Conceptual Video on Leverage in Grappling

jaysculls

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What's up everyone,

Just wanted to share a video on that I made that talks about the
concept of leverage in grappling. it shows some examples and
applications along with points out some vital leverage points.

Hope you enoy.

**On a side note I am accepting more registraions to the Grapplers Guide
as well. Only open for 72 hours though: http:The Grapplers Guide: Grapplers Guide Sales Page so
check it out :)***



Here is a video I added to help clarify the one above:



Jason Scully
 
Last edited:
Certainly shows the concept, you'll know it when you feel it!
 
Brilliant video Jason! Nice work!
 
I like the concept of the video and leverage. I think focusing on the joints as the leverage point is a very good easy to remember tip for control.

However, I don't like your emphasis on staying away from muscles because muscles create force so grabbing muscles is bad. Every time you show grabbing a joint, you are more distal to the joint the person is using to get away from you. In the arm drag the other guy is pulling his arm back at the shoulder, and some trunk movement, grabbing the elbow is further away from the action joint of the shoulder is just better leverage around that joint. Which is you point, but it doesn't have to do with not being on the tricep, it has to do with the distance. Same with grabbing behind the knee vs. behind the thigh. You are further away from the hip.

Anyway, I like the point and I think grabbing the joints as a quick tip for leverage, I just don't like some of your reasoning.
 
I like the concept of the video and leverage. I think focusing on the joints as the leverage point is a very good easy to remember tip for control.

However, I don't like your emphasis on staying away from muscles because muscles create force so grabbing muscles is bad. Every time you show grabbing a joint, you are more distal to the joint the person is using to get away from you. In the arm drag the other guy is pulling his arm back at the shoulder, and some trunk movement, grabbing the elbow is further away from the action joint of the shoulder is just better leverage around that joint. Which is you point, but it doesn't have to do with not being on the tricep, it has to do with the distance. Same with grabbing behind the knee vs. behind the thigh. You are further away from the hip.

Anyway, I like the point and I think grabbing the joints as a quick tip for leverage, I just don't like some of your reasoning.

I completely agree with you and the reason for the way I explained it is for the "easy to remember" tip.

Read this post here for more detailed discussion as well as I was explaining my reasoning for they way I taught the video: MMA Underground Forums

Thank you for the reply,
Jason
 
Here is a video I added to help clarify the one above

Jason

 
thanks for the great information. it's a common sense thing that you really don't realize until watching and putting the small details into practice.
 
I'm glad to see someone explaining this. I've heard about the importance of leverage about 10,000 times, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually explain it.
 
I like the concept of the video and leverage. I think focusing on the joints as the leverage point is a very good easy to remember tip for control.

However, I don't like your emphasis on staying away from muscles because muscles create force so grabbing muscles is bad. Every time you show grabbing a joint, you are more distal to the joint the person is using to get away from you. In the arm drag the other guy is pulling his arm back at the shoulder, and some trunk movement, grabbing the elbow is further away from the action joint of the shoulder is just better leverage around that joint. Which is you point, but it doesn't have to do with not being on the tricep, it has to do with the distance. Same with grabbing behind the knee vs. behind the thigh. You are further away from the hip.

Anyway, I like the point and I think grabbing the joints as a quick tip for leverage, I just don't like some of your reasoning.
^This^
Leverage has everything to do with the distance from the point of rotation.
When you grab the back of the head (rather than the back of the neck), you're gaining a longer lever over the lower back, and over the neck as well, so you're killing two points of rotation with one stone.

Good video though, the areas with less muscle do almost always seem to be the spots where there is the longest lever.

I also think that it's important for people to realize that putting a large muscle group against a small one is NOT leverage, I feel that this is a common misconception. Sure, this is an important part of grappling and jiu-jitsu, but leverage is the MOST important.

Think of a double leg takedown where you lift one leg and walk to the side. When you first shoot, the persons center of mass is right above him, so you have NO leverage over his body by pulling his leg out. The first step is to use the pressure of your head to throw his balance off to the side, taking his weight off of his leg on the same side as your head. Now his center of mass is off a foot or so away from his leg, making his leg light. His leg now becomes one big lever over the weight of his body, making it your own tool as opposed to actually being part of his body. This is leverage. Now using a large muscle group against a small one WITH maximum leverage, and this is why the skilled small man beats the big man no matter the size.
 
Great additional points DiscipleofPog

I killed it with the elbow armdrag idea tonight. Thanks

Great to here! Here is what I wrote about the elbow arm drag on mixedmartialarts.com as well.

Here is the thing about the arm drag. The arm drag is more of a timing issue then anything. If you time it right and faster then your opponent can react then you'll be able to hit the arm drag. However, the closer to the elbow you are the better leverage you will have. Now for most people the ideal spot for the arm drag is right above the elbow, just above it. The reason for this is because if you can take advantage of the leverage of being close the elbow (or for the techies and science people, the distal portion of the humerus) AND the bottom portion of the tricep which is a good "handle" (different then aspect then a leverage point).

If you hit the ideal spot or even actually on top of the elbow then you'll up your percentage of the arm drag. Why is this? It's because if you hit the arm drag on the tricep your opponent can apply good force back into you. A very common defense to an arm drag is a redrag (where your opponent arm drags you back) but I guarantee if hit the arm drag on the elbow or just above the elbow, the chances of your opponent redragging you are much lower becuase you have better pull on them.

As for the pulling the elbows back when breaking your opponent's posture. That is in the video.
 
I'm glad to see someone explaining this. I've heard about the importance of leverage about 10,000 times, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually explain it.

I think that most instructor simply dont have enough education to explain it. How can you explain something you dont know??

I'm alway telling to my student : You think your physics course is boring 'cause you dont see pratical example? Here is one...

I alway talk about physics law 'cause grappling is all about that, levarage, momentum and weight distribution.
 
I haven't started training yet and I totally understood this even without the clarification video.

My physics teacher from last year is probably glowing magically somewhere
 
One of my instructors actually teaches the arm drag with a high grip up behind the shoulder to prevent the re-drag.
 
One of my instructors actually teaches the arm drag with a high grip up behind the shoulder to prevent the re-drag.

Really? I'll have to play around with that and see how it feels.
 
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