How to pass the rubber guard (video)

[David Jacobs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Keb1lz-m8

[goatfury]

Good video, but I really wish you hadn't called out Eddie Bravo so blatantly at the end.

[Justin Garcia]

Great vid! The funny thing is I saw the title and was thinking "Chimpass ALL Day"!  Thumbs down on the Bravo disrespect, though.

[SilverFox]

Great Vid Dave...here's a link to the Bravo vid

http://www.mmascraps.com/2010/12/eddie-bravo-breaks-down-what-went-wrong.html

I believe in the past Eddie has been quoted as saying that Hazlett's rubber guard was the best in the UFC.

[David Jacobs]

Thanks, guys.

On some of the other (inferior) BJJ forums, some people have had a few questions / comments.  Figured I'd address them here in case anyone had similar questions / comments.

Did you really ask him to put his knee on the ground for you at the 3:50 mark because you switching your hips didn't do the job?

I was asking him to put his foot up higher on my back as opposed to it laying lower down towards my hips where it would be easier to control and step over. His knee and thigh were sufficiently low enough near the ground that I didn't need them any lower. Putting his foot higher on my back makes it more difficult to step over. I was trying to avoid the criticism that his leg was too low and that's why it was so easy to step over.  In my attempt to avoid one criticism,  I apparently opened myself to another.


In all honesty, it doesn't look like you or your partner in the video have much of an understanding of rubber guard. In mission control he should have his forearm in your neck and be grabbing his ankle, not his foot. More importantly, he should be hugging his knee to keep your arm trapped (also, what he had there at the end was crackhead control, not invisible collar). If your arm is trapped, and your head is being pushed to the side you are passing on it's hard to do the Reis pass without getting carni'd or omoplata'd.

I would certainly never claim to be an expert on the rubber guard and while the devil is normally in the details, with all due respect, you've focused on all of the wrong details.  All of the points you've brought up are irrelevant to the pass.   He can grab his ankle as tightly as he wants, but that will only help me to better bury my head in his torso.  He can hug his other knee as tightly as he wants, but that only helps me by keeping my arm tighter against his body and more effectively isolating his hips.  In summary, the tighter he holds me to him, the more it helps me to pass.

On the other hand, if I am looser and there is more space between us, the more chance he has of doing the kung fu to the omoplata or gogo-plata and the more chance he has of isolating my arm to do the "carni".

[Truman Birch]

Careful Mr. Jacobs you'll piss off the nutjobs from the planet Niburu.

[kying418]

Thanks for the video Dave.

[Hooligan]

Nice video Dave...you have great way of explaining the details

[emb]

Dave, I've had problems with the hip switch. It seems that as soon as I do, I off balance, thus allowing my opponent to either go for the omoplata or go to take my back. Any suggestions?

[David Jacobs]

Obviously, it would be better if I could watch you do the move, but based on what you're saying, I suspect the problem / mistake you're making is a very common one.  Specifically, even though you switch your hips, you might be failing to move your entire body to the side of your opponent.  I should have emphasized this more in the video as I see this mistake all the time.

Notice that in the video, I don't merely switch my hips.  I also move my entire body off of my opponent's center line towards his right side (my left side).  This is what drives his right knee and thigh towards the mat.  If I switched my hips but stayed in my opponent's center line, his right thigh and knee stay raised up.

Helpful?

[emb]

yes, I will try that. Thanks!

[TATAME]

Good job Dave.  The beauty is that Eddie had recently made a "why the rubber guard failed" video, referring to the bocek vs hazelett.  He also stated something to the point of people wanting him to make more of these.  should one really make videos of why their claim to fame failed? 

[paully1976]

Good job Dave.  The beauty is that Eddie had recently made a "why the rubber guard failed" video, referring to the bocek vs hazelett. 

because bocek is really really good?

[AboveThisFire]

Included Dave's video as an embed as the end of the recent Judo Chop on Bloody Elbow:

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/12/17/1874847/judo-chop-bocek-catches-hazelett-in-a-triangle-from-the-mount-at-ufc

Note: I am not Kid Nate, I am Patrick.