Dead Orchard - Why It Is So Effective

By Fanatics Authors, December 08, 2016

One of the new school positions that I am a big fan of is the dead orchard. It was created by Eddie Bravo black belt, Nathan Orchard. If you haven’t seen it, it is quite the tight position to achieve. It essentially is a triangle choke with both of the opponent’s arms in, with one shoulder in, and one shoulder out. It might sound a tad odd or different, but it has worked well for competitors both in local competition, all the way to the big stage in EBI and the UFC! Here are reasons why the dead orchard is so effective.

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Upper body lockdown

Unlike any other position in Jiu Jitsu, the dead orchard provides a total body lockdown on an opponent. With the triangle, you are locking down the arms, shoulders and chest. The only hope for escape is to use your lower body as that is the only half of your body that will work. Having that complete upper body lockdown will slow down the game, and let you work for what you want to get. Check out our article "top submissions from closed guard" to see some other excellent options from closed guard.

Submissions galore

To me, the best aspect of the dead orchard is all of the submissions are available from it. Of course, you have a triangle choke right away. You have an short armbar attack. There is a kimura right there, and a couple wrist locks. All of those submissions from such a small, compact position is an advantage that you can clearly use to your advantage.

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Small amount of people train it

Another reason that this position is so effective is that only a small people train to defend against it. Since it is new, and from the 10th Planet school, not many people know how to defend against it. It is a similar situation to leg locks. The majority of BJJ schools simply overlook the position as they do not see it as a threat, because it is too new, or they consider it a fad. That thought process can become a downfall.

Nathan Orchard has really created a gem with his position. As he develops it even more, it will be interesting to see how it is incorporated even more into the no gi game. But before you start training it, you need to have a good closed guard first. Just in case, you are not able to get to the dead orchard, you’ll have a position to play. If you’re looking to improve your guard then check out…

Enjoyed reading about the dead orchard choke? Then consider checking other articles:

Triangle setup

Reverse triangle

Flying triangle choke

Triangle from closed guard