Legless Firemans Carry

The fireman’s carry is a staple across all sports of grappling, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and judo (though not competition legal anymore for the last one).

Its look pretty, and the thrower can go straight into some submissions if they land correctly. 

Now what if you could do it without touching the leg at all?

Vlad Koulikov is a true veteran of grappling, a decorated master of sport in sambo, with black belts in judo and jiu-jitsu. He brings a high level of instruction for takedowns and leglocks to the game that few possess.

Vlad starts by removing any grips his opponent has on collar, before getting a sleeve grip. Similar to how judokas grip the sleeve, he grabs the fabric going right along the wrist bone, rolling his palm outwards slightly to take the slack out and better control the hand. His other hand gets a cross collar grip (he refers to as a unilateral grip in the video). It is worth noting that many forward throws become much easier with a cross grip then with a traditional same side grip.

The next step is a reverse duck under. To get there, Vlad pushes his opponent’s arm out wide like he’s going for a seoi nage throw. When they fight to get it back in, he pushes the arm across their body and drops to his knees perpendicular to his training partner. He is pushing the arm out of the way, level changing, and cutting an angle all in the same motion. 

From there he pulls and sends his partner over his shoulders and onto the mat. Vlad compares the feel of the throw to a seoi nage more than a traditional fireman’s because they roll over his back more than across his shoulders. 

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This technique is based on a partner’s reaction. Using the sleeve grip to throw their hand out to the side is something that an experienced grappler knows is a set up for a forward throw, so they will fight to get their hand back inside where they feel safer. Vlad is taking advantage of that motion to attack. 

And once he hits the ground, he keeps the grips so that he can go straight into submission attempts, most likely an armbar with this set up. “Never stop wrestling!,” as Vlad says.

This is a sneaky throw, handy for jiu-jitsu competitions since it can be hit on someone with more bent over posture. Judokas should also add it to their arsenal, since it would be legal under the current rules.  

Sambo techniques can really improve your BJJ. They can go hand in hand. BJJ Fanatics has a DVD that can do just that! Get Vladislav “Vlad” Koulikov's DVD "Sambo For BJJ" and learn some great Sambo techniques to work into your game! Check it out here!

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