Lockdown in the Gi

Hello all,

So, I'm still focusing on improving my lockdown. I usually do pretty well against students of my caliber but against big dudes or blue belts+ my skills or strength are insufficient, especially in the gi.

I feel like my attempts to whip up are being blocked, possibly by my opponent grabbing cloth. It's more difficult to hit the electric chair as well.

Can anyone offer pointers about how, in your experience, playing the Lockdown is different in the Gi? Are there sweeps that work better in the Gi? Should I just try to get to full guard?

If you're playing lockdown in the gi, what's working for you? What's not working for you? Do you have tips on how to get a lockdown sweep on someone who has 50% more mass than you?

I'm trying to figure out where the game is just different in the gi and where my skills are simply deficient. I have a funny feeling that the 5-0 or mechanic sweeps might work great in the gi.

I don't wear the gi but do wear gi pants occasionally and find my lockdown is super tight with it.

Though, as we don't train in the gi, very few guys think about reaching for the pants to prevent a transition.

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Originally Posted by Joshua Jarboe

Hello all,

So, I'm still focusing on improving my lockdown. I usually do pretty well against students of my caliber but against big dudes or blue belts+ my skills or strength are insufficient, especially in the gi.

I feel like my attempts to whip up are being blocked, possibly by my opponent grabbing cloth. It's more difficult to hit the electric chair as well.

Can anyone offer pointers about how, in your experience, playing the Lockdown is different in the Gi? Are there sweeps that work better in the Gi? Should I just try to get to full guard?

If you're playing lockdown in the gi, what's working for you? What's not working for you? Do you have tips on how to get a lockdown sweep on someone who has 50% more mass than you?

I'm trying to figure out where the game is just different in the gi and where my skills are simply deficient. I have a funny feeling that the 5-0 or mechanic sweeps might work great in the gi.

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When I compete in the gi, I have the same problem. They grab my gi when they have head and arm, preventing me to whip up since I can't physically turn my upper body. I was told to try the stomp series and go to butterfly in those situations since you can do it with over/under. You can then go to full guard or the multitude of butterfly sweeps from there.

i feel like lockdown is easier with a gi, for one you have better leg grips. and when i'm going for the electric chair sweep, i can pull on their jacket better. maintaining the underhook is also easier.

how exactly are they blocking you?

my biggest problem with lockdown is, (gi AND no gi) when they tuck their calf under their butt. but besides that, when i have the lockdown in, and i have that left underhook, i'm pretty much set, even with higher belts. but higher belts know what i'm going for and tuck their calf in.

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Originally Posted by Amber Kamischke

When I compete in the gi, I have the same problem. They grab my gi when they have head and arm, preventing me to whip up since I can't physically turn my upper body. I was told to try the stomp series and go to butterfly in those situations since you can do it with over/under. You can then go to full guard or the multitude of butterfly sweeps from there.

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I find the jaws of life still works. They can hold on to my gi if they want to, I'll just torque their head until they let go. I can usually get crappy double underhooks and whip a bit for better double underhooks. But I can't whip up to dogfight. Might be that my skills are not good enough.

Which is too bad. I'm told girls will only date boys who have skills. :(

I'm wondering if I could use gi grips to get to dogfight by attrition....

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Originally Posted by marc luu

i feel like lockdown is easier with a gi, for one you have better leg grips. and when i'm going for the electric chair sweep, i can pull on their jacket better. maintaining the underhook is also easier.

how exactly are they blocking you?

my biggest problem with lockdown is, (gi AND no gi) when they tuck their calf under their butt. but besides that, when i have the lockdown in, and i have that left underhook, i'm pretty much set, even with higher belts. but higher belts know what i'm going for and tuck their calf in.

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When I switch from double-unders to getting ready to whip (pushing up on the ribs / chest) they grab cloth and go heavy. After I fail, they usually immediately attempt to attack an arm (and I suspect that my sleeves make their arm attacks a little more powerful).

When I used to go for the electric chair, I used to just grab their leg with two arms and I was having some success there. I wonder if that might be better in the gi than electric underhooks (but maybe I'm just not doing stuff right).

Anybody trying 5-0 or Mechanic in the Gi like a G? ;)

have you looked at the whip down?
a recent mts goes over it

I wish I could answer your questions but I havnt trained in a gi in so long, I forget what works and what doesn't in the gi :)

The only time I have trouble hitting anything from lockdown is they've postured up enough to grab my far side collar (when I'm on my side) and they use that grip to pin me to the mat and start working a collar choke but getting good tight double unders helps negate this

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Originally Posted by marc luu

i feel like lockdown is easier with a gi, for one you have better leg grips. and when i'm going for the electric chair sweep, i can pull on their jacket better. maintaining the underhook is also easier.

how exactly are they blocking you?

my biggest problem with lockdown is, (gi AND no gi) when they tuck their calf under their butt. but besides that, when i have the lockdown in, and i have that left underhook, i'm pretty much set, even with higher belts. but higher belts know what i'm going for and tuck their calf in.

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Them tucking their leg under their ass doesnt ever bother me really because to pass he has to un-do this to work a pass at which point I can get my lockdown and I've got pretty decent at being able to bring my outside leg in and use it as well as hip bumping to hook the leg out and get lockdown, this is all strictly grappling mind

Pant grips make old school unstoppable

I train mostly in the GI right now too and I understand your struggle. I have problems with people that have good head arm control. I've been trying to work on my Whip-down but the GI seems to cause to much friction to pull my arm down. Mainly with one of our purple belts that likes to make it a point to try and beat my lockdown. no worries, Ill never give up :). Old school is still MY highest percentage though.

just stay consistent with the lockdown game and keep tweaking it to see what works ..the main problem i have is when they go for Ezekiel chokes. So just keep ur shoulders shrugged and grip fight like crazy

Lockdown is my main path and I train 90% GI. Remember, whip up is not always one motion. It can look ugly and be a huge battle to get on your side. However, once there with double under hooks it's like getting a free sweep once you have developed your lockdown game.

I play lockdown in the gi alot. The biggest difference is definitely the amount of time it takes. As with most things gi vs no gi. The whip up will take longer and be uglier. Lots of jerking and waiting for the right opening

Here's a video of Rigan Machado going over some stuff. There's more on this channel too, it's definitely interesting stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5J821ADFT0

I train mostly gi too. So, if I am taking this correctly, it comes down to you gotta fight for it a bit more with the gi. Be patient and keep working it and eventually it will work.

I had the same problems with heavier guys and higher belts. It wasn't as bad before M3, but now it is worse since more people know what is happening.

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Originally Posted by Gray

Pant grips make old school unstoppable

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Thanks! I'll try it!

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Originally Posted by Eddie Bravo

I wish I could answer your questions but I havnt trained in a gi in so long, I forget what works and what doesn't in the gi :)

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That's alright Professor Bravo. If you want to be a g in a gi you can't complain. OGs don't whine. ;)

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Originally Posted by FUCKBOBBYDANNY

just stay consistent with the lockdown game and keep tweaking it to see what works ..the main problem i have is when they go for Ezekiel chokes. So just keep ur shoulders shrugged and grip fight like crazy

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Folks threaten them and it forestalls me a little. I try to keep my chin tucked and start whipping like a crazy person if I'm in danger. I can't say my whip is good but it helps sometimes...

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Originally Posted by Will Thaxton

Lockdown is my main path and I train 90% GI. Remember, whip up is not always one motion. It can look ugly and be a huge battle to get on your side. However, once there with double under hooks it's like getting a free sweep once you have developed your lockdown game.

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Yes, that makes sense, particularly in the gi. Have you seen any videos showing how the whip up is not always one motion? I haven't seen much on that subject: all the demonstrations I've seen show what appears to be the ideal whip up. Gi grips make their defense better. But I'm starting to wonder if I can whip up to my side gradually by using gi grips and just shifting my grip after each whip....

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Originally Posted by Israel Bannister

I play lockdown in the gi alot. The biggest difference is definitely the amount of time it takes. As with most things gi vs no gi. The whip up will take longer and be uglier. Lots of jerking and waiting for the right opening

Here's a video of Rigan Machado going over some stuff. There's more on this channel too, it's definitely interesting stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5J821ADFT0

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Similar feedback here, that's really helpful. I'm starting to get a higher level picture of what the lockdown looks like.

If someone could post footage of the ugliness you two are talking about it would be immensely helpful for folks like me that are training in a gym where the lockdown probably isn't going to be taught for a while!

I really like to pass the opposite side lapel behind their back to your lock down side arm. Keep the elbow high to block the over hook. This give you the control of double unders with one arm. Use the free arm to control their other leg (control their knee distance). keep your head glued to their hip. I find this to be a really good control for guys of all size. Also makes the electric chair setup a breeze.

highly gifted gave really good advice and I'm gonna have to try that, I totally see how that will help pull the electric chair. I would say that you may wanna check your clinch when you whip up.

Make sure your gable or s grippinp at the farside right below the ribs and clinching tight with your elbows and keeping your head glued.

Good foot work also helps greatly to get up to the dog fight and look for the boa, old sku, plan b, or c cup electric chair. good foot work is when you pull your outside foot to your butt with a hamstring curl and trap their foot in like a weird single leg quarter guard, and then extend your inside leg out and under in a circular motion until you get to the dog fight. do not let up on double unders, or they may put you back on your back.

Also check for electric chair unders before the jaws of life, try what highly gifted suggested as it sounds extremely high percentage.

if they tuck their leg and sit on it you might wanna go to butter fly half and look at transitioning into other guards, maybe deep half or x guard variants.

lockdown in the gi is money. you just have to be really good at not giving up that farside underhook and getting to perfect double unders. cannot ever put enough emphasis on the constant battle for underhooks. stomp as mentioned before is a constant go to of mine mixed with flying kung fu's if they happen to get the underhook. jaws of life is always an option but sometimes against people whose entire goal is to eliminate space between their head and anything resembling a frame, it may not work out. obviously once you've got to a solid lockdown, you play your game or whatever you've drilled most/comfortable with. So many options that flow together and is actually a game that when really knowledgeable of, one can force this down opponents throats. I'm currently making it a point to use my open guard game and force people to close the distance right into my lockdown game which is actually stronger.

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Originally Posted by Joshua Jarboe

Hello all,

So, I'm still focusing on improving my lockdown. I usually do pretty well against students of my caliber but against big dudes or blue belts+ my skills or strength are insufficient, especially in the gi.

I feel like my attempts to whip up are being blocked, possibly by my opponent grabbing cloth. It's more difficult to hit the electric chair as well.

Can anyone offer pointers about how, in your experience, playing the Lockdown is different in the Gi? Are there sweeps that work better in the Gi? Should I just try to get to full guard?

If you're playing lockdown in the gi, what's working for you? What's not working for you? Do you have tips on how to get a lockdown sweep on someone who has 50% more mass than you?

I'm trying to figure out where the game is just different in the gi and where my skills are simply deficient. I have a funny feeling that the 5-0 or mechanic sweeps might work great in the gi.

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Well..Im telling you that Lockdown with Gi is probably the best halfguard there is, not just for pinning. I have abandoned the whip to the side many years ago because my students knows the lockdown to good for me being able to whip them with the basic path. there´s a much more effective way to whip to the other side (whip down, reverse electric.. Im not sure about the name and the videos I have seen doesn´t show much details). but if lockdown (whipping) doesn´t work due to a bigger opponent! don´t get locked up mentally on the lockdown, just transition to the stomp and you are in a good spot.:-)
In the future I will try to make a video "Master the Lockdown" AKA Thunderleg.

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Originally Posted by Magnus Hansson

Well..Im telling you that Lockdown with Gi is probably the best halfguard there is, not just for pinning. I have abandoned the whip to the side many years ago because my students knows the lockdown to good for me being able to whip them with the basic path. there´s a much more effective way to whip to the other side (whip down, reverse electric.. Im not sure about the name and the videos I have seen doesn´t show much details). but if lockdown (whipping) doesn´t work due to a bigger opponent! don´t get locked up mentally on the lockdown, just transition to the stomp and you are in a good spot.:-)
In the future I will try to make a video "Master the Lockdown" AKA Thunderleg.

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id LOVE to see this video.
would help a bunch!