Quarter Shell - can't get the knee to my belly

[Ricky Ho]

I am a Lockdown player and use the Black Mamba a lot when I start rolling. Very frequently in my rolls, I get into the Quarter Shell position and my opponent's knee is on the floor at my right. I then use my left hand to cup my opponent's left knee and try to bring it to my belly. Sometimes I can do it, but when I am rolling with people who are bigger than me, it is very difficult to bring their knee up to my belly. Can you offer some advise on how I can do this more effectively?

Sometimes, after I manage to get the opponent's knee to my belly, I can't get their knee to the ground (using push-pull-Lockdown) in order for me to get the Lockdown. Then, they will pass my guard in a matter of time. This happens a lot if my opponents are bigger than me. Any advise or strategies that I can use to improve my position from here is appreciated.

[Joshua Jarboe]

Is their knee hitting the ground?

[TaylorWolf]

I feel like you can Ministomp even while their knee is on the ground? Is this not where Ministomp begins? I feel like you can hit Ministomp from there with some reps and that lotus flexibility, then guide the knee into position and lockdown. This is something I do all the time automatically without thinking about it haha.

I also love Black Mamba. Its my go-to against highest level comp like a black belt or giant dude. Like Eddie says it eliminates almost every fancy guard pass they rep in the gym and leaves them with only a few options for knee slide or leg lock.

[Ricky Ho]

Yes, their knee is on the ground.

[Arman Fathi]

I am a Lockdown player and use the Black Mamba a lot when I start rolling. Very frequently in my rolls, I get into the Quarter Shell position and my opponent's knee is on the floor at my right. I then use my left hand to cup my opponent's left knee and try to bring it to my belly. Sometimes I can do it, but when I am rolling with people who are bigger than me, it is very difficult to bring their knee up to my belly. Can you offer some advise on how I can do this more effectively?

Assuming they're cutting past you on your right side, maintain your quarter guard and grip your underhook firmly around their lat. Kick'em in the butt with your top leg while maintaining a tight bit on his calf. Post your right foot as far to the right as it goes, posting your pinky toes on the mat and remaining on your side. This will provide the leverage to sweep him to the left if the grip is solid. In gi, the belt grip makes the sweep work. The main key is to pivot off your right pinky toe, swooping your hips under him, and rotating onto your left side for the sweep. In no-gi, I have found that even though he is able to counter by posting out and shifting his body weight, it provides enough of a disruption to get my mini-stomp in. From there, push pull lockdown.

This works for me, and hopefully something you can try. I absolutely believe the most effective way is to show you tho because typing it just ain't cutting it for the difference in feeling from applying or not applying a couple of the details, especially how you're posting that right foot.

[Arman Fathi]

Sometimes, after I manage to get the opponent's knee to my belly, I can't get their knee to the ground (using push-pull-Lockdown) in order for me to get the Lockdown. Then, they will pass my guard in a matter of time. This happens a lot if my opponents are bigger than me. Any advise or strategies that I can use to improve my position from here is appreciated.

If the push/pull/lockdown doesn't work, use your mini stomp to enter ashi or x guard.

[Miguel Kangaroo]

You can't force someone to put their knee on your belly if they are in your quarter guard unless they are way smaller than you. Do like eddie does....develop a really good quarter guard game. You need options.

[Ricky Ho]

Hi Arman, thanks for the tips. I appreciate the advise. I will try it in the next few rolls.

I was trying to do what Eddie taught in MTS 106. I have a Quarter Shell position and was trying to go to Mini-Stomp Control 1, but sometimes I can't get the opponent's knee (especially bigger guys) up from the floor to my belly.

[Ricky Ho]

I was rolling in class yesterday and was in Quarter Shell again. If my opponent is on all fours or hunching forward, then I can move their knee off the ground to my belly. But if their spine is straight and they have good posture, I just can't move their knee to my belly. I then tried to use my left knee to knee them on their butt to get them to fall forward but could not do so because my opponent's spine was straight and he had good posture. After the failed knee to the butt, my opponent then completed the knee slice and got side control. I always seem helpless when my opponent maintains good posture and goes for the knee slice. The Quarter Shell seems very hard to play. Is there other ways to go for Halfguard/Lockdown without using the Quarter Guard/Shell as an entry?

[Eddie Bravo]

There are a thousand levels to pulling his knee up to your belly, just like every other move. No move works on everyone especially when the weight difference is huge, but the more you practice the more people it will work on, that's why the move in question is in the warm ups. If you can't pull it up, try to get the underhook and go to dogfight