Issue 198
Kenny Johnson is one of the most esteemed wrestling coaches in MMA. Noted for his work with BJ Penn, he’s also taught Anderson Silva and was Team Nogueira’s wrestling guru on The Ultimate Fighter. He and Pedro Munhoz show you how to perform a perfect Counter to a standing single leg.
COUNTER TO THE STANDING SINGLE LEG
1. Pedro has Kenny’s leg secured at the ankle in a standing single-leg position.
2. Kenny performs the next three moves simultaneously:
- Curls his leg to bring him closer to Pedro
- Grabs the collar with his right hand
- Grabs the right elbow with his left hand
3. Kenny performs the next two moves simultaneously:
- Pulls Pedro’s elbow towards him which slightly locks Pedro’s shoulder and creates a slightly larger space
- Shoves the leg through the space until the crux of the knee is on Pedro’s forearm
4. Kenny sprawls his leg back hard while controlling Pedro’s collar and keeping him upright. Pedro’s lock breaks with the combination of the sprawl, slightly locked shoulder and by keeping him upright as his shoulders and arms get stretched out. Kenny keeps control of the elbow by pushing it down and across Pedro’s body.
5. After the grip is broken, Kenny pushes the elbow across Pedro’s body and immediately hits a double-leg.
6. After the grip is broken, Kenny has the collar and the elbow controlled. He immediately transitions to the Thai clinch position.
