Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ DVD shedding much-needed light on how to put body lock passing to immediate effect.
- Half guard, closed guard and butterfly half guard passes make up the bulk of the DVD.
- Features easy-to-follow instructions on anchoring with body locks and passing with pressure.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
POWER PASSING BODY LOCKS DAN MANASOIU DVD AVAILABLE HERE:
Body lock passing is a part of BJJ that seems to work incredibly well for top competitors, but usually fails miserably when you try it out in training or competition. I know I am right because it has happened to me, more than once.
In fact, I decided against body lock passing for my game, on account of it being overly complicated. What I didn’t know is exactly what the Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD. It turns out, the body lock is simply a part of a passing system that can be as simple as you want it – it’s all about those damn fundamentals again.
Half Guard Problems
The most fundamental guards in BJJ are often the ones that will cause you more trouble than any of their modern, overcomplicated counterparts. Try dealing with a black belt’s closed or half guard and you’ll understand what I mean. In fact, most of you reading these are already stuck in these exact spots. Otherwise, why would you be interested in the Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD?
The half guard is a particularly sticky spot to figure out. While you can use it to ensure the bottom person doesn’t change guards, simply by sitting on their leg, you’re going to be in deep trouble if half guard is the bottom player’s preferred position.
There is so much variety available in half guard, that I guess we can consider it a major area of BJJ on its own, rather than looking at it as part of the guards section. The position offers not just versatile attacks, but also plenty of variations that all fall under the half guard umbrella.
Add to that the fact that with half guard, you’re in a sort of a 50-50 position, and passing can become a highly frustrating venture. How many times have you thought you passed the half guard after lots of work, only to discover that your leg is still stuck? Well, it is time to change that, and I know of a certain Jiu-Jitsu giant that can help out.
The Jiu-Jitsu Giant Dan Manasoiu
Jiu-Jitsu was put together so that that scrawny kid could bet up the big bully. Or so they say. However, when that big bully is an athletic freak, weighing 300 lbs, moves like a panther, and is a John Danaher purple belt, then the scrawny kid is in trouble.
I’m not calling Big Dan a bully, but the world would definitely be a really sucky place if he ever decided to bully those around him. For now, he reserves that for the mats, as all of his opponents from ADCC, ADCC Trials, UFC Fight Pass, and other similar top fight promotions know full well.
Still only 23 years of age, the Jiu-Jitsu Giant is only going to get better and scarier. How could he not be training with the beasts over at New Wave? Even more importantly,m he has been molded and tutored by Danaher and Gordon for the past 7 years. That’s a lifetime in BJJ terms.
Until such time that we see Big Dan entertain us on the mats again, we get to enjoy some of his teaching. Unlike many top competitors in the BJJ world, Dan is just as exceptional at teaching as he is at dismantling opponents. A great testimonial to that is the material in the Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD.
Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD Review
The Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD delivers four parts of passing solutions. It offers the basics of body locking, followed by specific uses of pressure against half guard, closed guard, and the butterfly half guard in No-Gi. The full set lasts for over 2 hours.
Part 1 – Dominating the Body Lock
We all know that the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team members are all big on body lock passing. Dan is no different, but he also has his own way of pulling it off. The first part of the Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD outlines his take on locking and maintaining the body lock.
I am sure you’ll find his take on exposing the waist super helpful in your body lock passing attempts. He piles even more essential details by showing how to easily deal with underhooks and how to set up the shin pin position.
Already a staple of many top competitors when it comes to passing, the shin pin is as elaborate as any passing checkpoint. Dan boils it down to a few key aspects that will do wonders for your body lock passing, even if you’re not an ultra-heavyweight.
Part 2 – Pressure Passing the Half Guard
Volume two of the Dan Manasoiu Passing DVD begins looking at specific guards, and how you can destroy them using the body lock as your anchor. Big Dan introduces pressure as the passing method by addressing movement against resistance.
The key thing I find lacking in many passing instructionals is that all the demonstrations are against no resistance. When the bottom person is trying to sweep or submit you, which in half guard is all the time, your passing opportunities dry up in an instant.
Dan shows how you can use pressure to ensure you glide past any threats the bottom person sends your way: underhooks sweeps, guard retention positioning, and recovery tactics. He outlines teh main aspects of pressure and builds on it by introducing underhook(s) and head control to secure a pin as he is passing.
Part 3 – Closed Guard Balancing
If there was ever an area in Jiu-Jitsu that requires addressing, it is dealing with the closed guard. The Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD shares the ‘secrets’ of standing up safely in the closed guard and using the most effective methods to break it open and pass.
The portion on keeping your balance while standing up and when you are up is absolutely magnificent. Nobody has ever really deconstructed standing closed guard passing as precisely as Big Dan, even in situations where your posture is not ideal. He extends your options to include successful passes even when the bottom person threatens, or even partially succeeds at sweeping you.
Part 4 – Killing the Butterfly Half Guard
The final part of this passing instructional is all about one of the most dangerous guards you’ll face, and also one of the most boring to be trapped in – the butterfly half guard. With threats available for both upper and lower body, this guard can be a nightmare, if you don’t have a game plan to deal with it.
The Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD provides this game plan, sticking to the concept of simplicity and effectiveness. Without too much unnecessary talking, Dan covers everything from hip switching from a tight waist, through sprawling, to passing using head and arm pins.
A very cool variation of the knee slice pops around the middle of this volume, offering a different kind of pressure you can use. From there, Dan offers speed and pressure-based end-range passes that work perfectly when blended together.
Beating BJJ Guard Traps
One of the key danger areas of any guard in BJJ is the threat of traps. Skilled guard players draw you in, allowing you to think you’re passing, as they’re setting up pitfalls in the form of sweeps, submissions or back takes.
The thing with traps is that you can’t know the ones that the bottom person would be using. Forget about trying to figure out all traps from all guards, there is no way of knowing what different people would do from the half guard alone! Obviously, a different approach is required.
That’s where pressure comes in. Once you make the bottom person carry your weight or a portion of it, their options start becoming limited. The best part is that the longer you make them carry you, the fewer options remain for them, as they tire out.
There is a catch though – isn’t there always? You need to figure out how to remain in close proximity to the guard player in order to place pressure, which is not easy given that you’re battling against the legs, which hold the power to launch you across the mats.
One solution we often see is the utilization of the body lock as the means to exert pressure. The body lock isn’t a guaranteed pass – it is simply an anchor to ensure you’re close enough to use pressure on your way past most guards, the half guard included.
Now that body lock pressure passing makes more sense, what you need is an expert at it, leading you through your options. Unless you live in Austin, I’d opt for the Dan Manasoiu Power Passing DVD. Actually, I’d get it even if I could visit Dan’s classes anyway. It’s that good!
FULL DOWNLOAD: POWER PASSING BODY LOCKS DAN MANASOIU DVD
Smesh!
It is about time that your body lock passing starts to work. Spend a few weeks on the Power Passing Body Locks Dan Manasoiu DVD. Then, force half guard, just for the sake of trying the stuff out. Expose the waist, find the body lock sweet spot, and hang there a bit, rejoicing that it finally makes sense. When you’ve had your share of gloating, turn the pressure on and enjoy the dumbfounded expressions on the faces of your opponents.
