No Gi Knee Shield Half questions

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FlexLuthor

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Im having 2 issues with the knee shield half in No Gi.

1. My opp. hunts the footlock constantly. I can't seem to get any offense going since I'm defending so hard.

Or

2. My opp sits super low and heavy, being very defensive and tight with their posture and hands. Crushing my Halfguard hook. I usually get over extended trying an attack and get passed... or they attack the footlock.

Any advice? I'm just starting to play with the knee shield. I love the interplay between RDLR, X, SLX and butterfly. Seems like knee shield fits beautifully. I just can't make it happen when they are fully kneeling. I do much better from lockdown and traditional half. (Just more practice)

The attacks I know exist from kneeshield are:

Far side kimura grip
near side arm drag
Single leg
Dog bar on near leg
Swim under and attack Leg locks on far leg
Mechanics sweep
 
I would cross your ankles low on the hip and pinch his thigh to avoid leg locks . Caio is a great guy to watch playing that low knee shield style.

If they're sitting back it's hard to get that guard going. I would make sure you have a cross collar grip and span loop chokes to get them to posture. If you lock up the loop choke on their face you can twist their head off to sweep them as well
 
Ice 9 Cobra said:
I would cross your ankles low on the hip and pinch his thigh to avoid leg locks . Caio is a great guy to watch playing that low knee shield style.

If they're sitting back it's hard to get that guard going. I would make sure you have a cross collar grip and span loop chokes to get them to posture. If you lock up the loop choke on their face you can twist their head off to sweep them as well
Click to expand...

Awesome advice on the low knee style. Thanks!

As for the posture issue, I don't do any pajama wrestling. Haha! So the loop choke is a no go. I'm all no gi all the time. But im glad you agree its challenging to get it going when they have good posture. Should I just look for the collar tie instead of the collar grip? Can I try to snap them down into guillotines instead of a loop choke? This is purely theoretical. I'm a knee shield newb.
 
Well that makes life tougher then on the low posture. If his head is super low, I would just push his face and try to get him to react. If he allows a lot of separation when you push the face, omoplata.

You can belly down and torque his trapped knee to roll him as well
 
One of the things I use that guard for is to create space when someone is trying to come forward and smash pass. If they are sitting back it means I've accomplished my goal and its time to switch to something else. Sitting up to butterfly and immediately going for an arm drag is something I do a lot right here, especially if they are frustrated when they sit back. If they're weight is too far back on their heels to get the arm drag I can usually post up with my outside arm and drive right through them like finishing a double leg, making sure too knee slide through as they go over so I don't wind up caught in their closed guard.
 
My 2c:

1. I defend footlocks primarily by keeping my knee pointed skyward and close to my chest, while having my elbow glued to the inside of my knee. If he can't collapse your knee inward or control the leg above the knee somehow (usually by stretching it out first), there are few effective footlocks at his disposal. Basically, just keep a good defensive guard structure – don't allow him to turn your leg into a lever, be it for a leg drag/smash pass or a leg lock. Stay in a ball and maintain your knee-elbow 'shield'.

Sometimes I'll also grab my own foot for extra reinforcement, either to keep him from yanking the leg straight, or to stop the Estima lock. If he does lock up a regular ankle lock grip, and it's too tight for me to just turn the heel inward and slip out, I'll pull the triceps and kick through for the omoplata (preferably freeing my half guard leg first). Doesn't work very often, but it scares people.

2. If the guy has both knees down, he's generally vulnerable to getting knee-torqued on either leg. On the near side, that would mean getting in deep on the underhook and pursuing the single leg/roll-over/deep half series. On the far side, that means either kneebar or using the knee shield to control the distance and torque the knee out into X-guard (Mendes teaches this, one of the best options vs. knees down IMO).

Now, if he's sitting 'low' in the sense that his upper body is blocking you from reaching the hips/legs in this manner, I'd suggest the far side armbar. Don't bother with the Kimura grip (it can be hard to get), just underhook the far arm while framing his face, then throw your leg over his head and hook the far hip. Very powerful finish. Another option vs. this type of low posture would be to go tornado guard.
 
Ice 9 Cobra said:
You aren't afraid of the estima lock there Shem?
Click to expand...

I am, but it's the only thing that I really have to watch out for, and I'm always aware of it. I just try to keep my toes strong (pointed upward), reinforcing the foot with my hand if needed, and prevent him from moving my foot to his center line.
 
For #2

A technique i liked from Robson Mouras Super Nogi dvd, You get head and wrist control, put your foot that was keeping him in half guard on his far hip. then kick up your other leg up around his upper back. This turns you parallel, and either turns into a triangle or an omoplata.

Probably pretty hard to imagine through text
 
I also have to agree with LaBrian that I use knee shield to create space and if I work a sweep or sub from here great but I will more than likely move to lock down or transition between guards once I have the space
 
Go for the deep half-guard and waiter sweep therefrom .
 
I am slow. Is the top player sitting back heavy in combat base???
 
Wow. I'm glad I made this thread. Great info so far.

I think I'm definitely letting them smash my shield way too much. Ill focus on keeping a stronger and tighter posture and reinforcing my outside ankle.

Its also become apparent that I need to use the space my opp gives me to transition. I didn't really consider moving to full guard, butterfly, halfbutterfly or just shrimping away and establishing a more open guard position. I think ive just been stubbornly attacking into them when they posture and get defensive.

Thanks everyone. Ill think about all this stuff and get to work on it.
 
rawpower said:
two words: Arm Drag
Click to expand...

I struggle with it from here for some reason. I have much better success dropping my outside foot off the hip, sitting up and snagging it from a single inside butterfly hook type position. Is this the standard method from here? Or do you keep the kneeshield? I fear commiting to the armdrag like this and failing and getting passed/smashed.
 
Shemhazai said:
My 2c:

1. I defend footlocks primarily by keeping my knee pointed skyward and close to my chest, while having my elbow glued to the inside of my knee. If he can't collapse your knee inward or control the leg above the knee somehow (usually by stretching it out first), there are few effective footlocks at his disposal. Basically, just keep a good defensive guard structure
Click to expand...
 
The toe hold isn't really there in that soon shield because of foot placement. They would really have to twist their torso to attack it The estima lock is, but like he said he is aware of it.

Have you tried the arm drag when they weave their am though your legs? You grab the grip, then pull your shield out.

Here is a video of a knee torque on the trapped knee from SS

 
The toe hold is only (easily) available if you point the knee sideways. A vertical knee shield makes it a lot harder, and going for it will expose the top guy's back big time.

The knee torque I'm referring to is just the standard Lucas Leite style underhook half – you'd generally torque the knee by pulling the foot sideways as you come up on the single or roll under vs. the whizzer. Just a form of leverage, not necessarily a leg attack. (Though there are 'dogbar' style options as well.) I just mentioned it since that's the type of leg entanglement the opponent is most vulnerable to when the knee is down.

As for the armbar, this is it:

armlock.gif
 
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