Key Takeaways
- A Gi BJJ mini-instructional that exclusively covers different setups for the Baseball Choke.
- Delivers top and bottom options, with the latter receiving more attention, for sneaking the choke in.
- Features North-South, side control, mount, and back-bottom setups, as well as guard tactics.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 6.5 out of 10.
BASEBALL BAT CHOKE SERIES RYAN GRUHN DVD GET HERE
The Baseball Choke is one of the most satisfying submissions you’ll ever get in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This brutal Gi choke — which also has some very tight No-Gi variations — is the ultimate surprise finish, appearing out of nowhere while you’re in bottom positions that are not supposed to provide you with submission options.
Available from standing, top, and bottom positions, the Baseball Choke is the ultimate move to build a game around. It is also super technical and has many moving components, which is why it came as a surprise that the Baseball Bat Choke Series Ryan Gruhn DVD is just a mini-instructional with a surprisingly short running time.
The Sneakiest Choke in BJJ
If you’ve never been caught in a Baseball Choke during your time on the mats, you’ve not really done BJJ. Trust me — your entire perception of the sport will change once you tap to a choke that came out of nowhere and almost (or completely) put you to sleep in less than three seconds.
The Baseball Choke is a Gi choke that works from both top and bottom positions, with the latter being the preferred hunting ground for those who are expertly skilful with it. It’s the sneaky and unassuming setup that makes this choke such a powerful weapon — you don’t know it’s on until you’re already getting strangled.
The surprise factor is so strong that people often don’t even have time to tap before they go to sleep because all of your body weight is behind the choke once you get it going. Plenty of technical details are crucial to making the choke work — some of which feature in the brief but informative Baseball Bat Choke Series Ryan Gruhn DVD.
“Guro Guard Dog” Ryan Gruhn
Black belt in BJJ, Ajarn in Muay Thai (stands for Senior Instructor), CSW instructor, and Jeet Kune Do / Kali instructor — that’s a lifetime of dedication to martial arts and a lot of “instructor” titles. And Ryan Gruhn deserves each one.
In a grappling sense, Ryan has been training for well over a decade, sharpening his BJJ and submission skill set under the legendary Erik Paulson. He has also backed up his learning with impressive competition performances at every belt level.
Currently a 3rd-degree BJJ black belt, Ryan is the head of Central PA Mixed Martial Arts, relentlessly developing and cornering new MMA, boxing, and grappling talent. Over 30 of his students have earned championship titles in their respective arts — including a few in the UFC, Bellator, and Invicta.
Despite his heavy involvement in MMA on a daily basis, Ryan remains a huge fan of Gi BJJ. His Baseball Bat Choke Series DVD, however short, is a testament to the depth of his knowledge in submission grappling.
Baseball Bat Choke Series Ryan Gruhn DVD Review
This Ryan Gruhn Baseball Choke DVD is a mini-instructional — the first of its kind among the vast universe of BJJ DVDs that tend to last for hours. This one contains only 15 minutes of material, which, while useful and specific, falls way under the minimum needed to call it a proper DVD.
A Mini Instructional For Beginners
This particular instructional has me a bit confused. On one hand, the Baseball Bat Choke Series Ryan Gruhn DVD is legit — both in terms of the coach delivering the information and the quality of the instruction and techniques.
On the other hand, it is the shortest instructional I’ve seen in DVD format. This could’ve comfortably been a YouTube video, as far as I’m concerned, and I’m not sure it’s worth the price — simply because of the length. It’s only just over 15 minutes “long.”
From a technical perspective, there’s useful information in it, particularly for beginners. Ryan begins with a knee-on-belly rendition of the Baseball Choke, adding a few useful details to the classic setup. He even shares a loop choke follow-up that I liked very much.
Setups from North-South, guard, and mount follow — with those in mount involving setting the choke up from the bottom. He even has a version that works when your opponent has your back — unusual, but possibly effective.
A few more bottom side control options (the most attractive and sneaky uses of the choke) feature here, before Gruhn wraps things up with a standing Baseball Choke setup involving the Drop Seoi Nage.
You Only Need One Move
Even Roger Gracie said it — you need to become crazy good at one move, and all your BJJ is going to become easier to execute. Picking that one move, though, is where you need to be careful and precise.
Namely, you need a move that will accomplish two things for you. First, it needs to fit your body type and game plan so that it comes intuitively and naturally while you’re under the pressure of live grappling.
Second, you need a move that works from multiple positions and forces your opponent into making bad decisions that land you in dominant positions — even when the move itself doesn’t materialize. The Baseball Choke is one such move, and you’ll learn some key things about it from the Baseball Choke Gruhn DVD.
DOWNLOAD HERE: RYAN GRUHN BASEBALL CHOKE DVD
It’s Baseball Season!
Grips in, bide your time, don’t rush it, keep your eyes on the prize — and when you see the opportunity, go for the home run! Whether you’re swinging a baseball bat on the field or the Baseball Choke on the mats, the principles are the same. The Baseball Choke Ryan Gruhn DVD just makes understanding and finishing the technical details of the choke easier than trying to bat a ball.
