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!!!

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.

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!

The Back Story

There is an arms race taking place, an on going struggle that began in the not so distant but aging past, in a garage, in a galaxy… well, it was in our galaxy but those times and places now feel, far, far away.

Two forces, Kiser and Yamasaki met on the mats of one of Professor Pedro Sauer’s old academies as Kiser’s private lesson with Khuen Khru Bernales ened and mine began. From that point on, we would be competing for the attention of our instructor, and trying to best each other whenever and wherever our paths crossed.

Since that time, the struggles continue, with one having the upper hand for months and even years at a time before the tide of battle would change and the playing field would again be leveled. Something we’ve alluded to before in posts such as our “Arm Triangle and Kimura Counter” which is a small glimpse into the arms race and ever evolving counter measures that Kiser and I will forever be interlocked.

Every week, new lines are drawn, scores are settled and new feuds born. Over time, even new Factions have arisen. Some have fallen and been lost to time, but others have taken root and begun to grow strong. I could go on forever about the counters and re-counters employed, sought out and developed between Kiser’s evil empire and Yamasaki’s solo Resistance, but that will have to wait until another time. For this hour, belongs to the new clan, the rising power, the Wiggins Faction.

He and his followers have begun a full scale assault on the happy and peace loving members of the Mushin Self Defense gym. Their calling card… The Arm Bar. I invite you to come along as I fumble my way through the mine field of Wiggarian Arm Bars, and attempt to mount a counter offensive through preventative measures, escape systems and counterfuge.

The purpose of this on going series of articles (The Mat Wars Saga) is two fold. One, to share a little more of our own personal world with our DCMMA friends and family, and two to share and further develop my own MMA problem solving methodology (and not necessarily in that order).

The problem solving methodology is a work in progress. I by no means claim any expertise in that department and am myself still trying to improve and simplify the process. I hope by sharing it, I will both clarify my own thought process as well as learn from your comments and experiences.

I often say, “THAT your technique failed is of little to no importance. HOW it failed, the specifics of where arms were placed, hands were positioned, hips were angled, feet were moving, etc. is of ultimate importance. Therein lies the body of evidence that will lead us to finding what killed our technique.” It’s a game of MMA CSI.

This is one piece of the problem solving methodology. Taking many snap shots at the scene of the crime. And make no bones about it, for a move to not work the way you would have liked, is indeed a crime.

We will use the Mat Wars Saga as a case study in these methods. Starting with the on going Crime Scene Investigation, the Wiggarian Arm Bar. This Serial criminal comes in many shapes and sizes, and attacks from many different angles. But as a starting point we will be investigating perhaps the most sinister variation of them all. The Kimura Set Up From Guard.

I have collected the necessary evidence in a series of snap shots. And it’s funny to mention and include these as I recall years ago, hearing one of my instructors defending a move that was being questioned with the following statement. “No move is 100% all the time. Anytime you take a snap shot of a technique, you can point out a number of ways to pick it apart.” We’ll that just what I intend to do.

Below is a re-enactment of Joe’s Crime. Prosecuting him for count two “Trying to tap out his own instructor” will be something we address at another time.

Joe Wiggins starts his evil and malicious crime (the Arm Bar) from Closed Guard

He then opens his guard and violently turns to his left side, which allows him to place his opponent's right hand on the mat and obtain wrist control

Here Joe locks up the Kimura but in the process, allows his left leg to slide downward until it hits the mat and invites you to step over and begin to pass his guard in a counter clockwise direction.

Kensei obliges Joe's invitation and begins to pass Joe's left shin across his midsection. Keep in mind that the threat of being finished by the Kimura itself is ever present.

As Kensei moves to finalize the pass (his motion and direction of force is shown here in green), Mr. Wiggins simultaneously moves his hips in the opposite direction (shown here in red, a clockwise direction of force), which gives him space and the potential for a parallel body alignment with Kensei. This is an important detail as at this juncture, Mr. Wiggins has 4 simultaneous options. 1. Finish The Kimura 2. Utilize Parallel Body alignment to execute the Kimura Sweep and finish with the Kimura 3. Execute the redundant Kimura Sweep and finish with the stereotypical Arm Bar or 4. Move directly to a Quarter Back Mounted Arm Bar

I generally fight to maintain my base and top position which usually persuades Joe to take option 4. To do this he immediately inserts his left shin in front of Kensei's left arm.

He then places his right leg over Kensei's head and inserts his right foot into Kensei's right hip. The whole while Joe maintains a T Wrap/Figure 4 Grip on Kensei's right forearm.

Joe finalizes the Arm Bar by using his hips to break Kensei's grip and extend Kensei's arm. In this case the direction of force on Kensei's arm is along the mat and towards Joe's head.

If Kensei is able to power his arm back in to defend the Arm Bar, Joe simply transitions to a Kimura. Kensei can look to his left and defend the Kimura by summersaulting over his right shoulder but then he runs straight into the stereotypical Arm Bar and is finished from there.

You’ve seen the evidence, you’ve had a chance to study the crime scene. Now let’s take a moment and discuss the problem solving methodology.

The Problem Solving Methodology

The problem solving methodology is two fold. I try to address said problems from both a technical and a tactical vantage point. The CSI approach is more on the technical level. It involves looking at the mechanics of the technique in question and then, countering the technique with other techniques or simply dismantling the technique by means of negating one or more of the necessary mechanics.

On a Tactical level we look at paradigm shifts. Sometimes, you get so stumped trying to untangle the limbs and levers, the weights and pulleys of a technique that you basically hit a dead end. A mental block if you will. When I experience these I usually try and attack the problem at the tactical level. That is, to look at the problem itself from a completely different vantage point.

Take for example this Wiggarian Arm Bar from a Kimura Set Up. I have attempted to break it down and disassemble it from a technical level, with limited success for months now. Frustrated at this progress or lack thereof, I’ve now begun to approach the problem at a tactical level. I try not to put myself in positions where Joe can set up his heinous technique in the first place, but as with many things, it’s a lot easier said than done. As a result, I’ve recently begun to postulate a new idea.

By understanding how Joe sets up his damned Arm Bar at a technical level, and by looking at the problem from a tactical vantage point, I’ve been able to decipher that his set up is based on a brilliant strategy. He sets his technique up and finishes it based on movements from his opponents that follow fundamental, but predictable predispositions. You see, if you’ve had any instruction in guard work at all, you are going to be predisposed to eventually attempting to pass guard whenever you’re caught in it. This is how Joe finishes. He will set up the arm bar from within the guard, but it’s the act of you passing that enables him to finalize it. As a result, he will actively create opportunities for you to pass and in doing so tighten the noose around your own neck. Tricky bastard!

Thus, I am led to believe, that if I do the opposite of what is expected, that is, once the arm bar is set via the Kimura Set Up, I move into his guard, I can stall and perhaps even completely demise his ability to finalize the arm bar or at least this iteration of his arm bar. I will call this the “Chinese Finger Trap Defense”.

Tune in to the next episode of the Mat Wars Saga to find out how it goes.

I also invite you to turn in your own solutions to this problem, and eventually your own Technique Failures for us to CSI and problem solve. Together, we can catch the bad guys and rescue your technique.

Now the challenge, for both you and me is to apply these same problem solving methodologies to the challenges that face us in our daily lives, at work, at play, in the home as well as on the mats. It’s the Jiu-jitsu of Life as my cousin would so aptly put it. The most important Jiu-jitsu of all.

Ever since I first read about the Gotch Toe Hold, I’ve been interested in learning more about it. Well at this year’s first quarter Certified Catch Wrestling Audit, we had a chance to do just that. After being teased with a first glance look at the technique during our shoot for the “Say Uncle” Catch as Catch Can book (pages 198 and 199 cover the technique in pictorials), I wanted to get some more hands on time with it with one of the last surviving practitioners of Catch, Coach Billy Robinson.

He shared his thoughts on a few variations and follow ups and then signed my copy of the book.

If you’re interested in picking up a copy, it would help Coach Kiser and I out as well as Scientific Wrestling (the guys responsible for putting together the Audits and the book) if you could use the link below and purchase your copy from Amazon.com

Jake Paul and Coach Kiser demonstrating the basic CACC Ready Stance.

In essence, the Catch Ready Stance is more upright than it’s amateur wrestling cousin. And favoring more of a Grecco and Judo style throwing for it’s takedowns vs the shooting and leg hunting method of the amateur style, I asked Coach Robinson why that came to be. His answer was simple. “Because you would never want to offer your neck to your opponent like that.”

Notice the difference in posture with the Amateur Wrestling version of the ready stance

Seeing how Catch not only employs and allows Guillotine type chokes but also potentially lethal neck cranks such as the Grovit, I took his words to heart. In fact I could hear them ringing in my ears this last weekend as I watched two of my own fighters get caught and choked with Guillotines as they shot in for doubles and singles. I suppose some lessons are hard learned.

Our student Dan Berry delivers his second Suplex shortly before getting caught in an Arm In Guillotine

At any rate, train well and Happy Hunting.