Tighten Up Your Head And Arm Choke With The Details From The Incomparable Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen Head and Arm choke with Bernardo Faria and Fabiano Scherner 

Who is Chael Sonnen? For many Sonnen needs no introduction. Chael hails from West Linn Oregon. He has been a lifelong grappler.  At an early age he started wrestling. In high school he received the distinction of being state runner up. Chael’s love of grappling continued in college. He attended the University of Oregon. While earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, Chael had the distinction of being a two-time PAC-10 runner-up, a silver medalist at the 2000 Greco-Roman World University Championships, and a two-time Dave Schultz Memorial International Greco-Roman winner.

Sonnen cemented his grappling credentials in mixed martial arts. He holds wins over some huge MMA super stars: Wanderlei Silva, Quinton Jackson, Maurício Rua, Michael Bisping, Brian Stann, Jason Miller, Renato Sobral, Tim Credeur, Yushin Okami, Dan Miller and Nate Marquardt. Additionally, he has an impressive 48 fights with 31 wins. In his career, he has fought in almost every major promotion including Bellator, Ultimate Fighting Championships and World Extreme Cagefighting. Additionally Chael has competed in Metamoris and ADCC grappling tournaments.

It is also worth noting Chael’s colorful personality. He is arguably among the best trash talkers to every fight. His entertaining banter rivals Conor McGregor and Muhammad Ali. His post-fight speeches are nothing short of spectacular.

Chael's approach to grappling comes from years of competing at the highest levels of wrestling, submission grappling and MMA. 

LEARN MORE

Chael’s education, personality and grappling accomplishments make him well suited to teach. He is able to present information in a clear manner. He spends a great deal of time articulating the details necessary to make a technique successful. It is these attributes that make him an exceptional instructor.

 

In this video Chael Sonnen explores the arm triangle that he used against Brian Stann. Chael starts in top side control. He notes that in the fight with Brian he was trying to pin his arms to reduce the danger of strikes. Brian was framing against Sonnen with his arm. Chael popped Brian’s arm over behind his head. It is an important detail to note that Brian’s arm can still break free in this position. To reduce this possibility, Chael drives his head forward. Next, he pushes his bottom arm in as deep as it can go to reduce any space. From here Sonnen must be careful on how he passes to the other side. He can use knee on belly or windshield wiper his leg to get to the other side. However, it is important that his legs do not get caught in his opponent’s legs.  Once he has moved to the other side Chael tripods on his legs and drops his hips for the finish. Note how one of Sonnen’s knees are slightly bent. His posture is the same as Bernardo Faria uses for his pressure pass. Chael states that the key to this submission is the lock, position and patience. It may take a few moments for our opponents to feel the effects and patience is the key. Bernardo Faria closes the video with an observation of his own. He states that he likes this submission because there is not a huge downside if the submission is lost.

This video is a wonderful example of Chael’s ability to communicate technique.  Like all of Sonnen’s instructional videos, there is a lot of detail. I know that I often gain new insights every time I re-watch one of his videos. His effective techniques are a wonderful addition to anyone who makes a careful study of them. Certainly, the Jiu Jitsu community is lucky to have Chael Sonnen.

Chael Sonnen Shows The All The Takedowns, Passes &Submissions That He's Used To Submit High Level Black Belts In UFC Main Events – And Many More On The Mean Streets Of West Linn Oregon

BUY NOW