Key Takeaways
- A two-part No-Gi DVD providing a fresh perspective on the Octopus Guard
- Features basic attacks such as sweeps and Kimuras as well as lockdown setup and plenty of leg locks. 4
- Demonstrated entirely by students as Bjorn explains everything next to them.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.
OCTOPUS HALF GUARD BJORN FRIEDRICH DVD GET HERE
Time to talk Octopus Guard…again. This wacky guard that most people thought was a waste of time is definitely making a name for itself lately. Our latest focus is on whether the Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD can shed some more light on it or is it just the same old information over and over again. Let’s see.
Unorthodox but Reliable
Why would you play a guard such as the OCtopus Guard when you have so many other guards to choose from, some arguably much more effective than it? It all comes down to tactics, and how well you can use unorthodox positions to get what you want.
In the case of the Octopus Guard, the advantage you gain is in the angle and it is twofold. First, you get a great and unusual angle to attack, opening up a direct route to the back with quite a few submissions along the way. Second, you mess up the top person’s passing and submission angles.
Understandably, such a versatile position comes at a price which is why the Octopus Guard is not as widespread as the Butterfly or De la Riva Guard. The price in this case is entry – it is fairly difficult to get to the Octopus Guard from half or closed guard, and it is equally as hard to stay there against a savvy opponent.
The Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD offers interesting solutions to these conundrums, mostly by drawing on classic Gracie Jiu-Jitsu staples that help introduce basics in an otherwise unorthodox position.
Reality-Based Jiu-Jitsu with Bjorn Friedrich
Octopus guard and reality-based, self-defense BJJ probably don’t go well together in the same sentence, but Bjorn Friedrich has somehow managed to make it work. With one of the most extensive material arts pedigrees in the world, Bjorn does have the background and knowledge to pull something like this off.
Friedrich started training in traditional martial arts, mainly Karate and Kung Fu during his childhood years. For a while, he taught Kung Fu as a teenager before discovering BJJ in the 90s. The story form there is the same old – BJJ took over.
Initially learning from Richard Braga during his visits to Germany, where Bjorn was based, Fruedruch did not shy away from diversifying his knowledge, seeking out different instructors such as Royce Gracie, Roy Harris, and Joe Moreira. It was Moreira who awarded Bjorn his BJJ black belt in 2010.
Bjorn kept training and competing in BJJ actively, while also exploring Sambo, Chinese boxing, catch wrestling, and all other combat sports he could find. All of this mixed grappling knowledge is reflected in the Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD.
Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD Review
The Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD features two volumes and has a fairly short length of just over an hour. What it lacks in running time it makes up for in content quality, especially the way Bjorn catches the essence of what is most important about each of the moves he covers:
Part 1 – Octopus Guard Basics
In the opening part of this instructional, Bjorn begins by laying down the essential concepts behind the Octopus Guard. Most of the moves in this part are fairly common in terms of position, with some simple but super-effective moves such as the hip bump sweep and rollover sweep.
A really useful part of this first part of the Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD is the one covering the relationship between the Kimura and Octopus Guard, which makes the aforementioned sweeps possible, providing an extra submission threat in the process.
Part 2 – Leg Locks and Lockdown
Volume two of the Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD moves on to more advanced and creative ways to attack from the position. There is a heavy focus on leg locks in the first half of this part, mostly heel hooks and toe holds. Back takes also appear in this portion, providing a very safe route to the back, that is useful for both BJJ and MMA applications.
The final stretch in the DVD goes over the lockdown position, and how to integrate it as a safety net when you play the Octopus Guard. This is a testament to the practical mindset Bjorn has, offering elective chair sweep options and dogfight entries as a backup to the Octopus Guard.
Why You Need the Octopus Guard?
Because you want a versatile guard game. Closed guard covers outside guards. Butterfly guard covers inside guards. Half guard is bang in the middle. But what happens with side guards?
Instead of trying to modify an existing guard such as the closed guard to fit your side guard needs why not utilize a guard that was designed to keep you on the side of your opponent?
The gains from such a position are plentiful – you get a great angle to attack and retain, as we already covered. You also end up exploding the opponent’s inside space at all times – think of the Octopus Guard as the guard that comes after you successfully arm-drag somebody from the bottom.
Then there is submission access. The Ocopus guard provides a chance to attack both upper and lower body submission at the same time without leaving the position. No other guard can really offer this in BJJ when I come to think of it. So, the Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD seems like a smart investment. I know I am happy to have made it.
DOWNLOAD HERE: OCTOPUS HALF GUARD BJORN FRIEDRICH DVD
Take ‘Em Deep!
I’d say that this instructional helps put the Octopus Guard firmly on the map of reliable and effective guards to use in BJJ. Since it’s applicable both in Gi and No-Gi, and world champions seem to be using it more and more, why not grab the Octopus Half Guard Bjorn Friedrich DVD and try to add this versatile attacking guard position to your game? I can confirm that it helped improve mine.
BJJ World Champion Adam Wardzinski – Octopus Guard DVD Review
