Hey guys,

At our upcoming national tournament (ie: our BJJ association), word is that straight legbars will be legal in adult white belt. In preparation, our coach taught us the step-through legbar from an opponent's open/spider guard, and an escape for that legbar. He also recommended we try and develop a couple of transitions from a takedown straight into a submission. I currently have a hip throw to step-over armbar.

Anyway, it occurred to me that if you go for a single - I'm considering in particular the low single/ankle shoot, in which I've always been taught to keep a hold of the guy's leg and hoist it up high - continue your forward momentum and stack the guy, you could step through and legbar. I didn't get a chance to try this at last night's class, and our regular coach had to leave early, so a purple belt took most of the rest of the class, and afterward, I asked him about it, and he gave me the standard answer about white belts needing to forget about legbars and just pass the guard. While I certainly don't disagree with him as a general rule of thumb, this seems like a reasonable takedown-sub transition. It's not something I'd look for if the guy had decent control of me in his guard, ie: not straight from a takedown.

So, my question is two-fold: Is this a transition that you guys think could work, and is it something you think a white belt should be looking for? I'll still be a white belt til probably around mid-09 I would say - I'm not a "nearly-blue", but not a total noob either.

Hey guys,

At our upcoming national tournament (ie: our BJJ association), word is that straight legbars will be legal in adult white belt. In preparation, our coach taught us the step-through legbar from an opponent's open/spider guard, and an escape for that legbar. He also recommended we try and develop a couple of transitions from a takedown straight into a submission. I currently have a hip throw to step-over armbar.

Anyway, it occurred to me that if you go for a single - I'm considering in particular the low single/ankle shoot, in which I've always been taught to keep a hold of the guy's leg and hoist it up high - continue your forward momentum and stack the guy, you could step through and legbar. I didn't get a chance to try this at last night's class, and our regular coach had to leave early, so a purple belt took most of the rest of the class, and afterward, I asked him about it, and he gave me the standard answer about white belts needing to forget about legbars and just pass the guard. While I certainly don't disagree with him as a general rule of thumb, this seems like a reasonable takedown-sub transition. It's not something I'd look for if the guy had decent control of me in his guard, ie: not straight from a takedown.

So, my question is two-fold: Is this a transition that you guys think could work, and is it something you think a white belt should be looking for? I'll still be a white belt til probably around mid-09 I would say - I'm not a "nearly-blue", but not a total noob either.

In theory this could work, but it's too obvious and easy to counter IMO. Chances are what will happen is the person you took down will take your back, scramble into guard/half, or sweep you.

You probably should work more on keeping in a dominant position, but play with legbars in your free rolling, just so you can get a feel for them.

Good luck

Work the flower sweep/armbar to kneebar if they stand from full guard. BJJ people generally just don't see that coming after dealing for years with just the armbar/triangle etc. If it doesn't feel like you have total control of the leg as they topple, just turn into them and use it as a sweep.

Position before submission. Your instructor showed you a kneebar in order to help you understand the escape, not because he wants you to give up your back attempting a low-percentage submission.

Listen to your instructors. The purple belts are purple belts for a reason.

What is a legbar?

What is a legbar?

It's like a kneebar, only better.


Funny I didn't even really notice that till you pointed it out

Leg bar is like a kneebar but from the side.

Any vids of this mysterious technique?

I assumed the O.P. to be talking about a kneebar. I thought it was a bad translation to English by a foreigner or something.

I'm pretty sure they call kneebars legbars in Australia

and butterfly guard = hooks guard there

and other strangeness

BJJ names are gay:
Flower guard sweep?
The Brother Sister?
Butterfly guard?
The Gogoplata?

Seriously. Fucking Gay.

Omega. I know who you are, I respect and fear you. But you failzor to mention the # 1 gay-name technique of BJJ:

Rear.Naked.Choke

Rear Naked Choke was named well before BJJ fame.

Fo' sho

I dont agree with the whole 'white belts should just work on passing guard and forget about leglocks'.

As a whitebelt, I can usually wreak havoc on other whites, and catch blues often with kneebars & achilles locks. Most of them have no idea whats coming, its a gaping hole in their game. I think its pretty dumb to just say, no! You cannot have this technique! Wait a few years! I say teach the technique, but make them understand the risks involved, dont just deny it outright. And I rarely get my back taken while kneebarring.

I dont get it. Leglocks = awesome.

I'm pretty sure they call kneebars legbars in Australia

and butterfly guard = hooks guard there

and other strangeness

Correct.

It's all perfectly logical. You don't call armbars elbowbars, do you? Re: hooks guard, you have both hooks in, ergo, hooks guard. Butterfly guard, traditionally (according to our head instructor) has been both feet in the other guy's hips, gripping both his wrists with arms on the outside of your legs.