So what is the best Gordon Ryan DVD to get? Well, given that he has covered just about every subject in the sport, it depends on what you are researching at the time. For those looking into bent arm locks, the Kimura DVD By Gordon Ryan is a never-ending resource on the subject.
I say never-ending because it is another double-decker, 8-part volume filled with more info than you can take in. It will still help you in your pursuit of Kimuras, no matter what belt you are. The best part is that Ryan covers just about everything Kimura-related, so you end up a reliable resource with everything you’ll most likely ever need.
Key Takeaways
- Kimura strategies from top and bottom positions ;
- Running time: Just above 4 hours;
- Narrated rolling footage of Gordon Ryan doing live Kimuras;
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10
Preview Systematically Attacking The Kimura
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The Inevitability of Kimuras in Combat Sports
When I was a blue belt I discovered the power of the Kimura as a submission and enjoyed a lot of success in getting my peers, and mostly lower belts, to tap. I then abandoned it for a few years and discovered it at brown belt, but from a different perspective – a controlling position that you can use to set traps.
At black belt, the Kimura now emerges as useful no matter what kind of research I am doing: defense, standing, attachment, counters, etc. The point is that you can find good use of the Kimura grip regardless of what you are doing as your grappling centerpiece at the moment.
The Kimura DVD By Gordon Ryan covers every aspect of Kimuras so that you will be able to discover something to fit your game. You are bound to meet the grip every time you step on the mats, regardless if you’re on the giving or receiving end of Kimuras. Use this resource to understand them better, and you’ll have a very efficient safety net during rolling or competing.
The King of Grappling
Gordon Ryan is the best grappler alive. Even if I stop here, I’d have written nothing people even remotely acquainted with grappling don’t know. The truth is, he is a highly polarizing figure that drew lots of attention to the sport.
If we put all the steroids, trash-talking, team beefs, and all kinds of on and off-the-mats chaos, the combination of raw natural talent, incredible work habits, and access to the BJJ mastermind John Danaher has proven to be the best recipe for grappling success.
After winning everything there is to win in the No-Gi world, setting records as he does, there’s hardly any doubt in anybody’s mind that Ryan is the best grappler to date. That, however, does not make him my favorite person to learn from, as opposed to his coach, Danaher.
So far, three have been really great info in Ryan’s instructional but presented in a way that is chaotic and only possible for brown/black belt grapplers to understand. Is the Kimura DVD By Gordon Ryan another one put together in such a fashion? Check out the detailed review below to learn more.
Exploring the Kimura DVD By Gordon Ryan
As expected with any Gordon Ryan DVD so far, you get a No-Gi instructional, divided into 8 volumes, covering everything about the Kimura and the kitchen sink. There is a general organizational system, with each volume covering a specific position as it relates to the Kimura:
Part 1 – Introduction to the Kimura from Closed Guard
After covering a few gripping basics and presenting the different types of Kimuras, Ryan explains some essential mechanics, such as the power of pulling Kimuras and the main functions of the position.
Most of this volume covers the closed guard and how you can use the Kimura to sweep and submit from it. Gordon shares several different setups, mainly revolving around grip combinations, and wraps up with a few interesting Kimura combos from close guard that work at every level.
Part 2 – Open Guard Kimuras
The second portion of the Kimura DVD by Gordon Ryan focuses on the open guard, which means there is much more versatility covered. Perfect for blue and purple belts looking to overcomplicate things.
You get to discover how Ryan does all those powerful Sumi Gaeshi sweeps by utilizing the Kimura. Keep in mind, though, that this works for Ryan, but you might find it a bit more difficult. He also provides a few follow-up options, such as Ashi Garami entries and triangle chokes to cover failed Kimura attempts.
The wrap-up introduces the next volume, with Gordon covering how to use the half guard as the ultimate fallback position when open guard Kimura attacks do not work out as planned.
Part 3 – Half Guard Kimuras
The half guard is the quintessential Kimra locking position, both from top and bottom. That has made it quite difficult to wrap up a Kimura lately, but Ryan does offer some innovative ways of solving these issues.
Ryan balances reactive and proactive Kimura attacks, as well as showing a different variation of the Power Kimura which is pretty effective. Before going into a few more ways to use different positions as backup and/or baits, Ryan goes full circle showing you how to get back to open guard when the half guard Kimuras fail.
Part 4 – Kimuras from Top: Open Guard
Halfway through the technical instructional Ryan flips things upside down, turning to explore how to best utilize the Kimrua from the top. Personally, I prefer top position setup so I did enjoy this portion of the Kunmra DVD by Gordon Ryan a bit more.
The first positional exchange Ryan covers is how to deal with the open guard by way of Kimura. He goes over every open guard contact you might make with the bottom person’s legs in separate chapters. Most of these setups lead to passes with the Kimura grip intact.
The second half of this volume covers the half guard Kimura from the perspective of the top grappler. You will discover options to deal with underhooks, the knee shied, and shoulder posts, as well as some cool options to use the Kimura to establish a reverse cross face.
Part 5 – Side Control/North-South Kimura Setups
The preferred position for attacking Kimuras is side control. I love to use it to control the position, but it also works great for finishing, as you’re attacking without the bottom person’s legs getting in the way.
Ryan starts with the concept of the powerline and the importance of controlling the head. He then goes on to overview Kimuras versus the different arm positions the bottom person might try and use in a defensive manner.
If you’ve never heard of the Trimura lock, you will in this volume, and you’ll also learn how to create dilemma attacks using it. A few innovative legs Kimura options wrap this portion up.
Part 6 – Mounted Kimura
I was equal parts skeptical and curious when I discovered that Ryan is demonstrating mounted Kimuras in this volume. I’ve never really tried to make Kimuras from mount work, but whenever I messed around with it, it did not work well.
Most of the chapters in this section demonstrate how the Kimura is a great fallback grip when underhooks fail. The thing that makes it all work is the Trimura, which was a revelation of sorts for me when watching this Kimura DVD by Gordon Ryan.
A few of the final chapters also cover Kimuras from back mount, and options to connect them with rear triangles and straight armbars.
Part 7 & 8 Narrated Rolling Footage
The final two volumes of the Gordon Ryan Kimura DVD show the King rolling against different opponents. First, we get to see the rolls, with Gordon spending 5 minutes against 4 different opponents.
Next, he goes over the rolls narrating everything he does, but this time slows them down and pauses them to better capture the key points. Of course, he leans towards the Kimura in all of his rolls from both top and bottom, so that we get to see how things connect in live situations.
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The Evergeen Value of the Ude-Garami
Gordon Ryan has used the Kimura to both finish matches and control them to set other things up at the highest level. Percentage-wise, the Kimura is one of the most effective submissions at open tournaments at all levels.
It is also the move that Judo champion Masahiko Kimura used to break Helio Gracie’s arm in their famous Maracanã Stadium super fight, which is how the move became popular as the Kimura rather than the original Japanese term gyaku ude garami.
Using the Kimura in BJJ is inevitable. As long as you keep an open mind and grab that Kimura grip whenever you see it available, you’re going to have success in everything you’re trying to do: submit, pass, sweep, transition, pin, or takedown. So, regardless of your belt, it is smart to find a way to introduce it to your game.
Just Another Kimura Instructional
From an organizational standpoint, the Kimura DVD by Gordon Ryan is once a gain filled with too much information for my taste. However, this time, Ryan did improve in terms of only providing information that relates to the subject and does not spend as much time going into tangents as he used to.
While I am not personally Gordon’s greatest fan in terms of his teaching prowess and instructional. I have seen most of them and used some of the stuff in there. The Kimura DVD shows the growth and improvement of Ryan as a coach, and I will be going back to this one every now and again for ideas and options.
Why not do the same? Pick it up now and begin your Kimura hunting escapades guided by the best grappler alive! It is as close as you’ll get to a 4 hour-long private with Gordon Ryan anyway.
Masahiko Kimura vs Helio Gracie – Kimura’s Review Of The Event
