The ankle pick is an interesting subject in BJJ. It is a takedown that is very effective and works perfectly in combination with other Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves, but it also seems people are afraid to go after it. In my experience, this is because they’re uncomfortable with level changes.
In BJJ, level changes are different than in wrestling. There are submissions to consider, and generally, the pace is much slower. Moreover, people tend to leave their feet and ankles exposed, as they don’t recognize threats at that level as significant. that is a huge mistake, and one you can, and should capitalize on. The Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD might help you with that.
Key Takeaways
- 1-part No-Gi DVD about ankle pick takedowns, good for beginners only.
- An hour-long instructional by a former wrestler recorded outdoors.
- Left and right setups, timing, scoring, and off-the-whistle tactics included.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 6 out of 10.
ANKLE PICK ANTHOLOGY AVAILABLE HERE!!!
Why Low Takedowns Work in BJJ
The first time I saw an ankle pick was when my professor showed the now quintessential Gi misdirection attack – a fake guard pull to an ankle pick. I was a blue belt. Back then I liked it because it presented an option off the guard pull while allowing me to keep a collar grip on.
Nowadays, I appreciate the ankle pick even more, but it has nothing to do with pulling guard or that overused combo I mentioned above. The true value of the ankle pick is in the level of attack, which is something BJJ folks are not too aware of.
Namely, in standing exchanges, BJJ athletes focus on stuff like judo throws using Gi grips, wrestling elg attacks like the single and double leg takedown and high crotch, various trips, and the front headlock. None of these, apart from a low single, directly attack the ankles, though.
This is an untapped opportunity in BJJ. Hunting for an ankle from standing, or even better, half kneeling creates a complicated problem for your opponent. You see, it takes two legs to stay upright and get to the top position. If you control the end of one leg, you control a big lever in relation to the opponent’s hip, one you can use to force that hip to the mats.
Enter ankle-level takedowns such as ankle picks. As long as you can figure out how to retain control over the ankle, you’re going to literally drive your opponent wherever you want them to go. The best part is, that they are readily available off of any of the more common takedowns I mentioned above.
Who is Keelon Jimison?
Keelon Jimison, a.k.a. Mugzy is an amateur MMA fighter from the US with a wrestling background. He is more of a social media star than an athlete, to be honest, and somehow, he managed to release an instructional on ankle picks that are available to the BJJ public.
Not much information is available Jimison, apart from his 1-0 amateur MMA record as part of Shamrock FC, a promotion out of St. Louis. He had a solid wrestling career in high school and college but is far from world-champion quality.
That said, looking at his Instagram profile, Keelon seems pretty fast as a wrestler and shows some great timing and instincts. He changes levels with incredible speed, which is what allows him to be extremely proficient at ankle picks, a signature move of his that he deconstructs pretty thoroughly in his Ankle Pick Anthology DVD instructional.
Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD Review
The glaring thing that sets this Keelon Jimison DVD apart from others is its length. The entire instructional is crammed into one volume, which is very uncommon these days. Moreover, it seems to be shot in a backyard or the far side of a football pitch.
To be honest, the shoot location or the unusual structure of this instructional is not the key aspects that define its quality. It is all about the content found inside, which is divided into three main sections within one volume:
Section 1 – Introduction
The opening few chapters cover an introduction to the ankle pick in wrestling, as well as the ‘off-the-whistle’ concept which is prevalent throughout the Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD instructional.
As you’re probably guessing, this refers to going for a move the moment you hear a ref blow the whistle, which is more suited to wrestling than BJJ. Whistling aside, Keelon does address a very important aspect of any takedown which is how to hide it as you go for it. In the case of a low-level takedown, requiring lots of motion, such as the ankle pick, this is exceptionally vital.
Section 2 – Stance and Motion
If you’ve ever been to a wrestling class you’ve heard about stance and motion. Similar to grips in BJJ, these are two aspects that nobody wants to spend time drilling but are crucial to any grappling success. Keelon ‘s take on both is filtered through ankle picks, making this section relevant, and even useful, given the subject.
The chapters on the push-pull interplay in grabbing the ankle pick and finishing it were definitely worth watching. I liked that Keelon covers both left and right-side setups with everything he demonstrates.
Section 3 – Scoring
The scoring aspects covered in the Ankle Pick Anthology instructional are mostly from a wrestling perspective, but they translate to BJJ as well, given that a takedown cores points across martial arts.
The focus is once again on getting the ankle pick straight off the white whistle, which is understandable seeing how speed is Keelon’s main advantage. He goes over the full ankle lock sequence in a couple of chapters, from stance and motion to finishing, all done with exceptional precision and quickness.
Section 4 – In-Match Tactics
Just under half of this Keelon Jimison DVD is dedicated to in-match tactics revolving around the ankle pick. Once again, everything is presented from a wrestling standpoint but suits the needs of BJJ athletes even more than those of wrestlers.
This part is all about grip fighting that helps set up different ankle pick entries, with Keelon favoring Collar ties and the Baseball bat grip, which was something I’ve never used before and I found it very interesting. Once again, left and right combos are covered for each setup, including baits and some key insights on timing.
The Role of Level Changes
In a sport where you can go from standing to your back and keep fighting without losing any points, changing levels is obviously of critical importance. BJJ exchanges go to the extremes of human motion, and, in a vertical sense, that means being able to move from standing to flat on the mats, preferably belly down, in a second, or sometimes even less.
This is a tall order, but at the end of the day, it is absolutely essential to success. levels don’t just dictate how good you are at takedowns, but also how well you control topo positions or create space when on bottom.
Combine level changes with the power of controlling one of the opponent’s legs and not allowing it to touch the mats, and you have a very powerful position to work from, regardless of what level you find yourself at. Even better, you can go through all of them and retain control as long as you don’t let go of the leg.
ANKLE PICK ANTHOLOGY KEELON JIMISON DVD DOWNLOAD!
Pick it Up!
Obviously, low-level (in terms of height, not efficiency) takedowns are a silver bullet of sorts for BJJ athletes. They are tricky to master, but once you get the hang of them, they’re a nightmare to defend against.
You can start literally anywhere, even by trying out your own ways of trapping an ankle. However, an instructional that might help, mostly if you’ve never done this before, is very athletic and fast, or both is the Ankle Pick Anthology Keelon Jimison DVD. While somewhat short and strange, this instructional is perfect to get you going with ankle picks without too much confusion, so it is worth considering.
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