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Scarf Reversal to Back Compression

Here is an interesting submission tech we discovered while rolling at our school not too long ago. I reversed my opponent out of Kesa and ended up on top, and then my opponent responded by locking down my head VERY tightly and squeezing. I performed this technique without really thinking about it, and afterwards reviewed and memorized what I had done. Against an experienced grappler this technique is probably less effective, I have yet to try it on anyone who specializes in ground fighting.
The initial reversal out of the bottom of the scarf is the same reversal/sweep we posted in our first article "Scarf escape to Armbar". Some comments were posted saying that it was difficult to see/understand the sweep, so we reshot it for this technique. Thanks again for all the comments on our first post.

  • Step 1
  • I (on the bottom) am stuck in a decent Kesa. I have just started to push up the left side of my body by bridging on my left leg and pushing down on Jeremy's (top) right shoulder.
  • Step 2
  • Now I have "sucked out" my right shoulder from underneath Jeremy, wrapped my left arm solidly around his torso, and bridged further on my left leg. By sucking out the shoulder and bridging at the same time, I am able to maintain a closeness to my opponent (for control) but reorientate his weight and put his side against my chest. Now that his center is attached to mine, it will be possible to sweep him.
  • Step 3
  • As I begin the sweep you can really get a good view of how I've put Jeremy's "center" on my own chest. To begin the sweep, I throw my left shoulder back to ground and (holding tight to keep the torsos connected) reverse-bridge HARD off of my right leg. Jeremy starts to go up...
  • Step 4
  • ...and over. Again, note the extension of the bridge off my right leg. Remember to keep the body-lock on their torso TIGHT throughout the entire sweep.
  • Step 5
  • Finishing the sweep here. Note that Jeremy has not let go of my head (this'll be important in a moment). I whip my right leg tight to his back immediately, and my left leg is about to follow...
  • Step 6
  • ... and establish a solid side position. My right arm (you can't see it here, but trust me, it's there) pushes him towards me, and my knees push into his back, thus controlling him fairly well and keeping him from easily turning and trying to establish guard.
  • Step 7
  • (New Angle). Keep in mind that this technique is meant for someone who is holding onto you TIGHTLY in this position (squeezing your head/neck into their torso). I reach my right hand from around his head and pin his right arm to the ground, keeping myself heavy on him and hopefully avoiding too much discomfort by using my left arm to take away some of the pressure on my head and neck.
  • Step 8
  • Look at what happens here. I grab his left wrist and use this grip to KEEP his left arm around my head. From here I posture up a little to create space between Jeremy's torso and the floor.
  • Step 9
  • I QUICKLY pull his right arm back and sneak my right leg around and use it to hook his right arm. Make sure to shift your weight back a little here, otherwise your opponent might be able to roll you over the top when you give up some of your base to hook their arm.
  • Step 10
  • I pull his right arm back further behind him. Note that after a certain point I can release my grip with my right hand. Note also the space that now exists between Jeremy and the floor.
  • Step 11
  • I finish pulling the right arm back, thus trapping it under my right leg. With his right arm taken away, Jeremy falls almost facedown to the floor. From here I can work (slowly if need be) on his left arm with both of my free arms. Here I've removed his arm from around my head and am about to shoot my right hand between his left armpit and my own head.
  • Step 12
  • I've almost wrapped up his left arm with my right arm. I keep his arm isolated with my own body by leaning far over his torso.
  • Step 13
  • From here all that's left to do is finish wrapping up Jeremy's left arm under my right armpit and arch back for the submission. Think of trying to move your opponent's elbows together behind his back. This lockout of the arms combined with the motion you put them through creates an extreme compression of the upper back muscles and is very painful.
    There is is! Be safe. Have fun.

Comments

nice vid, that is some tight technique!

Elite MMA Academy
Santa Fe Springs, CA

i got me a new move!!!

Franklin Roosevelt once said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". Well guess what, i am fear.

I like it! I have a move similar that starts from side mount and an under hook on the guys neck. good stuff!

nice move. your right about your comment about it being a ¨decent¨ kesa-gatame. if his posture on top was better (better form w/ base), it would be more difficult, not impossible, to reverse it.


?I...am all...that is man...?

Thanks everyone for the comments and rankings, and good observation about postioning in the Kesa, fiskking. Sorry about the "fuzziness" of the pics and vid, our cameraman had never used the particular camera before and thought that it was on auto-focus, so, everything was out of focus by a few degrees. Ju-Jimbo, your variation sounds cool, I'll have to give it a whirl Smile

Success is usually the culmination of controlling failure ? Sylvester Stallone

Great move! Thanks. I may be stating the obvious for some but if you were to have trouble with the initial sweep you can apply pressure to his soft/floater rib with the knife edge of your forearm to get him to raise his hips off of the floor. This way he will supply most of the momentum needed for the sweep.

~IB~

Not to take anything away from this technique....but it seems a little combersome.

I'd like to see it performed with an Uki who is sqirming around and tryng to counter it......not giving you the arm as shown in the demo.

Don't get me wrong, I'm going to try it, but I have my doubts it'll work.