Arm Wrestling Legend Devon Larrat grappling with Firas Zahabi

[genecop]

Vid had me smiling start to finish, Devon seems like a good dude, and Firas had his hands full ..nice top control, but I think Devon could have launched Firas if he wanted to..

 

[Esile]

Vid had me smiling start to finish, Devon seems like a good dude, and Firas had his hands full ..nice top control, but I think Devon could have launched Firas if he wanted to..

But he did launch him lol

 

[CinemaKingdom]

If it's religious I see an issue with it

I'm from the same area, Firas lives in my province, gender equality and woman respect is very strong here. If a religion goes against that I have a problem with it.

Everybody roll with everybody in BJJ in Quebec, it's pretty much a Firas only thing for what I know. He goes against a very progressive culture.

He can roll with whomever he wants. No one cares if some beta male has a problem with it.

 

[shunyata]

Thinking about him doing any kind of neck crank is sickening but can opener probably the worst

Glover was cranking the can opener on Jan, Jan definitely did not seem to like it but still wouldn't open his guard in round 1.

 

[yetanother]

Glover was cranking the can opener on Jan, Jan definitely did not seem to like it but still wouldn't open his guard in round 1.

The can opener is a pretty lame neck crank. If you have enough flexibility they are elbows in the chest are what is the annoying part.

 

[TheMaster]

The can opener is a pretty lame neck crank. If you have enough flexibility they are elbows in the chest are what is the annoying part.

Pretty sure Devon Larratt could break your neck like that. It's banned in BJJ comps for a reason and thats just normal or below average strength guys by MMA standards.

 

[yetanother]

Pretty sure Devon Larratt could break your neck like that. It's banned in BJJ comps for a reason and thats just normal or below average strength guys by MMA standards.

Nope. There is not enough space to hurt the neck of someone decently flexibled. Got put it in by a roided out greco Olympic medalist for like a minute. and he had literally zero pressure on my neck.
Bullshit moves like reverse toe holds and full nelsons a banned.

 

[sb413197]

Armlocks and arm-in chokes are out of the equation.

Agreed, I tend to think that Laratt probably has enough static arm strength to just hold his arm and prevent extension against most dudes. Probably more than most people can deadlift.

I just checked to be sure and I was wrong.
They were illegal until 2016 but they have become legal since then:

https://punditarena.com/mma/ccunningham/huge-mma-rule-changes/

it looks like I suck at keeping up with times lol

Huh. That's interesting. I wonder if the gloves somehow interfere with doing them...or if like a lot of TMA "too dangerous to practice" stuff they aren't actually as dangerous as they are cracked up to be

 

[Kforcer]

The can opener is a pretty lame neck crank. If you have enough flexibility they are elbows in the chest are what is the annoying part.

The can-opener can hurt someone really, really badly. I think it is a dangerous move. I'm very flexible--I can touch my feet to my hands in a bridge for example--and I've been hurt in a can opener. And I've hurt others applying the move before I realized how dangerous it was.

 

[Kforcer]

Pretty sure Devon Larratt could break your neck like that. It's banned in BJJ comps for a reason and thats just normal or below average strength guys by MMA standards.

There are a number of grappling competitions where they aren't banned. I do think they are dangerous though.

 

[yetanother]

The can-opener can hurt someone really, really badly. I think it is a dangerous move. I'm very flexible--I can touch my feet to my hands in a bridge for example--and I've been hurt in a can opener. And I've hurt others applying the move before I realized how dangerous it was.

How do you apply more pressure when their chin is stuck on their chest?
Trying to bend myself at home this way and my neck is just getting stuck this way.
I spent hours inverted on my neck in berimbolos so maybe it's a factor.
The neck in a can opener doesn't bend more than when getting thrown on your neck?

 

[winterbike]

Agreed, I tend to think that Laratt probably has enough static arm strength to just hold his arm and prevent extension against most dudes. Probably more than most people can deadlift.

Laratt has had so many injuries he can't fully extend his arms at all. There's a video of him with Jujimufu where he deadlifts 400+lbs with a double overhand grip and bent arms, it's nuts. He might be the least armbar-able dude on Earth.

Edit: found the video, look at 13:00

 

[Ivaylo Ivanov]

My 2 cents on Firas:

My wife is Brazilian, Ive lived in Brazil for a few years.

Different culture and different reasons for it, but Ive seen no happy wife or a partner of a jiujitsu practitioner, if he is to roll with a female student, let alone in front of said wife or a partner.

Jealousy been main factor.

And if someone wants to get religion on board, here is a fun fact:
Brazil is the only country in Central and South America, not found by religious puritans, hence the population have quite open mind for sex.

And yet, its quite common to have female classes separated from male.

If people prefer it like that, why "correcting" them?

Personal experience:
Over the years, Ive been witness to quite a lot of odd behaviour in all sports, but simply because of the nature of the sport, the only time Ive seen female, intentionally slamming her privates against males ones, was in jiujitsu.

So, yeah, its a big world out there, and some people have different opinion.

If the country they live in, legally protects their choice, why are we wasting time arguing of who's POV is correct?

 

[Kforcer]

How do you apply more pressure when their chin is stuck on their chest?
Trying to bend myself at home this way and my neck is just getting stuck this way.
I spent hours inverted on my neck in berimbolos so maybe it's a factor.
The neck in a can opener doesn't bend more than when getting thrown on your neck?

I've hurt people pretty bad with can-openers and like I said, I've been hurt myself. It isn't any different than a full-nelson as far as its potential to damage a neck. Mark Kerr had a guy carted away in a stretcher from a can-opener. Strength is certainly a factor; could be the people attempting it on you just weren't strong enough.

 

[yetanother]

I've hurt people pretty bad with can-openers and like I said, I've been hurt myself. It isn't any different than a full-nelson as far as its potential to damage a neck. Mark Kerr had a guy carted away in a stretcher from a can-opener. Strength is certainly a factor; could be the people attempting it on you just weren't strong enough.

A roided greco olympian (185lbs weight class) tried this.
For the full Nelson you need a big strength advantage.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I've hurt people pretty bad with can-openers and like I said, I've been hurt myself. It isn't any different than a full-nelson as far as its potential to damage a neck. Mark Kerr had a guy carted away in a stretcher from a can-opener. Strength is certainly a factor; could be the people attempting it on you just weren't strong enough.

A roided greco olympian (185lbs weight class) tried this.
For the full Nelson you need a big strength advantage.

Agree can opener can be dangerous on guys that aren't hyperflexible (which is most guys). I don't normally go for it but once in a blue moon I'll slap it on guys who are just laying there stalling in closed guard and I've hurt at least one guy who complained about it. Just this week a guy I was rolling with (strong guy himself) called me out and made me let go.

But I think some guys might actually be flexible enough that it won't work. In the clip below, Dan Miller had Dave Phillips in probably the world's gnarliest guillotine and I don't know how Phillips was even still alive. But with his head completely folded over like that without tapping, I don't think he would have been tapping to a can opener. I'm not sure you can even compress a neck that far with a full nelson, let alone a can opener.

 

[Kforcer]

Agree can opener can be dangerous on guys that aren't hyperflexible (which is most guys). I don't normally go for it but once in a blue moon I'll slap it on guys who are just laying there stalling in closed guard and I've hurt at least one guy who complained about it. Just this week a guy I was rolling with (strong guy himself) called me out and made me let go.

But I think some guys might actually be flexible enough that it won't work. In the clip below, Dan Miller had Dave Phillips in probably the world's gnarliest guillotine and I don't know how Phillips was even still alive. But with his head completely folded over like that without tapping, I don't think he would have been tapping to a can opener. I'm not sure you can even compress his neck that far with a full nelson, let alone a can opener.

I think a lot of it is not only directly pressing the chin into the chest but attempting to push the neck downward. Back when I used to pursue them fairly aggressively--not comprehending the danger--I would do that at times if I really want to get a guy with them. The position of a person's back and body is also relevant, I think. As well as, I think, how much direct resistance they're giving you. I was going for a leglock when I was neck-cranked, for example, and I didn't want to let go so that probably contributed to me getting a bit hurt by it.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I think a lot of it is not only directly pressing the chin into the chest but attempting to push the neck downward. Back when I used to pursue them fairly aggressively--not comprehending the danger--I would do that at times if I really want to get a guy with them. The position of a person's back and body is also relevant, I think. As well as, I think, how much direct resistance they're giving you. I was going for a leglock when I was neck-cranked, for example, and I didn't want to let go so that probably contributed to me getting a bit hurt by it.

It's been years since I regularly went for can openers and even then I usually just used it to get guys to open their guards. But vs. a guy with a Stretch Armstrong neck like above, can you even continue to apply pressure when his head is completely folded over like that? I feel like I can generate a lot of pressure bending their neck down to around 90 degree angle with their spine and a little past that. But if their head is already lying flat against their own chest, to even apply pressure you have to lift your elbows off their chest and push down, which would give them room to escape.

Were you still able to get can opener finishes vs. guys with gumby necks?

 

[Kforcer]

It's been years since I regularly went for can openers and even then I usually just used it to get guys to open their guards. But vs. a guy with a Stretch Armstrong neck like above, can you even continue to apply pressure when his head is completely folded over like that? I feel like I can generate a lot of pressure bending their neck down to around 90 degree angle with their spine and a little past that. But if their head is already lying flat against their own chest, to even apply pressure you have to lift your elbows off their chest and push down, which would give them room to escape.

Were you still able to get can opener finishes vs. guys with gumby necks?

Well, I have a pretty flexible neck and back, like I said, I can do back walkovers and that kinda thing, and I've been hurt by can openers. But I immediately dispensed with them when I realized that they could injure people, so I really don't know how that would've gone. I would think that there's a certain point where your neck is being taken in a place it isn't supposed to go, but I can't really say, given it is a move I wouldn't go for at this point, except maybe in a self-defense situation or in some sort of high-stakes setting maybe.

I do think a lot of it has to do with what you are doing in relation to the can-opener. I think the fact that I was committed to a leglock while my opponent was going for a can opener, for example, contributed to to me feeling some residual pain afterwards.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Well, I have a pretty flexible neck and back, like I said, I can do back walkovers and that kinda thing, and I've been hurt by can openers. But I immediately dispensed with them when I realized that they could injure people, so I really don't know how that would've gone. I would think that there's a certain point where your neck is being taken in a place it isn't supposed to go, but I can't really say, given it is a move I wouldn't go for at this point, except maybe in a self-defense situation or in some sort of high-stakes setting maybe.

I do think a lot of it has to do with what you are doing in relation to the can-opener. I think the fact that I was committed to a leglock while my opponent was going for a can opener, for example, contributed to to me feeling some residual pain afterwards.

I could see a can opener doing damage if bottom guy is hellbent on finishing a leglock, but I've honestly never even considered them from anywhere other than stalemated in closed guard. Maybe I'm off but I feel like from almost any other position (assuming he's focused on defending the can opener), bottom guy has room to move and can shut it down. And even from closed guard, there are defenses bottom guy can do as long as he reacts early enough.

But I've always considered it a bit of a dick move and would never even attempt it on someone smaller or weaker. Only on guys at least same size and if they're stalling with closed guard.