I usually play a fair amount of half guard, but I'm so tired of having guys grab my head brabo-like and put the pressure on. Or they do a cradle-type thing. I never end up tapping to this stuff, but I am tired of the sore neck that I have afterwards. I'm thinking it can't be good for my health, long-term.
So instead of putting people in half-guard, I'm going to focus on working the basic guard recovery move (EKE) and working the basic open guard with feet on hips, and the closed guard.
in your half guard, why not try playing the game of (with their right leg in your half guard and them off to your right) trying to get underneath them, initially trying to take them to your left. the game is covered somewhat on saulo's dvd's. from their you can go to x guard, scissor x guard, or out the back door. there aren't a lot of opportunities for the top guy to brabo if you get your initial off balancing moves to work.
Chickenfeet, I have a tendency to agree with you, but not because of the pain factor. I have realized lately that my half guard game only works for sport jiu-jitsu or submission grappling, but it would straight up get me killed in a fight. Once punches are thrown into the mix, much of the fancy half guard stuff is nullified. I think it would serve me much better to be an expert at recovering traditional guard.
Chickenfeet, I have a tendency to agree with you, but not because of the pain factor. I have realized lately that my half guard game only works for sport jiu-jitsu or submission grappling, but it would straight up get me killed in a fight. Once punches are thrown into the mix, much of the fancy half guard stuff is nullified. I think it would serve me much better to be an expert at recovering traditional guard.
only a Blue with a couple stripes but I use the brabo chains alot and I'd say the biggest things that stop my brabo chain is
1st-Stephan Kesting guitar whizzer escape
2nd- locks me down and destroys my base
3rd-places shin across my ribs scissor style and explodes to his knees for a half and half sweep.
4th- replaces the overhook and works the omoplata or overhook sweep game.
5th-begins to stand using a version of the (sit up guard).
on the otherside of the Brabo He might not be trying to tap you but baiting you to defend by going to your knees therefore giving up your back and he probally knows you will want to roll back to a guard or atleast flip back to guard but of course you dont want to let him achieve that goal.
Jrockwell has a good brabo vid on youtube that explains what I am talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Q-OqiIt2A
it's not the brabo that's getting me. it's the neck-cranking stuff. I most get it from the newer guys who don't know the brabo -- they just grab my neck and crank.
They don't really do the brabo per se, but it's similar. It sucks.
plus, I really need to work on my closed guard game. I've been doing this for over 4 years and my closed guard is wayyy behind where it should be...
If you like to play half guard, especially with an underhook, it can be very useful in a fight. Wrestling really compliments this position, drilling going from your hip to your knees and gettting a double. In a fight, competition or mma setting, you just need to be really aggresive going hip to hip, making sure the top guy never gets to get his balance.
ya man i feel you, when some strong dude that's 30 lbs heavier grabs your neck and pulls you can either tap or wake up sore... i used to wake up sore, now i'm 34 years old.
Ajm1218,
Honestly I have more success with escaping to my knees from under side control, and hitting a single or switching off to a double from there, than I do from half guard.
I stopped playing much half guard since it was hurting my shoulder (the bottom one). Plus I didn't enjoy the "head squeeze."
Now I play half-butterfly instead, or deep half guard. You can lay flat.
Hargreaves thanks for your post. I have trouble being braboo'd in halfguard, so your tips will help me
i don't really understand how you are getting neck cranked, you should be able to take the guys back if he is getting to your head with his underhook side arm.
A lot of guys will do a pseudo-guillotine/gi choke with the arm that you slap the kimura on, i.e. the one that you are not underhooking. That's how the neck crank comes on. You aren't likely to get choked for a tap with it, it's just very annoying and painful.
"Honestly I have more success with escaping to my knees from under side control, and hitting a single or switching off to a double from there, than I do from half guard."
sit thru ?
"A lot of guys will do a pseudo-guillotine/gi choke with the arm that you slap the kimura on, i.e. the one that you are not underhooking"
thanks for elucidating. actually, there was a ufc fight where a dude straight up arm-in guillotined from that position, so there are definitely a variety of choke dangers there. but, when he goes to grab your head, you need to move under him and go for that saulo series or bravo's 'electric chair'- this will cause him to either stand where he cannot reach your head or base out with that hand.
Are you simply not prioritising the protection from him controlling you head to little? If you are of a similar skill as your opponent, simply holding the elbow of the under hooking arm close to your body and his furthest bicep away with our bottom arm should protect from both the guillotines and the brabo. I think its much harder to avoid the brabo in nogi thou.
I am just a featherweight blue belt, and I can keep most guys from controlling my head for the most of the time. Using both hands on your opponents far away bicep is often useful before going for an old school or something similar.
edited