On Anderson Silva’s Iron Chin

By Cameron Gidari | Published: March 20, 2012

I saw this video floating around the internet the other day. You don’t survive in the UFC — let alone dominate it — for six years without taking a few stiff punches on the chin, but even still, Anderson Silva seems to have a knack for taking the best shot that his opponent has to offer, then walking forward and asking for more.

At first glance, there isn’t much to say here, other than, ‘Wow, he can take a punch.’ But after watching the montage a couple more times, I started to notice something interesting about the way that Silva absorbes punches. Watch it again, paying special attention to what Silva does with his head right before the punches connect. The slow-motion punch from Dan Henderson at 0:42 and the ground-n-pound display at 0:46 are particularly good examples of what I am talking about.

Look closely and you’ll see that Silva turns or moves his head with the punch a split second before it connects, allowing his head to absorb and flow with the impact. His neck is never stiff, so you don’t see the same sort of violent collision that you would when a punch hits a stationary target. The result is that Silva’s opponent’s look like they’re gently patting his face, rather than trying to disconnect him from his consciousness.

It reminds me a lot of tackling drills during high school football. In those drills, the first thing you learn is to stay relaxed and allow your body to absorb the incoming tackle, rather than tightening up and bracing for impact. The looser you were, the less likely that you were going to get hurt, or in Silva’s case, get knocked out.

A large part of Silva’s standup style stems from his head movement and elusiveness, something that can be traced to his studying of Capoeira, a martial art style that places a greater emphasis on movement and evasion than blocking and covering. When Silva does come under fire, you’ll see him slip and evade far more often than he covers, or in the case of the video above, absorb and return fire.

For 99% of the fighters in the world, this isn’t something I’d recommend trying in your next sparring session. But the video does serve as another subtle example in a long list of reasons why Anderson Silva is the pound-for-pound greatest fighter in the world today.

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MMA Toolbox: Guillotine Choke

By Cameron Gidari | Published: December 14, 2011

Jones locks up a standing guillotine. Photo courtesy of bleacherreport.com

Last Saturday at UFC 140, fans watched UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones choke Lyoto Machida unconscious with a vicious standing guillotine choke.

It was another submission victory for the fast-rising Jones, and a stark contrast to Brian Ebersole’s post-fight speech earlier in the night, where he claimed that in his martial arts experience, the guillotine was a myth.

With all due respect to Mr. Ebersole, we at the TapouTVTC.com blog have found the guillotine to be a very effective fight finisher, especially against wrestlers who are less experienced in submission grappling. That’s why we’ve chosen the guillotine choke for this edition of the MMA Toolbox. And like any submission, knowing how — and more importantly, when — to go for it can make the difference between success and failure.

Pick Your Spot

Before we get into the basics of the guillotine, it’s important that we establish when the proper time to attack for the choke is. And while Jones applied a standing guillotine (which you will be able to do by using the same principles that we will discuss below) we are going to focus on the more-common application of the submission, from the bottom guard position.

Robert Drysdale has already stopped the shot, and now looks for the guillotine

Most of the time, you are going to catch the guillotine when your opponent shoots in for a double-leg takedown, but leaves their head down and neck exposed in the process. From there, it’s a quick transition to synch up your grip, pull guard, and apply the choke. As a fighter with a base in jiu-jitsu, I was always more than happy to fish for the choke, because even if they defended, I was comfortable playing the bottom guard game. Unfortunately, as I began to go against better guys, I started to run into some problems.

First of all, I realized that I was using the guillotine as a crutch for my subpar takedown defense. I was managing to finish matches with the choke, but I was allowing my opponents to get deeper shots while I looked for their neck as a result. If I missed the choke, I had virtually no chance to defend the takedown, and I lost points and matches as a result. So while the guillotine can be a fantastic weapon, always make sure that you’re practicing good sprawl defense and only transitioning to the choke if your line of defense is breached, or after you’ve successfully stuffed the takedown.

Second, and as I mentioned above, sitting for a guillotine requires you to pull guard. Being on your back in a grappling match is one thing, but if you sit for a guillotine and lose it in an MMA match, you’ve put yourself in a disadvantageous position, and you’re going to be punished as a result. Guillotines can also be more difficult to apply when wearing the 4 oz. gloves that are standard in MMA, so know that if you’re going to attempt the choke, you do so at risk of turning the fight in your opponent’s favor.

This isn’t to say that the guillotine is a bad technique, quite the opposite. But just because a guillotine works for you, also recognize that there are risks to attempting it and assess each opportunity carefully.

Proper Positioning

Notice how deep CB Dollaway's opponent's head is buried in his armpit

Like the rear-naked choke, the guillotine is a great submission for beginner students to learn because it doesn’t require a lot of pivoting or body manipulation. For the sake of this instructional, we are going to start with your opponent sitting in your guard, leaning over with their forehead on the mat on the right side of your body. Your right arm snakes over the back of their head, then wraps around and underneath their chin. Your opponent’s head should be buried in your armpit. Make sure that your bicep is close to their neck, rather than close to the floor, which will prevent them from popping their head out.

With your other hand, reach under their head and grab your right wrist (more on the proper grip later). There are two fashions of guillotine, an arm-in guillotine and an arm-out guillotine. With an arm-in guillotine, your opponent’s right arm has become buried in your left armpit in an underhook position, with your arms now wrapped around your opponent’s neck and arm. An arm-in guillotine is much more difficult to finish, since their other arm can be used to create space. Instead, work for an arm-out guillotine, where your arms are only wrapped around your opponent’s neck, and your left arm is pressed tight against your body.

Get a Grip

Drysdale is demonstrating the grip on the left side of his body, so your hands should be a mirror image for our drill

Now that we have your opponent in a vulnerable position, we want to maximize our chances for submission success. And in order to provide the full amount of neck-crushing power, we need our hands to have the proper grip.

When applying the guillotine, your right hand should be flat like a blade, with the notch between your thump and wrist wedged under your opponent’s chin. With your left hand, reach over and grab palm down on top of your right hand, wrapping your fingers around the meat of your palm. If you’re trying this grip while reading this article (go ahead, no one is looking), both hands should be palm down in front of you, with your left on top. Keep your left thumb pressed against the side of your hand, do not try and grip around your right wrist like you would hold a baseball bat.

Don’t Pull, Compress

Picture a guillotine choke being applied with full force in your head. What do you see? Chances are, you’re picturing a fighter arching back squeezing as hard as he can, stretching out his opponent’s neck the process. But while you can finish a guillotine this way, arching and pulling can actually help pop your opponent’s head out of the submission, leaving you with gassed-out arms and him ready to rain down punches.

Mike Pyle has a butterfly position with his right leg. He is crunching down so that his left side actually raises off the ground

Instead of a pull, the proper pressure of a guillotine choke is more of a compression, and that compression is applied in several ways. Your arms should not pull straight up towards your head, they should instead pull across your body to the left, and then up to the left at a 45-degree angle. While doing this, crunch your body like you’re performing a side crunch to the right side. This keeps your body close to their neck, and minimizes any space. If you pay attention to Jones’ choke on Machida, you’ll see that his right shoulder is lower than his left because of that crunching motion. Your torso should be at that same angle.

As you apply your choke and your opponent senses imminent defeat, they are going to try and pull away from you and pop their head out from under your armpit. Suck your knees up towards your chest while keeping your guard closed, and eventually they will succumb to the pressure.

Know When to Fold ‘Em

Sometimes when you have the guillotine locked up, instincts will tell you to keep squeezing no matter what. However, learning to recognize when you have the submission, and when you’re just wasting precious energy, is a crucial part of this submission.

Squeezing on a failed guillotine attempt is a great way to burn out your arms, especially if you’re doing so later in the fight. Your opponent might have their chin tucked to their chest, or you might have slipped too far off their head to properly block their carotid arteries. Whatever the case may be, recognizing that you’ve lost the submission will save you the wasted energy and give you the opportunity to transition to something else while your opponent is still defensive minded.

Once you assess that you are not going to get the guillotine, do not unlock your hands. Instead, open your guard and scoot your hips back so that you are in a seated position. From there, stay heavy on their head and swing your legs back and underneath you so that you are now in a front headlock position. Now you are in a position of dominance, and you can work to reestablish the choke, take their back, or stand all the way up. Just make sure to do this entire motion quickly, as leaving your guard open will give your opponent an opportunity to pass and jump to side mount.

Learn the Guillotine Choke on TapouTVTC.com from…

Mike Pyle
Robert Drysdale
Scotty Jorgensen
CB Dollaway

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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The TapouTVTC Fighters of UFC 137

By Cameron Gidari | Published: October 27, 2011

Injuries are and always will be a part of mixed martial arts, so when you tune in on any given fight night, chances are that there has been at least one or two changes to the card since it was first announced.

Still, UFC 137 has been more unstable than most, with injury announcements and opponent switches coming fast and furious. But when Saturday night finally arrives, there are two TapouTVTC.com fighters competing on the main card that we want to highlight.

Train with Matt Mitrione on TapouTVTC.com

It’s hard to believe that just two years ago, former NFL player Matt Mitrione was appearing on The Ultimate Fighter with no professional fight experience.

But now, Mitrione heads into his co-main event bout against Cheick Kongo sporting a perfect 5-0 record, all while competing in the shark tank that is the UFC.

Mitrione has developed some serious power training due in large part to his teaming with striking guru, Duke Roufus at Roufusport in Milwaukee. And with kickboxing extraordinaire (and fellow TapouTVTC.com fighter) Pat Barry as a training partner, Mitrione has seen his evolution as a fighter grow by leaps and bounds despite still being a relative MMA rookie.

With a massive 82-inch reach, Mitrione has put in a significant amount of time perfecting his right jab, which allows him to pepper his opponents from distance before cutting an angle and firing off an inside leg kick. Pay special attention to Mitrione’s footwork Saturday night, and notice how he is always light on his feet and circling away from his opponent’s power. If Kongo circles to Mitrione’s left, expect Mitrione to be waiting with a straight left cross that can do some serious damage.

While he might enjoy standing and banging — an enjoyment that helped him earn Fight of the Night honors against Joey Beltran — don’t be surprised if Mitrione takes this fight to the ground and looks to inflict his unorthodox Jiu-Jitsu game. In addition to an array of sweeps and submissions, Mitrione can also deliver punishment with a varied ground-and-pound attack that includes punches, elbows and even some knees for good measure.

Best of all, Mitrione does all of this with a smile on his face. It’s almost unsettling watching a fighter trade blows while grinning, but Mitrione truly loves to scrap. And while we can’t teach you to fight with that gleeful abandonment on TapouTVTC.com, Mitrione can and will show you some of the moves that he’s going to use to try and improve to 6-0. Especially if you are a lefty — or southy, as Mitrione likes to call it — these modules will give you a better understanding for how to fight against an orthodox opponent.

What you’ll learn from Matt Mitrione on TapouTVTC.com:

- Jab
- Angles for a Lefty
- Proper Angles for an Inside Leg Kick
- Takedown Defense Against the Cage
- Sprawl
- Upside-Down Guard Sweep
- Upside-Down Guard to Ground and Pound
- Guard Pass
- Inverted Crucifix
- Knees from Side Mount

Train with Scotty Jorgensen on TapouTVTC.com

How can you tell when a fighter has true knockout power?

For Pac-10 collegiate wrestling champion Scotty Jorgensen, look no further than his UFC debut against Ken Stone, where he knocked Stone out with a right hand — while sitting in Stone’s guard!

Such displays of ground and pound have become Jorgensen’s calling card, and given his championship wrestling pedigree, Jorgensen finds plenty of opportunities to rain down punishment from top position. And due to the constantly shifting fight card of UFC 137, Jorgensen now finds himself on the first UFC main event card of his career facing a dangerous veteran in Jeff Curran.

Jorgensen’s game is built around a relentless wrestling attack, but the Boise State University product has added a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a solid kickboxing arsenal to his toolbox. And while Jorgensen came up short in his WEC bantamweight title match against champion Dominick Cruz, his 6-1 record over the last two years has earned him praise as one of the top bantamweights in the world.

What you’ll learn from Scotty Jorgensen on TapouTVTC.com:

- Double Leg Takedown
- Sweep Double Leg Takedown
- Double Leg Takedown to Body Lock
- Fake Double Leg Takedown to Overhand Right
- Double Leg Takedown into Cage
- Ground and Pound from Half Guard
- Ground and Pound from Guard
- Ground and Pound with Cross Reach
- ‘Death Choke’ (Guillotine Variation)

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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MMA Toolbox: Stay Safe in the Guard

By Cameron Gidari | Published: October 20, 2011

As fledgling mixed martial artists, I understand the desire to fill your toolbox with as many offensive maneuvers as possible.

Submissions are exciting to learn, they look great on TV, and there’s a feeling of accomplishment when you feel your opponent finally give up and slap the mat. There is a type of certainty when you learn a submission, like you can look back on that day’s class and say, ‘Today I learned an armbar’. Plus, your goal is to finish fights, so it makes sense to have more bullets in your chamber.

There is, however, an important flipside to submissions. Namely, you won’t tap anyone out if you’re not good at avoiding submissions yourself. The bottom line, though, is that the best grapplers are the best because they are very good at the basics. They excel at establishing solid position before they work for a submission, and their defense is airtight. This last skill is what we are going to focus on today, because it doesn’t matter how many moves you know if you’re spending all your mat time getting tapped out.

Basic guard position

For this MMA Toolbox on the official TapouTVTC.com blog, we are going to give you some fundamental pointers to keep you safe in your opponent’s guard. These are things that I had to learn as a young martial artist, and I consistently take advantage of less-experienced opponents who don’t practice them. Commit these to memory, because one mistake is all it takes to go from dominating a fight to laying on your back, wondering what went wrong.

Just ask Chael Sonnen.

Hand positioning is crucial

Just like in wrestling, controlling your opponent’s hands and arms while you are in guard is the first step to mounting an attack and staying safe. Your opponent is going to be looking to do the same thing to you, so you will be in a constant battle of wrist and arm control.

First of all, never put your hands on the ground. Don’t do it. Not even once. This is the biggest mistake that novice grapplers make, and it opens up a plethora of kimuras, omoplatas and triangle chokes for your opponent to attack with.

We want to minimize the options that your opponent has, and we also want to control their hips and arms to prevent them from creating angles and working for attacks. We do this by employing a simple rule that you should never forget; keep your hands on the inside. This means that I always want to keep my hands in between my opponent’s arms and his body. If your opponent tries to pummel their hands inside, then pummel yours right back in. It’s very similar to a clinch battle on the feet, with both of you trying to gain a double-underhooks position.

You can also keep your hands on the biceps

Now that our hands are on the inside, where do we keep them? We want our hands far enough away from ourselves so that our elbows don’t flare out in a vulnerable position, but we also don’t want them so far away that they can be attacked by an armbar. The preferred position is to press your hands flat against your opponent’s lower ribs, with your entire forearm pressing against their sides. I keep my forehead pressed into my opponent’s solar plexus, which keeps them from sitting up and gives me more stability and control. We call this the ‘safety position’.

Eventually, you are going to have to move from this position to start working for guard passes, but we will address those in a future entry. For now, a good drill is to start in your training partner’s guard, and ask them to try their hardest to submit you. When they start trying to grab your wrist or push your head, work right back into the safety position and keep everything tight. At some point your opponent will get frustrated and open their guard to attack, and that is when your best passes happen.

Two in or two out

For most basic guard submissions, your opponent needs to isolate one of your arms. So while it can be tempting to try to pass guard by reaching back with one arm and trying to pry your opponent’s legs open, all you’ve accomplished is that you’ve done most of the work for them. When you are in guard, there is a simple lesson to learn; keep both your hands inside the guard, or get both of them out.

Most often, you will start with two arms inside your opponent’s guard. That means that your opponent’s legs are wrapped around your waist, and both arms are higher than those legs. If one of your arms starts to get pushed below your opponent’s leg (picture a triangle choke), you are in immediate danger of being submitted, and you need to do everything in your power to get back to a safe position.

This is not a good position. Notice how the left hand is still in the guard, but the right hand is out

If you do find yourself in a position with one arm in and one out, you have two options of defense. You can either fight the arm that is out back to a safe position, or you can snake your other arm in then under your opponent’s leg, so that both of your arms are now under their legs. Their legs will now be resting on your biceps or shoulders, with your arms wrapping around them in a powerbomb position. From there, you can stack your opponent by rising up and pressing their knees towards their head, then spin around the legs and land in side mount.

Head Above the Hips

There are two positions that you will alternate between while trying to pass guard; the safety position, and postured up. Posturing up means straightening your back and sitting up, which puts strain on your opponent’s legs and gives you room to work your passes while keeping you safe from most submission setups. In MMA, this position is also ideal for generating powerful strikes while avoiding your opponent’s punches and elbows.

Given the advantages that the posture position gives you, it makes sense that your opponent is going to be working hard to pull you back down, called breaking your posture. Most beginners have trouble keeping their posture, and it can be incredibly frustrating to be trapped in the guard with no means to get out. Fortunately for you, there is one small tip that can keep your posture strong and keep you in the best position to win the fight.

Keep your back straight, and push your opponent down if they try and break your posture

Most of the time when a student’s posture is being broken, it’s because they allowed their head to get too far in front of their hips. Pretend for a second that there is a string attached to the top of your head pulling you towards the ceiling, making your back perfectly straight. This is how you want to sit when establishing posture. Now lean your head forward a few inches. It might not feel like a big difference, but that small lean will start a chain reaction when your opponent pulls on your head, breaking your posture down one vertebrate at a time. Just like a professional weightlifter doing a squat, you are at your most powerful when your hips are directly underneath your head.

Be careful not to overcompensate your posture though. Students hear that it is bad to lean forward, so they in turn try to lean as far back as possible. The problem with this, though, is that your opponent can simply sit up and plow you over, landing in mount and turning the tides of your match in an instant.

Self evaluate

Like with all techniques, the best way to improve your guard and submission defense is practice. But don’t just mindlessly grapple, go into each training session conscious of what you’re trying to accomplish. If you keep getting caught with a kimura, pay attention to where you are placing your hands. If you’ve gotten swept five times, ask yourself if you have been keeping your head above your hips. It might, and probably will be frustrating at first, but work hard and keep practicing, and these concepts will eventually become instinct. And when they do, that’s when we get to start focusing on the fancy stuff.

Learn more about the guard on TapouTVTC.com with…

Greg Jackson
Matt Mitrione
Robert Drysdale
Mike Pyle
Scotty Jorgensen
Kevin Randleman
Vinny Magalhaes
Damacio Page
Julie Kedzie

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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MMA Toolbox: Rear-Naked Choke

By Cameron Gidari | Published: October 10, 2011

For this edition of the MMA Toolbox, we at the official TapouTVTC.com blog are excited to equip you with your first fight-finishing technique. And when it comes to the fight game, I prefer chokes above all other types of offensive finishers.

For one reason, a properly applied choke is not something that your opponent can muscle through. You can crank an armbar all day, but if your opponent decides they aren’t going to tap, then you are either going to be forced to break their arm or lose the hold trying. Some fighters also have chins of rock, and if you’re not blessed with dynamic knockout power, good luck knocking them out. With a choke, it doesn’t matter how tough or strong or impervious to pain you are. Shut off the flow of blood to the brain, and eventually you are going to take a nap.

I also like chokes because you can apply them at full speed while in a practice environment. You can’t — or rather, shouldn’t — be applying armbars and shoulder locks with full force to a training partner, and even when you are sparring at full intensity, you are still not trying to knock your partner out the same way you would an opponent. Chokes, on the other hand, can be applied and executed quickly without fear that you are going to permanently injure any part of your partner’s body.

Some chokes, like the triangle choke or guillotine choke, usually require you to be on your back in guard to set them up. That’s ok for straight Jiu-Jitsu, but I’d rarely recommend that a fighter jumps guard to fish for a submission in an MMA situation where the fighter on top can deliver punishment. The rear-naked choke, on the other end, is delivered from a position of relative safety, and as a beginner, you are going to find ample opportunities to take advantage of your partner giving up their back.

I also like the rear-naked choke because it requires a minimal amount of body coordination to apply. While submissions like the triangle require mat space and moving multiple body parts at the same time, the rear-naked choke is applied primarily with just the arms. Since we won’t be getting as in-depth as leg positioning from the back mount in this article, you can even practice this choke with your opponent kneeling or standing in front of you, with them facing away with you.

The Set-Up

There are multiple positions from which a rear-naked choke can be applied, but to keep things simple, we are only going to focus on one, the back mount. Keep in mind, the same basic concept can be applied to a variety of positions, and you will be amazed how many opportunities you see for it once you have the choke down.

For the back mount position, you will be laying on your back, with your opponent’s back to your chest. It should look and feel just like the guard position, except that your opponent is facing the opposite direction. Apply hooks be wrapping your legs around your opponent and digging your heels into their inner thighs. It’s extremely important that you do not hook your feet like you would in a normal guard, because it opens up a series of ankle locks for your opponent that can be particularly painful.

When in the back mount, the first thing your opponent is going to do is work to protect his neck by tucking his chin in and trying to grab your hands. To better control them, we are going to use an over-under hold with your arms that will allow you to stay tight and keep them from turning into you. Bring your right arm up and over their shoulder so that it is next to their head, then snake your left arm under their left armpit and clasp your hands together. Now that we are in control, it is time to work for the finish!

Snake the Arm

Robert Drysdale on TapouTVTC.comWith the arm that is over your opponent’s shoulder, flatten your fingers so that they resemble a blade or a fin. Leading with the second knuckle of your thumb, slide and dig your hand under your opponent’s chin, then rip it through so that their neck is now in the crook of your elbow. Sensing that defeat is imminent, your opponent will start trying to pull your arm down and get their chin back to their chest. Grab your shoulder or bicep with your right hand to keep position, and get ready to apply the choke.

Finish Him!

Robert Drysdale on TapouTVTC.comDepending on how much space there is, there are two standard ways to finish a rear-naked choke.

If you can, grab your bicep with your right hand. Now bend your left arm at the elbow and bring your forearm around and behind your opponent’s head. Your right arm and left forearm should now be forming a triangle, with your opponent’s neck situated in the middle.

From there, we are going to use two points of pressure to finish the choke. While taking a deep breath to fill your chest with air and eliminate space, squeeze your biceps and press your elbows together in a scissor-like motion. Your right forearm and bicep will cut off the circulation from either side of their neck, while your chest will keep their head from wiggling and creating space to breath. Sit back and keep squeezing, and eventually your opponent will tap, or go to sleep.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to get your left arm behind the head of your opponent, so you can also substitute this motion by grabbing your hands together palm to palm. This requires a greater squeeze with your right arm, but it can be a more effective choke if you are in a position where space is at a premium.

Rear-Naked Choke Modules on TapouTVTC.com

Robert Drysdale, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion

Real-World Application

Prior to UFC 135, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson had only been submitted once in 41 professional fights, and that was all the way back in July of 2001.

But at UFC 135, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones wore Jackson down before slapping on the rear-naked choke early in the fourth round and forcing “Rampage” to tap out.

Do you know who Jackson’s first — and until that day, only– submission defeat came against? That would be PRIDE legend Kazushi Sakuraba by — you guessed it — rear-naked choke.

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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Real Steel Official Trailer

By Cameron Gidari | Published: October 3, 2011

In “Real Steel,” the public has grown tired of human competition, where there are too many rules and regulations, and have moved on to robot boxing. What do you think? If it guaranteed more exciting fights, would you pay to see two robots throw down in the Octagon, or is the human element irreplaceable?

“Real Steel” releases on October 7, and you can take it from someone who saw an advanced screening, it’s worth the trip to the theater!

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MMA Toolbox: Double-Leg Takedown

By Cameron Gidari | Published: September 29, 2011

Wrestling can be one of the most frustrating aspects of mixed martial arts to learn, but it is also one of the most crucial. Having the ability to dictate where a fight takes place is often the difference between a win and a loss, and you cannot do that without a solid wrestling foundation.

We received a lot of technique requests for this first installment of the MMA Toolbox, but by far the most requested technique was the double-leg takedown, and that is what we are going to focus on today.

The double-leg takedown was the first throw of any kind that I learned as a young martial artist, and is still one of my go-to moves when I need to get the action to the ground. There is a lot that goes into the double leg, though, so we have broken it down into three major components for you. We’ve also given you a list of drills that you can do to improve your double leg, as well as which fighters you can learn it from on TapouTVTC.com.

Don’t get frustrated, and remember that mastering a new technique is not a fast process. For the sake of learning this drill, we are going to assume that both fighters are standing in an orthodox stance with their left foot forward. Stick to these instructions, and you’ll find yourself scoring takedowns more and more often.

The Set-Up

It doesn’t matter how fast your double-leg takedown is, if your opponent can see it coming, they have time to react. With this in mind, the general rule of thumb is that if you cannot reach out and touch your opponent, you are too far away to shoot. Shooting from the outside — as in outside of touching distance — gives your opponent time to get their hips back and fight for underhooks. The next time you see a fighter fail at a takedown attempt, pay attention to where they were standing when they shot. Chances are, they took the shot from too far away.

Of course, it’s a lot easier to shoot from close range in a pure wrestling or grappling match where you don’t have to keep your face protected. MMA presents the unique challenge of trying to set up a proper shot while your opponent is trying to hit you in the head. With this new obstacle, a fighter has to get creative when picking the opportune time to take their shot. Fortunately, we have a few tricks to help you get your opponent to the ground without eating a punch in the process.

Scotty Jorgensen on TapouTVTC.comIf you want to go on the offensive, you can set up a shot using some misdirection. We want your opponent thinking about something other than their legs, so that it catches them completely off guard when you take your shot. The easiest way to do this is to fire off a quick boxing combination, which will cause your opponent to raise their hands and cover up, leaving their legs open for a double leg. Not only will it be harder to see you with their hands in front of their face, but it is also human instinct to want to return fire after you’ve been hit. But when your opponent throws a punch at where they think you are, you’re already deep into your shot and ready to put them on their back.

We can also use our opponent’s momentum against them with a more defensive shot. The goal here is to time your opponent as they move forward with a punch, then level-change right underneath it and drive through for the takedown. A fighter is more likely to overextend themselves on a punch when the adrenaline of being in a fight is pumping, giving you a window of opportunity to take advantage.

Just remember that — like in any other part of fighting — the most important thing is to protect yourself at all times. A savvy fighter will time an opponent’s shot, and have a vicious knee waiting for them on the way in. Always keep your hands up until you are actually close enough to wrap them around your opponent’s legs and you’ll be safe from whatever they’re throwing.

The Shot

A good level change will be the difference between a successful takedown and ending up face down on the mat. Some fighters tend to get lazy with their level change, oftentimes bending at the waist and diving headfirst at their opponent’s legs. Problem is, your body is going to move in the direction that your head points, so if you shoot with your head traveling at a 45-degree angle towards your opponent’s legs, more times than not you’re going to maintain that momentum when they sprawl, sending you headfirst into the ground.

Ryan Bader on TapouTVTC.comA proper level change, no matter if you’re shooting offensively or defensively, starts at the knees. While on the balls of your feet, bend both knees to the point where your back knee is almost touching the ground. We want to maintain a strong, explosive stance when we level change, so it is very important to keep your back straight and shoot with good posture. If you’ve done the level change correctly, your head should have stayed in the same vertical line as you bended your knees, much like an elevator in a building would.

Once you’ve changed your level, it is time to initiate the takedown. Drive your front knee forward until it hits the ground, which should take you close enough to your opponent to grab around the outside of their legs with both hands. Your head should be to the outside of your opponent’s lead leg, on the opposite side of your lead leg. Remember that the lower you grab on the leg, the less powerful your opponent’s sprawl will be. I prefer to grab just above the back of the knee, which lets me collapse my opponent’s legs and gives me a solid handhold.

The Finish

If you’ve done everything right to this point, it doesn’t matter how good your opponent’s sprawl is. You’ve beat them to the trigger, and now it’s time to finish the job.

"Rampage" with the slam

There are several ways to finish a double leg from this position. A common technique in MMA is called the blast double leg, where you literally blast through your opponent and drive them backwards until they fall or hit the cage. And while this can be effective — especially if you’re strong and explosive — driving your opponent straight back will push them towards their sprawling legs where their defense is strongest. Instead of fighting power with power head on, we are going to attack from an angle.

Rather than driving your opponent straight backwards, we are going to use a technique called cutting the corner. After you have taken your shot, step your back foot up so that it is even with your opponent’s front foot. This foot is going to be what you use to drive off of and generate power. Now, instead of taking your opponent straight back, drive your ear into their side and push off your foot at a 90-degree angle from the direction you were originally going. Pull their legs into the air, and continue driving until they fall over.

You’ll notice that even if your opponent kicks their legs back, they are still going to fall because you are taking them to where they have no base. If done correctly, you should land in side mount, where you can get ready to rain down further punishment.

Drills

Wall sits: Leg strength is absolutely crucial to your wrestling success. It’s difficult to stay in a proper stance and explode through a takedown if your legs are gassed, and wall sits are a great way to build muscle stamina. Do three sets with a 30-second sit for each set, then work on gradually increasing the duration of each sit. Make sure that you are sitting with your legs at a 90-degree angle for maximum burn.

Duck walk: Duck walks are another great strength-building exercise, and they will also improve your hip flexibility and get your body used to the motion required for shooting. With your feet shoulder width apart, squat down so that the crease of your hip is below your knees. Then, start walking across the room, always maintaining that low squat. It will feel awkward at first, but the more often you do them, the more you will build familiarity with the low stance required for a good shot.

Cut the corner drill: Sometimes you don’t have a partner that you can practice your takedowns on, and this is the best solo drill for practicing cutting the corner. Start in your fight stance, then level change and take your shot, making sure to cut the corner at a 90-degree angle. When you cut the corner, run a few extra steps to simulate driving through a hopping opponent. Your goal is to explode the second that your front knee touches the ground, which will help develop the fast-twitch muscles in your legs and hips.

Who you can learn the double-leg takedown from on TapouTVTC.com

Ryan Bader
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson/ Tiki Ghosn
Scotty Jorgensen

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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Welcome to Your MMA Toolbox

By Cameron Gidari | Published: September 23, 2011

One of my favorite thing about the martial arts, and about mixed martial arts specifically, is that there is always something new to learn.

My old martial arts instructor used to hammer this point home. He told his students that he did not consider himself a black belt, but an advanced white belt, because he was still only scratching the surface of what there is to learn. Earning a black belt was not the destination, it was really just the beginning of a longer journey.

And with so many techniques to learn, I can understand how it might be intimidating for a new student to jump into MMA. We have hundreds of technique videos here on TapouTVTC.com, from striking and grappling to submissions and conditioning, and that is a lot of information to sift through if you don’t know what to look for. So where do you start?

That is we here on the TapouTVTC.com blog are introducing the MMA Toolbox. This is another idea that I am stealing from my old instructor, because it helped me develop a solid MMA foundation that I still rely on to this day.

Imagine a toolbox for a second. You can have dozens of tools in it, but there are certain tools that you will use more often than others. For example, you’re probably going to get more use out of a hammer or screwdriver than you will a Whitney Punch or pocket hole jig. With that in mind, you will probably keep the screwdriver closer to the top of the toolbox, with the pocket hole jig closer to the bottom.

We are approaching your MMA training with this concept. Certain moves in MMA are what we call high-percentage moves, meaning that there is a high likelihood of successfully performing them in practice or in a fight. These moves aren’t fancy, but having a solid double leg takedown and jab-cross will help you get the job done. Flashier movies with less probability for success are called low-percentage moves., like a gogoplata or spinning elbow.

Starting next week, and every week after, we will be giving you a new high-percentage technique for your toolbox, as well as who you can learn it from on TapouTVTC.com. These moves are going to build you an excellent foundation in your training, and will help you progress faster than trying to pick up techniques without a set plan of attack.

So make sure you keep your eyes here on the official TapouTVTC.com blog, and watch our Facebook page for your first edition of the MMA Toolbox!

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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The Importance of Visualization

By Cameron Gidari | Published: September 15, 2011

Matt Mitrione has hit this sweep in his head over and over again

Here on the official TapouTVTC blog, we recently talked about the importance of attitude in your MMA training. Part of that proper attitude involved taking time to make sure that you are mentally focused and prepared for training, something that a lot of beginner martial artists do not do.

Today, I want to touch on another mental tool that all of the professional fighters that I know use regularly in their training. It is called visualization.

See, when a pro fighter steps into the cage and stares across the ring at his opponent, he isn’t seeing his opponent for the first time. It isn’t even the first time that he’s fought that opponent. That’s because in his mind, that fighter has already fought and won that fight a thousand times. He has won it in every conceivable way, defended countless strikes, takedowns attempts and submissions, and has knocked out and tapped out his opponent in a variety of highlight reel-worthy finishes.

Visualization can help you when you’re training and when you’re competing, and the more you do it, the better you will get. Don’t believe me? Read on, dear reader, and let me convince you.

But first, a story!

When I was 16, my parents bought a manual transmission car, and I was determined to learn how to drive it. As anyone that has ever tried to learn to drive stick can attest, that is a frustrating process filled with embarrassing stalls and a crippling fear that you are going to roll back on a hill and smash the person behind you.

After a week of whiplash-inducing stalling, I was getting pretty fed up and felt like I would rather walk the 15 miles to school rather than try and start that damned car one more time. When I left town for a family vacation the following Saturday, I was thankful for a break from my futile attempts at vehicular operation.

A funny thing happened on that vacation though. All I could think about was driving that car. And every time I thought about it, I imagined myself seamlessly shifting from one gear to another. I felt the car roll forward as I depressed the clutch and accelerated, and heard the engine roar as I powered into fifth gear. By the time I came back from vacation, I had successfully driven that car thousands of times in my head.

And guess what? The very next time I got behind the wheel, I started the car perfectly. No sputtering, no stalling, just sweet, smooth acceleration. I had not touched the car in a week, and the last time I had I could barely get it into first gear, and now I was shifting like a pro!

That was the day I became a believer in visualization. I started applying it more and more to my martial arts training and, low and behold, I started picking up techniques faster. I would see a move, practice it in class, and by the time I came back to the gym the next day, I had already done 100 repetitions in my head. It became obvious to me which other students were using this technique, and which ones weren’t. People make the mistake that quick learning is a natural talent, but the truth is, the students that are progressing quickly are the ones putting in the work that you don’t even know about.

Why does it work?

Your brain is an incredibly powerful muscle, and you will be surprised how much you can influence your physical abilities with mental training.

At the end of the day, ask yourself a question. Are you being an active learner in your MMA studies, or are you a passive learner? Passive learners don’t ask questions, they do the technique that is shown to them in class, but then they put no mental equity into those techniques when they are outside of the gym. Active learners are constantly asking questions and visualizing their techniques. There is a lot to learn in MMA, and the more you can train your mind to repeat a move over and over, the better the chances are that you will remember the technique the next time you are in class.

Visualization will also help you to start improvising and chaining techniques together. When I learn an armbar and then go home that night, I’m not just thinking about the armbar. I’m thinking about all the ways I can set up that armbar, the counters to that armbar, and the counters to the counters of that armbar. By the time I’m done, I’ve thought of two dozen different scenarios centered around that one move and chances are, the person that I’m grappling the next day is going to do something I’ve already thought of. And when he does, my body already knows how to react, because I’ve trained it so many times in my mind.

Remember, your time in the gym is limited, so you need to maximize your tools to get the most out of your MMA training time. Just because you’re not in the gym doesn’t mean that you can’t be sharpening your skills!

Use it for competition

Like I said before, the top-level fighters spend a lot of time visualizing victory when they have a fight. And whether you’re fighting in the UFC or entering your first local Jiu-Jitsu tournament, you want to have every advantage possible over the opposition.

Breaking down a fight over and over in your head will keep you from being surprised if things suddenly take an unexpected turn. With that in mind, try to visualize the fight from all angles. Maybe you get taken down, only to reverse your opponent with a butterfly guard sweep. Or maybe you get the takedown, and you need to pass your opponent’s guard and finish him with only a minute left in the round. Will you try to pass directly to mount and pound him out, or do you settle in side mount and work for a far-side shoulder lock? Experiment with different scenarios, so that when you find yourself in a position you didn’t expect, you won’t panic.

Visualization doesn’t just help you improve your technique, it can also give you a significant confidence boost before you compete. If you’ve already watched yourself win a match a thousand times in your mind, that feeling of victory starts to become more and more real. Now this doesn’t mean that you should ever overlook an opponent or go into a bout OVERconfident, but you should go into a match confident in your abilities, and knowing that you have prepared in every possible way.

The proof is in the pudding

It’s time for one of those patented infomercial, “30 days and if you’re not satisfied,” pitches. I want you to give me ten minutes of your day to dedicate to visualization.

You can do this when you’re brushing your teeth or in the shower, or when you’re driving home from work (but please, watch the road as well). The where and the when are not so important. Wherever you are, I want you to pick a technique that you’ve learned, and picture yourself doing it correctly over and over again.

If it’s a triangle choke, envision yourself hitting it from both sides, then hooking a leg and sweeping your opponent when they try and stack you. Or for a strike like an overhand right, picture yourself setting it up with a head fake, then circling away from your opponent. You can build off of that by throwing a right leg kick after you’ve circled away.

Try doing this every day with the same technique for a week. Then, when you are in the gym, try a few repetitions of it. You will be surprised how instinctively your body goes through the motions, and how much crisper your technique feels.

Visualization might not seem like much to you now, but make it a dedicated part of your MMA training and your progression will amp up considerably. As my coach once told me, if it’s good enough for a world champion, it’s good enough for you.

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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New Release: TapouTVTC Boxing with UNLV Coach Chris Ben

By Cameron Gidari | Published: September 9, 2011

Boxing and mixed martial arts have a complicated relationship.

With both being combat sports cut in a similar fashion — both have pay-per-view revenue models, a sense of prizefighting grandeur etc. — it seems only natural to compare the two. Some MMA fans point to the declining boxing ratings as proof that MMA has ‘replaced’ the sweet science. Other boxing aficionados fire back that MMA is unskilled and clumsy, and that no mixed martial artist could stand toe to toe with a boxer in the ring.

The fact of the matter is, these people are unnecessarily comparing apples to oranges. UFC president Dana White has said as much, stating on multiple occasions that boxing and MMA can comfortably co-exist.

Rather than bogging ourselves down in an unwinnable argument, we should instead focus on what we as MMA fighters can learn from boxers. Specifically, they have the most lethal hands of any combat athlete in the world. And if you want to learn how to hit like a boxer, TapouTVTC.com has you covered.

We enlisted UNLV boxing coach Chris Ben-Tchavtchavadze — who most people call Chris Ben, for obvious reasons — to create a step-by-step instructional series designed to enhance your punching and movement skills, and that series is now available in the MMA Basics section of TapouTVTC.com.

Why should you learn boxing from Chris Ben? Personally, I have sparred and trained with people twice Chris’ size, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that none of them hit as hard or as fast as Chris does. Not only were his punches hard, but they were delivered with a snap and pinpoint accuracy that drop a heavyweight.

Bruce Lee had a simple mantra — study everything, and keep what works. The techniques that Chris shows on TapouTVTC.com work, and they will have you hitting harder and faster than you ever knew you could. Combine these techniques with the kickboxing, wrestling and submission skills already on the site, and you will be well on your way to becoming a true MIXED martial artist.

Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC

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