Invert Like Gordon Ryan With This Throw By Counter

Unless you're living under a rock, you undoubtedly know who Gordon Ryan is.  At barely 25 years old, with about six years as a black belt he has put the entire BJJ competitive scene on its collective heels.  Having most recently won double gold at the illustrious ADCC World Championships (taking his gold medal count to 3), he has packed a legendary career into a few short years.

In the upcoming ADCC, he is hoping to write another chapter in his storied career by being the first Absolute Gold winning athlete to come back to the next ADCC and compete in not only the Superfight, but also the brackets for his weight.  Thus far, the promoters of the ADCC seem agreeable to this, though no final decision has been made as of the writing of this article.

It's clear to see that from a competitive standpoint, this is the Gordon Ryan era and at only 25, we are most likely only at the beginning of what could prove to be a decade or more of domination from the smart-mouthed kid from New Jersey who spends about as much time crushing haters online as he does training partners on the mats each day.

Not only has he staked his claim as the premier No Gi grappler on the planet today, through his work with BJJ Fanatics, he has also staked his claim as one of the best and most popular jiu jitsu instructors on the planet.  The internet lights up every time Gordon Ryan teases a new project on the horizon.  Today, the jiu jitsu gods have smiled upon the peasants again with the release of Systematically Attacking from the Open Guard Supine Position.

In the excerpt video below, Gordon Ryan tackles one of the trickiest movements any practitioner can face when learning BJJ, the process of learning how to invert.  In clear, simple language, Gordon Ryan "doesn't ask a lot" when he shows how just about anyone can counter the throw by pass and find themselves entering their opponent's legs with relative ease.  Check it out below!

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 Countering a Throw By With An Inversion by Gordon Ryan

The Throw By Pass

In the set up scenario, Nathalia approaches Gordon's open guard and attempts to control his legs and essentially throw them to the side pointing his knees away to make a quick pass to a dominant position.

The Grip and Timing

To start his counter of this throw by pass, Gordon will time it so that the moment the trailing leg reaches 'belt level' he will reach for the outside of the opponent's ankle and brace his forearm against her shin/calf allowing him to spin his body to a north/south style position where he can grab the outsides of both of her ankles and square himself up.  

Concave Shoulders

It's crucial to note that Gordon maintains a curved, body with concave shoulders to make his body adjustment easier.  The flatter he is on his back, the less likely he will be to get to the positioning because of the extra drag and friction the back creates on the mats.

Staggered Stance Vs. Squared Up

If he is unable to grab both ankles in the event that the opponent remains in a staggered stance, he will focus on the leg nearest to him and enter into that side with his entanglement as he inverts.  If the opponent squares up, he has the choice to attack the leg of his choosing.

The goal is to bring one's lower back off the mats and hook his foot between the opponent's legs, connecting to buttocks and wrapping the outside leg around the thigh to complete the entanglement which allows you to set the opponent down into a clean, cross ashi garami position.

The Inversion Itself

Inverting can be a scary proposition, especially if you're not a flexible, athletic grappler like Gordon Ryan, but as Gordon explains at the close of the video, all he is asking is for you to be able to bring your lower back off the floor.  We don't need to be able to put our feet all the way over our shoulders to the mat.  Essentially, we just need enough lift to be able to touch the body of the opponent allowing us to catch on the buttock. 

Once there, we shift to one shoulder and turn the corner locking up the cross ashi.  With some practice, even the least flexible grappler on the mats should be able to accomplish this throw by counter.  Give it a try and let Gordon Ryan start you on the journey to invert.

For more from the new SYSTEMATICALLY ATTACKING FROM OPEN GUARD SUPINE POSITION, get your copy today at BJJFanatics.com.  You can get it here or at the Buy Now Link below.

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