Monoplata Attacks with Jeff Glover!

By Fanatics Authors, February 27, 2021

Jeff Glover is an American born Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, known for his tricky unorthodox flexibility based game. A trademark of Jeff Glover’s game is his ability to flow with any situation his opponent throws at him, not meeting the attack with force but forming his body around it. The Monoplata is a controlling shoulder lock that can be used from many positions, the ability to transition from the Monoplata to other submissions along with its ability to control the opponent is a highlight of this technique. Here, Jeff Glover shows how he likes to use his Monoplata as a counter to the opponents underhook from a bottom side mount position!

From top side mount, Jeff Glover explains that when he feels the opponent get an underhook to come up on a single leg, that is the time for him to attack his Monoplata. As the opponent pummels his frame for an underhook on Jeff, instead of fighting into the underhook or trying to re-pummel, Jeff Glover will lean to the opposite side towards the opponent's head. Leaning towards the opponents head will take weight off of Jeff’s leg closest to his partners hips. This transfer of weight makes Jeff’s leg light enough to step over the opponent into a mounted position with his foot based flat on the floor and his knee pressuring in on the opponent's shoulder to keep him trapped. Because the opponent had an underhook, it may feel like he is doing the right thing by using the underhook to try to reverse Jeff but it is actually trapping his own arm for Jeff to attack.

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Once in the Monoplata position Jeff Glover explains that this position looks similar to the Omoplata, a position that Jeff has a full dvd on as well. Jeff Glover goes on to say that the Monoplata differs from the Omoplata because he has the opponent mounted and instead of his hands controlling the opponent’s arm it is actually his ribs and top of his thigh. This position allows Jeff to control the opponent while still having his hands free to attack as well as his feet being free for movement as well.

From the Monoplata Jeff Glover has a lot of submission options. The first he shows is a compression wrist lock on the trapped arm of the opponent. If you are interested in wrist locks, Jeff encourages you to check out volumes 1 & 2 of Pete the Greeks Wristlock the World! Another attack option to Jeff is the mounted Guillotine because the opponent's arm is trapped, making it very difficult to prevent Jeff from attacking the neck. To attack the Guillotine Jeff keeps the opponent's arm trapped and hooks the opponent's neck with his other side arm. Jeff details that when attacking the guillotine he hooks the opponent's chin with a chin strap and squeezes to finish.

Another option of attack is the Kimura. The Kimura is a powerful shoulder lock that is readily available from the Monoplata position. To attack the Kimura, Jeff grabs the opponent's wrist with his same side hand while the other hand threads under the opponent's elbow to grab his own wrist. So Jeff’s right hand is grabbing the opponent's wrist while his left hand grabs his own right hand in a Figure-4 grip. To finish the Kimura lock, all Jeff has to do is rotate the opponent's shoulder by pushing the hand up the opponent's head with his right hand while simultaneously his left hand rotates the elbow and pushes the hand.

One of the easiest transitions from Monoplata is the Omoplata. Jeff Glover shows two ways to attack the Omoplata. The first way is by rolling through the opponent’s back. The second way to enter the Omoplata is by sitting off of the opponent and pulling your own leg past the opponent's shoulder. When done this way, the opponent will end up in a belly down position, making it an easier finish because they are not in a strong turtle where they can start to resist and counter. (If you are especially curious in attacks, feel free to check The Crucifix Bible by Drew Weatherhead).

Jeff Glover continues on by showing he can force the opponent into a Monoplata position as well. Grabbing the opponents sleeve and putting them in position to attack a single leg. Knowing what most people will do when in that position, Jeff can be a step ahead of them and go right to his Monoplata by leaning away from the underhook and swinging his leg over the opponent. Another attack option from Monoplata is the Triangle Choke. From Monoplata, Jeff grabs the opponents gi on the shoulder and cups the head then stands up, backing up to lift the opponents bottom shoulder off of the ground. Once the opponent is lifted, Jeff shoots his legs forward to trap the opponent with one arm in and one arm out, immediately locking his ankles so he can attack the Triangle.

Jeff Glover finishes by explaining that to do this Monoplata, he had to break the habit of trying to re-pummel back to his underhook. Jeff shows that it is much easier to just allow the underhook and to lean and swing to your Monoplata because now you have many submission options as well as a great way to control the opponent!