The Twin Bridge from Bottom Half Guard Lockdown (Video)

[Tony Toffolo]

i don't understand how you can say that since he just opens his legs and leaves your right leg free without trapping it with his left. the marcelo/hall videos involve keeping that leg trapped either with the inside or outside leg.

its almost like telling someone their rubber guard doesn't work because you passed before they could get you in closed guard.

[sean applegate]

The no hands pass is there for that. This was in response to James video. I would be a straight db to argue with Ryan and Marcelo. This kid played, basically, what James showed. Only difference was me not letting him establish lockdown first, but that doesn't matter since in James video he released the lockdown.

[Tony Toffolo]

i guess from my view it doesn't look like that is what he was trying to do, but if he was it wasn't properly executed.

anywho, it doesn't sound like we're going to agree on that. all good.

[David Rosado]

i don't understand how you can say that since he just opens his legs and leaves your right leg free without trapping it with his left. the marcelo/hall videos involve keeping that leg trapped either with the inside or outside leg.

its almost like telling someone their rubber guard doesn't work because you passed before they could get you in closed guard.

I get what you're saying. It's not exactly what James demonstrated. In the video the guy bumped, but he didn't block the knee. But either way, what James showed isn't quite what Marcelo or Ryan showed either. The details that James missed are pretty crucial. For one, you don't block the leg, you chop while you bump to give you a bit more momentum and a bit more umph behind the knee block. Two, if your opponent's leg is posted out, you have no first bump to begin with. The whole process is rendered useless. At the very least James could've mentioned this like Ryan did.

IMO, for no gi, I'm not sure how practical that would be though. Fortunately for me, leg out is how I play head and arm to begin with so there's no bump there. But if he were to bump and "block my leg" my leg the way he demonstrated, I don't see anything that would prevent me from just hopping over the hand and posting out. Gi guys don't usually play a clinch based game and so their habits are to post on their hands so I get why that would work in some instances. Since I learned only the clinch based game, I don't look to base with my hands as a first option. I look to post on my head, legs, and elbows. Only let go of head and arm as a last resort. I was taught to maintain the clinch unless you had no choice. That first bump would be money with a gi grip on the knee. I'm sure it's good for guys who play head and arm with the knee in tight like that. But in no gi, I don't see anything stopping me from just following the momentum and hopping over the hand and post my leg out. Or if my weight is going over my shoulder, leg out, post on head or just flare out my elbow.

Now let's say I'm trying a no hands pass and I don't post my leg out in time and I DO have to post on my hand. Let's say he got both his underhooks back. By the time that happens my leg's gone and you're not getting that lock down back. And so again, his instructional fails to address all issues. The pieces work great individually for sure. But I don't think they mix well.

Lots of things work against white belts. But I'd be willing to wager that every single purple on this site would nullify that series as it was demonstrated whether by preventing the first bump, denying the lockdown recovery, or just straight smashing through that half guard as soon as the lockdown was release.

The technique Marcelo showed was a THG teck where you keep one elbow in the mix to prevent getting smashed. Ryan showed a bump to a sweep. James thought the two mixed together with a dash of lockdown. Again, I don't believe they mix well. And they for sure don't mix well with the lockdown flow.

Not saying I can't be proven wrong. Not saying it's never worked and will never work again. I'm not even saying it can't be improved upon to make it high percentage. Just saying, as of right now I see more problems than solutions in that series and I can't see myself adding it into my game when I already have way better proven options.

[sean applegate]

i guess from my view it doesn't look like that is what he was trying to do, but if he was it wasn't properly executed.

anywho, it doesn't sound like we're going to agree on that. all good.

No worries tony. From posts in the past, I think we have a lot of the same views on things. Would love to be able to get a roll or two with you.

[Tony Toffolo]

The whole process is rendered useless. At the very least James could've mentioned this like Ryan did.

fair enough. i suppose i was thinking of the overall idea of the technique itself rather than considering whether or not he covered all the pertinent details.

IMO, for no gi, I'm not sure how practical that would be though. Fortunately for me, leg out is how I play head and arm to begin with so there's no bump there. But if he were to bump and "block my leg" my leg the way he demonstrated, I don't see anything that would prevent me from just hopping over the hand and posting out.

oh ya, guys will still post out for sure. when i do it i pretty don't much expect to get the sweep, it is a gift if i do. when i don't get the first bump as a sweep it is very rare that i don't get either (1) the sweep back to the left or (2) closed guard. at the very least i will either regain better posture in half-guard or get my near side underhook.

Now let's say I'm trying a no hands pass and I don't post my leg out in time and I DO have to post on my hand. Let's say he got both his underhooks back. By the time that happens my leg's gone and you're not getting that lock down back

alright, i was assuming people have at least some basic traditional-half strategies once they have the near side underhook (or both). maybe i shouldn't have done so.

in any case, once people started getting hip to my lockdown i have found great success between traditional-half and lockdown. once i understood the intricacies of bridging and traditional-half posture i realized "dayum! i see why people are still teaching it or at least why helio soneca's game is so badass."

[Tony Toffolo]

No worries tony. From posts in the past, I think we have a lot of the same views on things. Would love to be able to get a roll or two with you.

dude, that would be awesome.

made it down to 10th portland for a day last year. i definitely have to head down to another location again soon.

[sean applegate]

dude, that would be awesome.

made it down to 10th portland for a day last year. i definitely have to head down to another location again soon.

Ha I think I am on the complete opposite side of North America from you, BUT my doors always open player

[Tony Toffolo]

thanks brohemian rhapsody

[David Rosado]

alright, i was assuming people have at least some basic traditional-half strategies once they have the near side underhook (or both). maybe i shouldn't have done so.

in any case, once people started getting hip to my lockdown i have found great success between traditional-half and lockdown. once i understood the intricacies of bridging and traditional-half posture i realized "dayum! i see why people are still teaching it or at least why helio soneca's game is so badass."

Oh you assumed correctly. I love lockdown, but I also love playing trad half to get to all sorts of fun guards. I only really play lockdown if I've been flattened out. Friggin great series for so many options.

But the point of James' video was an "instructional" on an alternative way to get your double unders back to play lockdown. So my point was that even if he did manage to get his double unders back, the likelihood of reestablishing the lockdown is very low. So in the end, the whole video falls apart. Like I said, as individual techniques they're great as demonstrated by MG and Ryan. But mashed together with lockdown in play it's dysfunctional.