Having trouble in Newaza (Video)

**judojeff** · Posted On: 2/02/2013 12:39pm

Originally Posted by Muerteds

I do. I also know how judo and fat guys work. You've got roughly 10 seconds to make something happen on the ground till they stand you up. And if judokarl can't get his legs around his big training partner to control him with legs and hips, it's not going to do him a bit of good.

Simply put, my suggestion is to focus on getting in a position that won't allow that big guy to stack up and smush judokarl like a bug.

You're full of it. I love playing guard, I pull guard on guys 220 and up and not once have I felt crushed, infact if they are dedicating there weight to try to crush me it probably means that they have sacrificed there posture to do so and are about to be swept.

And if he can't get his legs around his partner then he can transition to an open guard and work from there. Fucking mind blowing.

**judokarl** · Posted On: 2/02/2013 7:05pm

Originally Posted by Muerteds

I am ambivalent to knee-wrestling. I.e. I've done it in competition. Surprised the poor guy ;). That's not what my biggest concern is. My biggest concern is you not using your advantages properly. If you pull guard, you'll be putting his weight on top of you. Why would you do that? That's why you're tapping to kesa gatame and juji gatame, I assume. That extra 150 pounds changes things. 350 pounds can turn a pin into a choke by virtue of your inability to breathe. But if you ARE going to knee-wrestle, quit gripping the guy like you're both pro wrestlers. Get your grip and throw him like you should. Otherwise he'll just muscle you to where he wants you. And he is doing just that.

So, if he's willing to knee-wrestle, why aren't you getting behind and around him? Check it out at 0:39. He's working the hadaka shime in front, and you're trying to power through him by grabbing his obi. Never going to happen. You should be pushing into his grip, working to slide under his arm and out the other side. Where he pulled up to begin to roll was your chance. Instead, he rolled and got his weight onto you, preventing you from escaping.

At 3:06, you started to get the right idea. If you're going for hadaka shime, though, you have to use your legs. Get your hooks in. He's a big fella, and it's obvious he was on your leg, trapping it with bulk. But you can't let him roll on top of you. You must use your legs to keep him on his side so you can choke him with your back, not your arms. You choked that big neck with your arm, and he powered through it. No wonder- he's huge! Use your whole body to pull, but you can't do that flat on your back.

At 4:00 or so, you go to roll the turtle over. Quit that. He's huge. If you don't have the ability to worm a leg in there to pull his arm out to attack it, change tactics. You almost got yourself in back mount. Man, that's where your money is with a huge guy. Ride him like a rented mule, and if you can't move his head for hadaka shime, get ryote shime from behind. If nothing else, you're climbing him like an angry little monkey, and he's not squishing you.

Size matters. No question about that. Just realize that with this guy, you're not the big one. You can't out-muscle him. So out-maneuver him. Have fun with it. I've played with huge guys- it's like fighting a glacier!

Thanks for the advice and taking the time out to make such and extensive post! You guys are all right and I need to work on not trying to muscle as much and work more on positioning and taking the back ect.

Just more constant movement, don't durdle on my knees, try to take his back seem to be the over lying theme in the majority of the posts.

Originally Posted by Hedgehogey

Also, OP, invest in armdrags like it was tornado season.

Will do.

**Krijgsman** · Posted On: 2/04/2013 7:40pm

I am a noob. WTF is knee wrestling? Is that going for throws/takedowns while on the knees for groundwork?

Sorry for the slight thread derail.

**judojeff** · Posted On: 2/05/2013 12:24pm

Originally Posted by Krijgsman

I am a noob. WTF is knee wrestling? Is that going for throws/takedowns while on the knees for groundwork?

Sorry for the slight thread derail.

Its when you basically lock up and try to muscle your partner to the ground at the begening of ne waza randori (which tends to start with both partners on there knees). You really get nothing out of this and would be much better served by pulling guard if your partner does not, least this way you can get the most out of your randori time.

On a side note I always find it funny when me and my partner engage in a race to pull guard first.

Another way to think about it might be like extensive grip fighting in standing randori. While it may be kinda usefull you would be better served actually attempting techniques.

**AKRhino** · Posted On: 2/05/2013 1:13pm

Since several folks who I think are probably more experienced than me have already commented on various things, I'll just touch on one.

Specifically, the choke you go for. The reason you couldn't finish it, is because you had no control over his body, so as you pulled on the choke, he was able to turn with the pressure and relieve it. You started with one hook but lost it, but it was on the near side, the far side hook is especially important as that will stop, or at least severely impede his ability to roll into the choke and relieve pressure.