Author Archive

• Clinch to Guard Pull – Sometimes you will get the clinch on someone that is larger than you and may have some experience or is just too strong to control. If they are getting out of the clinch and you feel like they are too strong you need to pull them into the guard. 
  • switch from clinch to underhooking the shoulders. Step your feet wide and use your legs to drive backwards and pull the bad guy into your guard.
  • once inside the guard make sure your feet are locked around the bad guys back and that you’re controlling their head and arm in stage one.
• Scissor Sweep – Once you end up in the guard you don’t want to stay there too long. You want to use the guard to establish a dominate position.
  • From the guard control the head and the arm. Sit your hip out to the opposite side to create space for inserting the knee across the stomach. 
  • Insert knee across stomach and make sure your hook is in place on the bad guys hip (keeps them from pulling back or jumping to sidemount. 
  • Pull the bad guy forward and execute the scissor motion with your legs. You should end up in mount. 
  • Use mount control techniques as soon as you are in the mount.
• Push Sweep – Sometimes the bad guy has a good base and spreads their knees out wide to prevent you from sweeping them. This is where we use the push sweep.
  • Start by executing the scissor sweep. If the bad guy spreads his knees out wide to prevent the scissor sweep you switch to push sweep immediately. 
  • Place the chop leg foot on the bad guys knee. 
  • Pull the bad guy forward as you push the knee and drive with your knee that is in their stomach.
  • End in Mount.
• Straight Armlock – You may have to get the bad guy to quit by placing them in a submission. Remember that when submitting someone it’s important that you use good judgement. If you don’t have to break something, DON’T!
  • Place both hand on their chest and put your weight on the bad guy.
  • Invert the front leg and Pivot around the bad guy while maintaining control of their arm.
  • Swing the back leg around and over the bad guys head.
  • Pull the wrist back while keeping the thumb pointed up. Make sure you (squeeze your knees together, drive your feet down and pull your heels in).

Establishing the Clinch (Review)

• Measure distance to make sure nobody gets hurt.
• Step correctly.
• Block by combing hair with front arm/hand and covering the other side of face with arm/hand.
• Make contact with bad guys chest and wrap arms around.
• Front hand grabs wrist of arm that is wrapped around bad guy.
• Hips in and head to chest listening to heart beat.

Headlock Escape (Standing)

• Control bad guys far arm to avoid from being punched.
• Step back foot near bad guys foot. Your front foot will be between the attacker’s legs.
• Block bad guy’s far knee.
• Sit and spin ending in modified mount.

The next “Women In Control” women’s self-defense class will start September 6th. The class will take place on Saturdays from 9-10am. Early registration discounts are available. To learn more or to register visit the “women’s class” page.

Sincerely,

X-Factor BJJ

Hello from Phoenix. Man it is hot out here. It’s been around 116 every day since we’ve been here. It’s a lot dryer heat, however, don’t believe people when they say, “yeah, but it’s a dry heat”. Let me tell you 116 is 116 even if it’s 3% humidity. This has been a working vacation in the since that I’ve had to work my Nortel job from the hotel. I have been fortunate enough to be able to train a little Jiu-jitsu during my stay. Last night I trained with Wellington “Megaton” Dias. Megaton is a 4th degree black belt under Royler Gracie and has won several big time tournaments. I rolled with him last night and he showed me why I need to continue training. I miss all of you at the school and hope that you’re training is going well. I want to thank James, Larry, Steve and all of the other guys that have been teaching in my absence. Take care and see you all soon.

Shannon

• Establishing Clinch (Agressive Opponents)
  • Step back when bad guy is stepping forward
  • When you decide to close the distance, block with forearm (remember fingers combing hair). Block other side of head to prevent hook. Slide in until your arms hit their chest.
  • Wrap and secure grip with front arm grabbing rear wrist.
  • Hips in tight and head secured to bad guys chest
• Leg Hook Takedown
  • Done once clinch is established.
  • Indicator = Bad guy has wide stance.
  • Take setup step
  • With outside leg hook bad guys leg (calf to calf) then pick his leg off the ground while pivoting slightly.
  • Release hook when balance is broken then step forward to prevent a crash landing.
  • Release grip before you go to the ground
  • End in mounted position
• Positional Controls (from Mount)
  • Superman Drill (working on good hip pressure) knees off the ground
  • Back hook in Front knee open, preventing bad guy from moving us off laterally.
  • Low Swim (preventing our arm from getting trapped and the bad guy rolling us over.
  • High Swim (preventing the bad guy from bench pressing us off.

I’m pleased to announce that we have settled on a date to have the women’s self-defense course here at X-Factor. The course will start on Tuesday July 1st at 7pm. The course will be 1 hour for 5 weeks. The cost of the course will be $125. If a mother and daughter would like to come the cost will be $75 for the daughter. We will be teaching women how to use the strong parts of their bodies against the weak parts of a man’s body in order to escape an attack. We will also be going over situational awareness, risk assessment & mitigation and attack prevention techniques. All of this will help to build a woman’s self-confidence which can help deter would be attackers. We will be accepting the first 30 participants to sign up. To reserve your spot please email shannon@xfactorbjj.com and pay below using google.

Sincerely,

X-Factor Staff

We will be having the official “Bring a Friend Night” starting this Thursday night. Every Thursday night will be “Bring a Friend Night”. If you’ve wanted to bring a friend, but just can’t seem to get them to come, this is a great opportunity to get them involved. This night will be a time when they can come to class with absolutely no comittment and they will be partnered with you so they are comfortable and you can help them. Once they see the combatives program and how easy it is to learn they will love it.

• Punching Technique:
  • Jab (1) – Show how to correctly throw a jab with Jab step and catch-up step
  • Cross (2) – Show how to correctly throw a cross while correctly protecting with opposite hand and generating power with hip/shoulder movement.
• Muay Thai Leg Kick:
  • Leg Kick – Show how to correctly kick to the leg with a Thai kick. Demonstrate how to turn pivot foot so that you can kick with the correct angle.
• Sprawl:
  • Show how to sprawl to prevent being taken down. Feet shoot back while blocking with forearms and shooting your hips into the opponent.
• Take the Back:
  • Cross face the head to the side you’re going to turn to. Keep legs away so they can’t reach them and take you backwards. Go to back and demonstrate proper hook and arm insertion to achieve the back position.

We want to invite everyone to come out and watch the UFC fights this Saturday evening. We will plan on getting together at 8:00pm at the gym. Families are invited. Please bring something comfortable to sit in. We usually all bring something for everyone to snack and your own drinks. We will also be taking donations to help pay for the fight. Come and support Travis Lutter as he destroys Rich Franklin. Go Travis!

See you all Saturday night!

I just wanted to congratulate the following guys for their recent promotion to blue belt.

• James Price
• Darreyl Harmon
• Steve Myers