How to relieve crushing top pressure/escape to butterfly while in lockdown?

[Sean Dardis]

Hi guys,

Lockdown is my favourite half guard and the one I use about 80% of the time. I have gottenf airly proficient at the sweeps but I'm finding myself being squished and crushed against bigger guys and it really saps my energy, making it hard to breathe. I want to figure this out because I'm spending waaaay too much time in half guard and not enough in butterfly guard which I am trying to develop more.

So, how can I relieve pressure and escape from the forms of pressure (nearside underhook, farside underhook, someone lying down on top of me and squishing me when I have them whipped up, lockdown side underhook with my opponent grabbing my overhook side and neck in an arm-triangle-esque grip) one normally comes across from the person on top when rolling?

My goal is to create the space to make a sweep happen or to escape to closed or butterfly guard, but preferably butterfly.

If you guys have any tips (gi or nogi) or know which techniques within the System, instructionals or techniques from other sources and/or in the MTS episodes I would be eternally grateful!

[Joshua Jarboe]

Other people may be able to speak about this better, but I'll toss in my two cents.

I'm given to understand that the top dude that is crushing you is doing his job. I'm told it's his job to create stability and it's your job to create movement.

So how do you create movement if you're already being smashed? You're going to need structure. He's trying to keep you from creating the structures that will allow you to be mobile and you're trying to reassemble them.

If you can get to Perfect Double Underhooks (PDUs) or electric underhooks, you'll have more mobility. With PDUs or electric underhooks, you're on your side. Being on your side means more structure and more mobility.

But people are going to start trying to stop your transitions and keep you stuck in half states.

What do I mean by that:

From head and arm lockdown, I like to do the Whip Back, Whip Up, PDU combination. That should end with PERFECT double unders (meaning you're on your side). But some opponents can time something to flatten me out as I get the underhook. That's not perfect and I find it difficult to move if your opponents are just trying to smash and keep their entire body stiff. You're going to have to find answers for what to do. I'm starting to like to go to orthodox half and threaten a backtake: I feel like orthodox half-guard let's me get on my side better. In the gi, I also like to fish out a lockdown-side lapel and pass it to my non-lockdown side. With your non-lockdown side, you can pull that gi and whip towards that side to get on your side.

If I have to, I will also frame off their neck. That's old school BJJ that your teacher is probably already teaching you. "Get off your back! Create space!" Those are good ideas even in lockdown IMHO. It might lose you that underhook you fought for, but it did create motion. You've got to keep that motion going, get that underhook back and get to PDUs or EUs.

[Chris Garry]

Something I find useful is to rely on the basics.

You say you are getting tired, is this due to excessive squeezing?? Or excessive moving?? Are you tired muscular or are your lungs giving out??

Every person has its limit, we will all gas, pushed hard enough.

The key in this position, assuming you have your lockdown in place, is to have a strong frame. By using SKELETAL STRENGTH, 1, pinch your thighs together.. 2, Pinch your overhook (assuming you are left with and over hook on your lockdown side) imagine glueing your elbow to your hip, this will be strong, 3, PIMP ARM or straight arm their hip or leg. 4, engage your core

Over time you will develop the muscular stength required to hold this frame indefinitely. I'll bet Eddie and Denny and Mick Broster countless others will be able to achieve recovery whilst engaging this frame. This is very important, to be able to recover whilst grappling positively; this is something they studied with Randy Couture, is that when he is in the clinch no matter how hard he worked his body was recovering and his heart rate was returning to normal having boxed or grappled on the ground....

so that is a little bit about muscular recovery.

But the truth is that the more you rely on skeletal strength the less energy you will need to improve position.

Being on the bottom is typically a bad position, but this is where 10th Planet rules and is so cutting edge and so popular for a reason.. If you can engage using skeletal strength then you will never get tired in that way, as opposed to using muscular strength - which will inevitably lead to exhaustion.

Hope this helps. I really love the lockdown

[TaylorWolf]

It's all about the underhooks with lockdown. Perfect Double Underhooks or Electric Underhooks as suggested above (if you want to attack with lockdown and go to Electric Chair or Dogfight). Whip series is there to get underhooks.

To get to Butterfly guard from lockdown, gotta master the Superstomp. I feel like this might be the major puzzle piece you are missing. Its a great feeling to hit this on the bigger guys. Ideally I would Superstomp to Butterfly Guard, Sweep, right to Samurai roll, Truck and Twister. Boom.

I am also personally interested in learning more about going right to Homie Control or Rubber Guard from Lockdown. That is another viable path albiet a bit more advanced.

[Sean Dardis]

Thanks Chris, this was excellent and exactly what I was looking for. So really it's just my framing, do you think?

I think we actually exchanged emails with a while back about possibly coming over for a visit, I'm hoping to make it over in maybe September or October!

Cheers mate.

[Cody Lockley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDhMLvfzK9w

#1, super stomp. This is pretty much the only half guard I play at the moment and that 1 butterfly hook is SUPER strong. Bonus is you can use this guard when the top guy is trying to twister pass you.