How Non-Athletes Win at BJJ DVD by Hirokazu Takamoto

THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES FOR GETTING STRONGER—EVEN WITHOUT NATURAL TALENT

WORLD CHAMPION ACROSS THREE MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS
THE SECRETS BEHIND AN ALL-JAPAN GRAND SLAM!

How can an ordinary person find a way to win?

I was never blessed with extraordinary athletic ability or natural talent. Instead, I developed a style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that works with the abilities I do have. That approach became “The Principles of Jiu-Jitsu.”

In this Bottom Position edition, I explain the essential principles that can make you stronger even if you don’t possess exceptional natural gifts. — Hirokazu Takamoto, Head of Takamoto Dojo

*Those blessed by the gods with exceptional talent may not need to follow these rules.

CONTENTS

■ Principle 1: Make Contact with the Sole of Your Foot Before Pulling Guard
• Don’t simply sit down without making contact
• Place your foot on your opponent’s hip
• Which foot should you use?

■ Principle 2: Don’t Lie Back Without Establishing Grips
• The danger of simply staying flat on your back
• Entering seated guard

■ Principle 3: Establish a Collar-and-Sleeve Grip
• One hand on the collar near the collarbone; one hand using a pocket grip on the sleeve
• Using your frame effectively
• Techniques that take advantage of slack
• Why use the pocket grip on the sleeve?
• Choosing the right grips for the situation

■ Principle 4: Keep Your Feet on Your Opponent
• Don’t leave your feet on the mat
• How to use your feet effectively

■ Principle 5: When Sliding Your Grip, Aim Above the Elbow
• Why attacking the sleeve is high risk
• Aim above the elbow
• Post one hand on the mat

■ Principle 6: Commit Fully to the Guard You Believe In
• The concept of selection and focus
• Developing a style built around finishing submissions

■ Principle 7: Choose Guards That Trap and Control Your Opponent
• Common examples of trapping guards
• Using the gi to trap your opponent
• The broader concept of trapping guards
• Avoiding battles based purely on physical strength

■ Principle 8: Four Essential Submission Techniques
• Key points of the armbar
• Key points of the triangle choke
• Key points of the armlock
• Key points of the cross choke

■ Principle 9: Know When to Abandon a Submission
• Example: when to let go of an armbar
• Example: when to let go of a triangle choke

■ Principle 10: Master the Sweep
• Using a sweep to escape a difficult situation

■ Principle 11: After Sweeping, Control the Leg and Come Up
• The definition of a sweep
• From half guard
• From pants-grip De La Riva guard
• From X-guard
• Using the lapel

■ Principle 12: Don’t Fall Into the “Pharaoh” Posture
• Why it eventually leads to getting submitted
• Why you can’t return directly to guard
• Challenge yourself to recover guard
• Why staying flattened in turtle won’t improve your game

About the Instructor:

Born in 1976. Takamoto achieved the unprecedented feat of winning world championships under three major organizations. He has also completed the All-Japan Adult Black Belt Grand Slam and won ten consecutive All-Japan Masters championships. He is also well known as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor to Olympic judo gold medalists. A 7th-degree black belt in judo, Takamoto is the instructor and head of Takamoto Dojo for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. His DVDs include “Winning with the Armbar” and “The Principles of Jiu-Jitsu: Top Position Edition”.

WORLD TITLES ACROSS THREE ORGANIZATIONS: IBJJF World Championship, AJP World Championship, SJJIF World Championship

ALL-JAPAN GRAND SLAM: JBJJF All-Japan Adult Black Belt titles at the All-Japan Championship, All-Japan Open, All-Japan No-Gi Championship, and All-Japan No-Gi Open.