The Ezekiel choke is one of the most dangerous chokes in all of BJJ-land. Much like the Kimura, its name comes from an old-time BJJ competitor who basically cleaned out his competition in a tournament with this choke back when nobody knew about it. If there was ever a choke to stay diligent to prevent, it’s the Ezekiel. Here’s why:

1. It’s one of the few subs that can be executed from inside your opponent’s guard
2. Once it’s slapped on (more so with gi), it’s very difficult to defend against and almost impossible to get rid of
3. You can hit it from guard, mount, side control
4. Getting your trachea smashed really sucks
5. It’s so easy, even a caveman can do it

Here’s Erik Paulson with the particulars of how to execute this choke no gi:

Here’s what it looks like with gi:

To defend it, you need to stay alert. With the gi, as soon as your opponent gets his fingers in the attacking sleeve, it’s too late. Usually the attacker begins with an arm deep behind your neck with his head about level with yours. If the attacker is in your guard, they abandon any attempts to pass and lean deep into your guard. As with a lot of stuff in BJJ, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound.

Here’s the dee:

Check out this NYT article about champion ultra-endurance athlete Jure Robic. Robic isn’t gifted physically, he’s gifted mentally. He is crazy… and I don’t mean he’s got crazy cardio or crazy strength. Something is wrong with his brain. His craziness suppresses his brain’s ability to tell his body to stop.

That Which Does Not Kill Me Makes Me Stranger – New York Times.

In a 2004 race, he turned to see himself pursued by a howling band of black-bearded men on horseback.

‘‘Mujahedeen, shooting at me,’’ he explains. ‘‘So I ride faster.’’

A spate of recent studies has contributed to growing support for the notion that the origins and controls of fatigue lie partly, if not mostly, within the brain and the central nervous system.

The half guard is a position that I’ve been trying to get better at for many years. A lot of people shy away from it because it may seem like the half guard is an inferior position to the full guard – like it’s halfway to getting passed. I like to look at it the other way around. The half guard is one step closer to getting side or back control. Either way, it’s a position that every grappler should be proficient in because it’s a very common situation to be in.

The key to success from this position is understanding that there is no single “magic bullet” sweep. It’s the ability to combine several options run in succession based on your opponent’s reactions that makes a good half guard player. So, knowing a series of sweeps and the proper times to use them is where you should begin.

A few points for half guard success:

• Underhooks: at a minimum, you’ll need the underhook on the same side as the half guard.
• Don’t let your opponent control your head: tuck your head close to his chest so he can’t crossface you. Alternatively, use your non-underhooking arm to keep his chest and arm from controlling your head.
• Don’t be flat on your back. Always be a little on your side so you’re not directly under your oppoent.
• Get good at switching your half guard legs so that as you attempt sweeps, your opponent can’t pop his leg out and into side control.

Old School

This sweep is demonstrated here with the “lockdown” but the sweep can be accomplished without it.

Other half guard sweeps can be built off of how your opponent reacts to the Old School sweep. If he pushes his weight into you to stop Old School, go with it and sweep to the other side.

Timing the execution of these two sweeps as your opponent adjusts his weight is tricky, but is much more effective than trying for one sweep over and over.

Here’s a fantastic video that includes lots of other (more advanced) options based on what your opponent might try to do. Focus on the techniques and try not to be distracted by the fact that the instructor looks a lot like Bobby Hill.

Happy half guarding!

As I’m transitioning to full time BJJ to a little bit of MMA, I’m realizing that my instinct to flop onto my back is now a liability especially when going against wrestlers. When striking is in the picture, the guard game is risky. Good wrestlers can make you feel like this:

A mental note has been made to aggressively try to maintain top control and try and reprogram myself not to pull guard. This realization has also made me think about what I would do in a street situation. Would I automatically play guard if someone tried to go for a takedown? I’d rather not find out.

Sources of Insight has done a comprehensive article on the philosophies and achievements of Bruce Lee. Some of the lessons that shine through:

• “Expose yourself to various conditions and learn.”
• “To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
• “To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one’s potential.”
• “The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or defeat. Let nature take its course, and your tools will strike at the right moment.”
• “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”