Is digging into the pressure point above the knee to pass guard legal?

Discussion in 'Brazilian Jiu Jitsu' started by Morik, Feb 5, 2017.

  1. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    During rolling at the end of class on Thursday I was in my opponent's guard and in order to pass I did something I had learned from my brief stint learning MMA under a submission wrestler: I took my elbow, placed it (not a strike) against his inner thigh just above the knee, and then applied pressure.

    He yelled out a bit in pain and then told me: Hey don't do that I'm not sure if its legal in BJJ in the first place but we train "nice" here. He also said if I do that to someone else that they might get mad and just hit me or something.

    I certainly won't be doing that to him again as it seemed to greatly upset him, and I don't want to upset my fellow students.

    Not quite sure what he meant on the "nice" remark as I've seen instructors show ways to make your opponent uncomfortable in various situations. (E.g., using your forearm to sort of grate their face on the mat in some positions, or cutting off some of their head's blood supply with the cross-face, etc.)

    To my knowledge what I did doesn't cause injury, nor is it a strike, so I hadn't thought not to do it.

    I meant to ask my instructor but forgot, and want to ask here in case I forget by the next class: Is what I did legal in BJJ competitions?
    Is it frowned on?
     
  2. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    It's considered a douche move. However better players will just take your sleeve grip if you do that too so it's probably not worth it in the long run anyway.
     
  3. holyheadjch

    holyheadjch Valued Member

    It's legal, but it's not a nice thing to do to your training partners and it wont work on anyone good, which isn't to say that a good player wont then exact revenge for you being a jerk.
     
  4. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Ok, thanks guys.
    It was taught to me in that MMA class as one of the go-to methods for passing guard; won't use it in bjj.
     
  5. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    It's a "sucker pass"....It works in MMA (low level I might add) because the grappling standard is not as high. In a pure grappling environment it tends to catalyze an aggressive response in my experience
     
  6. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Basically. Like, I had a blue belt intentionally do a rear naked choke into my teeth. I spent the next 5+ minutes making him regret it.
     
  7. icefield

    icefield Valued Member

    This conversation has probably been done to death but if you have to rely on pain moves to make something work rather than sound mechanics you are always going to be in trouble when you try it against someone with sound mechanics who now will also use pain moves on you from a superior position because you just escalated a nice roll into something else
     
  8. Mushroom

    Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

    My wrestling coach would teach a tech, the escape and the 'cheat' escape. Just so we were all aware of all avenues...but I think he just liked hearing everyone go "ow".

    Usually it was some form of pressure point/knuckle rub.
     
  9. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    its legel, doesnt work on any on anyone good, is easily countered, and breaks your posture sideways so isnt great for you even if it does work, which it wont when it matters most.

    ps theres also ways to make it much much stronger, but its still fundamentally flawed.
     
  10. greg1075

    greg1075 Valued Member

    All been said above. It's not a nice move and it will provoke an aggressive response. Technically, it compromises your base, posture and structure and opens up you up for counters. You sure you didn't learn that at NT's school? They do that to open the guard haha ;)
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2017
  11. bouli

    bouli Valued Member

    Legal, yes, douch...yes. Going to pee off your partner probably. Open you to wrist locks? 100 percent.
     

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