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The Rough n Tumble Guard Pass, Part 2: 6 More Strategies by Mark Hatmaker



Best if consumed in tandem with Part 1. See here.

For a podcast version, listen here.

Pry, Stand & Deliver

Why it is wise to stand for perhaps All Guard Passing

[See the linked essay or podcast for additional insight/support.]

1.     Easing the Way. Often the stand itself opens the legs with no need of “tempting fate.”

2.     Halving Your Opponent’s Attack Opportunities. Standing [with proper stance and posture] nullifies the vast majority of submission gambits: armbars, guillotines, triangles—essentially all upper-body elements. It becomes a game of preparing for the stomp kick, blocking sweeps and evading leg locks. Far fewer things on the table to worry about.

3.     Knockouts Need Room. What holds for boxing, holds for ground n pound. A good knockout punch needs a minimum of 8-12” inches to pack educated wallop; strikes from the Rough n Tumble standing pass have 3-4’ feet of travel. Your strikes are more effective from on your feet than any of the short choppy shots that are delivered from a kneeling ground n pound strategy.

4.     Gravity is Your Friend. A tandem attribute of knockouts needing room—you also have gravity on your side. You get to throw from above, whereas your opponent must deliver from below.

5.     Maneuverability. You have “give” and a bit of play in deflecting incoming strikes. The man on the ground, well, as canny as a good back-player is, they will be the first to tell you, you can’t move as well with your back to the planet. Your incoming hits way harder when the receiver has nowhere to run.

6.     Optionality. This is THEY KEY reason the Rough n Tumble Guard Pass is king.

·        Option 1: You have the choice to exit and escape, exit and face additional opponents, exit and go for a weapon [designated or improvised.]

·        Option 2: You have the choice of using a wise leg clearance and then use “dive shots” delivering punches, elbow spikes, chops etc.

·        Option 3: A sportive player may opt to use the ease of a standing clearance and then drop back to the mat for dominant control [cross-body, mount] and continue the attack from on the ground.

·        Option 4: A sport player may use the stand to pop the legs and then return to the ground with ground and pound—an “up/down” head-game strategy.

·        Option 5: A sport [or one-on-one ego scrum] may use a stand and exit psy-ops ploy and wave the opponent to their feet as a bit of showboat, “Let’s do this like men.”

·        Option 6: One may choose to use stomps [the fork kick was used often here], or leg kicks ala Matt Hughs vs. Renzo Gracie.

·        Option 7: One may launch into the extensive leg-lock game that can be had here.

Our Instructional Volume: The Rough n Tumble Guard Pass will give you…

·        The 5 Rules of the Road

·        The basic Punch n Pop which just may inflict incontinence on your Opponent. [Train kindly.]

·        Will offer a single On-the-Ground Pass, which, [in my opinion] might be the only one you really need in your hip-pocket game. Add this one to the Single Standing Pass and well, you will short circuit many a complex game with your savage simplicity.

·        We will detail a Dozen On-the-Feet Follow-Ups that address the various foot-placements a good guard player will likely follow you with to sweep or submit.

·        Each of the Dozen Answers involve you striking, smashing, or snapping that game.

I’m telling you cutting your toolbox to two heaping fistfuls, well, get this down and you’re a long way to good to go!

To snag your own copy or for more details see here.


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