What kind of technique do you use when free sparring starting from the knees?

[Dutch Dust]

Hi guys,

I was just wondering if you have any suggestions or tips to get the upperhand when free sparring with a partner, but you both have to start on your knees? It's that first attack that I'm struggeling with.

Thank you!

 

[Knock Out Ned]

If the guy tries to sit there and midget wrestle with me, I'll just pull guard and work for a sweep if I want to be on top. Oh yeah, make sure to get good grips, and don't let the other guy just grab your gi.

 

[zaoh]

I usually don't wrestle from the knees, its useless. Either my partner or me will choose top or bottom. I usually go for the armdrag.

 

[Solidus Snake]

I usually pull half guard or butterfly. But sometimes I wait for the other guy to pull guard, it depends.

 

[ShanghaiBJJ]

One goes up, one goaes down. No midget wrestling for me!

 

[Belatucadros]

- guard pull
- turtle

 

[method115]

Yea I try not to wrestle anymore from the knees. Either I'll pull guard or they'll pull guard and we just go from there.

 

[blackers10]

in my rolling class yesterday one of the guys showed me a take down from 1 knee up 1 knee on the floor (as tho proposing for marriage etc)

you move your hands toward their shoulder then dive between their legs and the hand nearest the ankle on the ground grabs and pulls the ankle while your head and shoulder drive their body backward and you drive your shoulder and body up into side control

 

[good grips]

i would say stop starting from knees, since its a very uncommon position to be in jiu jitsu..

if the guy insists, sit down and practice your open guard

 

[keynote]

I'm the same as everyone else. Guard or turtle.

 

[Vector_X]

Armdrag is my standard beginning.

 

[Anssi]

I like to pull guard / hg, depending what I'm trying to work on.
Yeah, minimum time on the knees.

 

[the heed]

start from the knees? I will sit on my ass and play butterfly.

 

[HomerPlata]

From a neutral collar and elbow grip, going straight for a scissor sweep.

 

[Dutch Dust]

Thanks everbody!

My Coach always lets us start on the knees when sparring, so I do not have much choice. Thanks again!

 

[PhillyD45]

The best by far for me is the head and arm take down right into kesa.
You pull opponents arm in a kinda circular motion away from him (slightly upwards) with one of your arm while at the same time pushing through the opposite side of his neck (downward) with your opposite arm (kinda hooking him with the inside of your elbow). This causes a sweet up/down motion and he will be forced downwards. Thank you physics.

Another great one is the simple head pop.
Shoot both hands in behind opponents head (base of the skull preferably). Cup the back of his head and jerk it downwards quickly. He will naturally pop up right after. That's when you attack. Shoot in for a double, a single, a torso and foot or pretty much whatever you can get. This is a good way to ge into the body.

 

[Irenaeus]

Thanks everbody!

My Coach always lets us start on the knees when sparring, so I do not have much choice. Thanks again!

Most schools start on the knees. Just sit your ass down and play guard (or turtle) if your opponent doesn't do it first. As long as one of you do that, you train in a sensible way. If both stay on their knees wrestling for superior position, you are wasting energy training in a position which almost never occur anywhere else.

 

[nohuff]

I like to immediately stand up and try to run circles around them as fast as possible. I call it... The Carousel Pass...

 

[boisefireman]

Pick your worse position and ask your partner to start from there.

 

[GroundGameFan]

Another great one is the simple head pop.
Shoot both hands in behind opponents head (base of the skull preferably). Cup the back of his head and jerk it downwards quickly. He will naturally pop up right after. That's when you attack. Shoot in for a double, a single, a torso and foot or pretty much whatever you can get. This is a good way to ge into the body.

Good call man, thanks. I usually do this most of the time, but once I get his head down I generally still play it safe to avoid the easy guillotine and kinda get caught hand fighting to get inside for the takedown. After reading your post, I will try next class to go for the instant attack and not fear the guillotine so much. Any recommendations on head placement for singles and double legs? My gym only trains takedowns specifically every so often so I am not confident in the shoot takedowns yet. My TDD is pretty damn good though, as just watching so much grappling and MMA I easily adopted the underhooks and have very loose hips for sprawling. I'm 160, and last night in class a 230 pounder couldn't get me down from standing or from the knees.