Issue 086
March 2012
Grappling isn’t all locks and chokes, you need method to the madness. Apply some ‘guerrilla warfare’ tactics courtesy of AKA jiu-jitsu coach Dave Camarillo and tap even the fiercest foe. Lock and load!
The ‘guerrilla’ grappler must remember that he is always a guerrilla at heart – a fighter who uses the guerrilla jiu-jitsu philosophy that a fighter should always work for the submission, and use any discipline to accomplish it. He should use the elements of attack and withdrawal, ambush and retreat to effectively frustrate and eventually finish any opponent, using their tactics wisely in order to be successful. The guerrilla grappler should seek the same tactics when overwhelmed, outmatched and underpowered.
Through attack and withdrawal, the guerrilla uses speed to get in and out of attack range to test and batter the opponent’s defense. As soon as a weakness is felt, it is time to attack relentlessly. For the attack, or ambush, it is critical that the guerrilla does not chase an advantaged opponent. Instead, he familiarizes himself with leading the opponent toward his greatest weapon. This maximizes the guerrilla’s ability to fight off even the best adversary.
Guerrillas are not invulnerable and if their ambushes fail, they should move to a defendable position. This is where retreat comes into play. Running from a dangerous grappler can put you in a more dangerous position. Instead, the guerrilla learns to retreat actively by fighting to for a preferred position to launch a counterstrike.
ATTACK AND WITHDRAWAL
The tactic of constantly attacking and withdrawing or nipping away at the opponent can never be overlooked or understated. This nuisance phase of grappling has great psychological effect on the opponent as the guerrilla bites like fleas at his defenses.
Although this constant attack and withdrawal type of guerrilla warfare is not meant to directly cause a submission per se, it often leads to ambush and other opportunities for attack as the opponent grows frustrated and loses his cool. In addition, these small, fast, and plentiful actions are a great way to test the opponent’s defense and feel him out for weaknesses in strength
or positioning.
AMBUSH
The ambush is the fruit of proper preparation and it is the easiest submission to execute. Again, the guerrilla grappler should focus on the five ‘P’s: planning and preparation prevent poor performance. Though it may seem difficult to plan for an ambush in the heat of an intense grappling exchange, it is possible with proper baiting and technical foresight. With an ambushing mindset, a guerrilla may present an arm to be grabbed easily. The guerrilla may present his knee to the stand-up fighter or wrestler and when the opponent jumps for the single-leg, he answers with a reversal or submission. Regardless of the bait or booby trap, the guerrilla must hide his intention and be prepared to launch the ambush at a moment’s notice! This is key to developing one of the easiest submissions in the world—the submission that the opponent willingly walks into.
RETREAT
Though attack and withdrawal may lead an opponent into a devastating ambush, the opponent may never take the bait or could overwhelm the ambush with force. In these circumstances, retreat becomes the best option. By retreating, the guerrilla does not lose but instead leaves a situation that is untenable in order to establish a situation where he can renew his offense. This takes familiarity with grappling, experience of different types of grapplers and their strong suits and an honesty regarding personal strengths and weaknesses. If a guerrilla knows his best position is the side control, he should retreat from the knee-on-belly to the side control where he can best dominate and secure the sub.
The guerrilla must retreat to arrive in his fallback position with the best possible control. To do this, he must fight to break grips as he retreats in order to land in position ready to counterattack for the victory. Passive retreat will often lead to a change in momentum as the opponent presses forward with his own attacks or escape game-plan, therefore it is vital to retreat with consistent aggression and purpose.
EXAMPLE: RETREAT TO CLOSED GUARD
Though there are many ways to finish from the standard armlock position, for example, there is always the chance that a strong or more experienced grappler will manage to escape explosively. In this situation, the guerrilla must recognize whether he should stay with the submission, stay on top, or retreat into the guard position. Here, the opponent has overwhelmed the standard armlock position, but instead of falling to guard, the guerrilla actively fights to pull the opponent’s arms into the closed guard position so he will then be in position to counter and go back on the offensive.
PLAN OF ATTACK
1 Dave (red gi) has reached the head-side standard armlock position against Matthew. Matthew is incredibly wary of Dave’s arm attacks and has already pushed Dave’s leg off his face. Matthew’s goal is to drive his weight over the leg to inhibit the finish and set up an escape path.
2 Matthew successfully drives his weight over Dave’s leg and is correctly bridging his weight onto the leg to pin it, restricting Dave’s ability to move efficiently and counter the escape.
3 To take advantage of the escape, Matthew immediately turns into Dave and starts rushing into his guard. As he does so, Dave abandons any notion of the armlock and instead insists on pulling Matthew’s right elbow toward him.
4 The pulling action brings Matthew’s arms inside Dave’s guard. Although he lost the top position, he was able to retreat on his terms and get to a more positive platform to renew his attacks.
AFTER-ACTION REPORT:
Reading the opponent and making that instant judgment is key for the experienced guerrilla grappler. In the example, Dave had to decide in an instant if he could continue the arm attack, try to fight for the mount or side control, or actively retreat to a position where he still felt strong. In the end, he chose to move into one of his most dangerous positions, the closed guard. This ability to decide on the fly is of the utmost importance and is a hallmark of good battlefield decision making, preservation and future success.
DO NOT ATTEMPT:
If the guerrilla fails to pull on the arms and just falls into the guard, he may fall into a favorable passing position for his opponent.
Always retreat aggressively!
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