Advice?

[AJ Camacho]

In Gi grappling, your collar attacks threaten and setup your mount attacks. They defend, they open up, you submit. In no gi, it's no different. Your cross face (there's a trick to it) is your collar threat. Their reaction opens them up. And I know a lot of people think that cross faces are a douche move but I learned this mentality from a Gracie school. I don't know how mount riding got so soft, but smash the face and your submission will follow.

The douche move is just to grind the cross face for the sake of itself. It's totally fine to use pain to force an opening in order to exploit the opening. Just don't become a sadist and sit on the cross face.

[Michael Sioda]

AJ, this is the 2nd time I've heard you expound on the merits of the properly used cross-face. I'm going to seriously experiment with this in my next class to see if I can cause the bottom player to abandon his posture to avoid the pressure.

[Slick Rick]

Go 2 on 1 on any of the forearms bringing one arm straight to the mat. If he allows you to Americana, take the Americana.
Most likely, he'll defend the American by turning to that arm, and bringing his far arm to meet that attacked arm.
Transition from two knees on the ground to one knee on the ground and the attack-side foot in his armpit.
Deep hook the far side arm and set up the armbar.
Finish the armbar.. Most likely he'll turn to his back to pull back his arm to t-rex/home alone position.
Now go 2 on 1 on the other arm... Repeat the process a few times to tire him out thereby giving you either sub.
Other subs and setups will open up in the process as well.

[Chris Herzog]

[Dylan Ehrnreiter]

What I like to do is try to force what we call a Steering Wheel, or the cobra postion. Basically, I set up an americana on the wrong arm by pushing it to the floor with both hands (across the body/head). Then, I lay my chest down on the arm to try to pin it to their body. Last, I reach behind their head and lock onto their wrist and pull it snug. Check Herzog's blog for a buffet of moves from there.

[Stephen Rae]

Thanks everybody for the advice!

[AJ Camacho]

AJ, this is the 2nd time I've heard you expound on the merits of the properly used cross-face. I'm going to seriously experiment with this in my next class to see if I can cause the bottom player to abandon his posture to avoid the pressure.

The cross face that I use is a like an upward twisting grind, with the outer blade of my forearm driving upward into the jawline of my opponent. The palm of my hand will be braced against their clavicle (to block my arm from getting shucked and my back being taken) as I flare my elbow up and turn my forearm into their jaw. I actually don't put any pressure onto their neck.

[Doug "Minnesota"]

If you have no qualms about douche-bagging you might try shoving his own hands/fists into his neck and throat. Ideally this will make his raise his elbows up so you can work for a higher mount with no elbows attached. After that it's all you but you might try bending his head to one side with one hand on the head while you slide your knee to the opposite side to block him out.

[Chris Herzog]

We have a transition we call "Quick Cops!" I'll have to throw it on video, it gets his hands from T-Rex to above thier shoulders and allowing the transition to high mount (Knees to their armpits) opening the door to S-Mount>Spider Web.

Its a very simple movement. You place both your palms on the top of their head with your forearms and elbows on the floor, you push their head straight down along their spine (As if your trying to push their head into their chest cavity) as you drive your knees right into their armpits. Make sure you don't bend their neck, just keep their head on the floor.

[Mike Dewitt Jr]

I like to pin one wrist to the chest, bring a knee under the other elbow and sit on the chest in a triangle position and work in a triangle.