It is all a matter of context. Two equally skilled grapplers, competing for submissions, can roll for long periods of time, ten, fifteen, even thirty plus minutes before one gets tired and makes a mistake, resulting in him or her getting submitted. Add to this equation some MMA gloves and punches, and a clear winner…
Tag: gracie jiu-jitsu
Dominant, Mobile, & Reversible
Freedom is the ability to maintain a diverse set of options in spite of chaos and discomfort. In this image, we see Reyadh and his partner rolling (sparring in a ground grappling context) for submissions. Reyadh is in top mount, a clearly dominant position, but he is trying to attain a higher mounted position to…
Yonkyoku or Spiraling Downward
Yonkyoku or Spiraling Downward At the heart of Taikyoku Budo (太曲武道) is the belief that all martial movements can be subdivided into five themes or kyoku (曲). These themes create the basis for our solo practice, but also act as a sort of filter through which to analyze and incorporate techniques from other martial studies…
Leg-Locks are an Effective Violation of Trust
There is an ongoing debate in submission grappling regarding the legitimacy and efficacy of leg-locks, including foot and ankle locks, as a method of submission. Leg-locks are certainly not my specialty, but whenever a certain technique or entire set of techniques is considered controversial, I begin to ask why. Unlike other submissions, leg-locks seem to…
Uki Gatame (Knee-on-Belly): A Position of Options
Taikyoku Budo originated as a set of principles, a different way of looking at martial art techniques and the body skills and mechanics that make those techniques work. The idea, originated by Ellis Amdur, was to give practitioners of the so-called aiki arts, aikido specifically, a set of solo exercises for conditioning the body in…