Troubleshooting the Samurai

[Josh Mahoney]

Is there a reason not to do the Samurai from full half guard rather than quarter guard? I'm talking traditional half, not the Lockdown.
I've only just started playing around with the Samurai and I've managed to get it from the top of traditional half guard a couple of times and I'm just curious whether there's something I'm not considering.
Thanks in advance

[Brandon Mccaghren]

The Truck position is built initially by getting your lower leg into the bend of your opponent's knee. That's how he flips it on you; he moves his hips and positions his lower leg into the bend of your knee.

If you are in half guard, you are too deep and you have nullified that hook. There may be opportunities to transition from there, but they will involve setting that lower part of your leg into the proper position.

Whoever wins that battle conquers the Truck positioning.

[Josh Mahoney]

Ahh, okay, that makes sense! Thanks, Brandon!
Obviously I need to roll with people better versed in the system who'll be able to spot these openings

[Chad Clark]

Are you rolling away from your trapped leg? I.e. if you are in top half with your right leg trapped, are you rolling to over your right shoulder to the inside (not over him like rolling toe hold?) A few people have shown that one to me, but it gives the bottom person the chance to capture the top man's other leg and lets the bottom man flip the truck pretty easily.
If you can get to quarter guard and have the capoeira backstep down, you can either get the grapevine on his top leg from there or claim 3/4 mount and slow samurai from and roll to the truck. I'm really liking that path.

[Pat Campagnola]

A few of us messed around with it one night a while back. It was working on a partner with no resistance but any resistance at all was killing it due to the positional battle that Brandon noted.

[David Rosado]

I rememeber imitating what I saw on youtube and failing miserably because I would still be in half guard. I would basically just go from top half and flip the other guy into top half. The trouble with the samurai from half guard is that you roll them right to their knees most of the time. Getting the knee out into 1/4 guard before the roll is key.

But technically, you could still pull it off. The one time I did get it right was against a newer white belt, so I'm not sure if it's legit.

But what I did is flaten them outbefore rolling. Hands in the armpits. My right hip heavy on their left hip. Then I did the Denny Prokopos lockdown prevention where I hide my knee infront of my other knee so my calf was in the bend of their knee. Then I kind of backstepped before the roll. And then I rolled deep until their ass was in my armpit and I was cupping the far hip, and I didn't roll them all the way. Instead I reached for the far hip with both hands and pulled them to kind of glue their hip to mine. The reason I did that is to kind of guide where he rolled. See, before I would roll them to their knees. So by controlling the far hip, I was able to guide him more toward his side exposing the back a bit better when I kicked down to roll them all the way. And since I was pulling, I was able to kind of pull their hips toward mine. I did end up on the back, but I only had one hook and a waistlock instead of the seatbelt. But I used the free non hooking leg to shrimp up a bit higher on the back and get the seat belt then I worked to get the second hook.

Since learning the right way to samurai, I haven't really tried it from half guard again so again, I'm not sure if it's a legit way. But I have done it before. I could private message you a video if you're curious.

[Tony "The Goods" Garcia]

The Truck position is built initially by getting your lower leg into the bend of your opponent's knee. That's how he flips it on you; he moves his hips and positions his lower leg into the bend of your knee.

If you are in half guard, you are too deep and you have nullified that hook. There may be opportunities to transition from there, but they will involve setting that lower part of your leg into the proper position.

Whoever wins that battle conquers the Truck positioning.

Be thankful for that information right there. I literally sloth ed my way through this incorrectly for over a year. Make your corrections now, it's better than toiling with an incorrect tech that's firmly in place.

[Josh Mahoney]

Are you rolling away from your trapped leg? I.e. if you are in top half with your right leg trapped, are you rolling to over your right shoulder to the inside (not over him like rolling toe hold?)

That's exactly what I'm doing. I did end up stalled one time in quite an uncomfortable position, something like a granby roll but stuck inverted, when I was doing this. Now I think over what everybody's saying I was probably just begging my partner to put me in the Truck.

Then I did the Denny Prokopos lockdown prevention where I hide my knee infront of my other knee so my calf was in the bend of their knee. Then I kind of backstepped before the roll.

I'm kind of doing this but triangling my legs and rolling like Chad said.

I dunno, I'm probably screwing everything up, really. I really like the Samurai, though, and I want to incorporate it into my game in a big way, so I'm just gonna drill the crap out of it from now on (from 3/4 mount haha)

[David Rosado]

When you roll, reach for that far hip man.

Check how Cyborg does it. I know it's not the samurai way, but watching this helped me a lot with my rolling back take. First thing that helped me a lot was trying to roll not just toward their ass, but roll like I'm trying to roll under their ass. Then I added the grabbing the hip to control the roll. I dont' hit it from half guard anymore because I know the right way, but I think those details could help. I also don't triangle. I flare my leg out to swing it like a pendulum for a bit of momentum.

[Chris Garry]

If you aim for the back you might just get the truck.
Damien Maia shows going all the way to the back so the truck is 86% the same path.

Like all else you need to get serious reps in. If you are good and you go hard into it they should not be able to switch the truck on you, but there is a possibility, and similar to leglocks it's always worth weighing up whether dude is a truck master before rolling.