Information Overload

Ok so I subscribed to MTS and I wish I had done it sooner, however, I'm facing a serious problem of information overload. For example I'm a big fan of half guard and lockdown, but I'm getting to the point where when I get into lockdown there are a ton of different paths and I'm not sure which one is correct and which one I should be using/focusing on.

I want to start developing a rubber guard game but the paths are so complex it's pretty intimidating and I'm not sure where to start or what to do. Does anyone have any advice for this? Should I focus on a particular path first before even considering other things?

Also, I'm kind of struggling to understand all of the positions and techniques; like someone will ask something about a particular position and then someone else with say "oh just go to this and then do that" and half the time I feel like they're just making up random words and positions. Does everyone really understand all the paths or is it normal to have to youtube/google search a lot of these positions and techniques?

it's normal to not know what they're talking about at first (and every now and then later too..since the system is huge now. there will always be something new that's been added or changed that is how it is when something keeps growing/evolving) but after some time of training and watching a lot/really studying through the mts episodes you will have MUCH more of an idea what's being talked about.. don't worry! things will make sence.
then it's just about knowing where to find what on mts.. you might here something like "mono plata".. and because you've been training and watching mts for some time (with real interest in learning) you will most likely already know a little bit about the mono plata.. you probably won't know the ins and outs of it in a way that you could apply it in heated rolling (you may have not even done it once yet..forget rolling..) but you will most likely know: ok this is something i havn't really studied throroughly or trained but i've come across it at least three times now (in mts) and i think i remember it beeing a submission off a weird angle mount type control (or at least a something off mount).. and then when you really want to know more/you're ready to dig deeper you just need to find out where exactly the mono plata is being taught. and you start to work your way through all mts segments where they go over the mono plata.

for developing a serious rubber guard (RG):
first of all constantly work your lotus and butterfly stretches..and after some time start putting your legs behind your head as well. (RG flexibility is not just for rubber guard!!)
RG techniques:
focus on "step zero"/breaking their posture from when you have them in "full guard" and they have an upright posture - break their posture and flip your leg up to control their posture from "mission contorl". from "mission control" do "the zombie" (get their hand to the mat) and hug your knee tightly for way better control - you're in "new york" ("NY") now. later when you're more seasoned you will have really strong options from "new york" ("NY" is awesome!). from "new york" "clear the neck" while staying tight with your knees/thighs (you're in "chill dog" now). you don't want to stay long/chill in "chill dog" (because you don't have real control over their posture it's easy to break out of - but it's part of the first/easy and simple way to play rubber guard which is good to get down before jumping into more complex stuff) you want to move on quickly but perfectly/percisely not rushed to the "kung fu move" which puts you into the position called "jiu claw". learn to control them in "jiu claw" and learn to finish with the "omaplata/omoplata/oma plata" (seems to be the same thing but spelled differently sometimes..) or if they roll out over their shoulder..if they do that master "the D.A." which is a sweep where you control their roll to freedom and use it to get to "side control"/"twister side control" (your on top now in a very dominant position).

so that's:
step zero/posture break - mission control - (zombie to) new york - (clear the neck to) chill dog - (kung fu move to) jiu claw - omaplata or (the d.a. to) twister side control

and the second basic RG path you want to get down is:
the same thing till "chill dog" but then instead of going to "jiu claw" using "the kung fu move"..instead of that flip your other leg up
and cross your legs on top of their head while still holding the leg you flipped up in the beginning. this position is called "the invisible collar" (central control postion of the rubber guard..it can even produce a tap and later it will set up other submissions from there but for now you need to work on getting there and completely controling/imobilizing them there.) in "invisible collar" ("IC") don't stop huging your knee tightly (hug it tightly all the way through to "the invisible collar") and crush their head with your legs - eddie always says do leg curls.

so that's:
step zero/posture break - mission control - (zombie to) new york - (clear the neck to) chill dog - invisible collar

and once you've REALLY got those two down you want to learn "the double bagger" a way to control them without having to hold the leg you flipped up first - which means you have much more and stronger options to do stuff without them having windows of non-control where they can break out ("double bagging" is huge but too much for the very beginning).
so then it's "new york" and "double bag" to "invisible collar".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OktcKhtMQ88

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXPO...elTazIM-LP_B4i

one more thing:
if you can not get their hand to the mat with "the zombie" to move from "mission control" to "new york" then flip your other leg up and cross your legs on top of their head (just like you would for the "invisible collar")..you're now in "crackhead control". from there work "the pump" to get the basic "arm bar". for the pump to work it's essential to have your legs pressing/curling downward with tremendous pressure on their head.

if you did mma and you couldn't get their hand to the mat you could just hold "mission contorl" and with your free arm punch the side of their head..eventually if not immediately they will block your punches and that will make it possible for you to "zombie their arm to the mat" to get to "new york".

check out:
mts 3 - 26:09 for the pump
mts 12 - 27:49 for free new york to jiu claw
mts 18 - 37:36 for free new york to invisible collar to kung fu move to parallel jiu claw
mts 24 - 32:47 for step zero to free new york to invisible collar
mts 34 - 04:47 for rubber guard basics 1
mts 34 - 23:10 for rubber guard basics 2
mts 34 - 47:30 for rubber guard basics 3
mts 38 - 10:15 for double baggin the basic path to invisible collar to oma plata the DA
mts 38 - 57:49 for invisible collar live drill
mts 60 - 10:31 for shitty mission control aka temp mission control to perfect mission control
mts 60 - 67:35 for full rubber guard path to invisible collar
mts 60 - 80:20 for the importance of flexibility
mts 92 - 53:54 for rubber guard to invisible collar choke

also you might wanna get yourself http://www.10thplanetjj.com/shop/mas...uard-3-dvd-set

I think it's normal for ronin to get good at searching for information.

I don't really want to point a dude that has information overload to a flow chart...but hear me out:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...=0&output=html

Ok, that's a flow chart. It's a map of skills you should master if you want to master the lockdown. You can't know them all yet. It will take actual practice to get good at them, right? So, you have to pick something, drill it (if you're lucky and you train somewhere where you get to drill the electric chair and get fine tuning on how to do it well) and try to hit it in sparring.

For developing the lockdown, for me the path has been like this: you watch an episode of MTS and learn something:

"Hey, if I want to get the electric chair, I need to do this, this and this."

And it works: Against people who have never seen an electric chair before. But then people start to defend it. You don't know why your technique isn't working anymore. So you look around for technical ways to deal with what they're doing.

"Hey, if I want to get the electric chair, I need electric underhooks. But I'm stuck behind a head and arm and dudes are driving their weight on my throat. How do I get the electric chair now?"

So you start understanding how to get Perfect Double Underhooks. And after a while, you can get there and your electric chair is starting to get a reputation. But now dudes are basing back and not putting their weight on you so you can't electric chair them. You can ask around on the forum (as I've done) about a specific problem and find out or you can watch MTS and find out: you can't neglect your dogfight game. If they're not pushing you down, they're letting you transition to dogfight. If your dogfight stinks and your electric chair is awesome, your opponent might do what you don't punish him for.

In many ways, that's good. Your opponents are adapting to your A game and forcing you to work on new skills.

Short answer: for lockdown, I would work on learning to dipset. I would work on getting to your side with PDUs. Getting that electric chair on noobs.

If you're having trouble getting PDU's, consider the Whip Back - Whip Up - PDU combination (you'll have to find the right MTS yourself but there aren't many Whip Back segments).

Does any of that help?

One really good path to drill is just lockdown - whipup - oldschool sweep. It's the basic path that Eddie used for a very long time and results in passing the guys guard and ending up in side control.

I just keep it simple and look for 1 technique I want to learn each time!

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Originally Posted by Robbie Carter

Ok so I subscribed to MTS and I wish I had done it sooner, however, I'm facing a serious problem of information overload. For example I'm a big fan of half guard and lockdown, but I'm getting to the point where when I get into lockdown there are a ton of different paths and I'm not sure which one is correct and which one I should be using/focusing on.

I want to start developing a rubber guard game but the paths are so complex it's pretty intimidating and I'm not sure where to start or what to do. Does anyone have any advice for this? Should I focus on a particular path first before even considering other things?

Also, I'm kind of struggling to understand all of the positions and techniques; like someone will ask something about a particular position and then someone else with say "oh just go to this and then do that" and half the time I feel like they're just making up random words and positions. Does everyone really understand all the paths or is it normal to have to youtube/google search a lot of these positions and techniques?

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To answer all three of your inquiries:

1) Gaining the ability to achieve the lockdown is of the utmost importance before developing the lockdown. Focus on developing a mini-stomp, then master the path of 'mini-stomp to push/pull to lockdown, whip up, electric underhooks, to dogfight, old school sweep OR electric chair at this point. There are more sweeps connected to this, but these three things are a good start.

2) Focus on the basic rubber guard path. Explicitly stated, this is Mission Control to New York to clearing the head (Chill Dog) to Invisible Collar to jiu claw. Mastery of this basic path will yield several options along the way, including triangles, armbars, you name it. Don't worry about the fancier stuff for now, just the basic path. It all starts with breaking the guys posture tho. There are several ways to achieve this, but you can not enter mission control without breaking the guys posture. Much like you can not enter lockdown without straightening the guys leg with a solid mini stomp, you have to put yourself in a position to play rubber guard before you can play it.

3) It is normal to feel overwhelmed at first. This underlines the importance of studying the system and training enough to get adequate experience to back up your knowledge. This takes mat time, mat time, mat time. The Mastering the Systems have more than enough to teach you, focus on one concept at a time and reach a level of proficiency where you can catch it on guys your level, then begin adding bits and pieces. The big picture will begin to reveal itself in time.

master the warm ups first, then from there decide what part of system you want to master first. Electric chair and dogfight is a great place to start, welcome aboard :)

In jiujitsu, things usually work best when you don't "force" them. I try to enter competitions with more of that mind set but almost all training sessions with a specific thing to work on and I try to funnel things into that. I'll go 6+ months working on a single move or any movement or adjustment.

So short answer, I would pick one thing and not try and perfect everything at once. But you can drill some other things while your primary focus is on one thing if you want.