Issue 137
January 2016
Blackzilians grappling coach Neil Melanson reveals how, with minor adjustments, fighting off your back can still dominate in the cage
Back in the early days of mixed martial arts, there was mystique around jiu-jitsu players. Fighters and fans were bamboozled by their ability to wrap opponents up and submit them from their backs. However, as the sport has evolved, their adversaries have adapted and learned how to deal with that threat. Many can completely negate the guard and submissions from the back have become an endangered species.
Although it seems as though fighting off your back is now just an open invitation for ground ‘n’ pound, Neil Melanson – Blackzilians grappling coach and author of the book Mastering Triangle Chokes: Ground Marshal Submission Grappling – has a different take. He says a few adjustments could see a few more fighters being trapped in the guard and getting tapping out.
“The style of guard has to be different now. The way we learn it is: go for a submission, go for a sweep and then get up. However, I do the opposite,” he explains to FO. “When I’m grappling I always look to get out first – whether I really want to try and get up or not. Whenever you try to get up first, most fighters will come in and try and hold you down. When they come in they actually leave themselves vulnerable to submissions if you’ve got a good submission game.”
“It takes some getting used to, but that’s why you see a lot of guys who do no-gi grappling in the butt-scoot position; it’s because they’re trying to get up. You can’t start from there in MMA but if you get put down on the ground you want them to come in and rush you. Then you’ll see the submission. In my experience, that’s the best way to play the bottom game.”
It sounds like a much safer bet than timing-based submissions that could rely on opponents to open themselves up to a choke or lock. You could be waiting for an error that never comes, or misjudge something and take a fist to the face. Instead, employ the classic bait-and-switch: fake, draw an attack and capitalize on a mistake you forced to finish the fight.
Guard gurus
The guard game isn’t dead in MMA yet. Here are Neil Melanson’s top three picks of the sport’s most lethal guard players
Fabricio Werdum
“Fabricio will always remain one of my favorite fighters in mixed martial arts. He’s one of the best heavyweight grapplers of all time. I’ve been studying him for a long time and he can just make it happen. He’s very interesting, very strong and he has to be considered as a fighter with a great guard.”
Charles Oliveira
“He’s really done some great things from his back in the fights I’ve seen him in. He’s very calm from his back, but he uses his angles really quickly and he does a fantastic job of it, making him incredibly dangerous from his back.”
Carlos Condit
“I’ve watched Condit roll with Ricky Lundell before and he has a beautiful grappling style. When he’s on is back he’s always trying to get up and he chains moves together a lot. He does a lot of interesting granby rolls and has a very nice MMA grappling style. I really think he’s destined to be a UFC world champion.”
Stitch Duran
The fight game’s leading cutman replies to your social media posts and requests to give advice for the corner
Cutman nose best
Broken beaks and trainers, the scourge of tidy work
Q. What is the most challenging type of injury to deal with between rounds?
A. I have worked on just about every possible cut, but the most difficult to work on has to be a broken nose. Outside of the nose being shattered and painful, the blood vessels are also damaged and constantly bleed.
If you can contain the bleeding for half the round, you have done a good job. The fighter also has to breathe through his mouth so he doesn’t swallow blood. This is what ultimately slowed down Rory MacDonald in his battle with Robbie Lawler in July.
On a side note, taking anti-inflammatories before the fight also makes the job of a cutman so much harder, because they thin out the blood. This makes it even more difficult to stop any type of bleeding and all fighters and coaches should be made aware of this.
Q. What is the most difficult part of treating a fighter between rounds?
A. The most difficult part of working a fighter’s cuts is usually the corner. When you work a cut, you have 50-55 seconds to work and if the cornerman is in your way it is difficult to work efficiently. Also, pouring water over the fighters head as I am applying the medications necessary to stop a cut also makes the job of every cutman so much more difficult.
In a ring, if a fighter gets cut, it is important to change positions with the trainer. Some trainers don’t want to change positions. You need to establish this with the trainer before the fight so that things can run smoothly.
When it comes to working on a fighter between rounds, position and timing is everything. It’s about getting in, getting to work without distraction and getting out again.
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