The Ultimate Off the Feet Game Plan

Last updated on 02.03.2019 by

You’re almost a year in and you’re thinking: ‘I’m lost in stand-up grappling. What do I do?’ Well, we’ve got the ultimate off-the-feet game plan for you.

  1. The Guard Pull

You guessed it. The first thing you really need is the thing you already specialize in, and that is the guard. Albeit not a takedown per se, the guard pull puts you in a position that’s familiar. You’ve seen most everything and if you’ve got a couple of years’ experience you know every nook and cranny. You drown your opponent where he can’t swim.

Grab a collar and a sleeve if possible. Stick your heel or ball of your foot into opponent’s hip and rotate onto your dominant hand shoulder.

Self-defensive perspective

Use your better judgment and common sense to defend yourself, but if push comes to shove put yourself where you’re strongest and your opponent is weakest. If you’re afraid of punches raining down on you or multiple attackers attacking you don’t go for the guard pull.

  1. The Ankle Pick

We’ll give you the ankle pick second because it combines so well with the guard pull. Another great thing about the ankle pick is that it teaches the importance of setups and timing.

You’ll need a posture grip to pull this one off and the collar grip you’d use to pull guard works just as well. Another thing you’ll need is a free hand. Rotate hands to weaken grip. If it doesn’t work, block the grip with a cross-knee and tear it off. Now for the setup: it won’t work if he’s leaning into you and his posture is upright. Opponent has to be bent over and moving backwards. Drop backwards to knees while hanging off the collar grip. Don’t let your weight go to waste by connecting your knees with the ground. At best, all of your weight will go into the collar grip and drag you towards his heel. Grab heel and turn the wheel.

  1. Headlock

The third in this sequence is the headlock. You’ve tried the ankle pick, opponent leans into you. Heel feels heavy. Snap him down instead. At best, he’ll drop to elbows. At worst, he’ll post with hands. Grab a front headlock grip and go for the techniques you’ve already done e.g. anaconda, d’arce etc.

  1. Seoi-Nage

You’ve torn off the hand grip and you’ve got a free hand and a collar grip. Opponent keeps upright posture. He’s moving towards you. Go for the cross seoi-nage. If you’d like, drag down twice and then go. If not, open his shoulder upwards, underhook the cross side shoulder; same side as the collar and drop for the Seoi-Nage.

  1. The Single Leg

We’re guessing you’ve already done this a million times. Always have the single or double up your sleeve. We’re taught this first for a reason.

Set it up with the collar grip. Drag a foot towards you. Either use free hand or collar hand to snatch a single depending on whether you’ve got inside control.

  1. The Double Leg

You can go for this one any time you have an elbow open. Look out for counters. Work on technique and posture if not the setup so you don’t get stuck in turtle when he sprawls. Same goes for the single.

Bonus setup: drag the elbow that’s collar tying you down. If he reacts by pulling upwards attack the elbow side with a double.

The Ultimate Off the Feet Game Plan 1 The Ultimate Off the Feet Game Plan

  1. Sumi-Gaeshi

Judo is a complex game in and of itself. It takes a lot of sensitivity for trips and throws to go the way you want them. However, the head-on-the-inside sumi-gaeshi is perfect for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Grab a Russian tie or counter the single leg with this awesome technique. Just to make this more informative for the perfectionist, the perfect setup happens when your opponent is moving forwards and leaning a shoulder into you.

For example, the single leg is the perfect opportunity to execute this technique. Opponent grabs your right leg. You’re late with the sprawl. He’s taken it off the ground. Hook his right leg the way you would with a reverse de la riva. Grab opponent’s belt. Cross grip his left hand and roll over right shoulder. We’d wager that nobody will counter this in a white belt tournament. Chances are that this tech could win you a tournament. Look it up and good luck.