I like too keep my game pretty rooted in the fundamentals, I enjoy cross training in freestyle wrestling with my BJJ, I like too be on top position when ever possible, my knees are too shot for De La Riva to ever be a major technique for me and double guard pulling 50/50 battles bore me, I came from an MMA background and like to keep my grappling for the most part rooted in techniques that would be useful in a real fight. Some would call this "old school BJJ" style, I dunno how I feel about that, I see nothing wrong with "new school techniques" but its just never going to be my game. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to train like this just like I don't see anything wrong with people who want to do Berimbolos all day everyday, that's the beauty of BJJ it can be what you want it to be. But lately I am questioning whether its possible to have any success in competition without adopting this modern style of open guard game, especially in lighter weight categories like mine (featherweight). I love competing but I am getting a little deflated with it, do I need to move up a couple of weight classes to find some where my style will have more success ? do I just need to give up on IBJJF style comps all together ? does anyone know any good videos or instructional's on the theme of dealing with the modern berimbolo/de la riva game without having to make it your game ?
Hey Gripfighter. I have a question about "modern style of open guard game". Are you specifically saying something about open guard, or would saying "modern style of guard game" be the same as what you are saying and the "open" is not necessary? I don't know the answer to your question, but I think part of the answer is it depends on the ruleset. As for winning in competition, I've never encountered a champion that in some way was not a freak of nature. They always had something about them that was more than the statistics on paper.
I don't really understand your question, I mean guard pulling, lots of inverting, 50/50 sweeps, lots of de la riva use always looking for the berimbolo style of jitz 90 percent of guys in the lower weight categories use these days. I am not looking to be a world champion just want to be able to do well in my local comps and find I need to deal with this game allot, I am asking if anyone is successful at countering it or is it a losing battle even trying.
I was asking if it was important that it was an open guard or not. Or ANY modern guard is what you were referring to. You sort of answered with pulling guard, since that could result in a closed or half-guard, not just open guard. Sorry I'm not much help.
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iLXmD9Us7vc[/ame] saulo showing how to block the dlr guard. You need to learn how to block and also counter dlr, inversions etc. How to block guard pulls - get better at passing, and learn to guard pull yourself. how to block dlr, point your front knee outwards and learn dlr yourself how to counter berminbolo, - hip angle and pressure, or learn to counter berimbolo them. fundamentals that dont work consistently, arnt fundamentals yet.
http://bjjscout.com/2013/08/18/positional-studies-crossface-counters-rodolfo-v-buchecha/ This is likely one of your core problems, depending on how to you crossface, crossfaces dont always stop inversions. [ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N6gu84DhxR4[/ame] xande showing how to pass the berimbolo
I've never had too many problems in comps. I do DLR but not often. Defending any guard technique pretty much has the same principles. Rip any grips they get, shut down their hips etc. I learn mma and bjj and I've never had many problems in the cross over.
If your knees are shot, dlr can be a torquey position, if so your initial position on top is really importantant. What posture(s) to you use for passing?
Right now using a lot of standing passes. So normally I'll go in at an angle, put them on their back, grab their legs and pass. Also learning to use pressure passes properly.double under, over/under and knee slices.
So when you grab there legs and pass, what posture do you use? Shoulders in front of hips, pike/ bullfighter style? how do you transition from the pike to your pressure passes? Saulo and gunner both use a staggered squat stance initially, dropping Into an alternating square low squat stance.
In my passing strategy I attempt to pass from a split squat position/primate posture first; at a slight angle to deny the de la riva. If they establish a DLR hook I either pop my calf back (knocking the hook away) and re-drive the shin further into the crook of the hooking leg's knee or most commonly angle my attacked leg away from the hook and kick out then look to re-enter. From there I look to knee slide pass or over under pass to the other side. Occasionally I'll pike down and wrap the legs or leg drag and hip switch/drop to side control. I think regarding defeating modern guards in general it helps to know them even if you dont use them, as you know what you need/need to deny. I reckon a solid game of solid basics can defeat a hyper advanced modern open guard game if the attacks/set ups are denied at the appropriate times. Same with leg attacks. I dont need to be super slick at hitting leg attacks or even us ethem but if I can understand what my opponant wants I can attempt to kill that attack at genesis. If you get too deep into any game you arent super solid with then you are facing an increaseing risk of defeat. My biggest problems are defeating good spider guard players and guys with heavy leg lock orientated games. I find butterfly and DLR pretty easy to deal with. In general, if I'm mindful of posture, pressure and position I can either survive or escape the sweep sub attempts in my opponant's guard (what ever the guard) but its the grips that get me and higher level players tend to best me in grip fighting and sweep me when I'm compromising myself there.
I understand I need to have a handle on these positions to know how to defend them, I understand there are counters I need to learn and I understand I definitely need to bring my guard passing up to speed with my wrestling (lack of lighter weight training partners that are going to spend lots of time trying to sweep me is definitely a problem in this regard for me). I get this is all on me to work on this stuff if I want to have success in competition, but even so it just kind of feels this style exploits the IBJJF rules so well in the lighter weight catagories, like if it was a video game it could almost be called a hack, that I am fighting an up hill struggle trying to compete any other way.
its not a hack, its magnified the lack of open guard passing you have, suck it up, and get learning. if saulo and gunnar have to train it, so do you.
If you can impose your game and shut down theirs, it doesn't matter whether you're new or old school. It's about the player's skills, not whether they favor butt scooting and fancy open guards, or grindy top pressure.
The other day I was watching this Draculino vid...roll kimura from half guard.... Then I got to class that night and repped 5 step armbars....was not smooth at all. And all I could think was "you can't even do a smooth armbar from guard and you watch fancy techniques vids? You idiot..."
so i've been thinking about this a lot since you posted. i like to play a lot of different open guards in the gi game, then apply old school pressure when i can. my teacher was a student of carlson gracie, so i've picked up a lot of that kind of intense pressure. plus i'm a bigger guy, so i like using my weight against people. maybe the solution is for you to train more fancy guards. i play a lot of lasso guard for instance. i feel like i can shut down other people's lasso quite easily. just a thought.
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QR96IsHsebc[/ame] [ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p31bdccd6pk[/ame] Kurt showing his oldschool approach. [ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6xQEolIEDVA[/ame]
