The Sitting on the Shoulder (aka ‘SOS’) position is essential to incorporate into your omoplata attack game. More at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

I have been using the Omoplata for more than 2 decades and it has always served me well. Sometimes I would finish the submission itself, but even if that didn’t work the attempt usually led to other submissions, sweeps, and reversals.

In the last few years my percentage for finishing the Omoplata submission itself has shot up. Why? It’s because I started placing a much larger emphasis on breaking my opponent’s alignment before trying to apply the armlock itself.

In the first video you’ll see how I used to do it. I would go to the finish even if my opponent’s knees were still under him (giving him base) and if his spine was still in good biomechanical position (posture). Sometimes it worked but most of the time my opponent would roll out which would result in a scramble. Usually I would get to the top in that scramble which was great, but I could’ve been doing it better.

Now as soon as I sit up my main focus instantly becomes breaking down his base and his posture. If he’s sprawled out with his spine twisted then his ability to wriggle or roll out is much curtailed and it’s much, much easier to finish him.

There are a number of different ways to accomplish this alignment break. I currently use 3 or 4 main methods vs the turtle, but there are also Omoplata entries that take you directly to this position of broken alignment.

TLDR: Break his alignment, finish way more submissions.

More about the Omoplata 2.0 instructional here: https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

Cheers
Stephan Kesting

How to attack with the omoplata armlock from the lasso spider guard. From https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

Omoplata 2.0 is the brand new instructional by Stephan Kesting. More info at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

After 2 decades of research, experimentation and development my latest instructional, Omoplata 2.0, is now available!

This is the ultimate guide to the omoplata, and it’s available as a 5 disk DVD set, as an online streaming instructional, and in app format as well.

This resource gives you an entire step-by-step system for the omoplata.

You’ll learn entries into the omoplata from every position, how to finish bigger and stronger people with it, how to seamlessly transition into sweeps and other submissions, and exactly how to completely shut down all of your opponent’s omoplata escapes and counters.

The omoplata is the most versatile submission in jiu-jitsu and the Swiss army knife of grappling.

At it’s core it’s is a super effective submission that has been used many times at the highest levels of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, no gi submission grappling and even in MMA to finish tough, resisting opponents.

The cool thing is that the omoplata it’s also one of the most powerful sweeps in the jiu-jitsu repertoire. Many black belts find that it’s the most effective and reliable way to reverse the position and get to the top against high level opponents.

Finally it’s also an amazing setup for many other other submissions and transitions. So long as you know what the other guy is likely to do and have pre-prepared answers for those responses you’ll always be a step ahead of him.

The key is understanding this technique as a system and not as a single isolated submission

In 5 DVDs and 7 volumes of material you’ll learn my complete system for making this attack a cornerstone of your game.

This instructional contains more than 182 techniques, including…

Over 41 effective setups and entries for the omoplata from every position

15 counters to the omoplata

70 counters and followups to use when our opponent tries to escape

Techniques that work with and without the gi

The strategies that connect all these moves together and make them easy to remember

Drills and developmental exercises to make the techniques natural and instinctive

And much more…

More info at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

The cross collar grip is a very powerful control position from closed guard; here’s how to get it. This is an excerpt from https://www.grapplearts.com/closedguard The Closed Guard System, a step-by-step formula for developing a KILLER closed guard by Jon Thomas!

Make sure to check out Jon’s breakdown of how to finish the cross collar choke from this position too! That’s on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qByxp0TgNYM

When your opponent postures with one knee up it’s a great time to hit him with the double shin sweep from butterfly guard and get to the top. Check out https://www.amazon.com/Non-Stop-Jiu-Jitsu-Champions-Aggressive/dp/B08CPNPNDD, the book guiding you through world champion Brandon Mullin’s BJJ game!

From https://www.grapplearts.com/guardretention. The twist sweep is a fantastic defense against pressure passing in general, and the over-under pass in particular!

My name is Stephan Kesting and I’m a BJJ black belt who has practiced martial arts for 40 years. Other than Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/StephanKesting) you can check out my work in the following places…

My Free Guide to Jiu-Jitsu: https://www.grapplearts.com/book

My BJJ Website: https://www.grapplearts.com

My Self Defense Website: https://www.selfdefensetutorials.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grapplearts

The Strenuous Life Podcast: https://www.grapplearts.com/podcast

————————————————————————————

Note: The video content here is mine (except for one scene from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tuNwkUhVKM directed by a Mr. Craig Jones). The music content is not mine, and belongs to Boney M.

Song: Boney M. – Rasputin
link: https://youtu.be/16y1AkoZkmQ

This falls under the fair use copyright act – copyright disclaimer under section 107 of the copyright act 1976. Fair use is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders, such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching, or scholarship.

How to escape side control and go directly to a match-ending armbar, from How to Defeat the Bigger, Stronger Opponent Volume 2 (https://www.grapplearts.com/bigstrong2) with black belt world champion Brandon ‘Wolverine’ Mullins

Whenever your opponent pushes your legs down to disengage your hooks or to pin them to the ground you’re in danger of having your guard passed. From https://www.grapplearts.com/armdrag with Rob Biernacki and Stephan Kesting here’s how to stop your opponent from controlling your legs and make him pay for even thinking about passing your guard!

When people are playing from the guard it’s WAY too common that they just let their opponents get whatever grip they want. Once they’ve given the other guy the grips they’re now on the defensive and have to fight out of whatever passing position they end up in.

That’s why the first thing you should do when you end up in the guard is to gripfight like crazy. Whoever dominates the grips is probably going to dominate the match.

Conceding the initial grip is a HUGE mistake, because gripfighting is the cheatcode for dominating the guard. There’s just no other skill that gives you as much bang for your buck in jiu-jitsu as gripfighing.

Gripfighting is something that everyone at the elite level does. It determines world championships but the skill itself is rarely taught in jiu-jitsu class.

Getting good at establishing your preferred grip is the secret to dominating bigger guys. Some gymbro might bench 300 lbs, but if he can’t get a good grip on you with his hands then he won’t be able to use all that strength to manhandle you.

Also gripfighting is an almost perfect way to prevent guard passes because if you get dominant grips then you control the match and can shut down almost all of the other guy’s offense.

But many people are completely lost when it comes to gripfighting. They just don’t know what to do first, what to do second, and what positions are best.

Like I said, this isn’t often taught in class, which is why Rob Biernacki and I made an entire instructional about it.

In The Gripfighting and Kuzushi Formula (https://www.grapplearts.com/gripfighting) you’ll learn step-by-step gameplans to break your opponent’s grips and get dominant grips of your own.

These are proven sequences and strategies to control your opponent, set up your offence, and win the guard battle in both gi and no gi.

This new instructional will be incredibly useful for you, comes at a reduced introductory price, is 100% guaranteed, and right now it comes with a ton of extra material.

Check it out here: https://www.grapplearts.com/gripfighting

Thanks
Stephan Kesting

It’s incredibly important to dominate the gripfighting battle in BJJ because a single grip can determine the course of a match. From https://www.grapplearts.com/gripfighting here’s how to break your opponent’s collar grip, establish your own dominant position, and turn the match around!

This is just one of the no gi gripfighting sequences taught in https://www.grapplearts.com/gripfighting, The Gripfighting and Kuzushi Formula featuring Rob Biernacki and Stephan Kesting

Offbalancing someone in the grappling arts is known as ‘Kuzushi’. Typically people use the term Kuzushi in a Judo context, but it can also be used in a jiu-jitsu context where you use it to set up sweeps, submissions and transitions to more dominant guard positions.

You can use Kuzushi from the guard in both gi and not gi, and in every form of guard including the closed guard, recumbent open guard, seated guard, half guard, etc.

The three basic types of Kuzushi from the guard are,

1, Hanging or swinging Kuzushi
2, Blocking or pushing Kuzushi, and
3, Intercepting Kuzushi

Once he’s off-balance and his alignment broken he’ll be much easier to deal with. He won’t be trying to pass your guard. He’ll be so off balance that all he’ll be thinking about is recovering his position.

Check out our in-depth instructional on how to use gripfighting and Kuzushi to dominate the guard at https://www.grapplearts.com/kuzushi