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The Rough n Tumble Guard Pass, Part 1: The 3 Strategies by Mark Hatmaker

 


Four Things Before We Plunge On

Thing 1: Strikers do not flag on the word “Guard Pass” and assume, “Me, I’m no fan of the hyper-complexities of grappling, I’ll skip this.”

I urge you to read on, The Rough n Tumble Guard Pass has you in mind.

The Goal of Rough n Tumble Guard Passing is to kybosh, bypass, nullify a grappler’s tactics. It asks you, the Fighter, to avoid or tear to shreds the spider’s web that can be the deep game of a damn fine guard.

Thing 2: Grapplers do not think I discredit our Noble Cadre. I am one of you.

Me? I have a deep abiding love for the devilish minutia of a good guard game. [We will spend several volumes of The 1,312 Submissions Project playing with some of these puzzle pieces.]

Here, our goal is fast, efficient, effective.

Striker or grappler, anti-guard skills are a must.

Thing 3: I use the recent vernacular of “Guard” as opposed to some of the early nomenclature of Bottom Scissors, Leg Scissors, Leg Riding, etc. simply because guard is now “coin of the realm” in terminology; I want all on the same page as we consume what is to follow.

Thing 4: Do not assume the guard/bottom scissors is a strategy of recent vintage. One borne of Japanese jiu-jitsu, migrating to Brazil and then to North America and finally the world.

The historical record shows Bottom-Side Leg Control featured in many a mixed or combination match from the 19th-century and…

Lest one think it was purely an Asian or Asia to Europe to the Americas pollination, I have in my library 6 different tattered journals that describe to a T a few incidences of Plains Tribes using leg control from the back with a rear choke [blood choke or bar choke is not specified] applied until the opponent is dead. These were killing tactics in the Plains Frontier Arena. More on this in The 1,213 Submissions Project.

The Four Strategies

Strategy 1: Ground & Pound

This strategy, borne of the sporting environment, sees the passing of the opponent’s guard as overrated.

In essence, a waste of time and energy, where the subtle maneuvering to initiate and complete a pass opens the self to more opportunities to be swept or submitted.

This strategy would rather “ride heavy and throw heavy” until the opponent submits, opens the legs of their own accord or ride and throw for point value in MMA competition.

In sportive MMA, not a bad strategy but unwise if one is looking at street, plains warfare or any other environment where multiple opponents or weapons might be on the table.

This strategy is also poor if one also has an eye on non-striking sportive grappling competition. Without a vocabulary of passing and with no strikes on the table—the “inside legs” fighter is on the losing end of this game.

Strategy 2: Pass to Dominant Position

In MMA one may strike to distract to pass to dominant position on the ground—usually cross-body, or mount [top-saddle.]

With no striking on the table, strikes may not be used to distract so we move into a chess match of ever more clever passes being attempted vs. ever more clever submission and sweep opportunities.

Here it is Warrior Gamesmanship where the better the opponent, the better and more deeply honed you need to be in a dazzlingly brilliant vocabulary of move-counter movement.

This strategy is ideal for the sport grappler, a bit less so for the MMA grappler, and should be off-the-table completely for the street/plains warfare enthusiast.

Strategy 3: Pry, Stand & Deliver [The Rough n Tumble Way]

Here the game is one of an easy-to-use pry that can be applied under life-or-death duress, wise rises to the feet to kybosh all varieties of further control [open guard w/ single or double inside scissors, X-Guards, De La Riva Guards and all their canny sweeps], evasion of up-kicks and knee-dislocations.

The advantages here are clearly foreseen…

·        Option to retreat

·        Option to face multiple opponents.

·        Option to go for the weapon.

·        Option to strike more effectively from above.

·        Option to pass and control [Strategy 2] if non-striking sport is the game.

Strategy 3 [The Rough n Tumble Strategy] provides ALL classes of fighter a good bet.

The Anti-Grapplers will possess a slick, stripped down effective vocabulary that exits the complex toolbox.

The Street/Plains Fighters have a quick exit to quick destruction or extraction on the table.

The MMA Fighter has the option of Ground n Pound from inside or above.

The Sport Grappler exits the potential hazards of down below passing.

There are 3 Additional Strategic Rationales for the Rough n Tumble Guard Pass

We’ll explore those in Part 2.

October’s Black Box Instructional Volume will be The Rough n Tumble Guard Pass where we detail…

·        The one [and only one] single skill-set for on the ground prying.

·        All varieties of proper standing vs. All Varieties of likely further control [Butterfly, X-Guard, De La Riva, Stomp and Knee Dislocation evasion.]

·        Anti-Leg Locking

·        How to smash from above with zero worries of being re-captured.

Part 2 to come soon. The Rough n Tumble Guard Pass will be available for purchase October 1st.

Consider joining The Black Box Membership service for a deep discount on this and all our instructional products.

Resources for Livin’ the Warrior Life, and Livin’ It Deeply

The Black Box Store

The Rough ‘n’ Tumble Raconteur Podcast

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