Flow From Kouchi Gari to Dog Bar

Posted by Fanatics Authors on January 04, 2019

Kouchi To Dog Bar by Vlad Koulikov

If you are familiar with grappling, and sambo in particular you will likely have heard of Vlad Koulikov. Vlad is a world champion competitor;placing three times in the USA Open and represented team USA in combat SAMBO in the World Championship in 2008. Vlad placed and won multiple NAGA and Grapplers Quest tournaments and was awarded the most technical fighter in the very first Grapplers Quest competition winning all his matches by submissions. When it comes to Sambo, jiu jitsu, and grappling in general, Vlad has this to say: “Both SAMBO and Jiu Jitsu have their strengths. And both have plenty of restrictions. There are fewer restrictions in no gi sub grappling, and I’ve always preferred it. My SAMBO background has enhanced my Jiu Jitsu performance. I have learned to implement and adapt my SAMBO skills to the Jiu Jitsu rules. Just like in chemistry, you get a reaction if you mix two agents. It took some time to get rid of ‘bad’ habits from SAMBO such as turtling once in a danger of being pinned. Also, it took some time to be comfortable to be on my back. I would willingly play off my back in practice but would try my hardest not to end up facing the ceiling in competition.”

If you are into playing on your feet, you’ll be in heaven with these takedowns. And if you’re not a takedown guy, don’t sweat it;Vlad isn’t some 20-year old dude doing cartwheels. You can use these takedowns safely even if you are a 40-year old who needs to go to work tomorrow. And quite frankly, these takedowns and set-ups are actually going to be JUST AS USEFUL even if you don’t play takedowns at all.

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Today Vlad is here to demonstrate his Kouchi to Dog Bar technique. Watch the video below and then we will break down the technique. Check it out now!

Vlad starts off by explaining that he likes to disguise when he is about to go for the kouchi take down. He secures a lapel grip on one side of his training partner. You want to pull down on your opponent a few times to break down his posture and get his momentum going. Pay attention to Vlad’s foot work, it is a very important detail. The foot work is what causes your opponent to take a big step forward, which is necessary if you are going to exploit his leg for a take down. Notice that once Vlad’s training partner takes a step forward Vlad uses his other leg to hook. He establishes contact using his entire body against his opponent. At his point, Vlad shares with us a crucial detail. You never want your foot to be flat on the ground when performing this sweep. After you perform the take down you want to get both of your hands around your training partner’s hips. This will work even better if you are able to grab one leg. From here, the submission is inevitable. Simply wrap your training partner’s thigh, and then flex your knees and your opponent will be sure to tap.

What I like the most about this technique is that the kouchi take down puts you in the perfect position to get the dog bar submission. You may want to watch this video several more times to really pick up on all the detail that goes into performing a successful kouchi. Often times, a take down like this one involves moving your training partner around to get their legs in the correct position. So keep this in mind the next time you start standing, and remember that the kouchi is a very powerful take down that puts you in the perfect dog bar position. Thank you Vlad for sharing this incredible technique!

Inegrating Sambo with Jiu Jitsu is one of the best tips Vlad can offer you. Sambo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are a perfect compliment for each other. BJJ is known for it's guard, chokes and body positions, while Sambo is known for it's takedowns and foot locks. Vlad should put out a DVD on how to integrate both.... oh wait.

The difference between this instructional series and 99% of the others is the systemization of how Sambo can be applied to your grappling and Jiu Jitsu. And it’s not Sambo just to say you know some Sambo. Or Sambo just so you can look slick before getting your ass kicked because the techniques useless to grappling. No.