies and can see some of the differences between four different grappling arts; let’s look at some of the moves themselves and what each of the four’s views on them are. I’m purposely hitting on the most controversial. I also am adding my personal ‘fat guy’ view on each one.
SLAMMING and SPIKING
Slamming is a big no-no for a lot of grappling competitions. The difference between a throw and a slam boils down to two things, intent and control. If the intent is to do gratuitous harm to your opponent and you chuck them with all of your might and don’t arrest their momentum, they get slammed and you get kicked off the mat.
Spiking on the other hand is when you deliberately throw your opponent headfirst into the mat. Anyone can immediately spot the dangers of this, but for the sake of completeness, let me show you a video on what can happen. Warning, not for the feint of heart;
NO ONE endorses spiking, except in possible self defense situations (and even those that do endorse it for self defense are rare).
Catch wrestling’s view
Every catch wrestler I have asked loves slams. They have been slammed and have slammed people. There are no qualms to putting every ounce of strength into a throw to capitalize on damage. However, that being said, they always strive for control. Rarely have I seen a catch wrestler launch an opponent without either maintaining grip on impact or body positioning on impact. They do this so they can secure the pin or position immediately following the throw.
JUDO
When I talk to Judoka about slamming they often look at me like I’m completely stupid. I gather the reason for this, is they take great pride in maintaining control during their throws. If they lose control, they could potentially get disqualified. However that being said, I have seen some powerful throws that had forces of impact far higher than any slam I’ve seen, and they were legal.
BJJ
No slams, and throws must be super controlled. In reality, it is no different than Judo.
Sambo
The most vicious slam I have ever seen was the Randal-plex done to Fedor. Fedor was belly to belly thrown and spiked by Kevin Randal. The commenter even said ‘we may have just watched the first death in MMA’. Yet, in true Last Emperor fashion, Fedor shook it off as nothing and ended up winning the battle. When asked afterwards if he thought he was in danger after that throw, he replied ‘no, it happens all the time when I train’. That is the reality of Sambo training. Slams are ‘just part of the game’. Just like with catch wrestling, Sambo views slamming as not only valid, but trains them as part of their game plan. In fact Sambo allows all throws of Wrestling, Judo, and regional styles of traditional wrestling form around the old Soviet Bloc, in fact Sambo even contains takedowns from Bear wrestling (Zacep Goloni). In fact some of the highest amplitude throws come to international Judo competition via Sambo including the Georgian pick-up, Flying armbar, Fireman’s Carry, The Belly to Belly (Brosk Cherez Grud) and many belt grip and over the back grip throws that have been performed with notable Russian style. Although many of these techniques existed before Sambo, they were not seen in competition and certainly not used in an offense all or nothing manner that the Russians are famous for.
The Polar Bears View:
Slamming force for me has always been something I expect when I’m thrown. I have been slammed many times over my career and honestly it has been a nice change of pace practicing BJJ and not having to worry about excessive throwing force. If you are going into MMA, train getting slammed, if you are staying in the BJJ/Sub Grappling scene, train slams just in case. How do you train slams? Get thrown. Get thrown a lot-on GOOD MATS, or a throw pad. Learn how to fall and practice break falls from a competent instructor. I hate getting slammed, at 265lbs (still losing though!) that is a lot of force to come down on my body. Yet, when I am slammed (and it happens) I know I can fight through it. Also, by learning how to take a slam, you also learn how to manipulate your body, which; just in case, can help you to maneuver your body to stop from being spiked should you find yourself in that situation.
HEEL HOOKS (and other toe/leg locks)
The long debated technique, pinnacle of forbidden knowledge. Heel hooks are extremely dangerous; causing damage to the knee joint, ACL/MCL, lower leg tendons, and ankle. These attacks are extremely effective and often times easy to snatch because people don’t prepare for them early enough in their training path. The same can be true of other leg locks and toe holds.
Catch
Teaches them and loves them, in fact they love every leg lock as they use them to set up pins. Escaping leg locks tends to force people into bad position and wrestlers use that position to secure dominance. Catch loves all leg locks in fact. Here is Erik Paulson’s (dude’s a beast!) heel hook from mounted, in my opinion pretty legit;
Judo
No leg attacks, OUTLAWED
BJJ
Depending on the tournament, brown or black belts are the only ones allowed to do heel hooks. Very rarely do I even hear of schools teaching heel hooks to belts below brown. Toe holds are forbidden until purple belt in most tournaments and often the only leg attacks that are legal are straight ankle (white) and straight knee bars (blue).
Sambo
Taught early, used early, and used to great effect; the heel hook is a staple in the Sambo practitioners diet. In fact all leg locks are. Yet, while they are learning the move, they are also taught to tap when they feel the pressure of the move, not the pain. It is an important point that I personally feel should transcend to all grappling arts at a young level.
My view
I hate heel hooks for junior practitioners during live rolling. I hate them because junior practitioners are stupid (yes, I include myself in that list). Pride hasn’t been tempered yet and in arrogance we tend to fight pressure when we really should just tap. That said; I do believe everyone should learn to defend them, avoid them, and use them. In a self defense situation, the heel hook should be a last resort, but it should be a resort none the less.
Straight leg locks however, I feel less passionate about juniors not using them. The pain from a Straight ankle lock especially comes on quick but the chance for real damage is low. I trust even the newest practitioners to tap when placed in these positions. Non twisting locks should be a staple of every practitioner from a very early place in their training path.
Toe Holds and Kneebars are techniques that both require care when training with your partner. The Kneebar (in Sambo) is seen as the hardest leg lock to master and the pinnacle of the art. A master of the Kneebar will snap knee ligaments before you can feel any pain. However the true intricacies of the Kneebar are not widely known or taught and generally the novice practitioner applies direct backwards pressure to their opponents knee, much like an armbar effectively alleviating much of the risks of the lock, as opposed to a master who will target one side of the knee. Toe holds similarly (and even ‘ straight’ ankle locks) are fairly safe at the novice level; however care must still be taken, a master can put twist on even a ‘straight’ lock or increase the pressure of a toe hold and severely damage the ankle.
SCISSOR TAKEDOWN
The reason the scissor takedown is included is because it used to be THE flash takedown in the 80’s and early 90’s action movie scene (it even shows up in Three Ninjas…go watch it, terrible right? But wasn’t it great?). So why is it outlawed? Honestly, because people can’t control their opponent’s reaction and/or can’t be trusted to maintain control. If your opponent steps back when you shoot, or you hit their knee instead of their calf (or waist depending on leg) you run the HIGH risk of blowing out your opponent’s knee. It isn’t a safe takedown. So it has been outlawed in numerous grappling tournaments.
Catch
I haven’t actually seen much of the scissor takedown in catch, except by Erik Paulson (dude’s a beast!). What I have heard though, is it is taught to intermediate practitioners. I actually don’t know this for certain though, so any of you catch guys/gals out there please shoot me a line. I love the education!
JUDO
It used to be common on the mats until it was outlawed in 1980. Kani Basami was outlawed due to an increase in prolonged injuries on the Judo circuit.
BJJ
Since the IBJJF creation, scissor takedowns have not been legal. *note, I had a forum mod tell me they used to be legal, but I could find no supporting documentation*
Sambo
Legal and used effectively to set up some of the slickest, meanest, most evil of ankle locks and heel hooks (here is one from Master Instructor Vadim Kolganov)
My view
I have a really hard time with this one. The value of the scissor take down lies in its sneaky setup, but for me, it is hard to outweigh the risk of losing position for the possibility of the quick finish. Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful move and no one can argue with its dynamic flash; but the risk is far too great for me to have it firmly in my arsenal. I believe at brown belt, or higher levels, I will probably feel a little different, but the risk of damage will still be there. Risk of losing position and risk of permanently damaging my opponent, will keep this technique out of my box of tricks for some time I feel.
NECK CRANKS
The neck crank is one of the more dangerous techniques out there, because just a little bit too much pressure can actually break the neck. This can lead to paralysis and in rare cases even death. The good news is it is easy to feel when that pressure is getting close in most situations. The bad news is, unless you tap, your opponent won’t know.
Catch
Catch loves neck cranks, they adore neck cranks. Nothing makes someone scramble and panic so much as to feel the pressure on their neck slowly pop each vertebra. Since catch wrestlers tend to be bulky, it makes sense that they would gravitate towards the more brutal neck crank than the more finesse based chokes of other arts. Further, when applying certain chokes, catch wrestlers have the option to turn a failed choke into a neck crank (or jaw crank). Here again is the man Erik Paulson with a sweet crank;
JUDO
To be honest, I have never heard of a neck crank in Judo before this blog. Come to find out, they do exist in the art, although they are not allowed in competition. This is partly due to the limited amount of time one has on the ground in Judo, and also due to the extreme dangers they posses. However, it is good to know the art continues to teach them.
BJJ
Neck cranks in BJJ are illegal until the higher levels. The reason for this is because young practitioners won’t tap to pressure until they feel pain. By then it can be too late.
Sambo
Interestingly, Sambo doesn’t genuinely teach neck cranks until after the practitioner graduates out of their novice level (this depends on what style they are learning: combat or sport). The reason for this: spinal locks and chokes are not yet allowed in sport Sambo and thusly cannot be utilized. However they are included in the combat Sambo curriculum and they do have some pretty nice cranks (check this one out, also some cool kimura notes)
My view
I love neck cranks. I tap early because I understand the pressure and I lock them slowly for the same reason. Plus, I am fairly good at turning cranks into air chokes and chokes into cranks. I think they need to be taught early and utilized early; however I do believe it needs to be reserved for those who have been in the art for a while (after a year or so). The reason for this, is people will have started to learn the difference between a clean choke and painful yet unsuccessful neck crank. They will realize the difference between the pressure of a failed choke and the pressure of a properly applied neck crank.
Closing remarks
I am interested to hear from our community here on what they feel. This wasn’t written to stir up the controversy, but more to invite the debate and exchange of philosophies. Even though I am only a blue belt in BJJ, I have been in this culture for many years. I started fighting for self defense and that is where a lot of my personal ideology comes from.
Safe rolling in 2014 everyone! OSS!
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