50/50 style vs. Sambo style

[J Grooms]

What is the benefit, if any, of using 50/50 opposed to using the knee reaping style leg locks? I find myself playing the leg lock game more and more, and the knee reaping style seems to be higher percentage for me. 50/50 usually just seems to stall out the action. So I was wondering what your opinions are? Especially Coach Herzogs take on this.

[Robert Sevigny]

5050 is more of a stall tactic, you can also use it as a sweep or a way to take the back or attack the legs/knees. ive watched a few sambo dvds (didnt spend much time on them/pay attention) but i would assume sambo is higher percentage because sambo only practices throws/takedowns, armbars, and leglocks and not much else

5050 is a versitile move, a sub-set of sambo, which gives you more mobility to set up other attacks... i watched RYAN HALL'S 50/50 dvd, i liked it and i liked the moves. if i was rolling with a guy i would DEFINITELY throw a 50-50 into play if the fight called for it. I gotta be as versatile in every position as i can be and knowing/understanding 5050 is one of them

[LeeCunningham]

ive watched a few sambo dvds (didnt spend much time on them/pay attention)

LOL, so I guess that makes you an expert, no? (Just teasing you a bit...)

sambo only practices throws/takedowns, armbars, and leglocks and not much else

In SPORT Sambo, yes, but in FREESTYLE Sambo you use chokes and other submissions as well. (Also, COMBAT Sambo uses chokes as well as strikes, much like MMA rules really.)

[Corky]

i thoguht sambo didnt allow chokes? or is that only in sport sambo you cant?

[AJ Camacho]

It depends on the rules of the competition. Last time I used 50/50 I injured my knee, so I don't really like the position that much.

[Cookie Monster]

5%5 is beautiful

no 2 opponents are 100% similar
someones going to be fast/skilled etc

so its only 50 50 physically
a black belt champion puts me in 50 50 its going to be 99 - 1
lol

[Jason Mallory]

50/50 is a Sambo position that isn't used often because of the risk involved.

[Christopher Piper]

I use both, it all depends on how the person responds. Reaps are easier to set up. When I grapple really athletic people like Anthony pettis the reaping style doesn't work unless I can get my reaping leg under his posting leg in time. 50/50 solves this. In mma he would punch me in the face, in grappling its only a matter of time. I'm currently working on a scissor sweep style leg lock position. Which solves the dangers of 50/50, but gives You the same submissions and then some.

[Jason Hyatt]

50/50 is a Sambo position that isn't used often because of the risk involved.

This. 50/50 is not a new position nor is it ineffective. Clearly it can be an effective method of attack. That said, it exposes the attacker to a degree of risk that isn't there with the leg knot, outside wedge, etc. That risk can be mitigated by a skilled practitioner. Like Cookie pointed out, if I'm in Ryan Hall's 50/50 we are NOT at equal risk even though positionally we are at equal advantage.

[Chris Herzog]

What is the benefit, if any, of using 50/50 opposed to using the knee reaping style leg locks? I find myself playing the leg lock game more and more, and the knee reaping style seems to be higher percentage for me. 50/50 usually just seems to stall out the action. So I was wondering what your opinions are? Especially Coach Herzogs take on this.

First you have to understand its not 50/50 vs. Sambo style. Both the reaping style and what’s now referred to as 50/50 are methods utilized in Sambo. Its more a difference of Outside leg control (50/50) vs Inside leg control (Reaping).

Sport rules dictate strategy, The reason you see the Reaping approach more in Sambo is because it has evolved further away from 50/50 (its still utilized but less often) and more towards Reaping approach over the past 7 decades. Where as in BJJ competition legocks have a very recent history of even being accepted as legitimate form of attack. Your less likely to see Reaping style of leg attacks in BJJ due to the restriction of rules (only black belt division allow the Reaping approach). As a competitor you’re going to spend less time on the techniques you’re not going to use in competition, stunting the development of that part of your game.

If your planning on focusing time on developing your leg attacks its necessary to put reps into both methods. If you neglect one over another, you are developing a hole in your over all game.

As to what benefits on one method has over another, it all depends what your goals are: Gi Jiu Jitsu? No-Gi? MMA? Sambo? Etc.

I’ll assume that since were on here on this forum your talking in terms of No-Gi and MMA.
For me its all about Risk Vs Reward.

I’m a supporter of the approach Low Risk/High Reward. In this case my choice is clearly the reaping style of leg attacks. There are various levels of control to the reaping style (we use the terms Clamp, Wedge and Knee Knot and my school). The clamp being the fastest method but offering the least amount of control of the 3, the Knee Knot offering the most control. I consider the Knee Knot to be the Spider Web of leg attacks. It offer and very high level of control with near zero amount of risk of a counter attack and a number of very effective submission options, to me it’s a straight Kill Zone.
For myself and my students the study of 50/50 is very important specifically for defensive purpose, personally the only time you really find me in 50/50 is if someone attacked me with it or during a scramble. In my experience it just doesn’t offer the same level of security as the reaping method, leaving yourself open to counter attacks while you’re attacking. Not a strategy I adhere to.