Crossing feet in spider web

[Dan Wheeler]

I was watching mastering the rubber guard earlier and i noticed that eddie was crossing his feet when he had the spider web. so i checked my book and saw that it was the same story there.

What's the reason for this? as in my BJJ class we're always tought to keep the legs uncrossed as you can keep the defender under more pressure with your leg curls if your ankels aren't crossed as you can bring your knees together.

Thanks, Dan

[Mark Hax]

If the person blocks spider web with a genie, they can use the blocking hand to push against your leg and push their head between your legs. You can either squeeze your knees together or curl your legs with your ankles crossed, but its hard to do all three. I was taught to curl (without ankles crossed) until the opponent's back is on the ground, and then spider web, cross ankles, and squeeze knees. I think it depends on what your opponent is doing to defend his arm.

[AJ Camacho]

In a "normal" armbar setup, both hands attack the arm while both feet curl in to trap and pin the opponent. The problem, is that a grappler with dynamic hips (wrestlers) are really good at getting to their knees despite this control.

The only time to cross your legs (generally speaking) is when you hook their leg and use that as hip control to keep them on their back. By crossing your legs you pinch their far elbow in and keep their shoulder somewhat off the mat helping to prevent them from sitting all the way up (which is the opening that occurs when you cross your legs). This creates this weird rocking control position where they can't get up since you have isolated their hips (via the leg hook) and their shoulders (via crossing the legs.

Anybody else please feel free to correct me.

[Cookie Monster]

when you do cross your legs make sure
the leg next to the head is on the bottom to get rid of extra space

and genie grip is rear naked choke grip defense or macarena grip

[Cookie Monster]

oh yeah theres an armbar escape where you shove your elbow under the guys ankle(the one closer to your chin)
to lift it up and grab with your legs to escape

[Art "ART OF WAR" Belarde]

I will cross the feet under there far side shoulder while in spider web. Other than that I generally don't cross the feet.

[Cookie Monster]

both ways are great i would probally cross em though
somtimes i dont do spider web when i land with the shin across the side of my opponent

[Kevin Gibbs]

crossed ankles stops the corkscrew escape, leg thats over opponent's body, on top. Hugging the leg keeps opponent on his/her back.

I also was first taught never cross the ankles, just squeeze the knees, but the crossing ankles kills an escape option, so from the top I always cross my ankles, from the bottom just leg curls and squeezing the knees without crossing the ankles (for the most part, locking the shoulder obviously involves crossed ankles)

[Kevin Gibbs]

[Dan Wheeler]

thanks for the feedback.