Tonight we cover the basic frame side control escape and a choke that I honestly don’t know the name of.  Sorry about the missing choke name.  A red belt taught it without naming it, and I’ve used it on guys my level and below ever since.

The frame escape from side control is usually the first side control escape taught, and it’s the first one you realize it doesn’t work the way you thought it would when you spar.  The problem isn’t so much the technique, but the notion that you can do it cleanly against someone who doesn’t want you to do it.  This was cemented in my brain the first time I tried to escape side control in competition.  I executed the technique just like I was taught and even used at the academy and. . . rejection.  I couldn’t escape side control, and lost the match on points.  After the match, I asked my black belt about it and he pointed out that I needed to augment the bridge with more motion to create more space.  That hint is actually a lot deeper and gets applied to more situations than you might initially think.  So tonight, we are going to make sure you know both the basic frame escape as well as what to do when your opponent is content to simply hold you down.

Next we are going to cover a lapel choke that will work great for you if you can pull a lot of weight for one arm dumbbell rows in weight training.  It is very similar to a cross collar choke, but is easier to set up against an opponent that is convinced you are going to cross collar choke him and has his hands protecting his neck.  I’m also going to show how to execute this choke on the opposite side where it’s a little harder to finish and the mechanics are slightly different.

Making nuanced blue belts, one concept at a time.