Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ DVD with six volumes that outline a complete front headlock defense system.
- Delivers concepts and principles of defending from the turtle position, and getting out in different directions.
- Features early-stage choke defense and offensive follow-ups after you escape.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
HEADLOCK AND TURTLE ESCAPES BRIAN GLICK DVD GET HERE
Escapes are the most difficult thing to teach people in BJJ. Unlike attacks, they rarely work when you use them as step-by-step methods, leaving you with a feeling that none of the defenses you practice works. I know because I’ve been there.
Plenty of people offer a different way to approach defense these days, based more on patterns and defensive positions. The Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD is one such resource that targets a very specific problem in a way you might find difficult to understand at first. Let’s go deep into it and see what this instructional can do for your front headlock defense.
Developing Escape Patterns in BJJ
If there is one thing I’ve learned from learning defensive Jiu-Jitsu it is that patterns work better than anything else. Technical escapes that require you to “place your arm on the hip of an opponent at a 5-degree angle” and other useless information like that are absolutely a waste of time.
Figuring out a pattern of movement, and even better, figuring out when not to move at all is what will get you out of any tight spot in BJJ. That, and developing a sense for when you should start initiating an escape.
Of course, you can’t just lie down and let people submit and crush you, so those escape patterns must involve positioning in a way that kills any legitimate attack from a position, without any risk to yourself. This is why moving based on patterns that lead to a definitive goal works better than using predictable multi-step techniques – you can adapt to any given situation.
The Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD does not focus too much on defense but offers some great escape ideas to turn your turtle into a position of attack, especially when an opponent is in front of you, rather than a means to survive and stall.
The Curious Mind of Brian Glick
Most students rarely turn into their coaches and mentors as they age. In the case of Brian Glick and John Danaher, this is not the case. Brian is one of the first students Danaher had and one of the first black belts.
While Glick might not have entered competitive BJJ stardom like Gordon Ryan, Eddie Cummings, Garry Tonon, and the likes, he succeeded where nobody else has – following in Dahnaher’s footsteps as a teacher who understands the Gentle Art at a level different from everyone else.
As a small framed grappler in a time when BJJ was just spreading in the US, and was pretty violent, Glick was not expected to last on the mats. 20+ years later, he is not only still here, but is now leaving his imprint on the entire sport, through revolutionary useful concepts and tactics.
To date, there are plenty of Brian Glick instructional to choose from, and they all deliver. The one we’ll be looking at with great attention today is the Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD.
Front Headlock and Turtle Escapes Brian Glick DVD Review
Brain Glick delivers a very solid, albeit somewhat lengthy overview of how to deal with the headlock from the turtle in No-Gi. His Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD is six volumes long, with a total running time of over six hours:
Part 1 – Turtle Goals
The positional nuances of the bottom turtle position and the front headlock, seen from a defender’s perspective are the first things discussed in the Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD. Brian begins with the headlock, covering the goals of the attacker, which leads to the things the defender needs to focus on.
The turtle comes next, with the same methodology of exploring goals that define the directions that someone using the position would look to move in. Key concepts like back to the floor, inside position, staying compact, and not reaching all feature in this opening salvo of BJJ wisdom.
Some key movement patterns also emerge, with Glic briefly going over shoulder rolls, how to stand up, dealing with the wrestling elbow chop, and outlining the key skills you need to be a solid turtle player who can easily defend the front headlock.
Part 2 – Front Headlock Escapes
The first part of the front headlock escape volume of the Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD offers a really useful comparison of the goals the attacker has vs the goals you have when trying to deal with the position. He also provides the end goal – setting up a successful gaur with your head free.
Even if you had no idea that Glick is a Danaher black belt, you’ll deduce it from the language and terminology used in this DVD. Brain escapes just like Danaher attacks – using more than one move, which he organizes in trilemmas. All routes lead to guard, but they can be a simple sit-through, an arm drag, or a sucker drag.
Part 3 – Early Stage Choke Defense
The halfway point of the Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD goes deeper into front headlock defense, taking us into submission territory. Brian focuses on the moment when your opponent starts initiation strangely, such as Darces or guillotines, as the perfect time to kill the choke and get out of the position with one sustained effort.
The choke selection begins with the high elbow guillotine, before moving on to target the weak points of the Anaconda choke, arm triangle, and Darce. The escapes Glick provides feature the trilemma movements explained in the first volume.
Part 4 – Preventing Back Takes
Aiming to provide a truly all-encompassing survival and escape guide vs the front headlock, this Brian Glick Escapes DVD also covers a common FHL/turtle transition which is back attacks, a.k.a. go behind.
In volume number four, Brian offers ways to deal with back exposure when you’re playing turtle by sticking to more or less the same trilemma motions that run throughout this DVD. He offers shoulder rolls and hip drops to help you establish guard easily, following up with a half guard system that also features a trilemma.
Lots of Ashi Garami solutions feature here, although I greatly appreciated the breakdown of tight waist options and the opportunities they offer once you deal with the opponent’s initial transition attempt.
Part 5 – Out of Turtle
This volume could easily be a DVD instructional on its own. It lasts upwards of two hours and contains everything and the kitchen sink regarding turtle escapes that potentially open up attacking opportunities.
Brian starts with an overview of the complete turtle defense and escape concept, before lunging into explanations of how the two-on-one can help you deal with the position. He also offers the popular route to stand up, as well as shoulder roll, presenting you with options on various ends of the exchange.
The K-guard features heavily throughout this part of the Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD, with Glick using it to set up leg locks immediately after abandoning the turtle. He then covers some common attacks such as chest locks and kimuras, offering simple solutions to kill them off for good.
Part 6 – Summary and Guidelines
After the last mammoth volume of turtle escapes, a bit of review and guidelines is exactly what I needed. luckily, Glick saw the need to provide them as well, and he does exactly that in the final part of the Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD.
This is where Glick clears up most of the key concepts, mostly through the lens of the trilemma movements he uses as the backbone of his turtle escape system. This volume is a condensed version of all the previous ones, offering a way to put everything into use and connect the dots.
Unfortunately, you can’t just skip to it and disregard the previous 4+ hours of material. It only works as a shortcut if you have an idea of what Brian is talking about. That said, I found it to be the perfect way to finish this instructional.
1-2 Punch Combos, but For Escapes
If you want to be extremely difficult to hold, you need to understand that escapes don’t work in a linear fashion. That is where the material in the Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD is extremely helpful.
Trying to get out of mount with an Upa, for example, is pretty straightforward, and fairly easy for the top person to turn into a great finishing option. Using the Upa to create space so you sneak into quarter guard, or to launch leg lock counters is a much more valuable use of the move. Even better, combining all of these is exactly what you want to do.
The old boxing analogy of the 1-2 punch works best in BJJ when you explore it from a defensive perspective. Sticking to that analogy, remember that that first punch is still a legit punch, not just a flabby, extended arm. Your escapes have to bi legit threats as well lif you want to work them in as combos that leave little room for the top person to adjust and counter.
DOWNLOAD HERE: HEADLOCK AND TURTLE ESCAPES BRIAN GLICK DVD
Only Way Out!
The Front Headlock and Turtle Brian Glick DVD contains lots of information… perhaps even too much for most people. It is a good problem to have, but it may seem that you’re getting lost in the material if you’re completely new. The deal with this instructional is that it will only work if you demonstrate patience and go through it volume by volume. It is more than work our time and effort though, as once you do, the front headlock position is never going to worry you again!
