3rd Degree Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt from Chicago, Idriz Redzovic saves the day for employees in a convenience store.
A situation that happened at a convenience store in Chicago has gone viral. The above-mentioned Redzovic made a brave move to stop a man who was physically assaulting employees.
The above-mentioned Redzoic uses his Jiu-jitsu knowledge to easily gift wrap the attacker.
“I saw that he hit the employee in the head and I immediately jumped. I grabbed him as in training, lowered him, and flattened him like a pancake. I ‘tied’ him like a pretzel, in the so-called ‘gift wrap’ position, i.e. ‘twisting arm control’. ” – said Redzovic.
The attacker was detained for a full 15 minutes until the arrival of police officers
MMA-fighter and BJJ instructor Idriz Redzovic takes a man down who tried to do robbery and punched 7-Eleven clerk earlier this week in Chicago, USA. pic.twitter.com/pULmr7AZzb
— Vechtsport Info 🇳🇱 🇧🇪 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@vechtsport_Info) June 24, 2022
It’s usually a terrible idea to challenge a professional and even amateur fighter unless you are a professional fighter. We’ve seen this happen many times, and today it happen again.
To begin, Tik-Tok-er challenged one of Serbia’s most skilled fighters, Marko Bojković, to sparring, and it appears that it was the worst idea he could come up with. The video makes it clear that this individual was no match for Marko.
Tik-Tok-er started with some wide and unprecise punches, so after some time, Marko did a double leg takedown while lifting Tik Toker in the air and carried him to the wall, where he threw him down and mount him. Soon after that TikToker turned his back and then Bojkovic did a Rear Naked Choke. Tik-Tok-er wouldn’t give up, and Marko wouldn’t let him go until he feels a tap.
When his partner Denis Jurakic saw that TikToker won’t tap, he tried to pull Marko away, but Marko didn’t want to let choke go. He was finally able to remove Marko’s arm with an ‘armbar’, and because Tik Toker had been in a choking position for a long time, he “fell asleep.”
This guy will undoubtedly no longer try to compete against professional fighters after this.
By the way, Bojkovic is presently recovering from a knee ailment that kept him from fighting, but Marko appears to be doing well. We hope to see him in the cage again as soon as possible, but, this time, against a real opponent.
The UFC president has announced the imminent return of one of the greatest fighters in UFC and MMA history.
The return of Jon Jones to the cage has been met with a lot of criticism, and it hasn’t even been officially stated when he’ll fight again. There is no set date, and there will be no opponent named. Jones’ only public statements have been his announcements that he’s climbing to the heavyweight throne and displaying video of his training. Aside from that, nothing concrete occurred.
Jones, nevertheless, is near to returning, according to Dana White, who was a guest on The Jim Rowe Show yesterday. “Bones” has not fought in more than two years and which of the two heavyweights will be his opponent is now up for debate.
”Jon Jones is ready. We are just waiting for the opponent. It will be Francis Ngannou, depending on how long his recovery will take, or Stipe Miocic,” White said.
Jones claimed via Twitter that he intended to compete for the interim title with Miočić. Jones wanted the bout to take place in the seventh or eighth month, but Miocic preferred a ninth-month date. Ngannou revealed on Twitter that he would return only later this year or early next year, so if Jones is truly ready to return, a fight with Miocic appears to be a good idea.
Jones has not competed in more than two and a half years, as previously stated. Jones made his final fight against Dominic Reyes in the second month of 2020, having been training for his move to the heavyweight class since then. White is concerned about what kind of Jones will return to the cage.
” It will be very interesting because I believe in ‘ring rust’. But despite all the negative things you can say about Jones and his personal life, he is still the best. He is definitely the best of all time, ” Dana White said.
There should not be an issue with Jones’ possibly worse performance because Stipe Miočić has been away from the cage for a long time. His last fight was at the end of the third month of last year, and his vacation was extended as well.
However, the biggest fight this year cannot be forgotten by any means. Hopefully, both will make a speedy return to the ring, and a bout between the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time and perhaps the most legendary fighter in MMA history would unquestionably be the biggest bout on offer from the UFC in 2019.
While there were no household names, the action was certainly not lacking at last night’s UFC on ESPN 38 event. The main fight of the evening provided us with five rounds of pure excitement, which is precisely what fans had hoped for in Mateusz Gamrot and Arman Tsarukyan. This was Gamrot’s first time to headline an event, so he wanted to make a good first impression by winning all three fights. In the end, all three judges scored in favor of Gamrot, giving him a 48-47 score across the five rounds.
“I want Justin Gaethje next. He’s the most brutal fighter in the division and I want him next.” – said Gamrot after the big victory, and in time we will see if Gaethje will accept this challenge.
In the main event, Shavkat Rakhmonov added to his undefeated record with a unanimous decision win over Neil Magny. This time, despite being uncomfortable, Neil Magny could not solve the Uzbek who ended the fight with a guillotine at the conclusion of the second round. This was Rakhmon’s fourth UFC victory, all of which have come by way of submission or knockout. No one has been able to reach a referee’s decision against him in 16 fights; both knockouts and ‘submissions’ are equal to him.
Although he is currently trampling over everything in his path, we will see his full potential against a top-level welterweight opponent, which is presently jam-packed with excellent boxers.
The undefeated streak for Khabib’s nephew Umar Nurmagomedov continued, with him defeating Manessa in three rounds of grappling. The judges gave Umar some rounds with two points difference, according to the referee cards, which show 30-27, 30-26, and 30-25.
“I will continue to fight and I will continue to work on becoming a champion,” Umar said after the big victory in the Octagon.
Today, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced that Felipe Pena, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner from Minas Gerais, Brazil, has accepted a one-year suspension for his second anti-doping violation. In 2015, Pena was found to have committed his first infraction.
Pena, 30, revealed positive test results for clomiphene and its metabolites as the result of an in-competition drug test administered at the 2021 International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Jiu-Jitsu Championships on December 12, 2021. Although the IBJJF is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, USADA was hired by the organization to perform testing for the event.
Clomiphene is a prohibited Specified Substance in the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators, as well as being prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Code and USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing. Under these rules, it will be prohibited at the 2021 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
The one-year period of ineligibility for Pena began on January 7, 2022, the date his provisional suspension was issued. Furthermore, Pena has been disqualified from all competitive performances won in sanctioned IBJJF events or any Code signatory competitions held between December 12, 2021, and now, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes. The sanction has been approved by the IBJJF.
In response to the penalties, Felipe Pena provided this statement.
“I feel obliged to come here and be transparent with those who like and follow my work forever! You who follow me, like my personality, my JJ, are always supporting me, cheering and vibrating along with the achievements of my career… of a substance called Clomiphene. As soon as I received it, I contacted my doctor Dr.Felipe Pereira and he told me that he had actually prescribed clomiphene for health reasons, nothing to do with my athletic life, on July/21 (5 months before the Worlds) when neither they had announced whether or not there would be a World Cup because of the covid. Clomiphene is a drug sold over-the-counter in any pharmacy without any prescription or restriction… From the first moment I told the user what had happened and after all the investigation they did, they decided to reduce my sentence from 4 years to a minimum sentence of 1 year for agreeing that it was not intentional, that it did not change my performance at all and for being the substance that it was. I believe that USADA’s work is important in any sport but even though this is all proven by them according to article 9, this would be the minimum penalty for tests done in competition and I don’t think it’s fair. During the process, I was even informed that if I had written a pre-competition letter informing me of what had happened, I would have had no problem, but due to inexperience and carelessness, this ended up happening. I just wanted to say that I have a clear conscience, and I’m still focused and motivated with the next goals. I’m sure there are a lot of good things to happen very soon, just thank you for the support of all of you who are always here following my routine, during good and bad times. We are always together 🙏🏼”
Impressions were dashed after the UFC 275 event and the incredibly exciting match to win the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Just before the end of the fight, Jiri Prochazka managed to shock the world by ending Glover Teixeira with a “submission”, which should have had a big advantage in the ground floor. It must be admitted that Teixeira also dominated in this segment for a large part of the fight and stepped towards victory, all the way to the suffocation by which Prochazka forced him to surrender.
The 29-year-old Czech fighter showed a big heart in that fight and deservedly won the title. After a great welcome in his Czech Republic, Prochazka found time to play at the MMA Hour and commented on the very end of the fight.
” I know the fight is tight and even and I had to do a little more to finish Teixeira, but my left arm was broken. I didn’t know how to finish him in a stand then, it wasn’t possible because he’s so solid, and whenever he shortened the distance, he would try to knock me down. Before the last round, I told myself that I would try to use every opportunity that was offered for the finish, no matter what the opportunity was. In the end, it was an “RNC (rear-naked choke) and so I took the opportunity,” Jiri said.
It was the third “submission” victory in Prochazka’s 33rd professional appearance and arguably the most valuable so far. Despite the unexpected ending and winning the title, Prochazka called his performance “awful” at a press conference, and now he has explained in more detail why he sees his play that way.
“I am disappointed because I did not show what I announced before the fight, total domination. Also, I didn’t feel the way I wanted to feel during the fight. But the belt is here and I’m glad about that. That’s good enough. Glover was solid, I expected that, but I forgot about the approach I wanted to take part in the fight. That was the main mistake. ”
Prochazka also attracted a lot of attention with “tapping” on the ground floor, which he did not actually teach. referee Marc Goddard later pointed out that this is a dangerous play because some referees could misjudge it and it is really quite confusing. Prochazka explained what he really wanted to achieve with that.
“I did it to encourage him to do more, I asked him (Glover) to give me more, to show me something more. This leads him to some kind of action, and I am waiting for his move so that he can counter it. That’s why I did it. I didn’t tap, it was a strategy, but very dangerous. Now I understand that. Maybe I’ll do it again, but not in that way, I won’t use tapping, ” Jiri explained, and at the end, he described what it feels like to be a champion.
”This is like the most beautiful dream, but I have to stay grounded. It’s not about the belt and all these beautiful things, but about the work and my performance. My performance was not what I wanted and that is why I am a bit disappointed. Everyone says the fight was amazing, a real war, etc. It’s good to present war sometimes, but it’s not the art of warriors and martial arts. This was a hard war and nothing else. I have to be smarter in matches,” concluded the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Once the impressions have settled we can say that behind us is a spectacular evening full of great knockouts, interruptions, reversals, debatable refereeing decisions, and emotional statements in the cage. Jiri Prochazka thus managed to become only the second UFC light heavyweight champion to achieve this in his twenties; before him, only Jon Jones had done it. Valentina Shevchenko defended the flyweight category in a tough fight that many believe should have gone to the other side, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk announced the end of a great career.
Many were unsure whether Jiri Prochazka deserved a chance to attack the title after just two wins within the Octagon, but it turned out that his extensive experience within the Rizin organization was not to be ruled out. Prochazka entered this fight with a score of 28-3-1, and he defeated all his opponents in Rizin. The fight against Glover was full of action, reversals, and attractive moves, and in the end, the Czech took the victory with a break in the last round. The light-heavyweight category has not been so full of potential challengers for a long time, so it will be interesting to see who will be the first to try to take over the freshly earned belt from Jiri.
https://youtu.be/H5j2BBuFv_Q
In the title fight of the evening, Valentina Shevchenko managed with great difficulty to defend the flyweight category against the aggressive Taila Santos by a divided judge’s decision. Although according to many Talia was better in the first three rounds, it often happens that the judges awarded at least one of the first three rounds to the champion as they gave the champion a chance to return to the last two championship rounds. They did the same here, although one judge awarded Shevchenko two of the first three rounds. Valentina has nothing to regret because she did her job, and the judges are the ones who need to judge who is the winner of the duel.
After doing the Fight of the Year in 2020, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili had a big rematch last night in which the Chinese celebrated with a knockout in the second round after a terrible ‘spinning backfist’. After the defeat, Joanna announced her retirement in an emotional speech and symbolically placed her gloves on the floor of the cage.
UFC 275 – results:
Jiri Prochazka def. Glover Teixeira via submission (‘rear-naked choke’) – R5, 4:32 – won the light heavyweight belt
Valentina Shevchenko def. Taila Santos via split judge’s decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) – defended fly category belt
Zhang Weili def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk via KO (‘spinning backfist’) – R2, 2:28
Jake Matthews def. Andre Fialho via KO (shots) – R2, 2:24
Jack Della Maddalena def. Ramazan Emeev via TKO (blows) – R1, 2:32
Firas Zahabi is one of those people in the BJJ community that you either know really well or have never heard of. Heading the famous MMA den Tristar Gym in Montreal, the Danaher black belt is a picture-perfect reflection of his teacher – methodical, logical, and constantly looking to innovate in a way that actually makes sense. Zahabi was very quiet on the BJJ instructional front for a long while, jumping aboard in the past couple of years. That said, he has a huge amount of knowledge and happens to be one of the best teachers around, so getting any Firas Zahabi BJJ DVD would be a particularly smart move on your side. Why not start with his Guillotine Traps instructional?
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Overview
This Firas Zahabi BJJ DVD addresses the guillotine as the centerpiece. However, it looks into this popular grappling move much deeper than just the usual choke hold. Zahabi explores the guillotine as a position that you can use to control people from, sweep or pass with, and open up other versatile attacks. Moreover, he shares his “formula” on how to set it ll up by luring the opponent into traps, rather than going on a full-out war of endless exchanges.
The instructional is No-Gi, as Zahabi does most of his work without a Gi. There are three parts to this DVD, each focusing on a different aspect of the guillotine traps system. There is plenty of material in each section, and Firas makes it all the more better by pausing videos and drawing over the image to help you understand exactly what is happening and what is about to happen.
Instructor Background
Firas Zahabi is a Canadian of Lebanese origin, and the man behind one of the most popular MMA gyms in the world – TriStar Gym in Montreal, Quebec Canada. A John Danaher black belt, and coach of many famous names ranging from GSP and Rory McDonald to Ethan Crelinstein and Oliver Taza, he has proven himself over and over again to be one of the most competent grappling and MMA coaches in the world.
The 42-year-old started martial arts after watching that historic UFC1 and first-hand witnessing Royce’s handiwork in the octagon. The problem was, that he had no access to BJJ in Canada at the time. He went on to drill by himself, and practice on his brothers until he ran into a Renzo Gracie purple belt and started learning from him. A true mat rat, he quickly ended up running classes in TriStar Gym as early as a blue belt, and eventually inherited the entire gym after the original founder had to move on.
The gym has since produced incredible grappling and MMA talent, with some of the most famous fighters ever either coming from the gym or going to train there on multiple occasions.
In between the ranks of purple and black, Firas made regular trips to Renzo’s blue basement in New York, training with Danaher and the squad.
Subject
The Guillotine is seen mostly as a choke in BJJ, and perhaps maybe as a position that can provide frot headlock-based takedowns. This Firas Zahabi BJJ DVD shows the full potential of the position and actually features very few chokes.
Firas goes through the mechanics of the guillotine and presents it in three different ways. He starts off exploring the ways in which ha guillotine can help you retain guard and counter plenty of dangerous passes. He then turns it into a powerful positional weapon, using it to sweep, pass, transition, and set up arm triangle chokes. Finally, he talks about using the guillotine from standing, using it to blend together wrestling and Judo attacks.
As per usual, Zahabi brings everything together in a way that only a few instructors out there can. He uses lots of training footage to demonstrate how everything works, basically by using the entire Guillotine Traps instructional the way most other BJJ DVDs include an analysis section at the very end. He doesn’t just narrate rolls and live examples, he also stops, analyzes video, and draws diagrams to make everything more than crystal clear.
Complexity
The Gullotine Traps Firaz Zahabi BJJ DVD is not a simple one. Using the guillotine to maneuver yourself through different grappling control positions can be tricky. However, Zahabi’s style of teaching and the format he used for this instructional makes everything extremely simple.
In other words, the same moves and explanations Firas uses will be just as useful to white belts, as they will be to seasoned black belt competitors. Everybody will learn something from this instructional, whether you are a fan of guillotines or not. Furthermore, the entire instructional is No-Gi, which by default, means that you can use all of the moves with a Gi as well.
End verdict, is a highly complex concept simplified into a very easy-to-understand system. A perfect fit for anyone.
Technical Details
No surprises there, as this is a BJJ fanatics release. However, Firas did not shoot this one in their regular Boston studio we’ve grown so accustomed to. Apart from a different background, though, the quality of the video in terms of video and audio performances is immaculate. Everything is shot in Firas’ TriStar Gym, mostly featuring Zahabi executing the moves, and his analysis and voiceover breakdowns guiding you through. A very fresh breath of air if you ask me.
As usual, the instructional is available both in a DVD format and as a digital download. The material is divided into three parts, each revolving around a different aspect of hunting for and setting up guillotine traps. The full length of the instructional is about an hour and a half.
Detailed Analysis
DVD #1
The first part of this Firas Zahabi BJJ DVD instructional has the least number of chapters. That just translates to more time per chapter, allowing Firas to really get into the flesh and bone of things.
The goal here is simple – prevent people from achieving anything against your guard via guillotine traps. ZZahabi demonstrates how to very intelligently and efficiently use guillotine groups to prevent even the scariest of passes, like the stack pass.
He also explores up and over scenarios, and also addresses Granby rolls in relation to guillotines, which, I have to admit, was first for me. The thing I found to be the most useful was the tug-of-war solution, in regard to grips and common guillotine counters you can expect.
Grip-wise, Zahabi shows both arm-in and direct guillotines, although he sticks to the arm-in variation which seems to offer a lot more.
DVD #2
The richest part of the Guillotine Traps DVD, in terms of chapters and variety of techniques. This is where Zahabi brings things together, building on the basis of having a strong (read: impassable) guard as explained in the first part of the DVD. What comes next is activating the guillotine traps system so that it becomes offensive.
Interesting finishing, sweeping (we’re still in guard) and transitional options arise from a simple guillotine grip. You can pull of a switcheroo, you can use see-saw motions to make everything ultra-tight, you can sweep, or even get to a nasty crucifix position. Hook sweeps make up a good third of this instructional, meaning you just got an upgrade to your butterfly guard game.
Finally, there is a chapter on dealing with those heavy-based grapplers that dig in from the top. Oh, and there’s a Darce choke in there also, just for good measure and variability.
DVD #3
DVD number 3 takes care of the standing applications of the Guillotine Traps system by Firas Zahabi. Just to make things clear, while a guillotine is set up from the front headlock position, it is not the same as front headlock control. Quite the contrary, the guillotine offers avenues of movement that are not there with every front headlock configuration.
in this portion of the instructional, Zahabi covers takedowns from the standing guillotine position. He blends together wrestling and Jud attacks, covering scenarios in which the opponent moves both towards and away from you.
Techniques included in this final part of the guillotines Firas Zahabi BJJ DVD are Sumi Gaeshi variations, crotch lifts, and even a very creative suplex that is easy and fun to do. There is also a highly entertaining and innovative section on carb walks, as well as a few drills to help you drill guillotine takedowns.
How We Grade The “Guillotine Traps” Firas Zahabi BJJ DVD Instructional
Considering this Guillotine Traps Firas Zahabi BJJ DVD instructional’s technical aspects and quality of content, we come to an overall score for this instructional that I’ll deliberate in short below.
Technical Quality: 10/10
An absolute ten, I’d even give it a higher score if I could. Talk about backing myself in a corner with the grading scale thing. Jokes aside, and looking past the usual culprits in terms of camera work, audio, and video quality, this, instructional really does offer something special.
The way in which Zahabi delivers the content, blending together technique demonstrations as we know them, and his trademark analysis of rolls and drills I will go out on a limb and claim that he has stumbled upon the best possible format for BJJ instructional.
Quality of Content: 9/10
I dock a point here off the scale mainly because of the short length of the instructional. I am fully aware that this Firaz Zahabi BJJ DVD takes a very specific subject, and an hour and a half worth of material is already more than enough. However,r I feel he could’ve elaborated on a few things further, if not enough to at least include a fourth part to this instructional.
Everything he does cover in this DVD is gold. The entire concept of Guillotin Traps is very enticing and promising in itself. The fact that Firas connects it to so many different options means everyone can use bits and pieces of it (if not the whole thing0to easily and quickly diversify their game.
Overall: 10/10
Yup, this one is a ten. Anyway, I see it, technically, content-wise, methodically, or by the sheer value for potential, the Guillotine Traps DVD wins. Whoever gets it, Gi or No-Gi, recreational or professional, white or black belt, will benefit from this. I’ll go even as far as naming it the perfect gift for a grappler if you’ve got one coming your way soon.
Wrap Up
Firas Zahabi is one of that Ryan-Hall-type of genius grapplers that don’t really try to overpromote themselves. All who know their value will seek them out. The best part about this the Guillotine Traps DVD is that it is just one of a rapidly increasing Firas Zahabi BJJ DVD collection tI feel will have as much impact on the BJJ world as Dnahaer’s collections did. maybe even more.
Tajik MMA fighter Muyasar Abutrobov was on his way to recording a victory in his second professional fight against Magomed Gadzhiev and embarked on a ‘submission’ when something unusual happened. It is not enough to say the unusual, as this is perhaps the first time in history that something like this has happened in a professional MMA fight.
The fighter grabbed the opponent’s ankle and started working the lever, although it is not yet completely clear which one exactly. He then tangled himself on his legs and injured himself after which the judge stopped the fight. As can be seen in the video, Abutrobov had complete control over the opponent, whom he kept chained to the cage and punished with blows to his hands and knees.
Then, for a reason known only to him, he started attacking the opponent’s leg and eventually lost the fight, and Magomed Gadzhiev was neither guilty nor obliged to record the victory.
The fight took place in the bantamweight category for the Russian MMA promotion Arena. We used to see all sorts of strange things in MMA sports and boxing, such as double knockouts, and in Russian promotions, we often saw “freak show” fights, but something like this was probably first seen in martial arts.
When Roger Gracie fights in a Jiu Jisu match, people know what is coming – something simple, something that is not flashy, something considered to be fundamental. And yet, by the end of the match, people start wondering… How come his opponent couldn’t get it out of his mount? Why did they tap to a collar choke? Didn’t they see it coming? Oh, they did see it coming but they couldn’t do anything about it. The Turtle Attacks System Roger Gracie BJJ DVD promises to teach you how to do the same to any turtled opponent. Let’s see if it delivers.
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Overview
This is a three-part Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructional that addresses the problem of a turtle-up opponent. People turtling up has been an annoying occurrence in BJJ from the get-go. In the early days to BJJ, the Judo-style turtle position managed to anger many of the Gi players of the period. It was quickly solved though, via submission attacks and forced transitional movements.
This Roger Gracie BJJ DVD attempts to recreate the same in modern days. With a whole new dimension of playing a defensive turtle now available, the ‘Turtle Attacks System” promises to show you how to crack open any turtle you run into. Let’s see if we think it delivers on that promise.
Instructor Background
Roger Gracie’s pedigree is unmistakable. The 10x BJJ World Champion and Strikeforce and UFC veteran is a black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior. His relation to the Gracie family is via his mother Reilla, who was the daughter of Carlos Gracie Sr.
Roger was considered by most to be the best BJJ competitor ever until the new breed of grapplers (Marcelo Garcia, and recently, Gordon Ryan) showed up. That said, he is still one of the greatest of all time. Nobody has replicated his insane achievements of submitting all of his opponents in his weight class and the absolute both in the IBJJF worlds and the ADCC.
He has a very pressure-based style and he favors a top game. His record of 76 wins and only 7 losses speaks clearly as to why you should be interested in any Roger Gracie BJJ DVD that you can get your hands on.
Subject
The subject matter of this DVD is highly entertaining. Dealing with the turtle position is going to become a priority in years, and I am not completely certain that people will find answers as quickly as they think. the turtle has evolved massively during the past 4-5 years, and it will take a very long time to figure it out.
That said, Roger Gracie seems to have a Turtle Attacks System that he believes will work against any type of turtle player. Roger is predominantly a Gi grappler, and so is this instructional. In it Gracie shares his methods for breaking down turtled opponents, exposing them to submissions, and preventing them from getting into better positions from the turtle.
Of course, his system is heavy on the back takes again the turtle which is where the main controversy lies, given the modern turtle.
Complexity
Anything Roger Gracie demonstrates is going to be uber-simple. He loves the fundamental stuff, so if you’re looking for cartwheeling and spinning ways of breaking down the turtle, this Roger Gracie BJJ DVD is not for you.
What I mean by that is that even the most seasoned black belts will learn a thing or two about some of the fundamentals of attacking turtled opponents. At the same time, white and blue belts will also understand how the fundamentals of the top game vs the turtle work. Simply put, an instructional fit for anyone training Jiu-Jitsu.
Technical Details
The instructional contains 3 parts. The first one lasts 30 minutes, while the second and third go over 40 minutes in length. That brings the total playing time of this Roger Gracie DVD to just under 2 hours.
Audiovisually everything is in HD, and as is the standard model, the material is available in DVD format and as a digital download.
Detailed Analysis
DVD #1
Roger begins with a short introduction about the goal of the instructional. The first chapter covers positional control and some key concepts on how to keep the turtling player under pressure.
These chapters are followed up by three direct submission attacks. Roger launches a direct clock choke, a crucifix transition, and reverse Omoplata as his go-to moves. In each of them, he shares awesome cool little details that you might not have known before.
The question remains, will they really work against a modern top-level turtle player?
DVD #2
There are two multi-chapter sections to this portion of the DVD. Roger begins by discussing ways in which you can move your opponent when they’re completely turtled up. The directions include rolling someone overusing head control and forcing them into side control in a couple of different ways.
The second portion of this Roger Gracie BJJ DVD looks into back takes vs. a turtled opponent. As expected it is all about hooks, starting with getting the first hook in and managing to follow up with the other one to get points. An interesting section is the one on maintaining the turtle position, something that is quite useful as you do not want the turtled opponent to have the option of initiation movement.
DVD #3
The final part of Roger’s “Turtle Attack System” looks into reactive moves that will allow you to follow up on a turtled-up opponent’s movements and allow you to attack effectively.
Subjects that Gracie covers include reacting when an opponent sits to guard, preventing guard recovery, and creating gaps to exploit in order to make sure the turtle is broken down and you have a top position.
There are also a few chapters on hook placement, and ideas on how to open up space to sneak hooks in. In between all of those positional attacks is a sneaky armlock entry that might just end up working fine.
How We Grade The “Turtle Attack System” Roger Gracie BJJ Instructional
Considering this Roger Gracie BJJ instructional DVD’s technical aspects and quality of content, we come to an overall score for this instructional that I’ll deliberate in short below.
Technical Quality: 10/10
As per usual, there is no doubt about the technical aspect of the @Turtle Attacks System@ Roger Gracie BJJ DVD. It is produced by the leading industry standard, BJJ fanatics, which guarantees that the video, audio, camerawork, and production of the instructional is of the best possible quality.
In terms of Roger, he is an amazing instructor and knows how to teach BJJ at the highest levels. Despite being a Brazilian this English is immaculate (which might have to do with the fact he has been living in London for about 3 decades).
Quality of Content: 6/10
Given the specificity of the subject, it is more than enough in terms of length. However, I cannot in good heart give this DVD a grade higher than 6, and that is me being generous. The subject matter is most definitely one that is very needed. The approach, though is the complete opposite.
The modern turtle game is basically bulletproof to all the bullets that Roger depicts in the form of attacks in this instructional… positional or finishing. Apart from perhaps some ideas on how to hold a turtled-up opponent down in the turtle, all the other stuff is at best hard to pull off and at worst, will get you into deep trouble by attempting it.
Overall: 7/10
Feeling generous here. If you want to learn from Roger Gracie, perhaps checking out one of his other DVDs is a smarter move. You could, of course, give his Turtle Attack System a try. However, I can guarantee two things: first, it will only work against people that have no idea how to play a solid BJJ turtle (which will leave you with a false sense of confidence). Second, you will be embarrassed by a top-level turtle player, so much so, that you might end up swearing at Roger.
Wrap Up
I am certain that there will be a Roer Gracie BJJ DVD that is going to help solve the modern turtle position puzzle in Jiu-JItsu. I am also certain that this “Turtle Attack System” instructional is not it. Unless you’re looking to complete a Roger Gracie DVD collection out of some fetish, then feel free to completely skip over this one.
