Remember when we all got really excited about a John Danaher BJJ DVD? Well, that was back when we could not find a single video of the BJJ mastermind sharing his groundbreaking concepts. Fast forward a few years and we are now in the middle of an overflow of John Danaher DVD instructionals. Not that it is a bad thing, but we’re reaching a point now where you have to choose what to watch and what to leave for the future. Something you should probably watch as early as possible is his latest release “Strangles and Turtle Breakdowns”.
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John Danaher – Strangles and Turtle Breakdowns
In the latest installment of the ‘Go Further Faster” series, John Danaher goes over two very interesting subjects. He tackles the “mystery” of the turtle position in the Gi, from an offensive standpoint. He also allocates a lot of his time in this Danaher DVD to the subject of strangles with the Gi. As it is custom by now, the DVD lasts over 10 hours and focuses on systems based on strangles or turtle attacks that are the highest percentage ones. Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns might just be what the doctor ordered in a BJJ world where escaping via the turtle is becoming increasingly popular.
John Danaher BJJ DVD Number…
8 A John Danaher DVD is never a bad thing. It is not like you’ll return one if someone was to give it to you, right? The thing is, Danaher really has a lot to say and he doesn’t hold back. While this sounds like the perfect scenario, very often it is not. Most people (myself included) will get lost/confused hallway along his BJJ instructionals. It takes a really studious approach and a lot of time to really get into the material he has to share. Simply put, that means that you need to choose a DVD (or two at the most) and focus on them for a year. It’ll probably take much more than that, but if you’re going about it the right way, it’ll take you 6 months just to get through 8 volumes of a Danaher BJJ DVD.
At this point in time. I’ve stopped counting the DVDs. With the No-Gi collection dubbed “Enter the system” Danaher issued 6 DVDs which seemed to cover everything there was. But no. Danaher then went on to provide us with the key concept of his Gi systems as well, in a series called “Go Further Faster” which, after 8 volumes is now finally complete. With the 6 previous ones, we’re up to 14 John Danaher DVDs, which amasses to nearly 150 hours of material. That’s more than anyone can get master in an entire lifetime.
“Strangles and Turtle Breakdowns” is the instructional that brings the entire “Go Further Faster” series to a wrap. I have no idea if there’s anything more coming from John in the future, but I do know that so far, we have a lot more material than we could ever hope to understand.
Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns
So, what’s with the “Strangles and Turtle Breakdowns “John Danaher DVD? Well, it addresses two aspects of Jiu-Jitsu that really did require cleaning up. Have you ever tried dealing with an opponent that is turtled up? And I mean really turtled up? It may be next to impossible to get something out of the turtle. What makes it even more annoying is that the turtle is a pit stop for anyone that gets their guard passed. Just when you think you’ve passed a guard, the bottom person turtles up and you have nothing. If they have a good turtle game, you might even end up being on the defensive. Well, this Danaher BJJ DVD solves this particular puzzle, along with several other burning turtle questions.
Along with the turtle, the perfect companion are chokes, or as Danaher likes to call them, strangles. He has a unique 3×3 system that will teach you how to use and combine several different types of strangles based on using the Gi. In short, it is the ultimate problem-solving DVD in the entire Danaher collection so far. I highly suggest you get a hold of this one since you do not have to know everything that John shares in previous titles in order to learn from it.
Go Further Faster: Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns Danaher BJJ DVD Review
John set the tone for the longest possible instructionals in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was the first to recorded and release 8 part DVDs that last around the 10-hour mark. Not many have done it afterward, with his students Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon, along ADCC star Lachlan Giles being the only three others capable of sharing as much innovative material in one DVD as John.
“Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns” is just like all the other Danaher BJJ DVD instructionals we’ve seen. It has 8 volumes, organized in a very specific and meticulous manner. The first 5 parts of this instructional focus on strangles, while the remaining three tackle the turtle position, offering a myriad of offensive options.
1. Strangle Fundamentals
First up, strangles. Why does John prefer the term “strangles” over the commonly used “chokes”? I’ll let you figure that out on your own when you start watching this DVD. The way John kicks things off is with a short introduction, followed immediately by his 3×3 approach to Gi strangles. What exactly is it? Consider it the magic formula that makes all the highest percentage Gi strangles work.
The sliding collar strangle, which is a big part of the system gets some initial attention in this portion of the Danaher BJJ DVD. AS expected, John starts off with the foundations of strangling, from how to use your wrists, to know when you’re too deep to actually be able to pull off a strangle.
Pay attention to the chapter about the advantages GI strangles have over No-Gi chokes, and the one on short and long strangles, as they really do put things into perspective when it comes to choking people out. OR strangling them, as Danaher prefers to say.
2. Sliding Collar Strangle And Clock Chokes
The sliding collar choke is really the centerpiece around which Danaher bases his GI strangles system. Basically, it is a four-step process that requires you to first establish a position, then establish a strangle hand, followed by a control hand, and finally, maximizing the mechanical power of the key ingredients. Of course, each of them gets their own chapter where John explains in-depth how everything works. He also shares several modifications to help you finish the strangle even when it seems like you’re stuck.
The clock choke also finds its way in this volume of the “Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns” DVD. Conversely, it is a strangle that also works perfectly against the turtle, completely encasing the entire theme of the instructional. In terms of the clock strangle, John coves literally everything, from footwork and weight distribution to optimal head positioning and nullifying any defensive options.
3. Juji Jime
The Juji Jime is the Japanese term for the cross collar strangle. It is a very fundamental move that we know from examples as Roger Gracie works at the highest levels of the sport. The third volume of this Danaher BJJ DVD demonstrates how to set the strangle up using the same 4 steps as in the sliding collar strangle.
After the fundamentals, though, John goes into some really interesting takes on the choke. He shares dilemma attack options, using Kuzushi to make the strangle stronger and dealing with the grips that usually make finishing the strangle notoriously hard. I particularly enjoyed the portion of finishing the Juji Jime from the mount. The level of detail is something even Roger Gracie would be envious of.
4. Kata Juji Jime
The Kata Juji Jime still refers to the cross collar strangle, but his time, one of the arms is facing in a different direction from the other. You’ve probably done it like this more times than the regular version, as it is easier to find a grip on the back of the collar. Well, the fourth part of the “Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns” instructional focuses on all the possible variations and uses of this versatile strangle.
What makes this DVD different from others is that Danaher modifies the choke to make it available from any position. Open guards, side control, top of the turtle, and even spinning setups of the choke make up the majority of material in this portion of the instructional.
5. Sode Guruma
Sode Guruma stands for the Ezekiel choke. This is one strangle that is really, really useful but heavily underrated in BJJ. I have a feeling that after this John Danaher DVD, it will make a resurgence. The ay Danaher lays it out is through a connection between the Ezekiel and the sliding collar strangle. He then covers several variations, from the combat to the front Sode Guruma, before tackling the single biggest problem associated with the Ezekiel strangle. He even offers a bonus version of a low lapel strangle to further widen the options for submission.
6. Turtle Overview
The final three portions of the “Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns” John Danaher BJJ DVD focus on the turtle position. Similarly to the strangles, it all starts with an introduction to the position, and a detailed overview of why the turtle is such a complicated puzzle to solve. In a typical Danaher fashion,. John shares 2 central problems to solve and three main targets to achieve. The moment you understand how these work, you’ll be able to break pretty much anyone’s turtle defenses down in different ways.
Some of the solutions include answers to common questions, like which hook should go in first and how to place your grips so that you control wrists, hips, and head properly.
7. Breaking The Turtle
Arguably, my favorite part of the entire Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns” John Danaher BJJ DVD. Even though I love playing turtle, I like breaking it down even more. I’ve dwelled deep into wrestling to understand how and from what I saw in this volume, so has Danaher. He bases his system on the clock theory, which really did revolutionize how I view the turtle position a couple of years ago. Moreover, he goes deeper, using his principle of breaking opponents down to their hip to make it even more efficient.
The key thing to remember, as John puts it, is to weaken your opponent before attacking. In other words, decrease all their athletic potential and mechanical advantages before actually trying to attack. The clock theory and hip breakdown man you can open up the turtle in ways that will allow you to score, regardless if you force them to a shoulder, hip, or their head.
8. Attacking The Turtle
Finally, “Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns” wraps things up with a blend of everything that was demonstrated thus far. When you can’t break the turtle position down at any cost, then why not attack it directly? Instead of going for direct attacks like the clock strangle only, though, John offers different methods to get you in a superior position without having to break the turtle down first.
The two-one method is definitely an interesting way of attacking the turtle. Stuff like the seatbelt roll and the crucifix method are things we’re somewhat used to doing. As usual, John has extreme details that completely change our approach to both of these methods. Moreover, he shares a few more wrestling tricks, like using the tight waist to attack, or setting up attacks off of a Kimura grip.
In A Nutshell
As the grand finale of the “Go Further Faster” series, this John Danaher BJJ DVD rally does bring something different to the table. Even by Danaher’s standards “Strangles And Turtle Breakdowns” is an exceptional instructional that will benefit literally everyone that is involved in BJJ, from a brand new beginner to a world champion black belts. It is that good, concise, and organized that you’ll be able to start implementing the concepts immediately, seeing massive improvements in your strangles and turtle breakdowns.
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John Danaher – Strangles and Turtle Breakdowns
