5 Submissions For BJJ From Coach Neil Melanson
Posted by Matt Bryers on
Learn The Catch Wrestling Formula For BJJ From One Of The Most Feared Men On The Planet, Coach Neil Melanson
The most overlooked method for enhancing your jiu jitsu is learning wrestling techniques. As one of the oldest grappling forms there are literally hundreds of its methods used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition. For example, you will often see wrestling techniques incorporate into high level BJJ matches. Single leg and double leg take downs are a very effective way of getting an opponent to the ground. Or take half guard for example. Whether you are on top or bottom, under hooks, over hooks, and just scrambling for position you will often find yourself in one of wrestling’s most common positions: the dog fight position. Wrestling can also greatly improve your grappling cardio, which is an often under thought aspect of training in any martial art.
Neil is one of the most detailed, thorough, and savage grappling coaches in the game today. Learn the unorthodox secrets of the most notorious grappling coach out there and Gain an entirely new perspective on the Kimura and catch all of your training partners
When it comes to grappling, Coach Neil Melanson has some amazing and truly unique moves that will help you dominate any opponent. Neil Melanson is one of the most sought after instructors in the world. Currently he is the Head Grappling coach at Jaco Hybrid Training Center. Melanson specializes in Catch wrestling, while drawing elements from Judo. He is especially known for his guard work, leg locks and triangle chokes. Neil has some amazing submissions for BJJ that, combined with his wrestling experience are truly lethal for dominating anyone. So let’s take a look at some of Neil’s techniques. Here are 5 submissions for BJJ from Coach Neil Melanson.
#1: One on One to Kimura
Neil Melanson starts this movement out using a one on one wrist grip. Once he secures his opponent with that grip it is a matter of cutting off all escape routes. Instinctively his training partner can only go one direction to the turtle position. From here Melanson connects by controlling his opponent’s back with his chin. Now he has a lot of control, along with a great angle and the right amount of leverage to pull the torso of his opponent forward, dumping him to his side. When he does this he steps into his training partner’s half guard, still controlling his wrist. From here he grabs the kimura lock and the finish his right there.
#2: Power Kimura
The power kimura uses pressure as its primary advantage. Melanson locks up the grip by hugging his opponent’s arm. He uses the outside of his wrist like a blade to dig into his opponent’s arm, making the position very uncomfortable. His hands are gripping his own tricep and elbow. Melanson sucks the arm tight to his chest, leaving no space his body and his opponent’s arm, preventing him from being able to counter. To finish the submission, Neil pushes his training partner’s head in the direction of the trapped arm. Then he passes over his opponent’s head by smashing it with his thigh. This causes your opponent to turn his head and tap from the pressure.
#3: Two Birds One Stone Triangle
Melanson starts off this technique with an emphasis on the over hook in a tight closed guard. Melanson clinches his training partner’s neck in order to pull him into his guard. On the same side as the over hook, Neil establishes connectivity by placing his foot in his opponent’s waist. Now he can adjust his body positioning, moving away from the center line of his opponent while controlling his bottom leg with his other hand. Neil secures his grip and pulls the arm into towards him like he is setting up an arm bar. From here he switches his grip by using his over hooking arm to trap his training partner’s arm to start setting up the triangle. Coach Melanson swings his leg up and over his training partner’s shoulder. From here he can either hook the leg or under his opponent’s arm. After some further angle adjustments the triangle choke tightens up, causing his opponent to tap.
#4: Arm on the Mat Triangle
The arm on the mat finish is key for Coach Melanson because the majority of his triangle finishes originate from an over hook control on his opponent. For Neil, taking the trouble to bring the arm across the body is unnecessary and may cause more problems. Unless that arm on the mat is controlling your hips, his opponent can keep it on the mats all they want and not be a concern. It simply requires you to be more strategic with how position your knees and how you apply pressure to ensure that your knee is in the right location in relation to the shoulder of the opponent to maximize pressure.
#5: Nelson Necktie
This technique combines elements of wrestling's "Three quarter Nelson" hold which allows a wrestler to control the body and posture of their opponent by gripping the neck trapping the shoulder close to the head, and the BJJ "Peruvian Necktie" which utilizes the hips driving into the choke that a standard head and arm choke doesn't have. There are various grips you can use when setting up this choke, but Neil shows the most important part of connecting your hands, which is hiding them from your opponent so that he can’t clear the choke. The use of the driving knee against the neck is what brings the "necktie" element to the submission. Even if his opponent is able to clear Neil’s driving knee, his arm control will be enough to finish the submission.
As you can tell, there are some good reasons why Neil is one of the most sought out instructors in the world. Throughout his career, the professional fighters Melanson has trained include: Randy Couture, Karo Parisyan, Gray Maynard, Todd Duffee, Goran Reljic, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Anthony Johnson, Patrick Cummins and many others. If you liked these 5 submissions from Neil Melanson then I recommend you check out a few of his instructional series, The Filthy Kimura, The Catch Wrestling Formula, and The Headhunter Guillotine Series, all available exclusively on BJJFanatics.com. Be sure to give these submissions a try the next time you are on the mats, and do not forget just how helpful it can be in BJJ to cross train wrestling and other grappling arts!
Neil Melanson is The Man Who Does Everything In Jiu Jitsu A Bit Different – Yet All The Big Stars Worship Him: He Has The Weirdest – Yet Most Effective Grappling Game You’ve Ever Seen. Maybe it is from his integration of Catch Wrestling or his years of coaching some of the best MMA and No Gi Grapplers in the world. The current Blackzillians MMA Coach Neil Melanson’s Kimura Game Is More Efficient and So Much More Advanced Than Any Other Kimura Out There. His DVD / On Demand Series called the Filthy Kimura will completely change how you attack the kimura from every where.
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