Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside Arm

Posted by: JKogas

Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside Arm - 12/15/05 09:42 PM

Fundamental 5 For Cross-sides


Part Three: Killing the inside arm

Time to get this one going folks. Killing the inside arm is the next step toward effectively pinning your opponent and will lead to various submission opportunities.

If you’ve blocked out the guard and locked into position, you eliminate many opportunities for people to just simply make an explosive motion to dislodge you (bearing in mind that we’re talking about people who aren’t a GREAT deal larger and stronger than yourself – you will often have to play more of a floating game against them until you can lock into position). Accomplishing those two things ALONE will generally overwhelm the majority of unskilled opponents.

Now you will force your opponent to rely upon skillful “technique” in order to escape. One key objective for the person on the bottom is to create space between your hips and his. To accomplish this, he will need to brace his inside (near) arm against your hip to hold you in place as he scoots (“shrimps”) away. This gives him the room to bring his knee inside and begin to obtain the guard (it also gives him room to turn to his hands and knees and work for a reversal). That’s the arm we have to “kill”.

I always tell everyone at the gym that when the elbow is away from the body, the arm becomes weak. That's a good thing when it's your opponent who has the "chicken wing". When you kill the inside arm (your opponent's arm nearest your hips when on top), you're actually doing one better because you're really taking that arm out of play. When you've done that, he's stuck, and it's time to hunt for submissions (more later on that).

I kill the arm in a variety of ways. One of my favorite ways is using my hip-side knee to "cut" under the elbow where I then turn my hip back over, using my weight to pin the arm against his head. That's a fundamental method of killing the arm and is called a hip-cut. When you do this, you're sitting out, sliding the knee underneath the elbow and then turning your hips back down to face your opponent. It's important to learn to do this by contorting your body slightly, never learning your torso off of your opponent. Keep your chest flat across him, moving only your hips and legs.

Other ways I kill the arm include:
• Popping the elbow off of my hip using my hip-side hand, then scooting back in close with my hips.
• Turning down slightly with my hip nearest my opponent's head and sprawling my weight on the arm. That can suck!
• Pulling up on the elbow with my hip-side hand as I move laterally toward the north-south position.

We'll be practicing all of these at the gym so don't worry about them sounding confusing. They're actually pretty easy to learn.

Now when you've blocked your opponent's guard, locked into position and killed the inside arm, he's got one direction left where he may be able to move. That is to roll to his knees away from you. We’ll deal with that next.

Questions? Fire away. Fletch is up on all of this as well so take advantage of his experience and insight.


-John
Posted by: MattJ

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside Arm - 12/15/05 10:23 PM

Dave Meyer made mention of "controlling the opponent's elbows" at the seminar I went to. I assume we are "killing the inside arm" to help prevent the opponent from being able to effectively roll the upper body away (or into) you?

In other words, is this a way to set up direct attacks to the opponent's arm, or more of a defensive/preventative maneuver?
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/16/05 01:21 AM

Steps I and II ... you had me at hello. Step III ... you killed the mood.

I've read this twice and man am I confused. How about you hop in your car now and by tomorrow night or maybe the following morning you can be here and we can go over this in person. I'll even put you up for the night ... or two ... feed you and then once mastered I will send you on your way with a whole bunch of Canadian crap as a memento of your visit.

Seriously, pictures would make this a whole lot easier but let me see if I can explain where I am confused ... oh ya ... all of it. I get confused when you say inside arm. Once I figure this out I will have to hit myself in the head as I’ll know exactly what you are talking about it but maybe I’m not because I just watched the 40 Year Old Virgin and can’t concentrate.

I’m controlling the top across his body with my weight and have locked it in after transitioning. If I am across his left side and his left arm is underneath me, is that the inside arm? If he tries to shrimp then this arm will be on the bottom, correct? This is the arm you have mentioned we have to “kill”. I guess it isn’t as easy as pulling out a revolver and shooting the thing, eh? (Canadian humor … sorry) Now you said the elbow is away from the body; is it away from the body as he is trying to create this space between himself and me? Then you go into cutting under the elbow which is where I get really confused as when I try to see this in my head when using my hip-side knee (my left knee) and turning it over to put weight on the arm and to get it by his head … I can’t see how that is possible which leads me to believe I got lost somewhere here in the transition when he shrimped and used his arm to keep me away from him to create space. Is not his arm on my left hip, or is it on my right hip up by his head? Either way I’m still confused about using my left knee to get that arm pinned by his head to take it out of play.

Maybe I will leave it here so that you can correct this so that I can better understand it and continue with more questions. Or again, hop in the car … the fires going and I can throw a seal on the spit … good eatings.
Posted by: Fletch1

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/16/05 03:39 AM

The inside or near arm is the arm next to your hip. The other one is the far side arm.
Posted by: fattts14

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside Arm - 12/16/05 10:52 AM

Yeah I agree with Derek on this one. Are we starting from side mount?
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside Arm - 12/16/05 06:04 PM

Yes, this is the fundamental 5 for cross-sides top.


-John
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/16/05 07:09 PM

Hi John,

Even knowing what the inside arm is, which I figured it was, I still am confused on this. I've taken out the humor and hilighted where I especially get confused. I hope that after your explanation I can figure this out.

Quote:

I’m controlling the top across his body with my weight and have locked it in after transitioning. If he tries to shrimp then this arm will be on the bottom, correct? This is the arm you have mentioned we have to “kill”. Now you said the elbow is away from the body; is it away from the body as he is trying to create this space between himself and me? Then you go into cutting under the elbow which is where I get really confused as when I try to see this in my head when using my hip-side knee (my left knee) and turning it over to put weight on the arm and to get it by his head … I can’t see how that is possible which leads me to believe I got lost somewhere here in the transition when he shrimped and used his arm to keep me away from him to create space. Is not his arm on my left hip, or is it on my right hip up by his head? Either way I’m still confused about using my left knee to get that arm pinned by his head to take it out of play.




I can't figure out how my left knee by his hip takes his arm to his head on the right side. Is the right knee stepping over his arm while trying to go to the north/south position thus dragging the arm with it by his head?

I hope this explains my confusion better for explanation. Don't mean to be a bother I just want to really figure this out. Obviously in person training you would find me a very good student but words somehow are hard to write down and explain on paper. I'm not saying that once you explain it and I understand it that I will be trained and will be able to perform it ... but I will take this to class and try it out multiple times to see that it works, fine tune it and then add it to my arsenal. Heck, once you explain it I may already know it. Thanks in advance John.
Posted by: MattJ

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/16/05 08:05 PM

Dereck -

Unless I am totally misunderstanding, your knee should be underneath the opponent's elbow/tricep area. If his elbow can't get to the ground, it will make it very difficult for him to try to roll out.

I think the idea then is to get the arm between your leg and your upper body, using the upper body to pin it to the opponent, restricting his movement.

At least, this is how I understood it. I will shut up and let John or Fletch explain it for real.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/16/05 08:32 PM

Thanks Matt but I still can't see it. How did I get my leg underneath it? He shrimped and is using his arm(s) to create space between us and his knees should be up ... not quite a fetal position but up. His hand should be on my hip and I think I would have sprawled and used my weight on him. I think I'm confusing myself even more. I'll wait until John or Fletch get a chance to fill in the void I have left with myself. Thanks again.
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/16/05 09:24 PM

Dereck; I'm working on it.

Matt; you're correct.

Back soon.

-John
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/16/05 10:53 PM

Thanks John, take your time. Times up man what's the hold up? No seriously I'm playing Spider Solitaire while listening to my wife and daughter watch their soap opera. I don't plan to be on here much longer so I may I look back on Saturday or Sunday. Thanks for all of your help John. And to all of those others that threw in their bits as well ... much appreciated.

Chanting of "Dereck, "Dereck", "Dereck" fill the forum as he strides to the podium. The cheers are deafening as he tries to hush the crowd. He goes to say something and the crowd goes wild again. He blushes with a slight embarrassment but finally gets the crowd to calm down. He can understand their excitement as he feels it to. The crowd waits to hear him with anticipation. “Thank you, thank you. I will accept this great honor on behalf of those that came before me and those that will come after me. I am but a man, a single man and though I am honored I don’t deserve this great honor but accept it and will wear it proudly. FOR I, DERECK, HAVE HIT MY 2000 POST.” The crowd goes wild again as he nods and waves to the crowd and brings his fingers to his mouth and throws out a kiss. Man this guy is awesome.
Posted by: MattJ

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/17/05 08:42 AM

*MattJ hands Dereck "Golden Ham" award for "most delusional 2000th post". Cord dumps cooler full of ice on Dereck. BrianS streaks the audience*
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/17/05 01:45 PM

Dereck takes the Golden Ham and sets it up on his mantle beside a plate pull of biscuits that was previously given by Matt (aka Biscuits). Dereck takes a towel and dries himself off ... thanks Cord. Dereck shakes his head in disbelief because Brian does have shaved legs and surprisingly looks good in heels.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/21/05 03:43 PM

Just bumping up in case John forgot that this was still a work in progress. Thanks
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Fundamental 5 - Part III; Killing the Inside A - 12/24/05 12:32 PM

Friendly bump ... nudge, nudge.