Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu instructional focusing on the reverse arm bar
- Offers different ways of finishing the arm bar, as well as combinations with other submissions and positional attacks.
- Contains innovative and original ways to finish, some of which are very promising.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
REVERSE ARM BAR SYSTEM ANDREW KERFOOT DVD GET HERE:
What’s your favorite arm bar? Most answers will probably include an arm bar from top or bottom, or perhaps even bent armlock variations. Only a few, though, will state that they like to do reverse arm bars, or variations of the move.
IF you plan on becoming an arm bar specialist with or without the Gi, then you can’t reach your goal without exploring reverse arm bars. The Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD is a masterclass on how to finish this move from top and bottom, and a blueprint to where the connections to other BJJ attacks lie.
The Marcelo Garcia Arm Bar
When I say reverse arm bar, I expect people to get two different grapplers in mind. The older generation, those who started training in the early 2000s immediately think of Marcelo Garcia, and his crazy effective reverse arm bar that earned him one of his many ADCC titles.
The other bunch are those that have been training for less than a decade and have only seen Craig Jones do a variation of the move, called the Choi Bar. While based on the same principles and perhaps just as effective as Marcelo’s, the Craig Jones variations lack in legacy and flare.
At the end of the day, if I ask about rear naked chokes or arm bars, I’d probably get lists of people who excel at them. While it is sad that not many people rate the reverse arm bar highly enough, there is an opportunity there – learn how to do it and you’ll easily dominate others, like Marcelo did, using it against unsuspecting opponents of the highest caliber at ADCC.
The Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD promises to teach you the secrets of using the reverse arm bar not just to finish, but as the centerpiece of your game, allowing for transitions and point collecting as well. Let’s see if it delivers.
Andrew Kerfoot – MMA Fighter and BJJ Instructor
Who the heck is this guy? Andrew Kerfoot might not be the most popular name in BJJ, or MMA for that matter, but he has a strong presence in both. While he is a competitor with some notable success in the IBJJF circuit and a pro MMA fighter with a humble record of 2-1 there is a great reason why he is exactly the person to learn from.
Andrew is the owner and head coach for the Nexus Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Folsom, CA, making him dedicated to combat sports 24/7. When you meet someone who competes and leads a successful academy as a head coach at the same time, there is knowledge there that you can tap into.
With over 20 years of experience in grappling, mostly wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and 15 years of striking arts expertise (Muay Thai and boxing) Andrew is a walking encyclopedia of combat sports. While his competitive results might not be that of Gordon Ryan or Jon Jones, due to many circumstances, his knowledge can prove to be more valuable in certain aspects than that of celebrity combat athletes.
The Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD is up for review today, and I had high hopes simply because of the subject, even though I had not heard of Andrew before. Researching him made me even more excited about this instructional.
Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD Review
With over three hours of No-Gi material, the Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD spreads over 5 volumes (6, technically if we count the needless outro one) and contains an interesting and useful blend of finishing details and combination tactics:
Part 1 – Introduction
The Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD begins with a short volume that introduces the subject. Andrew dubbed his version of the reverse arm bar ‘the secret weapon’ so every move in this instructional contains the phrase. Needless in my opinion.
From a technical standpoint, Andrew shows why he likes to use the reverse arm bar and how it opens up other options for him on top of just a direct submission finish. He also overviews all the positions he likes to set up reverse arm bars from before finishing with some fundamental body positioning tips.
Part 2 – Half Guard Reverse Arm Bars
The reverse arm bar is mostly a move done by guards, with the closed and butterfly guard being the two that Marcelo popularized in his ADCC escapades. The first aspect of the movie that Kerfoot addresses in the Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD is the half guard.
He begins by offering some unconventional methods that kind of blend the ideas of Marcelo and Craig’s choi bar into one. It seems legit, especially with the sexy arm bar and upside-down Kimura variations that Andrew introduces in this volume.
Apart from these, there aren’t any more finishes in this part, with the focus switching to other attacks you can do based on how your opponent reacts to the initial reverse arm bar attack. Sweeps, back attacks, Ashi Garami entries, and other submission combos, such as guillotines and triangles wrap up the longest volume in this DVD.
Part 3 – Closed Guard Setups
The closed guard is a classic position for reverse arm bars, and Kerfoot does not disappoint in this portion of the instructional. He delivers a bunch of interesting variations that include several attacks in the range between the shoulder crunch position and the more standard elbow lock for a reverse arm bar finish.
The best part of this part of the Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD is the Irish collar system which is a perfect way to set up combo upper body attacks based on the reverse arm bar in No-Gi. Andrew’s take on arm drags also opens up some interesting directions of attack.
Part 4 – Arm Bars From Top Positions
As we reach the halfway mark of the Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD, things change as Andrew begins exploring reverse arm bars from top positions. He begins with the most important aspect – using the position to pin and pass the bottom person and deal with defensive frames.
From there on it is all about passing using the reverse arm bar attachments, by way of knee slices and three-quarter mount smash passing. Finishes follow, mostly from side control, with the most innovative one being the 1/4 arm bar finish. A cool Tarikoplata transition makes an appearance towards the end.
Part 5 – Mount Attacks
The final part of this Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD instructional covers mount setups, which were my go-to for a while when I was a blue belt. Unlike my early focus of taking a leg over the head, Andrew offers several different reverse arm bar threats.
When I say threats I mean literally, as they serve more as entry points to regular straight arm bars, Monoplatas, and mounted triangles, rather than submissions on their own. There is one ‘secret weapon’ finish from the mount that might have some merit to it, though. I’ll know more when I try it out.
Part 6 – Outro
The most needless and redundant part of this DVD. There was really no point in bringing the DVD to a conclusion in a separate volume when it could’ve been a chapter in the fifth volume. Waste of time.
Arm Bar Versatility
The straight arm bar, or Juji Gatame for all you Danaher groupies, remains the number one submission finish in BJJ, according to statistics. That said, finishing one against the highest level of opposition is almost an impossible task these days. Remember when Craig tried to finish Gordon at the EBI?
The answer is in versatility, but I don’t just mean submission combos. Even those are fairly expected these days, with arm bars usually followed by Omoplatas or Triangles. There are those who can mix in leg locks as well, but all of that gets you away from arm bars. If you are aiming to become an arm bar specialist, this is the last thing you want.
Another approach is to mix in your arm bars with more arm bars, and preferably stick to straight finishes. You’d be surprised how many options there are, from shotgun arm bars, reverse arm bars, short arm bars, Choi Bar, etc. Try to use the reverse as both a follow-up and an entry to regular arm bars and you’ll immediately notice a difference in your finishing rate.
I guess the Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD will do the trick if you’ve never tried to do any of Marcelo’s or Craig’s stuff. It does offer some great details on finishing, and above all, great ideas on how to combine other attacking actions with the reverse arm bar.
FULL DOWNLOAD: REVERSE ARM BAR ANDREW KERFOOT DVD
Hit Reverse on Your Arm Bars!
The Reverse Arm Bar System Andrew Kerfoot DVD is worth your time and effort, particularly if you mostly roll and compete in No-Gi, or if you specialize in arm bars. Even if you don’t like them, learning how to recognize when they become available is going to improve your entire game, as people tend to react panicky to these threats on account of the straight elbow. Time to try it out!
