TFS#84: Give Yourself The Advantage With New Angles

Before we begin, I want to see if you’d be interested in a course for the Shoulder Lift Back Take.

This is a very easy method for taking the back after passing the guard.

It doesn’t require you to stabilize for side control or any of that.

It’ll be a 2 week course—but you can study at your own pace.

And since you’re a TFS reader, you can get it for FREE!

Now on to today’s topic…

Let’s Get Rolling

Studying rolling back attacks will help you understand angles of various positions.

If you study these attacks through the end of the year, you’ll start to connect and make better transitions overall even if you don’t use the move.

Human geometry might not be the strengths of a white or blue belt but that’s what this study will help with.

Here are three common entries:

Entry #1: 3/4 Mount

This might be the easiest position to land during sparring since your opponent naturally “gives” you the leg positioning you need.

Though not necessary, it’s recommended to use your toes to hook their shin for better control.

🔑 Key detail: Position your body towards their feet as much as you can, this will make the back take easier. Get your shoulder past the hip line before rolling. If not, they can reverse the position on you. (Image below)

Entry #2: Side Control

When you’re established Top Side Control, you’ll switch your hips and face towards their legs.

Grab their top leg and you can use your bottom leg to hook before you roll through. (Image below)

But, the fun part about this is if you can’t complete the roll, you have an Armbar available.

Entry #3: Half Guard underhook counter

Once in Half Guard, they’ll likely want to fight for the underhook.

When they do, you’ll want to back step, forcing them to switch their hips. (Image below)

Make sure you have the cross face to prevent them from coming up.

Use your free hand to pull their knee down so you can step over for the rolling back take.

Other entries

Watch the full video here for more common entries and if you need more details on each position.

Pick out the positions you find yourself most commonly in and work from there.

Are You Rolling Correctly?

This might be a ridiculous question but are you sure you know how to roll properly?

I’ve seen people (and more and more as I continue to travel and train around the world) who roll…and could use a little bit of improvement.

They get stuck when they’re trying certain techniques or it becomes very sloppy.

And sloppy techniques increase the chances of injuries.

I know I can sound like a broken record some times but you need to have sharp movements if you want sharp techniques.

A solo drill I do to warm up and cool down is the compass drill.

Especially if you’ve taken some significant time off and need to get back into the groove of training.

Make sure your entire body is ready for the mats.

Use this solo drill to help you improve your rolling, it’s only 1:30 long.

Newsletters are an alternative to learning more Jiu-Jitsu.

Since it prevents you from doom scrolling on social media, you’ll actually retain more than watching a hundred different techniques using cookie-cutter video editing.

Besides reading The Fourth Stripe, I highly recommend you explore Tap, Nap & Snap for a different angle on Jiu-Jitsu.

More Resources

👉 Fortify your body against common grappling injuries while building mat-ready strength in only 21 days. (link)

🥋 Holiday gym closure doesn’t mean you don’t have to workout anymore. This 30min home workout will keep you in shape for the new year. (link)

🥋 The martial artist’s journey provides a path to self-improvement by challenging the mind and body. (link)

🥋 There are no advantages when you have cold, tight muscles. If your gym closes during the holidays you can gear your body up for the new year. (link)

*Links with 👉 emoji is an ad or affiliate link. Any purchases won’t cost you extra and all proceeds go towards improving this newsletter.
Book your slot here.

BJJ Shouldn’t Be Stressful

The end of the year can be hard.

You’ve been training all year long and might feel like you’ve hit a plateau.

It’s a perfect time to recoup and remind yourself why you enjoy training Jiu-Jitsu.

I always tell people that you have to have balance in life.

If you don’t, your Jiu-Jitsu will suffer…and it shows on the mats. “The mats don’t lie.”

Training is a marathon not a sprint and it’s normal to fall in love with the sport because it’s amazing.

But if you plan on getting your black belt or training for long-term (10-20 years) there will be ups and downs.

Life events happen that are more important than a hobby.

And fortunately for us we’ve chosen a hobby that can help us make better decisions during stressful situations.

If you have time off during the holidays, make sure to remind yourself where your priorities are and that a Jiu-Jitsu community (like this one) will always be there for you.

See you on the mats,

Wayne

P.S. Why people stick to Jiu-Jitsu.