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Open GuardBottom
AdvancedCrab Ride to Back Take
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Taught by:Andre GalvaoBernardo FariaCraig JonesGordon RyanJohn DanaherKeenan CorneliusLachlan GilesMarcelo GarciaMikey MusumeciNathan MerkleRoger Gracie
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About This Technique
": Crab Ride to Back Take"
The Crab Ride is a dynamic position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that provides a path to take your opponent's back. This technique is crucial for utilizing transitions to gain superior control and eventually secure submissions.
Positions Used
- Position: Open Guard
Step-by-step Instructions
Starting Position:
- Begin in Open Guard:
- Your opponent is standing while you are seated on the mats, face to face.
Entering the Crab Ride:
-
Control the Ankles:
- Use your legs or hands to pull your opponent's ankles forward to unbalance them.
-
Scoot Underneath the Opponent:
- Slide your hips towards your opponent's legs, positioning yourself directly under them.
-
Get Double Hooks:
- Use both of your feet to hook outside your opponent's calves, establishing a strong grip with your heels pulling inward.
Transitioning to Back:
-
Elevate the Opponent's Legs:
- Push your hips upwards while extending your legs, elevating their base and making them unstable.
-
Rotate and Hook the Hips:
- As the opponent tips forward, rotate any one side with your hips still elevated and bring both your feet around to hook their thighs from behind, pulling yourself closer.
-
Reach for the Belt or Hips Control:
- Secure a grip around their waist by grabbing their belt, gi, or hips, stabilizing your control.
Securing the Back:
-
Breaking Down the Opponent's Base:
- Push their torso forward until they fall to their knees, maintaining control through your hooks, hips, and grip.
-
Establish Seatbelt Grip:
- Wrap one arm around the neck, securing it with the other arm across the lower torso forming a 'seatbelt.'
-
Insert Your Hooks:
- Insert both of your legs in between their thighs, securing back control by effectively anchoring yourself on their hips.
Finish:
- Control and Look for Submission:
- Maintain control as they struggle, setting up for potential submissions like the Rear Naked Choke.
Tips:
- Stay tight to your opponent's body to maintain control and leverage.
- Quick, smooth transitions are key to not lose attachment during the move.
Variations:
- Based on the opponent's reaction or position, the Crab Ride can also transition into other positions besides the back take, like sweeping the opponent for a top position control such as side control or mount.
Drills to Improve:
- Practice the movement under a partner without resistance, focusing on fluidity and transition speed.
- Focus on drilling with more resistance gradually, ensuring the kinesiological aspects are internalized and intuitive before high-pressure sparring scenarios.
This technical maneuver leverages mobility and calculated disruption of the opponent's balance to culminate in gaining one of the most dominant positions in BJJ, putting your opponent in a world of trouble with your next actions.
How to Execute
# Crab Ride to Back Take from Open Guard
## Setup
1. **Initial Position Details**
- Start in the open guard position with your opponent standing in front of you.
- Your hips should be mobile, and you should maintain a good distance using your legs to manage space and control their movement.
2. **Grips and Controls Needed**
- Establish a two-on-one grip on one of your opponent's ankles.
- Use your opposite hand to control the opponent's sleeve on the same side as the ankle grip.
- Keep your feet engaged on your opponent’s hips or thighs for control and leverage.
## Steps
1. **Engage the Hips**
- Use your feet on their hips or thighs to push and pull, breaking their posture and keeping them off balance.
- Your goal is to create enough space to initiate the inversion.
2. **Invert into Crab Ride**
- Release your sleeve grip and use that hand to post on the mat or grab their leg for support.
- Tuck your head and invert your body towards the controlled ankle side, bringing your hips under your opponent’s center of gravity.
- As you invert, hook your free leg behind the opponent’s knee on the controlled side, creating a 'crab hook'.
3. **Establish Crab Ride Hooks**
- Use your other leg to hook behind the opponent’s opposite knee, establishing both 'crab hooks' on their legs.
- Keep your grips strong and your hooks engaged to control their movement.
4. **Control and Adjust Position**
- Use your hooks to pull and adjust their posture, keeping them bent forward to maintain control.
- Your grips and hooks should prevent them from turning or stepping out of your control.
5. **Execute the Back Take**
- Maintain the grip on the ankle and use your opposite hand to reach for the far side belt or hip.
- Pull yourself around their body, using your hooks and grips to guide yourself to their back.
- Aim to get your chest behind their back and your head aligned with their shoulder.
6. **Secure Back Control**
- As you reach the back, release the ankle grip and establish a seatbelt grip (one arm over the shoulder, one under the armpit).
- Insert your hooks into their legs for complete back control.
- Adjust your position to ensure you are aligned with their spine, maintaining tight chest-to-back contact.
## Key Points
- **Important Details to Remember**
- Keep your grips and hooks tight throughout the technique to prevent the opponent from escaping.
- Use your legs effectively to maintain distance and control during the inversion and transition.
- **Common Mistakes to Avoid**
- Failing to maintain grips can result in losing control during the transition.
- Not keeping your hooks engaged can allow the opponent to turn and escape.
- Rushing the transition without securing the opponent's posture may lead to losing the back control opportunity.
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