The highest level of confidence is displayed when a child uses their skills to protect someone else. In this chapter, the emphasis is to give children the permission and the techniques to stand up for others when they feel empowered to do so. We also remind them that even when they have the opportunity to help, it’s not a requirement, especially if they don’t feel safe.
The Little Champs program is for kids 5-7 years old. Using our time-tested "Gracie Games", we teach the Little Champs basic self-defense techniques while instilling the foundational principles of leverage and control. The secret to the success of this program is that we make the lessons so fun that the kids beg for more! Once a child masters the ten core Gracie Games, they advance to the Jr. Grapplers program.
Today's class focuses on rear takedowns and armbars from the mount.
The highest level of confidence is displayed when a child uses their skills to protect someone else. In this chapter, the emphasis is to give children the permission and the techniques to stand up for others when they feel empowered to do so. We also remind them that even when they have the opportunity to help, it’s not a requirement, especially if they don’t feel safe.
In the Jr. Grapplers program, we focus on 33 non-violent self-defense techniques that teach children to "neutralize and negotiate" with bullies. Verbal assertiveness strategies are a major portion of this curriculum. A child needs absolutely no experience to stat, and we guarantee a noticeable increase in your child's confidence within a few weeks.
Today's class focuses on rear takedowns and armbars from the mount.
Shrimp Escape - Side Mount
Against a much larger opponent, there is a good chance that you will find yourself on the bottom of the fight. If this happens, the safest thing to do is to get your opponent in your guard, because from there, you can neutralize punches and win the fight. If your opponent is able to get past your guard, you will need to use the Shrimp Escape to put them back where they belong. In this lesson you will learn three variations of the Shrimp Escape, starting with the Block and Shoot Variation.
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Body Fold Takedown
Instead of exchanging punches with a larger opponent, we recommend that you establish the clinch and take them to the ground where you can exhaust and submit them. Once you establish the clinch, there is a good chance that they will get desperate and try to hit you in the face. In doing so, they will lean back and unknowingly create the perfect opportunity for the Body Fold Takedown.
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Striking a larger, stronger assailant in the face with punches has limited effectiveness and may cause you to break your hand. In this lesson, we teach you how to use a Super Slap to disrupt the attack and facilitate your escape. First we will teach you how to maximize power with a solo preparation drill, and then we’ll discuss how to apply the Super Slap in combination with previously learned techniques. In this lesson, we teach you additional variations of this critically important technique to ensure your survival against an attacker trying to punch, pin, or choke you.
Super Slap:
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Guard Get-Ups (Choke/Wrist Pin):
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Kimura Armlock - Guard
The Kimura shoulder lock was named after the Japanese Jiu-Jitsu champion, Masahiko Kimura, after he used the technique against Helio Gracie in 1951. Although this technique can be applied from several different positions, we have chosen to teach it to you from the bottom of the guard, since that is where you are most likely to end up against a larger opponent. In the first slice you will learn the Basic Application, then we’ll discuss two reliable variations that can be applied from the guard.
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Leg Hook Takedown
Your goal in any one-on-one physical altercation should be avoid dangerous punches while standing, and then get the fight to the ground where you can more effectively control and defeat your opponent. The safest place to be in a fight, while standing, is in a clinch. From the clinch, your opponent’s striking power is almost entirely eliminated. You will learn how to close the distance and establish the clinch in a future lesson. In this lesson, we will teach you how to take the opponent down once you get there.
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Punch Block Series (Stage 5) - Guard
From Stage 4 it is important that you drop your opponent back to Stage 1 as quickly as possible so that you are safest from punches and have the best control over their body. If, while in Stage 4, your opponent is not leaning forward heavily enough to be dropped to Stage 1, it is best to kick them away to Stage 5. In this lesson you will learn how to defend from Stage 5 as well as what to do if the opponent tries to throw your legs aside in their quest for a knockout punch.
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Haymaker Punch Defense
In many cases, the precise movement and aim of your opponent’s strikes are hard to predict. Sometimes, however, your opponent is so eager to attack you that their punch is totally predictable. The Haymaker Punch Defense is used when a determined attacker comes at you from a distance with the objective of putting all of their bodyweight behind one fight-ending punch. Because of this punch’s power and predictability, the best option is to slip underneath it and get behind your opponent.
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Gracie Combatives is our beginner program for adults. In this program, you will learn the 36 core techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in a fun, safe, and cooperative environment. Each one-hour lesson addresses one standing and one ground self-defense technique, which are further broken down into simplified drills or "slices" to facilitate the learning process. You can start the program at any time and participate in any class without any previous experience and, since safety is our number one concern, there is no competitive sparring in this program. Upon successful completion of the Gracie Combatives program you can test to earn your Gracie Combatives belt and, if you pass, you will qualify for advancement into the Master Cycle program.
Predators often test their targets’ spatial boundaries to see how close they can get before initiating the assault. In this lesson, we teach you how to use verbal assertiveness to establish and enforce your personal space and what to do if the attacker crosses the boundary and physically assaults you. The natural tendency when being overwhelmed with strikes is to back away from the assailant while protecting your face and head. Once again, the intuitive response in this situation could be the most dangerous response. In this lesson, we further explore the distance management principles and learn how to minimize damage from aggressive strikes in a standing altercation.
Stop-Block-Frame (3 variations):
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Punch Defense (Clinch Entry):
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Reflex Development - Freestyle Focus Class Preview
In this class we'll bring together control, escape, and submission details from various positions you are familiar with and add some extra details, bonus slices, and scripted fight simulation drills that will help prepare you for your transition into Master Cycle!
Gracie Combatives Test - Drill 5: Freestyle Fight Simulation
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Hook Sweep - Guard
If your opponent leans all their weight forward from Stage 4, drop them into Stage 1. If they stand in Stage 4 without leaning any weight, kick them back to Stage 5. If they are leaning forward from Stage 4 but have one leg forward for base, you may have difficulty dropping them back into Stage 1, and this is precisely when you would use the Hook Sweep to reverse the position.
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Guillotine Defense
When you establish the clinch, and your opponent no longer has the space or distance to strike you effectively, they will often wrap your neck in an attempt to submit you. For this reason, the Guillotine Choke is one of the most common techniques used by unskilled individuals because it’s simple and it gives them a feeling of control during the chaos. Although the proper clinch position should prevent the Guillotine Choke, your opponent may surprise you if your head is too low, and in this lesson, you will learn the most important Guillotine Defense principles.
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