Trap and Roll Escape
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In a real fight, the goal is to achieve the top position once the fight goes to the ground; the problem is that things don’t always go according to plan. Against a larger attacker, you are likely to end up on the bottom of the mount position which is the single worst place to be in a fight. From this position, the top person can strike or strangle you at will and you cannot effectively strike back. The worst part about trying to escape the mount without an effective strategy is the panic you experience and the extreme exhaustion it will inevitably cause.

The Trap and Roll Escape is a simple, reliable way to remove your opponent from atop of you. In this lesson you will learn three variations of the Trap and Roll starting with the Standard Variation.

Leg Hook Takedown
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Your goal in any one-on-one physical altercation should be avoid dangerous punches while standing, and then get the fight to the ground where you can more effectively control and defeat your opponent. The safest place to be in a fight, while standing, is in a clinch. From the clinch, your opponent’s striking power is almost entirely eliminated. You will learn how to close the distance and establish the clinch in a future lesson. In this lesson, we will teach you how to take the opponent down once you get there.

Twisting Arm Control - Mount

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The beauty of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is that it enables you to defeat virtually anyone while controlling the amount of damage you inflict. The Twisting Arm Control is premium example of this because you can use it to set up a choke, straight armlock, or simply control your opponent until they surrender. In this lesson, you will first learn how to set up and maintain the Twisting Arm Control, and then you will learn two reliable finishing options.

Rear Takedown

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When you establish the clinch, your opponent’s arm may end up over your head. In some cases it happens inadvertently, in other cases it’s a deliberate attempt to catch you in a Guillotine Choke. Either way, any time your head ends up under your opponent’s arm, you can use it to transition into the Rear Clinch control position, from where you can set up the Rear Takedown. In this lesson you will learn how to transition from front to back of your opponent as well as how to take them down once you get there.

Clinch (Aggressive Opponent)

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Most martial arts rely heavily on the use of strikes to defeat the opponent. This strategy may work against a smaller opponent but is very risky against a larger, more athletic opponent who could just as easily knock you out every time you put yourself in range to strike them. The best strategy is to establish a clinch and take the fight to the ground where you can preserve energy, neutralize punches, and win the fight with ease. The key to establishing a clinch on an aggressive opponent is to understand that there are two safe distances in a fight: all the way out or all the way in.

Americana Armlock - Mount

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The goal in the fight is to achieve the mount, exhaust your opponent, and then win the fight. Punching your opponent from the mount can be effective but is exhausting, risks your balance, and could injure your opponent more seriously than desired. We prefer to use leverage-based submissions instead so that we can maintain better control of our opponent and save energy. The Americana Armlock is a highly effective submission that can be used with minimal effort to defeat a larger opponent. First, you will learn the Basic Application and then two variations that could be used in combat.