Day After Christmas Sale! My Introduction to Cross Grip Seionage for Free

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However, some of the best things in life are free.
Watch. Learn. Do. Repeat.

Because Your Takedowns & Throws Suck Volume II: Developing the Pull for Cross Grip Shoulder Throw/Seionage

Having gone over the basics for the cross grip shoulder throw/seionage, an essential component for the throw is the pull. It's also called "Kuzushi" in Judo, meaning unbalancing or something vaguely to that effect.
There's 3 parts to an effective throw (massive generalization, but bear with  me) which I emphasize: advantageous grip, throwing with movement, and making space for my entry.
The failures in throwing virtually all stem from the absence of one or more of the above. Either you're throwing from an inferior grip or neutral grip and thus your opponent easily counters.
You attempt to throw from a static position and your opponent is heavy in base and easily defends.
You attempt to throw and you haven't opened up the space necessary for your entry and attempt to pull him across you or from behind or never slide into optimal throwing position.

 

Because Your Takedowns & Throws Suck: Cross Grip Seionage

VIDEO: Cross Grip Seionage Basics for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

From the time when I still had long hair.
 

VIDEO: Moving Uchikomi Dril for Cross Grip Seionage

Because you didn't ask, here's a drill with movement for cross grip or 2 on 1 seionage.
 

Anti-Technique of the Week: How NOT to do Seionage in Competition

How NOT to do Seionage (unless you like having your back taken/getting RNC'd):

AND here's a friend of Kurt Osiander Teaching it:


AND here's my version premised off of what I've seen Jacare and Rodolfo Vieira do:

Interview Thursday: Shawn Williams & Rodolfo Continues the Cross Grip Massacre

Before we get to Interview Thursday, here's Rodolfo hitting the cross grip seionage on Tarsis Humphreys recently down in Brazil.

In case the above makes you curious, I posted some drills and explanation of the throw/entry for the throw HERE.

I was listening to the Inside BJJ/This Week in BJJ segment with Shawn Williams, and I'd forgotten how much I like his interviews, so for today's Interview Thursday, if you were bad and didn't catch this episode of Rolled Up with Shawn Williams:

Tournament Proof Tuesday: Drills for Cross Grip Seionage

Details on fitting in and form for the cross grip seionage:



Details on a moving/dynamic drill for practicing the cross grip seionage:

Stationary Uchikomi Drill

I blogged earlier about the importance of uchikomis (or fitting into a throw) like I demonstrate below.




I set a personal goal to hit 20,000 uchikomis before I get cleared for grappling in about 3 months.
I've hit a little more than 3900 since I started.

Tournament Proof Tuesday: Cross Grip Seionage for BJJ

As promised, I've put together an introduction to a shoulder throw variation better suited for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition. You may or may not recognize a man from over at BJJRefspot as my uke/partner in the video as well.
If you google the shoulder throw from Judo and its application in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the inexperienced or misinformed forums are full of people claiming it leads to having your back taken or getting RNC'd. If your grip is good, the throw is not from a static position, and you get the guy moving, I've never had that happen personally. The key though is repetition and drilling, then drilling with movement. I'll be putting up some stepping drills and drills for practicing the throw while moving later this week as an add-on to this brief introduction. 



Remember:
1) advantageous grip
2) throw with movement
3) make space for your entry

The cross grip affords quite a bit of control and pull with which to get your opponent moving. It also affords a fair amount of control as you transition to the mat. Controlling one whole part of his body never hurts in a transition to mat work. The beauty of dropping to one knee is that in the event that I miss, I can get back to my feet and enter into the throw again in rapid succession.





I posted about the use of this variation HERE by Rodolfo Vieira among others. If it works at the highest levels of Jiu-Jitsu competition there's no reason why it won't work at the lower belts other than lack of proper preparation, drilling, and training.

And to make this post a bit retro, go after the jump for video of my first 2 Judo matches, back when I was a lowly white belt.

Tournament Proof Tuesday: Cross Grip Seionage

I've had a number of friends and specifically BJJ competitors ask me about the variation of seionage where you grip with both hands on the same side of your opponent's body. I don't typically use this in Judo competition, but it is more effective and safer for BJJ competition in my experience. I started hearing more questions once it was utilized by Rodolfo and Galvao among others.
I consistently hear claims about having your back taken by doing this throw. I haven't had that experience, provided you foot sweep to set up the shoulder throw, and the throw is done with movement. As BJJ players are typically more flat-footed and the movement  is slower on the feet, you'll find guys like Rodolfo and Galvao compensating by taking a stronger grip with the cross grip/both hands on one side of the opponent's body. This grip which is penalized in Judo as defensive if not used within 3-5 seconds. The defensive potential for the grip combined with the lack of gripping rules in BJJ (which will be coming soon as takedown points become more important and players seek an edge in competition) make the cross grip seionage the best variation for BJJ competition.

I'll be posting a video with some of my thoughts and finer points here shortly once I get my hands on a camcorder.

Cross Grip Seionage: when you enter into the shoulder throw, you are gripping with both of your hands on the same side of your opponent's body. Example: my left hand grips the opponent's right sleeve, and my right hand grips his right lapel.

Rodolfo hitting it at 2:10 (Takedown points become more important in the shorter 6 minute rounds of the World Pro). Galvao himself hits this throw pretty consistently himself.

And for my Judo-centric fans - most of the Seionage variations I've seen/been taught over the years:

As always, here's a short clip focusing on the straight spine, good posture, entry for Seionage which is fundamentally important: