Another Sunday, another Tom DeBlass DVD… But this one is different. Usually, people outside of !0th Planet Jiu-Jitsu don’t do instructionals on positions that are associated with Eddie Bravo or his No-Gi empire. Not that they can’t, but people just don’t spend enough time in the unique positions 10P grapplers usually do. Enter Tom DeBlass and his no-nonsense attitude towards, well, everything. A true aficionado fo the half guard, Tom demonstrates that he really does include everything that is effective in his half guard game, including the Lockdown. His latest instructional is titled “The Lockdown blueprint” and we have an in-depth review of what’s inside.
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Tom DeBlass – Lockdown Blueprint
“The Lockdown Blueprint” is a BJJ instructional not many people expected, I guess. DeBlass already has several half guard instructionals out, focusing on different variations of what is one of his signature positions. However, expiring the Lockdown in a Tom DeBlass DVD is not something I expected. Not that I’m complaining. The first thought when I saw this DVD was that there’s finally a fresh and new perspective on a position I really like to use and base a lot of my game on. It suffices to say, my expectations were more than met.
The Lockdown Position
What exactly sir the lockdown position in BJJ? It is a variation of half guard that pretty much goes against the grain of what is usually taught in regards to playing half guard from the bottom. Namely, the Lockdown allows you to successfully keep someone into the half guard and even attack, while you’re on your back. There’s no other half guard variation that provides such an option. In all honesty, attacks do involve you going to your side and some very specific movements, but in essence, you can use the Lockdown as your go-to checkpoint when guard passers overwhelm your usual defenses.
The lockdown works when you entangle the opponent’s leg that’s trapped in your half guard with both your legs. In essence, think about the structure of a braid – you want to do the same thing. One of your legs reinforces the other, while you’re trapping an opponent’s leg in place, and keeping it straight. In other words, you get to control a big lever of the opponent’s body, which provides you with safety in terms of guard passing, and lots of sweeping and submission options. Moreover, now you can explore different aspects of the position, thanks to The Lockdown Blueprint Tom DeBlass DVD.
Tom’s Half Guard
On the subject of Tom’s prowess in the half guard, there’s really not much that hasn’t already been said. No-Gi world champion, and three-time ADCC trials winner, Tom certainly knows what he’s doing and saying. Not to mention that he is a Ricardo Almeida black belt, and runs one of the most successful BJJ gyms in the world – Ocean County Jiu-Jitsu.
Tom also has a stellar record when it comes to being submitted and having his guard passed in competition. In short, both things haven’t happened for a long, long time, and we’re talking about the highest level of the sport here. A huge piece of his game is the half guard, something every opponent of his is trying to stay out of. While it is obvious that his half guard game has plenty of players and an intricate strategy behind it, at least one of those layers is now open for everyone to learn, via “The Lockdown Blueprint” DVD.
A Detailed Review Of “The Lockdown Blueprint” Tom DeBlass DVD
“The Lockdown Blueprint” Tom DeBlass DVD is a four-part Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructional that focuses on one of the most effective variations of the BJJ half guard. As we’ve come to expect from a Tom DeBlass DVD instructional, there’s lots of structure to the DVD. Tom starts off with basics, going into retention and transitions, before exploring the reverse lockdown and ending with ways to escape the lockdown. The technical qualities of this instructional are pristine, and the total running length is nearly 4 hours. That is a lot of material, most of it unseen, on the subject of the Lockdown position.
1 – The Basics
As usual, the instructional opens up with an introduction to what the Lockdown is and how it can be used by anyone. Tom doesn’t waste time, though, and goes straight into the most recognizable attack form the lockdown – the electric chair sweep. Tom also explores several main directions of moving people with the Lockdown, including taking them back and pushing them forward. A neat and nasty Lockdown heel hook also makes an appearance here.
Grip variations that range from the underhook, through near and far side grips, to manipulating the lower leg make up a big portion of this volume of the instructional. Ways to get the back, as well as a sneaky calf slicer, finish wrap up the first part of this latest Tom DeBlass DVD.
2 – Transitions And Attacks
The options that the Lockdown provides extend far beyond just the Electric Chair. DeBlass offers ways in which you can use the leg as a lever to get transitions to other guards or recover back to lockdown when opponents try to break out. The deep half guard (surprise, surprise) is an option Tom prefers, as indicated in this volume of “The Lockdown Blueprint.” Reversals, toe holds and the inevitable use of frames mark most of the stuff you’ll see in this portion of the instructional.
The same leg kneebar is one of the innovative things Tom brings to the table in terms of the Lockdown. There’s also a cool way to torque the leg into a reversal, which then opens up the reverse Lockdown, introducing the next volume in this set.
3 – Reverse Lockdown
The reverse Lockdown is a unique take on the Lockdown position. The way Tom uses it si to retain the half guard even when the Lockdown doesn’t work for him, and open up interesting attacks. Some of those attacks include the waiter sweep and a few more leg lever options that involve manipulating the nearside shin.
Providing an insight into the final volume of this new Tom DeBlass DVD are few chapters on escaping the Lockdown by using windshield wipers, as well as a method of dealing with the reverse Lockdown.
4 – Escaping The Lockdown
Escaping the Lockdown position has long been a mystery in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. With people like Eddie Bravo, his black belts, and Tom DeBlass, to name a few, constantly experimenting and evolving the position it is no wonder that it is hard to deal with. And yet, DeBlass has figured out a few ways to get out and neutralize the Lockdown. Tom covers a bunch of scenarios based on what the bottom person is doing, and how the grips are structured. Kneebar counters, escaping the Electric Chair as it happens, and a bunch of other highly useful situations are covered here.
Wrapping up “the Lockdown Blueprint” are a couple of chapters on switching the lockdown form one side to the other, which is the portion I enjoyed the most.
Wrapping Up
“The Lockdown Blueprint” Tom DeBlass DVD is not just another half guard DVD. It is an instructional that covers a position nobody outside 10th Planet ahs ever covered with any amount of success. As I said, I personally play the Lockdown a lot, and this instructional offers so much food for thought and new material, that it’ll completely change the way I approach it. If you’re a lockdown player or are considering it, this is one of the best resources to get!
ON SALE HERE:
Tom DeBlass – Lockdown Blueprint
