Practice the Guard but Don’t Forget the Turtle:
Practice the Guard but Don’t Forget the Turtle:
When the student begins training in range-three or free grappling practice, it normally begins from a position call the guard. This is a position developed by Brazilian jujitsu practitioners, so they could focus on ground training. Another term for this practice, made by American practitioners of BJJ is rolling. The traditional term originally used for mat technique that followed a throw was “katame waza” (grappling technique). There is another term used by modern students and that is Tatami waza (Mat technique). Tatami refers to the mat where grappling is practiced, and waza obviously translates as technique. The thing to remember is that the guard is not the only position you should practice from. You will not always find yourself in a position where pulling guard is possible.
Katame-waza was not as heavily practiced in traditional jujitsu like it is practice today in Brazilian jiu jitsu. This range of fighting became much more popular with the advent of the UFC. In the AOKK we train in all three ranges of fighting. Range-three is when we fight on the ground. Like most schools we taught chokes and locks on the tatami as a follow-up technique after a throw. We also followed the throw with striking techniques while the opponent was down. We still practice striking after the throw today during our kumite sessions. Prior to the success of BJJ, we did not focus much class time on range-three. This changed with the success of Brazilian jiu jitsu in the UFC.
As previously mentioned, the most common method for practicing range-three grappling is from the guarding position. This practice evolved out of Brazilian jiu jitsu and was adopted by the AOKK in the nineties. We have a rule in AOKK fighting, and that is to never give up your back regardless of whether you’re on the ground or in a standing position. The guard allowed us to practice in range-three while maintaining the integrity of that philosophy. We do not expose the back because there are too many vital targets located on your posterior. These targets are the back of the head/neck, spine, and kidneys. It also makes you susceptible to a rear naked choke. Another AOKK philosophy is also to keep the fight standing as long as possible or to regain your footing as soon as possible. Not all fights go to the ground, but if you find yourself in that position you must be able to defend yourself. Grappling from the guard allows the student to practice in range-three without constantly throwing his/her opponent. This minimizes injuries and develops your ground attack.
There are approximately twenty-one throws that the AOKK school believes a student must master. These must be executed proficiently before the student can be confident in range-two naga-waza (Throwing Technique. The student must also be trained to follow their throw and finish with both strikes and submissions or to step off the tatami signifying they’re leaving the scene of the confrontation. These throwing techniques should not be taught until striking along with standing jujitsu has been mastered.
In wrestling there is a position where one competitor places hands and knees on the mat while his opponent wraps one arm around the waist and grasps one wrist. The term for this position, derogatory or not, that is used by jujitsu players is called the “Turtle.” The obvious problem with this position is the back is exposed, but to never believe you’ll be in that position is dangerous. To regain your footing, you may find yourself in this position. The AOKK will on occasion grapple out of a similar position, so if the student finds him/herself in that position they are aware of what must be done. Recently, I asked two of our students to grapple out of the turtle and one commented that it felt strange, and he didn’t know exactly what to do. Being at a loss is the worst place you can find yourself, during a competition or fight. The position we adopt is different than that of the wrestler. The jujitsu player places his/her forearms on the back of the opponent that is in the turtle position. The assumption is the up student is going for a back mount. When given instruction to start, the up-student tries to get onto the back of the down student while the down student makes his or her escape and counterattack. This is not to say that every grappling match should start from the turtle, but it should be given consideration on occasion. Do not simply dismiss a technique because it looks like a training position used by a wrestler.
There are schools of self-defense that support going into the turtle position if you are knocked to the ground and there are multiple attackers. Place your forearms around your head for more protection and tuck your chin into your chest. Unfortunately, your ribs are still vulnerable as well as the targets along your spine, but remember you are in survival mode and cannot afford head trauma. Repeated kicks to the head will render you unable to put up any kind of a defense. From this position you may be able to regain your footing or stand up. A BJJ instructor in Texas, intervened in a dispute outside a bar and was knocked to the ground. The ground was where he was most comfortable, but the friends of the attacker began to kick the BJJ instructor in the head. He recovered, but the incident put him in a coma for a few weeks.
Sometimes going to the ground is your best option like when Uncle Joe-Bob has had one too many to drink and is threatening grandpa, but when you’re in unfamiliar surroundings keep standing if possible. Still, if find yourself in the turtle position in unfamiliar territory, know you are in trouble. One martial artist suggested rolling under a car if you find you are surrounded. This prevents the attacker’s from attacking you with ease, but there may not be a car available for your salvation. The point is to git to your feet as soon as possible because the turtle is only a transitional position.
The turtle is a common technique found in Judo. A player may find him/herself in this position to prevent being pinned and lose the match. Master Alguire once told me of a practice where the judo player pulls his/her Judogi top over their head to prevent the rear or lapel choke. I began thinking this could be a viable self-defense practice in the above-mentioned scenario. If you’re wearing a winter coat pulling it over your head would give you an added layer of protection. Again, if you live in a snowy climate, slipping in a confrontation and finding yourself on the ground is a real possibility. Fortunately, we do not have many snowy days in Phoenix, so this technique may not be too beneficial here, but it may be good to remember if you visit somewhere that does not have our warm climate. Once again, I must reiterate that if you’re involved in personal combat, you do not want to be on the ground. Still, this coat tip may save you from spending time in a hospital.
An interesting turtle escape is the “Sit Out and Roll” used in wrestling. One of our jujitsu players, that also wrestled, adapted this technique, and rolled it into a figure four-elbow lock of his opponent. Others roll into the guard, and others shoot for a leg lock. The example below is a guillotine choke. I’ve seen this technique used in grappling competitions with some success. Don’t say you’ll never be in the turtle position and forsake practicing it because at some point during your training on the mat you will find yourself in a similar position. Keep an open mind. If you find a technique like the Sit-Out and Roll that works, add it to your toolbox. I would on occasion steal a phrase my pastor used in his sermon. When I told him that I stole his message he simply said, “If my bullets work in your gun, then use them.” This also applies to jujitsu.
The guard and turtle are not the only positions that the student should train from. Lastly, the student should grapple from the face down prone position. The premises is that the student has been thrown to the tatami, and the person that threw them to the mat is going for a back mount. The prone position practice is similar the turtle position practice in that this position should be only practiced occasionally. The down student is in the prone position as if he or she had been thrown forward. The up-student places his/her forearm on the down student’s back. When given instruction to start, the up student tries to get onto the back of the down student while the down student makes his or her escape and counterattack. Some students will shift their hips sideways and roll over placing the up-student into the guarding position. This is something that the students will figure out as the grapple and experiment with their best method of escape.
A student’s training must cover all ranges of fighting. For safety reasons we predominantly grapple from the guard. We also grapple periodically from the standing position. From this type of grappling the student is expected to throw his or her competition before engaging in mat technique. Pulling guard is frowned upon because the best defense to this technique cannot be employed without possible injury to the opponent. Daki-age lifts and slams the opponent down on his/her head, neck, or back. This cannot be allowed when training amateur students due to the liability involved. We also free fight (spar) from the standing-up position. In this range we use punches, elbows, kicks, knees, and throws. If a competitor throws their opponent, they then have a three to four second period to strike, knee, or submit the opponent. The student is in full body armor and head gear, so moving into range-three in this gear is impractical, so we also purely grapple without the protective equipment. Occasionally, the AOKK will grapple from the turtle position. This is to prepare the student for the unexpected. Still the student should never give up their back in a fight. The AOKK believes this is as close as we can come to experiencing all ranges of personal combat without full contact fighting. The guard is the safest place from which to grapple, but do not get locked into believing it is the only place to start.
One of my higher-ranking black belts and I, in the early 90s, had the opportunity to spar with competitors that would eventually fight and win in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). With most of these fighters we were asked to perform stand up sparring to enhance that ability. Their mat skills were very good, but with one of these fighters, my high rank and I had to focus on grappling. Their coach would line up ten to fifteen fighters or grapplers and we would each get one round with the professional. You need to understand is that these were top shelf athletes, and our job was simply to wear them down. We were nothing more than cannon fodder. Stand-up was easy but I found out how weak my ground game really was when we were asked to grapple. It was out of that experience that I increased the AOKK’s ground training. I will always be grateful for the opportunity because, that experience made us better grapplers and better instructors. Our jujitsu focus is still on locks, chokes, and throwing technique, but we do not brush past ground technique as we did in my early years of training.
The guard will always be our main position used to train our grapplers in range-three on the tatami. Having made that statement, we will continue to explore grappling from the turtle position and the prone position. Obviously, this will occur on rare occasions. If you do not train outside your comfort zone, you will not get better. You do not want to get surprised during personal combat. Our desire in the AOKK to give our students the best training we can provide.