Back control is one of the most coveted positions in Gentle Art, but people rarely use it to the full extent of its potential. Such a narrow-minded approach is solely the fault of caches who just regurgitate what they’ve been taught, going on for generations now. Of course, not every coach belongs in this basket.
Some people make it a point to offer versatility to proven aspects of grappling, and the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD claims to have a solution to this. Given that Bradley is a feared crucifix expert, proven at the highest level of competition and in one of the toughest gyms in the US – Daisy Fresh, there might just be substance to his claims.
Key Takeaways
- 4-part No-Gi DVD with with a total running length of 2 hours.
- Expands on traditional back control by introducing effective variations.
- Expert instruction on the Crucifix and Truck positions.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.
BRADLEY SCHNEIDER BACK CONTROL DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!
The Dynamics of BJJ Back Control
One issue I see persisting in BJJ is the inability of people to purposefully decide whether they should move or stay still. For the most part, the wrong decisions dominate exchanges, resulting in plenty of failed attempts at, well, everything.
The same is true for the back control. For the most part, people have the impression that getting behind someone and getting your hooks in guarantees you a smooth ride until the round or match ends. Once the opponent starts moving and shaking you off, though, it quickly becomes apparent that you can’t just chill out with your hooks in.
Staying behind someone is similar to trying to hold on to an Ashi Garami – you share a spiral with the person you are attacking, and they have the advantage in spinning, so you need to know not just how to follow, but also how to intercept.
Plenty of instructionals out there cover this subject. However, if you want a breath of fresh air in terms of what back control is and how you can diversify it, take a look at the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD.
Daisy Fresh Team’s Own Bradley Schneider
The Daisy Fresh BJJ Team. For anyone who has seen the documentary series, even mentioning the phrase ‘Daisy Fresh’ has them standing at attention like possums. The team has been growing since the early days of Heth Petigo’s original crew led by Andrew Wilrze, and plenty of high-level grapplers have represented teh laundry mat team over the past 5 years.
One that is a true stand-out from a team of savage grapplers, is Bradley Schneider, a black belt under Dante Leon and a true beast on the mats, particularly in No-Gi. Bradley is a modern-day expert in back control, something we dont;’ see as often these days as we did just a decade ago.
With so much on offer to specialize in, Bradley has taken it upon himself to return to glory what is, according to me, the back control variation – the crucifix. The Fight2Win heavyweight champion and No-Gi Pan Ams Champ (at the brown belt) is one of the best No-Gi competitors of today and one to keep an eye on.
His instructions, such as the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD should also be on your radar if you are a serious competitor.
Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD Review: Dynamic Back Control
This Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD consists of four volumes, with a running time of jsut over 2 hours. All the material in the Dynamic Back Control instructional is demonstrated in No-Gi, which means it is directly applicable to Gi Jiu-Jitsu as well.
Part 1 – Fundamentals of Back Control
As this four-part instructional begins, Bradley decides to take all the stuff we think we know about back control and run them through a funnel, leaving only what is exceptionally effective behind.
First up, he talks about the ‘traditional’ way of attacking from back control, looking at Straight Jacket tactics such as leg traps, grip fighting sequences, and control methods such as the body triangle. A lot of attention is placed on movement, and how you need to dynamically follow your opponent if you want to stay on their back.
The second half of this Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD targets submissions from the back, beginning with the Rear Naked Choke and evolving towards armbars, rear triangles, and the coveted Thunder Lock. Throughout it, Bradley constantly places lots of emphasis on grip fighting that helps you achieve your goals.
According to me, the best part of this volume comes at the very end. In the final few chapters, Schneider touches a bit on back mount defense, giving you insights into what you can expect people to do against the body triangle, and the dreaded Straight Jacket.
Part 2 – Attacking the Turtle
A part I don’t completely agree with, if it was intended to be useful in modern Jiu-Jitsu and against modern iterations of the turtle position. The first part of this volume explores how to break down the turtle and end up with back control. All the ‘traditional’ back takes in this volume are mostly a waste of time.
I enjoyed the portions on using the Truck position against the turtle, although that too has been proven to be very difficult to obtain against a strong defensive turtle player. The crucifix, on the other hand, remains a strong threat, provided you can deal with the opponent’s structure, which takes us full circle back to grip fighting.
A few wrestling-inspired mat returns featuring gator rolls to break the turtle down and wrap up this part of the DVD.
Part 3 – Truck Mastery
The truck actually gets almost a full volume in this Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD. Apart from trying to use it against a solid turtle position, the Truck remains one of the most effective, yet underestimated and gravely underused positions in grappling.
Bradley Schneider covers the essentials of positional control from the truck, as well as the main submission options, such as the calf slicer and crotch riper (a.k.a. The Banana Split). He takes things a step further, combining entries to and from the back, including using the Twister as a checkpoint.
Part 4 – Bradley’s Signature Crucifix
The final part of the Dynamic Back Control BJJ DVD is all about Bradley’s preferred way of dealing with the back, which is the Crucifix. Schneider sin notorious for his expert use of the position, only the second grappler to be feared because of it after the legendary Marcelo Garcia.
After explaining how he likes to prevent people from slipping and rolling out of his crucifix, it is all about submissions with Bradley. Armbars, short chokes, a reverse Omoplata, and a route to the back and the Truck show exactly why Schneider is so scary when he gets to this ‘divine’ position during matches.
True to his promise of deeply exploring back control, Bradley also offers some escape options against the crucifix in the final few chapters of his DVD.
There is More Than Just One Back Control
What exactly is back control in Jiu-Jitsu? For most people, the position that results in earning 4 points in a competition is the only back control worth exploring. However, that is a very one-dimensional way of looking at control that opens up so many submission options, that you might end up not needing points anyway.
Eddie Bravo was the first to introduce such positioning, and a couple of his signature ‘dead zones’ in the form of the Twister and the Truck. While I don’t expect Eddie’s work to ever end up earning points in IBJJF competitions, that does not mean that es should shun these positions in favor of points earned by hugging someone’s hip from behind them using your legs.
In all fairness, the crucifix is also part of this category, being my personal preferred method of controlling the back, as opposed to the traditional hooks and seatbelt control. It all comes down to goals – if you want to control someone from the back, you will use everything at your disposal to achieve it.
If, on the other hand, you’re interested in getting points from the back, then the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD is not for you.
DYNAMIC BACK CONTROL BRADLEY SCHNEIDER BJJ DVD DOWNLOAD
Conclusion
Get out of your comfort zone in terms of the back mount position in BJJ and start thinking about how you can actually control people from the back as opposed to clinging to them like a wet backpack. The options are already there, you just need to start integrating them into your existing back control game.
Picking up the Dynamic Back Control Bradley Schneider BJJ DVD is a great way of getting a new perspective on back control in BJJ. Since it addresses both traditional and more open-minded methods of becoming a back mount expert, you can compare how effective they are yourself. A very smart investment, particularly for competitors!
