Triangle Choke - Guard
If you achieve the mount but are unable to maintain control, you should resort to the guard position. From the guard, you can neutralize punches and submit your opponent with one of several techniques. In this lesson, we will discuss the Triangle Choke which is one of the most amazing techniques of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, since it gives any individual the ability to render their opponent unconscious from the bottom of the fight. In this lesson, you will learn the finishing steps first and then you will learn two effective methods for setting up and catching the Triangle Choke in a street fight.
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Haymaker Punch Defense
In many cases, the precise movement and aim of your opponent’s strikes are hard to predict. Sometimes, however, your opponent is so eager to attack you that their punch is totally predictable. The Haymaker Punch Defense is used when a determined attacker comes at you from a distance with the objective of putting all of their bodyweight behind one fight-ending punch. Because of this punch’s power and predictability, the best option is to slip underneath it and get behind your opponent.
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Elevator Sweep - Guard
If you can’t maintain the mount, use the guard to control your opponent. While trapped in your guard, an unskilled larger opponent may attempt to drive their weight forward onto your upper torso, in an attempt to immobilize your or submit you with their body weight. Little do they know, because they are inside your legs, their weight is distributed in such a way that it makes it quite easy to withstand the forward pressure. In fact, any time a larger opponent is driving all their weight forward from within your guard, there is a good chance that they are actually creating an opportunity for the Elevator Sweep. In this lesson you will learn two variations of the Elevator Sweep starting with the Standard Variation.
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Rear Takedown
When you establish the clinch, your opponent’s arm may end up over your head. In some cases it happens inadvertently, in other cases it’s a deliberate attempt to catch you in a Guillotine Choke. Either way, any time your head ends up under your opponent’s arm, you can use it to transition into the Rear Clinch control position, from where you can set up the Rear Takedown. In this lesson you will learn how to transition from front to back of your opponent as well as how to take them down once you get there.
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Reflex Development - Side Mount Focus Class Preview
In this class we'll bring together all of the side mount controls and escapes with some extra details, bonus slices, and scripted fight simulation drills that will help prepare you for your transition into Master Cycle!
Gracie Combatives Test - Drill 3: Side Mount Techniques
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Our natural behavior to protect against strikes when trapped beneath someone is to block our face or try to escape. Unfortunately, these intuitive responses will often put us at the perfect distance for the attacker’s punches to be even more effective. In this lesson, we learn how to use the critical principle of distance management to neutralize strikes and stay safe, all while exhausting the attacker’s energy.
Punch Block Series (Stages 1-5):
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Elbow Escape - Mount
Any time you find yourself trapped underneath your opponent in the mount position you should aim to use the Trap and Roll Escape, since it will place you on top of the fight. If your opponent is too big, or the Trap and Roll is not possible, the Elbow Escape will serve as your emergency escape. First, you will learn the Standard Elbow Escape and then you’ll learn several variations to call on when the primary doesn’t work.
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Pull Guard
In an ideal situation, you would be able to close the distance, establish the clinch, execute a takedown, achieve the mount and win the fight. Sometimes however, your opponent is expecting the clinch and is very resistant when you try to establish control of them. If you get into a clinch and you are unable to take your partner down because they are too strong or you lose control of their hips, you have two options: let go and try again or Pull Guard. If you let go, you risk getting knocked out when you try to reestablish the clinch. If you pull the opponent in your guard, you can neutralize the punches, exhaust their energy, and eventually win the fight in a variety of ways.
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If none of the Trap and Roll Escapes work, you can use this “emergency escape” to put the attacker in your guard. From there, you can use your guard techniques to conserve energy, and then escape or submit him when the opportunity arises. If we can wrap our sneaky arms around his neck, we have several reliable chokes that can help us end the fight. In this lesson we will learn the Guillotine Choke for when the attacker lowers his head to tackle you.
Elbow Escape (Standard/HeelDrag/Face Down):
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Guillotine Choke (Guard):
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Gracie BullyProof®- Little Champs - Ages 4-7
Gracie BullyProof®- Jr Grapplers - Ages 8-12
Gracie BullyProof®- Black Belt Club - Advanced kids
Gracie Combatives®(Tween/Teen) - 11-14 year old's
Gracie Combatives®- Co-ed beginners ages 13+
Gracie Combatives®-Test Prep - open to white belts with 4 stripes and Master Cycle Students
Master Cycle®- Advanced Gi and No Gi
Reflex Development (RD) - open to white belts who have completed every class twice
Women Empowered®- Women only self-defense
2025 Closure Days
2025 Gracie Game Days (4-6pm)
Detailed Schedules:
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