Limp Arm Escape, Heel Hook Defense and Duck Unders | All Access Ep. 2

All Access · Episode 2

Episode 1 was one night. For Episode 2 we kept the camera rolling for a whole week: six days of classes, open mats and live rounds at 10th Planet Newark. You get Friday night rounds, a Saturday class on getting up from the bottom, leg lock week, a takedown at full speed, Saturday boxing, and the first day of front headlock week.

Friday night rounds

The week opens where most weeks end: Friday night, rolling. Everybody rolls a little harder when the camera comes on. That's the honest truth, and it's on tape. It's also the best look you'll get at what live training here feels like. Hard, competitive, and nobody trying to hurt the person across from them.

Saturday: the limp arm escape

Coach Presten ran Saturday morning on getting up from the bottom. The detail that matters most is the high hand. Its whole job is to keep your partner's weight off you. Get lazy with it, he crashes down on top of you, and you wonder why you can't get up. Keep it working and his weight comes off. Now you can put your head on the mat, build up on your elbow and hit the limp arm escape, the easiest of the escapes you can use there.

Then he shows the violent version: the same escape with your knee driving into his hip. His head heads for the mat, so he has to post to save himself, and that post is your way out. Small bridge, small elevation, head to the ground, up.

Leg lock week

The middle of the week was leg locks. The most important leg lock skill isn't a finish. It's knowing when you're caught. When a heel hook is locked on and you panic and spin like a psychopath to rip your leg out, you're the one who gets hurt. That's the heel hook defense lesson I give in the episode, and it's the reason we teach defense before we let anybody chase leg locks in live rounds. The Thursday rounds show the room putting it to work.

Friday: Andrew's duck under

Andrew, one of our blue belts, teaches his go-to takedown with Brayden as his partner. He starts from a double outside tie, the elbow grips, and circles Brayden toward him. Then he fakes a single leg. Brayden steps back to defend it and gets heavy on that leg, and that's when the duck under comes: elbow grip over the head, into the body lock, finish however you like. Then he does one at full speed. Watch it once, then watch the half-speed replay.

Saturday: boxing and front headlocks

Saturday morning starts with boxing with Coach Artie Douglas. Slip, roll, one-two, hook, straight, hands up on every turn. Then Coach Nick, one of our black belts, teaches day one of front headlock week. He uses an uchi mata entry to get to the front headlock instead of finishing the throw: collar tie, punch the underhook, step, lean the head over, kick to force the hand to the mat, then circle and pull your partner down into turtle.

Jump to a part

• 0:00 Open
• 0:20 Friday night rounds
• 1:10 The limp arm escape
• 3:01 Leg locks
• 5:51 Andrew's duck under
• 8:10 Boxing and front headlocks

Thinking about trying it?

Everyone you see in this episode was new once. You don't need to be in shape first and you don't need any experience. Tell us it's your first time and we'll take it from there. Nobody's going to throw you in with the killers on day one.

10th Planet Newark teaches no-gi jiu-jitsu in Heath, Ohio, just outside Newark: adult classes mornings and evenings, kids classes for ages 5 to 14, and Saturday boxing. See every class on the schedule. Missed the first one? Watch All Access Episode 1.

Follow along on Instagram: @10thplanetnewark