Stuart Cooper Presents Marcelo Garcia "Live Now"

Enjoy.

Gianni Grippo Promoted to Black Belt by Marcelo Garcia

Add Gianni to the list of American black belts who will now ply their trade in the elite division.

Gianni's departure from his longtime home at Team Renzo Gracie last year was a big story (as was the departure/exodus/collapse of Team Lloyd Irvin).
This year has us looking at Keenan Cornelius, Gianni, and the Miyao brothers as notable newly minted black belts.

The future is bright.

Marcelo Garcia Rolling with a Rickson Black Belt

It is what it is.

T.G.I.F. - The Guillotine Is Friday. Protect Your Neck!

Last year, I was up at the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials. Some of the coaches milling about were guys like Renzo Graice, Lloyd Irvin, Marcelo Garcia, Cyborg (also competed).

At any rate, Marcelo's guys were quick to attack the neck as it's a favorite of their instructor.
If you've read previous posts on here, I like the submissions and takedowns for which I routinely find entries and opportunities to attack in a multitude of places: the arm and the neck seem to present themselves quite a bit. As such I like chokes and armbars.
I also like things that don't come naturally to me. The Guillotine fits all of the above criteria. I've found and gotten together the candidate for Guillotine Master in Marcelo Garcia and below is a HL of his, then him teaching the guillotine from a variety of positions. Now, go attack that neck.


See highlight for examples:



See Marcelo's Guillotine from Sidemount:


See Marcelo's Guillotine from Butterfly Guard:


Aaaaaand, see Marcelo's Guillotine from Mount :) :


Happy Trainingz!

This is your Brain. This is your Brain on Marcelo. Any questions?

While I can't promise to teach you the mystery of Chess Boxing.....Marcelo can learn you right good about some grapplin'

School's in session. Grab a pen. Or some coffee. Grab your Teddy Ruxpin. A pack of smokes if need be. Whatever.

Marcelo is about to break down his own performance and some of what he remembers thinking during the last ADCC. You can't really put a price on this kind of knowledge, b/c well, you just can't.

Anyhow, watch and learn. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Happy Trainingz!

Sweet Technique Variation of the Day: McKenzie-Tine/Guillotine

Ah, the Guillotine. I thought I knew thee well.

Coming from Judo, the guillotine wasn't a submission I spent much time on when I started grappling 7 1/2 years ago. 1) it's illegal in Judo due to something about strain on the neck and 2) with the upright posture most Judoka use, the move rarely presented itself except occasionally in matwork. At any rate, the more time I've spent doing NoGi (and watching the inimitable Marcelo Garcia) and MMA, the more I've come to attack the neck. From the top, from half-guard, defending the takedown, from a single leg counter, from north south.....the moves I like best have a ton of entries or set-ups which present themselves.

On that note....my other favorite thing in the world is a grappler having a move he does, that everyone knows is his move, and he still catches people with it. Whether it's Marcelo Garcie and his arm in/neck out/flying cartwheel/whenever-he-wants-guillotine, Toquinho's leg attacks, or Imanari's foot locks (No, I don't care for Rafa and his 50/50 anything), something in my grappler heart loves the idea that an opponent knows your signature move is coming and the end still inevitably comes at the hands of that submission several minutes later. 

In Judo, we call this "Tokui waza", meaning something like pet technique. It's your specialty. It's the throw, transition, pass, submission, pin that is your move you've been developing and doing to everyone in the gym.You typically tried something out, or made a small variation that makes it "yours". 

Wait for it....Wait for it.........Chop Chop Chop time.

Because I decided to start going for the arm in and no arm guillotine from the top when I'm in half-guard, I came across a guillotine variation popularized by Ultimate Fighter contestant and UFC fighter Cody McKenzie.


On the show they discussed McKenzie's record and number of previous wins by guillotine: he had 9 straight wins by Guillotine heading into the show.
On the show he got another win by guillotine.
Then on the finale show, he guillotined another contestant from the house.

1st up


2nd up


Detailed explanation of the "McKenzi-Tine":


And an add'l variation of the Guillotine I've seen Donald Cerrone use (among others)

On that note....go attack that neck...and protect your own. 
Happy Trainingz!