This comes through as Kiser and I give our friend Dave a little ribbing as I had seen the technique long before in the Catch As Catch Can circles. But as I edited the footage and had a chance to see the move a few more times, I thought to myself, perhaps it is, ever so subtly a little different than what I had seen before. Then again, maybe not.

Either way, it’s always fun to give your friends a hard time, all in good fun. So weigh in, share your thoughts, have you seen this move before? Did Dave Johnson in fact give birth to a brand new technique. I’m hoping our Catch Wrestling friends out there will give us their thoughts on the subject.

Just remember, Dave is our friend. He took time out of his day to share something that he though was pretty special, and whether he invented it or not, it is nevertheless, an effective and very useful technique. So keep your comments respectful, but feel free to give him an ear full if you think he needs to be kept honest.

A slight departure from the beaten path here at Damage Control MMA, we are proud to share with you our very first, Street Fighting Style video.

How Different is MMA from Street Fighting?

I say slight departure, and yet, the way Guru Sullivan taught, was very familiar and easy to assimilate into the Boxing, MMA, CSW, and Muay Thai fighting methods that we specialize in. And it makes sense when you think about it. I mean, how much different is putting your fist on someone’s chin than putting your finger into their eye from a purely mechanical standpoint. Both take timing, set up and placement. But aside from that if I can punch you, I can put my finger in your eye. If I can grab your head for a Muay Thai Style Clinch, I can grab a fist full of hair and yank your head down for a knee. If I can catch you with an inside leg kick, a slight change of angle and I’m kicking a field goal with two balls and splitting the uprights.

Martial Arts or Concealed Carry?

As was discussed in our article “I Know Smith and Wesson” the debate over the practical merits of Martial Arts in a world filled with Concealed Carry Permits is never ending and continues to rage on. But I still believe that those of us with Martial Skill will always have more options and more flexibility (in terms of the force continuum) than those who simply go out and buy a gun. And no one said that you can’t learn how to be a weapon as well as be an expert at using one.

Walking The Dog… A Case Study In Time To Deployment

But take a recent experience of my own as an example. As a proud new owner of a rescued Dog, I was taking him out for our nightly walk. It was late, I had just finished up teaching at the gym. I came home, showered, grabbed some chow and by the time we hit the pavement it was about 11:30 pm. About half way through our walk we turned a corner and BAM!!! 5 or so Belgian Manlinois type dogs charged us from out of the darkness. They were off leash and before I could think one launched itself at my new pup, mouth gaping, fangs glinting in the moonlight. I was carrying pepper spray, a tactical flashlight and all manner of other types of defensive gear, but there was no time to deploy any of it.

Instead, without hesitation, a Muay Thai Teep came flying from my right leg, catching the lunging canine mid air and sending him 3 feed sideways. After deflecting the malicious mut, Boone Dog (my Boxer) and I found ourselves surrounded by 4 other dogs. There was no escape route. But by this time I was able to grasp the pepper spray that was in the front pocket of my hoodie. I spun and circled somehow keeping the other dogs at bay when finally their owner lumbered over from his yard across the street and helped to get a handle on the situation.

A commenter on the Smith and Wesson post claimed to be able to draw and fire his sub compact 9 mm in under 1 second. If he were in my place we’d be talking about a dead dog or two, perhaps some collateral damage, and some face time with the local sheriff’s department. As it was, no one was injured in the situation, not even the dog. I used more of a push kick than one designed to injure. We all walked away and went home that night. The only casualty was my pair of soiled tighty whities and my neighbors lawn which received a free fertilization from Boone who also felt the immediate urge to empty his bowels.

The Flexibility of Martial Skill

The point is, Martial Arts still have a very practical and important role to play in defensive tactics and street self defense. Whether you train in arts designed specifically for this purpose or those with more “sport” orientation, they will all contribute to better coordination, timing, distance, awareness, and fighting spirit. What I liked about Guru Sullivan’s training methods were how they used training tools like the focus mitts, something we use in Muay Thai, MMA and CSW on a daily basis to incorporate things like head butts and sweeps. I liked how the Panantukan used techniques we were already familiar with like “The Bob” as a head butt. Instead of having to learn something completely new, we simply applied something we were already used to in a slightly different way. Instead of simply dodging a punch, we were now, dodging a punch and “accidentally” clipping our opponent in the face with the top of our heads. It was a ton of fun and very empowering to think that we already had a solid foundation for self defense, we just needed to start thinking about it in a different way.

Don’t believe me? Check out this clip of some Submission Grappling being applied in a street altercation.

So if you’re looking to learn more about how to take your MMA Tool Set on to the mean streets, be sure to visit www.ErikPaulson.com and check out the Panantukan DVD’s by Guru Sullivan and let them know the guys from DamageControlMMA sent you.

In MMA we have things like the Jumping Fence Kick, the Flying Triangle, or in this case, something that Kiser and I saw first hand during an MMA fight… The Twister or as they refer to it, the Wrestler’s Guillotine.

Whatever you like to call it, Eric Wahlin and Mike Stidham demonstrate how they like to set up this very nasty, career ending submission and it’s very interesting to see how the technique relates to it’s roots in Wrestling. The question of the hour though is “what’s in a name?” I mean, there are a number of folks out there who hate names and hate people who give techniques names even more.

What’s worse then, a technique that has no name? A person who gives a technique a name? Or perhaps even a person who re-names a technique that already has an accepted name? Keep in mind before you start spouting off, that The “Kimura” was known in Japan as the “Ude Garame” long before it’s new nickname. Catch Wrestling aficionado will argue that the British called it the Double Wrist Lock long before that.

And what if we want to rename something for tactical reasons, so that coaches can shout out suggestions to their fighters without their opponent’s knowing what exactly it is that they’re talking about? Why not call a Double Leg Takedown, “Worship of the Ivory Goddess”?

Weigh in with your comments below and be sure to cast your vote in the poll.

We would meet again at the CSW Coaches and Fighter Camp in Fullerton California. But as before, training and running around, trying to explore CA keep us from spending a lot of time together. Not to mention, it’s always dangerous working too close to guys 3 times bigger than you at the CSW camp. Either Sensei Paulson will point to you and expect you to spar, or you may simply be crushed underneath them as the Camp is always packed and mat real estate is in short supply.

But when we saw him the third time at the 2012 Catch As Catch Can Seminar in SLC, we had to see what interesting ways he was weaving his interpretations of CSW and CACC into a “Tap-Estry” of Submission. We weren’t disappointed as he ripped out a Submission Chain that would put a grin on even the most stoic grapplers faces.

Got an interesting “Twist” on something you’ve learned from DamageControlMMA.com, a seminar by Coach Robinson, Sensei Erik Paulson or anyone we’ve featured in our videos? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to take a look.

Stay tuned we’ve got so much goodness awaiting you. More Erik Paulson, more Billy Robinson, a Twister Caught Live in MMA Competition, Olympic Wrestling Gold Medalist Mark Schultz and much much more!

To get the most out of this technique here are some tips Mike shares:

• Cage Position – Rather than wasting energy going for takedowns in the middle of the cage where an opponent has a better chance of defending it, Mike tells his guys to wait until their opponent is near the edge of the cage where there is less room to sprawl or maneuver away from the takedown attempt.
• Snatch vs Shoot - Instead of shooting up his opponent, Mike likes to “pickpocket” his opponent by snatching his lead leg.
• Suck Leg into Chest  - Grasp leg with a Gable Grip and suck your hands into your chest.  If your hands are against your chest you have control of your opponent so don’t let him stretch your arms away from your torso.

On another note, I wanted to use this post to relate a story to you. If you haven’t taken the opportunity to check out our forums, there are some pretty cool threads on there that you may have missed.

One of which is our thread dedicated to Instructors, Trainers and Gym Owners. You see, during the 2012 Erik Paulson Seminar, Kiser and I had lunch with a friend of ours, Mike Stidham, a local fight promoter (one of Utah’s first and for a time, most prominent). He had been attending the seminar along with a number of his students and we took the opportunity to hang out, have a laugh or two and thank him and his team for supporting our efforts in spreading CSW.

During our conversation, Mike began to discuss strategies for promoting seminars and getting more students from various, outside gyms to attend. He explained a few of the ideas he had tried out in helping us to promote the Erik Paulson Seminar, which he plugged frequently on his Friday evening radio program, the Ultimate Combat Radio Show.

I expressed my feelings on the subject and asked Mike if he thought that the very strong prejudices, politics, school loyalties and team rivalries that are commonplace in our stomping grounds could be overcome. As in my mind, these obstacles were insurmountable. But Mike stood firm in his belief that these things could in fact be overcome and explained that no one will ever convince someone from outside their gym to come and take a seminar from so and so, because he’s so much better and cooler than their instructor or lineage.

Instead, he suggested that the way to dissolve these “enemy lines” was instead to be the first to step forward and enter “enemy territory” and take a seminar at these other schools. To look these school owners and seminar hosts in the eyes, shake their hand, expose his own students to these different ways of thinking and training and take it from there.

I left the lunch, still doubtful of his views on the subject. But then, it hit me. Here he was, the owner of a rival gym.  Both school’s fighters have handed the other school some bitter defeats. And yet, now we were friends. Eating at the same table, after the second year of seeing him and his students in our camp, supporting our instructors.

Now he’s hosting a seminar with UFC Veteran and Olympic Gold Medalist, Mark Schultz and he’s extended an invitation to Kiser, me and the Mushin Crew. Our calendar is marked and we are looking forward to learning some new ideas and making new friends. I guess Mike was right after all and the lesson he taught us reminded me of something I had realized a few years ago.

Friends can do you much more good, than you can ever harm an enemy.

On that note and coincidentally, our friend Jake Shannon has also done some work with Mark Schultz with his Scientific Wrestling project. You can see the fruits of that labor, on the DVD that they produced together

Total Violence with Mark Schultz

So here’s to mending fences, extending an olive branch, and making new friends. “We are all one.”

If you have any experiences on making peace with a rival gym or school, please share with us in the comments below.

The full “Anatomy Of A Triangle Choke” video is available in the Members Only Area and was one of the very first “Bonus Features”. It features the full length interview with Dr. Mark Cacciamani, all the variants of what we call the Typical Triangle, as well as explains how to use the theory and concepts presented to establish a solid, last line of defense should you ever get caught in a Triangle.

We are releasing some of the material to the public now because will soon be re-visiting this series and re-shooting updated material. We will be breaking the various techniques into their own separate videos, we will also be including dynamic as well as traditional set ups, A-Typical Triangles, Triangle Submission Staging Site, and Triangle Counters. All this will be available to our members so pick up a membership today.

Now Lock On and Happy Hunting!!!

Passing the plentiful horse stables, and breathing in the fresh country air we approached the venue for the first Utah NAGA Grappling Tournament. My muscles began to tense as I thought to myself, “Oh yes, a communal case of Staph… just what the doctor ordered.”

But those fears were soon quelled as we entered the main, dirt filled arena and were promptly re-directed to the two adjacent buildings, with concrete flooring and several Dollamur mats, guarded fiercely by the tournament officials against shoe wearing infants and ignorant parents, like sentries at a US embassy.

The rules meeting was long and hard to hear. In fact, the subtleties of the various rules (gi and no gi, kids and adult divisions), by the tournament organizer’s own admission would have taken about 2 or 3 hours to go over. As with any tournament, prior research and clarification is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Overall Experience

What I saw was a lot of on the fly, adjustments. In the kids division, competitors were evaluated within their divisions, during their matches and then brackets were re-shuffled, kids were placed up or down in advanced, intermediate, or beginner divisions based on their performances. This was all done in the spirit of giving the kids the best possible experience in the most level playing fields as possible.

For instance, you might have a kid that officially fits the description for an intermediate competitor. She’s been training at a gym for 2+ years. But once on the mat, in competition, she’s just getting dominated. What I saw was tournament organizers, immediately shifting her down into a beginner division and giving her a second chance to do a little better.

This made things somewhat confusing at times, as there were two different buildings for competitors to switch back and forth to, but in my opinion it was well worth the hassle to see these kids get a second and sometimes a third chance to shine.

I believe there was only one injury (a torn rotator cuff via Kimura), and this was due primarily to the injured competitor’s refusal to tap out in time. The NAGA Officials, with their very liberal rule sets (twisting leg locks, spine locks and neck cranks) did a phenomenal job of keeping the matches safe and respectful. I was very impressed with their knowledge of the rules and discretion in stopping matches for the safety of the competitors.

A Coaches Perspective

Brian and Brandon's student Heinrich Mokofisi takes home the gold after his 6th consecutive grappling match victory.

But when, your student looses his first 4 matches and says he “thinks he’s just going to loose again.” Your abilities as a coach are truly tested. What do you do? Give the kid a hug, tell him what a good job he did, and let him call it a day? Or do you launch into your Vince Lombari motivational speech, tell the kid to wipe his tears, shake off the past, and get in there for one more go!

I chose the latter, and gave the kid a hug, told him how proud of him I was, how proud his father, who had his arm around him was, how, the worst was behind us, that there was only one possible direction to go from here and that was forward… and hopefully upward.

And so it went, as he marched into two more matches, losing one by points and the next by a 270 choke from Kesa Gatame. So much for my Vince Lombardi trophy.

Did I make the right choice? Did I push him too far and too hard? Only time will tell, and I will second guess myself until I know for sure, if I helped to make that kid stronger, or if I contributed to the ultimate demise of his self confidence.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining, Even For A Coach

Thankfully, that was not how the day came to an end, we had 5 more adult competitors and they all did very well in their divisions. Both Kiser and I had opportunities to make, good calls, heads up tough calls, and thankfully, the right calls.

Kiser was able to impart his thorough knowledge of the Arm Triangle to assist our student Chris Huntsaker in achieving a submission victory as he walked him from the lock up to the final shift of the hips that sealed the deal.

You can learn a little bit more about Kiser’s Arm Triangle game from the video below. He shares his whole Arm Triangle Set Up Game in the Members Only Area.

My comeback moment came while I watched a tough match between our student, Jared Fahrner and his opponent. The match was dead even at 0 – 0 until his opponent threw on a triangle attempt with 1 minute left in the match. Both Jared’s arms were in, but one was pushed, precariously out of between his opponent’s legs except for his fist and wrist. This gave his opponent an advantage point and I watched as the time continued to tick away.

With about 30 seconds left, I decided that we had nothing left to loose. We were going to lose the match on 1 point anyway if things continued to progress as they were. It was time for some drastic measures. I told Jared to yank his trapped hand the rest of the way out, effectively giving his opponent the full triangle. What was the difference of losing the match by a point or being tapped out? A loss is a loss in my book. Then I told Jared to punch over with his outside arm and hip down. And with about 15 seconds left he did just that, scrambling to break the triangle and complete a guard pass which would have won him the match on points. He succeeded in breaking the triangle but unfortunately was unable to complete the pass before time ran out and he lost by that 1 point advantage.

But this is the type of thing we live for as coaches. Giving our students, a second chance, a way to win, when they see none. I was thankful to have wrapped up the day with something I knew I did right.

Parting Thoughts – Are Grappling Matches Considered “Fights”?

I have often questioned the legitimacy of people who called grappling matches “fights” or people who only participate in Grappling Style tournaments as “fighters”. To me, something about using the term “fighter” to describe a grappling competitor, just didn’t sit right.

That is, until this tournament. Watching a young boy, face defeat, time and time again, watching him walk out onto the mat alone, to face yet another tough competitor, despite his lingering self doubt and trepidation, showed me what strength of character was possible in such a young soul. If that is not fighting spirit is, than I am incapable of recognizing it when I see it.

The jury is still out for me on whether or not the terms “grappler” and “fighter” are interchangeable, but one thing is for certain. I have left the first Utah NAGA Competition, very willing to consider the possibility.

What are your thoughts on whether or not Grappling Competitors, and Grappling Matches should be considered “Fighters” and “Fights”?

Listen up Yo! Ya’ll need to shut your pie holes and drink from the well of wisdom. This ain’t no garden variety coolaid. This is the real deal. Too strong for your candy @$$es? Well that’s just too bad. The truth hurts like the taste of a 4 oz. MMA glove in your mouth.

MMA is just as much about your attitude as it is about your skillz. So take notes and learn yourself up yo.

How has this video escaped me thus far? I’m speachless. I just don’t know what to think about this. I mean, who in their right mind decides to film someone getting kicked in the junk? What insurance company covers someone who does this? Seriously, I want their number. And finally, who volunteers for such a job? It’s insanity. Someone call the authorities because someone needs medication.

I don’t know whether to be filled with horror, or admiration. Either way, it’s a great way to start off the week.

ENJOY!!!

Here are some out takes we shot in 2009 and 2010 regarding some of those takedowns. As you might expect, these became part of the daily takedown regimen taught and studied at our school. And as the old saying goes, “Practice becomes habit, you don’t live up to your expectations, you live down to your drills and your training.” Such was the case in 2011 when a hand full of our students put these takedowns to the task at a local Submissions Only Tournament (no, time limits, no points).

Both the competitors seen in the videos (Jared Fahrner and Heinrich Mokofisi) used the running takedowns to eventually win their divisions.

One interesting idea to note was that one of our overall strategies going into the tournament was to employ the Catch Wrestling Concept of never offering your head to your opponent by means of “Shooting” for a takedown. Instead the competitors elected to use more upright, Grecco, Catch and Judo style takedowns when the opportunities presented themselves.

This not only allowed them to keep their heads and necks away from trouble but also gave them ample opportunities to utilize the Half Haltch, Grovit, Front Head Lock and Guillotine to control their opponents when they shot in and in some cases submit them outright.

Long story short, thank you again Sensei Paulson and Coach Robinson. This stuff works and works well.

And as a parting holiday present, we’ve included a final gift, an awesome impromptu lesson in leg locking for after you’ve taken your opponent to the mat. Courtesy again, of the legendary Sensei Paulson. So listen up and Lock On!