Issue 062
May 2010
One of the most eccentric and unorthodox competitors in MMA, lightweight fighter Shinya Aoki is a grappling phenomenon. The judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is known for three things: His collection of brightly colored tights, his extreme flexibility and his ability to finish fights with dazzling submissions.
Flying attacks
Known in Japan as tobikan judan (master of flying attacks), Aoki has perfected the art of jumping at his standing opponents and latching on armlocks and triangles.
In the Gym
Rig up a rope or judo belt, or even hang a kimono on your chin-up bar. Take a grip and jump up, swinging your legs up and crossing them to imitate an armbar or triangle. Make sure you don’t hang your head down – crunch up so if you were to fall you would land on your shoulders, not your head.
In Action
Aoki’s judo career is littered with victories via flying armbars. At Pride Bushido 13 he submitted Clay French with a flying triangle choke.
Judo throws
Aoki has translated his considerable judo skills to no-gi by using bodylocks and pinch headlocks, instead of gripping the kimono. Aoki uses a variety of inside and outside trips.
In the Gym
Work on ‘uchi komi’ drills with a partner, repeatedly practicing the footwork without actually throwing your partner, first for accuracy in the foot placement, then for speed of execution. For solo drills, rig up an elastic cable to give resistance as you train the backstep for speed and power.
In Action
In his grappling match against Hiroshi Tsuruya in Shooto, Aoki threw Tsuruya with a harai-goshi from a pinch headlock.
Flexibilty
Rubber guard maestro Aoki uses his flexibility to great effect. Without regular flexibility training you will be unable to gain and maintain the necessary flexibility to properly utilize Aoki-style attacks.
In the Gym
Static stretching should be done after training when you are still warm. Executing these static stretches before training could potentially increase your risk of injury.
Butterfly stretch (knees to floor)
Bring your heels together and pull them towards your groin. Have your partner push down on your knees. Once you can touch your knees to the floor, your partner can stand on your inner thigh to add weight to the stretch.
Lotus stretch
Once you can get your knees to the floor in the butterfly stretch, cross your feet over on to the opposite thigh to make the lotus stretch. Flexibility in the knees is as important as hip flexibility when using the rubber guard.
High guard stretch
Hug your knee and underhook your shin when you stretch the hip and gluteal muscles, so as not to unduly stress the knees and ankles.
In Action
Aoki’s first-round victory over Joachim ‘Hellboy’ Hansen via gogoplata showcased Aoki’s flexibility and mastery of the rubber guard.
Grip
Aoki’s tights aren’t just an eccentric fashion statement – the extra grip gained allows Aoki to keep his guard tight against his opponents, even when sweat starts to make things slippery.
In the Gym
If you don’t like (or don’t own) any tights, try training with Tubigrip bandage (as favored by Eddie Bravo) on your legs for the same added grip.
Here’s a partner drill to work on your grip strength in both your arms and legs. With your partner stood in a solid base, jump up to closed guard. From there, duck under the arm and go to the back without touching the floor. Change your grip and duck under the other arm, moving around the body until you are back at the front. See how many times you can get around your partner, moving first to the right, then the left.
In Action
Check out Aoki’s early bout against Akira Kikuchu from Shooto. Aoki wore Kikuchi out by trapping his arm behind his back and locking his guard in the standing position, forcing Kikuchi to carry his weight. Aoki also clung on to Calvancanti’s back in their bout in Dream, constantly threatening with submissions.
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