Matt Arroyo On How To Smash The Knee Shield
Posted by Corey Kuropas on
The knee shield can be a frustrating aspect of Jiu Jitsu if you’re a top player and guard passer. People who like to play the knee shield game are great at keeping their opponent’s weight off of them, can use their energy efficiently and set up some cool sweeps and submissions. But there is a way to smash the knee shield effectively, and Matt Arroyo has that strategy. Matt has such a diverse, varied game and shares his game with the world. Let’s see how Matt destroys the knee shield and shuts down that game.
When your opponent starts playing knee shield, you can always try to get the underhook and hit a quick knee slice pass. But anyone experienced with the knee shield, will crush your arm with their knee and stop that pass. So what can you do? As Matt demonstrates in the video, you have to take your right hand and put it in his armpit. This will keep him at the perfect distance needed to smash the shield. Put your left hand on his knee and pin it to the mat. This will make your opponent think that you are still dedicated to the knee slice.
Now it’s time to use your controls. Keep your right arm locked in his armpit. But you are gonna change your grip on the knee. Instead of pinning it, you’ll need to cup his knee. Turn and steer him using the pit grip and the knee cup. You will need to turn him to the other side. Once he is on his other side, his knee shield loses much of its purpose. Drop your weight on his leg to kill it, sprawl your hips down and hop on over to the original side. You should have side control on your opponent and it will be your turn to play your top game.
This is such brilliant way to defeat the knee shield. It works like a charm, because every thing is just fundamentally correct. You’re controlling upper body, lower body and using your weight to stop the guard style that is suppose to keep your weight off of him. Mr. Arroyo is one to check out when it comes to instructional videos. He has such an in depth vision of BJJ.
Click here to see Matt’s Back Attack Blueprint DVD!
ARE YOU A BJJ FANATICS INSIDER? IF NOT, YOU’RE MISSING OUT!
Take a deep dive on one specific skill per month with the top instructors in the BJJ Fanatics family.
With your subscription you'll get:
- Private Lesson (Masterclass)
- Preview of our Upcoming Daily Deals to better plan your purchases
- Rolling breakdowns & more.
You'll also get At Home Drills to work on, a Preview of our Upcoming Launches & More!
FREE FOR 7 DAYS TRIAL