Sprawling

[Bjjexpertise@be]

I was watching some old Pride and UFC fights yesterday when I noticed something. I saw that when a fighter was sprawling on an opponent as he shot, they sometimes have their feet pointing towards the mat. While others have their toes pointing in the opposite direction of where the opponent's head is as he shot. What are the advantages and disadvatages of each?

[doubleouch]

I'm not sure if you are talking about the spawler or sprawlee. The person doing the sprawl needs to have their toes and feet planted into the mat in order to be able to drive with their hips.

[J Rockwell]

I would say it depends on how hard you are sprawling and how deep your opponent has penetrated on his shot. If he has not penetrated very deeply, or is going for a higher level shot, you can keep your toes on the mat, no problem. As doubleouch stated, it can help you “pop” your hips into the guy to stand him up and stop the shot. Also, for MMA, it probably gives you a slightly better base to throw hooks and body shots on the guy as you sprawl on him.

If your opponent shoots low and gets in deep on you, however, most wrestling coaches will tell you NOT to keep your toes on the mat. A good wrestler will continue to drive, circle and recover his posture in an attempt to finish his shot. Having your toes on the mat provides the contact points and friction that the bottom man needs to “stand you up”, take you out of your sprawl position and allow him to complete the takedown.

Instead of putting your toes on the mat, point your toes down and put the tops of your feet flat on the mat. When your opponent continues to drive into you, you will simply slide backwards away from him, instead of being stood up. For MMA, environmental factors like the edge of the ring or the cage may come into play, but this is what I’ve generally been taught and been successful with.

[Bjjexpertise@be]

Ok I see what you're saying. How about after I sprawl out on the guy? What are some of the things I can do if he has both arms wrapped around mine or a single? Besides spinning behind him that is.

[doubleouch]

When you sprawl always try to take top positon and not let him duck out from under you either direction. Usually I try to control the head and keep it near my bellybutton. Once I establish position most people will turtle up, then you can work your quarters game.

[tekshow]

what do you mean grabs your arm? sometimes as i sprawl instead of panting my chest to their back with the head at the belly i'll shove a forearm down on their neck and do like a half plum/clinch. then i'm on the inside, if the guy wraps my arm its not really any worry.

a lot of people will charge if you don't give any forward energy, they get ansy or something, so when i sprawl i like to plant the chest on top and wrap them up for the guillotine and fall back into the guard. (on a nice padded mat mind you). just make sure the arm wrapping the head doesn't catch your opponents arm as well or you'll be in some bastard side sleeper that won't work from the guard, but if i make that mistake it usually buys a little time from the distraction of it all


peace,
joe

[J Rockwell]

Once you have sprawled, one of the best things you can do is control your opponent (IMO) with a front headlock. Front here you can jerk him around to destroy his base, spin to his back, switch to a choke, or set up a reversal very nicely. Dan Henderson covers the FHL for MMA extensively in his SBG series, and also in his Century series.

I really like the method that one of my coaches showed me for the FHL: One hand controls his chin, the other hand controls his far arm at the tricep - staying off your knees so all the weight is on him, put your shoulder in between his shoulder blades, keeping your elbows tight and pulling back hard in both directions. The effect is that the guy is stretched out, like you are breaking a stick over your knee. Except he is the stick, and your shoulder is your knee, in this case. Now you can jerk him around pretty easily from here, and it is hard for him to use his arms in unison to escape.

[IPON]

CrossFace
Power half
front headlock

[Bjjexpertise@be]

How would you power half from a sprawl? do you over hook one of his arms to insert the half?

[J Rockwell]

What he's calling a power half might be what I'd call a quarter nelson...wrestling terminology is so random, the same thing often has 10 names depending on where you learn it.

The move that he may be referring to (it's a good move in any case) is: let's say you sprawl and whizzer his right arm with your left. Your right hand goes on the back of his head. Your left arm has encircles his right arm and your left hand comes up in front of his shoulder and locks onto your right wrist. You then feed his head down toward the mat with this frame as you circle around to your right. You will end up in a nice sidebody position with his arms already out of posture.

Hope this helps!

[Bjjexpertise@be]

Yeah that really helps thanks!

[crazyjoe380]

i'll break it down...

if you sprawl.. you have a split sec to deside what you are going to do...
droppin knees to his head will give you some time to deside if you don't him out already...

if you are gonna drop knees, then toe up and pressure his neck and drop em..

if your tired you might sprawl and end up holding on your knees, you can go for an anaconda choke there. (reverse side choke, triangle with your arms, figure four) you might take his back ... you can switch back and forth.

this game is endless. it's fighters like wanderli silva, Minotaro, henderson, ninja, that have the game 360 and that make them better then alot of others fighters. it has to be subconscience. so keep practicing. i still have so much to learn.

damn it, just when i thought i had it, someone has to do something else...
damn it! lol



i

[Bjjexpertise@be]

Well the problem is that I can't do the anaconda choke everytime because they post with their arms and have their legs still up(as if they were standing). This also prevents me from spinning behind. Any suggestions what to do from here?

[crazyjoe380]

I got that choke a few times. Like any choke you might have to work for it.
you got to tuck the arm by pushing his tricept into his chest then trapping the triangle.. spin into that side and you got it...

Hard to explain without pics..

[ryangruhn]

I have actually gotten more of a head crank that way.

Gruhn