
Originally Posted by
sean applegate
Some great details here. You def need that knee out though. Lockdown and the whip down change the way this position is played for sure
Absolutely. In fact if your knee is free it will make it easier for you to finish the choke. By trapping your lower leg they're locking their own hips into place so once you have the choke on tight they think they're trying to defend the choke and keep you from sliding out. But if they were smart they'd let the leg go and try to outrun the choke. It also makes them think about the choke and the pass. it's harder to defend 2 things than 1.
If you've ever been taught a darce or anaconda or guillotine or any choke where you can either snag one of their legs with yours or mount them, it's the same idea. It holds their hips in place. By just getting your knee out, they can't move your base in their half guard and they're keeping their own hips stuck as you choke them.
You can see a lot of top level dudes knee slicing into a choke from the top and leaving a foot behind so that their opponent wraps up their lower leg thinking it's a good idea. It's an advanced concept. Marcelo Garcia does it all the time with the guillotine from top half. Intentional or not a ton of really good grapplers do it.
It's also one reason why I've stayed away from the lockdown the past couple years. Maybe I just need some more advanced teaching on it but I don't like my A-Game to be one that's going to lock my hips into place. Maybe my lockdown just need to be more active?
I do like the lockdown if I'm in deep water and need to regain some ground.