Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ DVD sharing world-class details on getting fast taps from the top using wristlocks.
- Includes attacks from key pins such as mount, knee on belly, side control, and top half guard.
- Features many standing wristlock attacks, blended with top-level wrestling.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.
WRISTLOCKS FROM THE TOP PETE LETSOS DVD AVAILABLE HERE:
Nobody starts training BJJ to learn how to wristlock people. However, once you tap to a wristlock or two (or several hundred), you’ll have to accept the cold, hard truth that wristlocks are here to stay in Jiu-Jitsu, and you need to hop on the wrist locking wagon sooner rather than later.
So far, Pete the Greek has been an invaluable source of expert wrist-locking information. He keeps up with that trend, now presenting his Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD, which is pretty self-explanatory by the title alone. I’ll add that it is probably his best instructional on the subject to date. Interested?
The Submission Everyone Loves to Hate
People hate wristlocks in BJJ. Well, most people. The only folks who don’t resent these sneaky and painful finishes are the ones who do them. In that regard, wristlocks are just as addictive as heel hooks and buggy chokes – once you pick them up, you won’t want to stop doing them.
Writslocks are one of those moves that act as great equalizers. Our opponent can be as big as they want and with decades of experience, but you can still pull off a wristlock finish if you understand how. This brings us to the main reason why wristlocks are not more widespread in BJJ (well, the main reason apart from being hated as shortcuts).
Namely, when people hear wristlocks, they think there’s nothing to it, and start thinking like they’re emulating Steven Seagal. Since we all know how “effective” Aikido is, if you really want to learn effective wristlocks, you need to figure out how they work in the chaos of BJJ.
With plenty of proof out there that wristlocks work, the easiest and fastest way to add them to your arsenal is to learn the basics from the man who is best at them. That man is Pete the Greek, and if I had to pick one of his wristlock instructionals to start with, it would be the Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD.
Wristlock Guru Pete ‘The Greek’ Letsos
If you’d like to learn wristlocks that work in BJJ, then Pete the Greek is your man. There is nobody else (I’ve checked) who understands writ locks to the level of detail that Pete Letsos does, particularly when we’re talking about using them for Jiu-Jitsu purposes.
So, how did Pete become this world-renowned wristlock guru? Well, the Carlson Gracie Jr. black belt has been training for about 30 years, beginning in 1996 at Carlsong Gracie’s gym in Chicago. He also spent 4 years in Brazil, training at the team’s HQ academy but also at all other gyms he could find, like Gracie Barra, BJJ Top Team, and legends such as Terere, Andre Galvao, Osvaldo Alves, etc.
Remember that back in those days, BJJ was as hardcore as it gets, with every roll done with the intensity we now associate with world championship performances. As a lightweight, Pete had to figure out how to stay competitive against all the beasts he shared the mats with.
Along the way, Pete figured out that wristlocks are his best friend. Known for an incredibly aggressive top game, Pete perfected wristlocks from everywhere, but so far, has not talked a lot about the particular ways he has used them when passing. His brand new Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD delves into this murky territory.
Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD Review
The Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD is a three-part No-Gi instructional lasting around two hours and offering details on finishing wristlocks that nobody but Pete the Greek can provide:
Part 1 – Standing Wristlocks
The Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD begins standing, with ‘the Greek” offering legitimate ways of using wristlocks to your advantage. While at very first glance it may seem as if this is going into Aikido waters, it quickly becomes clear how painful the finishes are, mostly from the facial expressions of pain on Pete’s Uke.
There are lots of wrestling elements used in this part, with snap downs, Russian ties, and double wrist ties paving the way for snappy wristlock finishes that get taps in fractions of a second. Along with key finishing details, Pete also covers several options to hit wristlocks from a standing Kimura, which I found very interesting.
Part 2 – Wristlocks from Top Side Control
The gist of this instructional happens in top side control, with Letsos delivering the majority of his material from variations of this position. He begins by exploring the different ways to attack wristlocks on pinned arms, offering options for both the far and near arms.
He builds on that by exploring how to get wristlocks from positions and attacks you’re probably already using from top side control, such as the Americana, neck frame, undertook, etc. A few malevolently sneaky bait setups also feature here.
As the second volume of the Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD unfolds, he goes into counter-attacking with wristlocks, reacting to common side control escapes. The cherries on top are a few short but sweet options for wristlocks from the Kesa Gatame and Crucifix positions.
Part 3 – Top Half, Mount & Knee on Belly Finishes
Finally, the true art of being a sneaky wrist locker gets exposed by Pete as he provides incredibly effective options to finish from very dominant positions when you can’t seem to pull another submission off.
This volume is as conceptual as it is precise, with Pete focusing on the key elements that work from both mount and top half guard, such as chest pressure, posture, and balance. He then focuses on pinning and attacking the top arm of the opponent, either directly or through counters, such as the one on destroying a hip post.
Wrapping up the Pete Letsos Wristlocks DVD are a few direct details on finishing from the technical mount, as well as an unstoppable wristlock from a top armbar position. This last one is particularly painful and fast.
The Ultimate Opportunity Creator
I have an Aikido black belt in my gym that uses wristlocks. he rarely gets taps with them since he is dead set on trying to prove Aikido works, but that’s beside the point. His success with them mainly comes through opportunities that present themselves when people use all their attention to defend wristlocks in a state of pure panic.
This is one of the main areas in which wristlocks can immediately improve your Jiu-Jitsu game. Struggling with an armbar? Wristlock. Can’t finish that triangle – same answer. Passing, sweeping, pinning even takedowns, whenever things seem to stall, threaten with a wristlock
Understandably, you have to be able to use wristlocks as a legitimate threat to pull all this off, which is where the Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD comes in. That Aikido guy I am talking about is extremely good at opening up takedowns off of any grip using wristlock threats that funnel people exactly where he wants them. Just food for thought.
FULL DOWNLOAD: WRISTLOCKS FROM THE TOP PETE LETSOS
Wristlock the World!
There’s really no better phrase than this one, used by Pete in all his wristlock instructions so far! You really can wristlock anyone (except maybe Pete) if you play your cards right. When you’re cruising on top, though, there’s hardly a better way to open up your opponent more, or keep them pinned with ease than applying any (or all) of the options presented in the Wristlocks From The Top Pete Letsos DVD. They all work with and without the Gi and are legal (for blue belts and above).
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