Reilly Bodycomb Houston Training Camp 2015

If you have followed my blog for a while you have probably seen postings promoting Reilly Bodycomb's digital downloads, DVD's, and seminars that I have impressed me.  When I was a purple belt I started to realize it was high time to start working on leg locks.  In hindsight I was very late to the game and should have been doing them much sooner. Since that time I've been lucky enough to train with Reilly at least once per year since then at each respective belt rank.  Now as a black belt (the paint is still fresh) I am fully aware my knowledge of leg locks is still incredibly poor.  In addition there are other aspects to my game that need a lot of attention and Reilly's approach to submission grappling gives me an opportunity to fill these gaps.

July 3rd our gym www.ndmma.com hosted Reilly for a seminar that was well attended (yes even on a Friday evening one day before a major holiday).  Just like previous seminars when we've had Reilly the general consensus from those that attended was "this is the best bang for the buck seminar ever!"  I know I was not disappointed at all; myself and those there that night seemed to really appreciate his conceptual approach to grappling and instruction.  As an instructor and student of grappling Reilly inspires me to be a better instructor and think critically in a different manner than my mind typically works.  I won't go into all the details of that seminar and the content covered simply because the focus here is about the two day training camp I attended last weekend in Houston.

Pics from the seminar hosted at North Dallas MMA on July 3rd:

 

 

 

Now on to the GOOD STUFF.  Let me preface by I have not attended a training camp like this.  In a nutshell the camp consisted of two days, broken into two training sessions (two hours each with a two hour break in between each day).  I've highlighted some but certainly NOT ALL of the content covered during each session.

Day 1 - Session 1

Leg control from bottom position

Three major points of control

How to off-balance standing opponent from leg control

When to attack & when to go to a reversal

Practice maintaining/re-establishing leg control drills

Recovering position when things go bad (various scenarios)

Sliding heel hooks

Finishing ankle locks/heel hooks when they roll/defend

Day 2 - Session 2

Tripod ankle lock

Outside heel hook escapes (various scenarios)

Ankle lock to heel hook transition

Live grappling

Day 3 - Session 3

Take down defense (doubles & singles)

Wrestling fundamentals

Throws

Day 4 - Session 4

1/4 guard back-step pass (See Top Rock http://rdojo.com/toprock.html)

Various attacks & scenarios from the 1/4 guard back step pass

Knee on belly (Top Rock)

Vegan mount (Top Rock)

Inside heel hook defense

As if this all wasn't good enough, Reilly set up an in-camp tournament for those interested in competing.  It was run on Day 2 after the third session.  The rule set was such that it forces both competitors to push the action at all times. Stalling of any sort from any position would result in a point given to the opponent.  Take downs, legitimate submission attacks, ride time from knee on belly, sweeps all would account for a scored point.  If you pulled guard and did not immediately work a submission or sweep you could potentially have points scored for the opponent.  First person to submit or gain nine points would be declared the winner of the match.  No time limits.  We had a odd number of guys in our 140-170lb weight class so the first competitors to get two wins would qualify for the finals.  The competitor with the longest combined match times would not be qualified to compete in the finals.  Knowing this wasn't a rule set that is favorable to my own game I figured "what the heck, let's do it and have fun."  We had a division of six competitors in the big boy weight class as well so we alternated matches between the two.  

The result?  It forced everyone to attack like crazy and I believe only one match ended by points. The rules allowed for reaping (Oh Heaven!) and all foot locks were good.  I could see this rule set being used in big tournaments because it produced very aggressive matches.  I don't think a single match ever exceeded 7 minutes.  I managed to win both of my matches via Estima Lock but missed the finals as my total match times were a little too long (4:00 min & about 2:30 in the second match). Regardless of missing the final I was super happy to catch those subs as I've never finished with leg locks in organized competition before.

Here is a HL video of that in-camp tournament.

                                 

             (Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx_d8EFSu0I)

Most of the in-camp competitors (missing a couple)

Estima Locks during in-camp tournament

The value of this camp was ridiculously good.  $200 for over eight hours of training is hard to beat in my book and I've been to my fair share of seminars.  It was a cool chance to meet a lot of different people that traveled from places like Maryland, South Carolina, New Mexico.  I can't stress enough the value that Reilly offers in private lessons, seminars, camps, and especially his DVD/digital downloads.  He doesn't hold back information and gives you his best every time.  We were also lucky to have one of Reilly's top students Denny in the house to help with the seminar because it was packed...about 25 people each day.  

Also a big thank you to Eddie Alevar that owns/runs Ground Dwellers in Spring, TX.  He was an excellent host and invited us all over to watch UFC 189 at his house which was a blast.  

Side note:  Reilly Bodycomb will be competing against Richard Cummings at Polaris 2 in September. This event will be streamed live so check it out.  The card is looking pretty amazing with tons of talent.  http://www.polaris-pro.org/polaris-blog/2015/5/8/polaris-2-fights-announced

Links:

http://rdojo.com/downloads.html  

http://www.grounddwellers.com/

http://www.polaris-pro.org/polaris-blog/2015/5/8/polaris-2-fights-announced

Reilly Bodycomb Seminar Review

This seminar review has been a long time coming.  I was fortunate enough to train with Reilly about a year ago during one of his visits to the Dallas area.  I've managed to stay in contact with Reilly since then and was able to help coordinate a seminar at our newly opened gym in June.  If you are not familiar with Reilly he is primarily a nogi grappler with a big concentration in sambo and leg locks.  He offers a very fresh point of view when it comes to grappling as I personally am very gi oriented and more accustomed to competing under a more strict rule set than he prefers.

The subject material for the seminar focused on leg locks and attacking the seated guard.  Reilly has a very cerebral approach to instruction that I can appreciate.  Rather than diving right into the "legal leg locks" most of us wanted to see he spent a good deal of time teaching "illegal" leg locks.  Why might you ask?  Well it's important to understand what makes them illegal in most BJJ competitions and why they are effective. Reaping ankle locks and heel hooks.  Explanation and demonstration about inside versus outside heel hooks were covered.  To finish up leg locks he showed us how to escape the positions which was refreshing.  Lots of time was allotted to drill and explore the positions/attacks.

Moving on from here Reilly showed various ways to attack with straight ankle locks over a seated opponent in open guard and the De La Riva guard (belly down ankle lock).  I can attest this is very effective.  I have seen him and his students pull these off in competitions.  I've also had good luck using the belly down ankle lock against teammates in rolling sessions to counter the De La Riva.

Reilly has a pretty interesting philosophy about guard passing and attacking.  He states that 'there are guards worth passing and guards not worth passing.'

"The purpose of a guard is to defend yourself against attack.  This is true for any combat sport if it's boxing, fencing, or grappling.  If a boxer leaves their hands to high or too low, then it is obvious for their opponent to attack them when they are open.  This is true for grappling in a way."

"Many guards that people employ are designed to stop the pass but not to stop the submission attacks on the legs.  The natural conclusion is that if the guard is not protecting the legs then there is no point to go out of your way for a pass when the nearest submission is right there."

"So I break guards up into three categories:
1. Guards that you pass
2. Guards not worth passing
3. Better guards that require an attack to see what opens up first...the pass or the leg lock"

So moving on from the leg attacks Reilly showed an excellent way to attack for the kimura over a seated opponent.  Specifically if the opponent attempts a single leg from the seated guard.  The situation sets up perfectly for a kimura from the standing position.  Even if the kimura cannot be finished a quality passing opportunity/scramble is initiated and option to get the back of your opponent.

Reilly has an excellent DVD on leg locks "Sambo Leg Locks for Nogi Grappling" that has been around for years.  You can purchase it directly at his website: http://www.rdojo.com/.

He also has digital downloads that you can purchase from his site.  The cool thing is you can pay what you want.  That is a pretty innovative offer you don't see very often.  That being said if you download I do recommend paying what you feel is fair as the material covered is very good.  Something worth noting is that Reilly only shows techniques that are functional and have been competition tested.  I have rolled with him and can tell you that he doesn't waste time on techniques he doesn't use himself.  Reilly is very open-minded when it comes to grappling as he cross-trains in various arts and is always looking to add tools to his unique and effective style.  If you get the opportunity to train with him or at a minimum study/train his instructional videos I highly recommend it.

Reilly's newest offering coming in September 2014:  "No Kurtka"
Purchase here: http://www.rdojo.com/dvds.html
& here: http://www.budovideos.com/no-kurtka-dvd-by-reilly-bodycomb.html

(Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x32RdqMjyAA)

Still not convinced?  Reilly recently won gold at an ADCC event in New York's Pro Division.
Here is a highlight of his matches from a month ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5R5Ocm7cW8

Reilly's Top Rock

(Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdncXVGr_so)

Reilly Bodycomb's 'Top Rock' - A dynamic top-game and leg-lock download

I had the pleasure of taking a private lesson with Reilly Bodycomb earlier this year.  My goal was to start focusing on a mostly IBJJF legal leg lock game. He was in town for an IBJJF legal leg lock seminar.  Due to scheduling conflicts on my part I decided to set up a private lesson with him.  Having seen his DVD's prior to the private lesson I knew he was legit but just five minutes into the private lesson I started to question what I had got myself into.  Reilly pulls no punches.  He wanted me to feel what a proper ankle lock feels like and by God I started to ask myself, "what did I just sign myself up for?!  I'm going to have to endure some punishment on my own legs to fully comprehend the amount of pressure he applies to get legit taps."  That being said it was probably the biggest bang for the buck private lesson I have ever done and I have done private lessons with World Champions.  I won't hesitate to train with him again when he is visiting my town. I have not seen his recent release but based on the reviews that I have read on various grappling sites I am incredibly anxious to purchase this myself.  Having recently promoted to brown belt I am excited to start implementing some of the more aggressive non-legal IBJJF leg locks into my game.

I highly suggest giving this seminar/video a good look among some of his other DVD's which can be purchased from http://www.budovideos.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Reilly+Bodycomb.  I had a completely non-existent leg lock game as a high purple belt and now have a much better understanding and much improved ability to threaten leg locks from various positions.

This particular seminar available for download in MP4 format is groundbreaking.  You have the ability to view the content and pay what you feel it is worth.  Give it a shot because I don't think you will be disappointed.  If you get the chance to train with him in New Orleans or just a private lesson I can't recommend it enough.  He is very intuitive to your needs and will custom tailor your lesson based on what you want.

Mobile users that have issues viewing the embedded video can locate it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdncXVGr_so

Flashback Friday: Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister vs Kyle Griffin

Those in the grappling community should be very familiar with Dean Lister's body of work.  He is a veteran MMA fighter in multiple organizations most notably Pride FC and the UFC.  He still remains fairly active in the grappling scene by competing in super fights and ADCC.  Did I mention he's won ADCC three times?  The guy is incredibly good and well known for his brutal leg lock game.  

In this particular match, no points are scored for the first 10 minutes to encourage submissions. Only in the last 5 minutes are points tallied to determine a winner should the match exceed the time limits.  It took place earlier this year at the UFC Fan Expo 2013.  

Commentary:  (Skip to the bottom of the page for the video)

As one might expect, Lister engages enough to take a seat and begins working a semi-open guard. 

Lister fighting from his half-guard sits up with an under hook while Griffin counters with a whizzer and tries to remain in the top position.   

Griffin hits a very nice back step pass from the half-guard at 1:32 and attempts to move back into the topside half-guard.  Lister sees this and begins lacing Griffin's left leg and hunts for a submission.  Griffin is wise and immediately starts to defend and retreats out of bounds.  

When they restart at 1:57 Griffin attempts a nice pass but Lister is so quick to recover, gain the under hook and works from the turtle position.  Lister traps his right leg and forces a take down from the knees.  

Trying to prevent the pass Griffin manages to tie up Lister's upper body and they reset again. Griffin secures the head attempting to pass and Lister easily reverses position again.  

Positions are exchanged again after Lister attacks for a leg.  Shortly after Lister reverses to the top position with ease.  At 4:52, Lister begins to sit back and create a figure 4 lock on Griffin's left leg preventing Griffin from being able to escape as easily this time.  Lister fights to secure the toe hold forcing the tap.

I think this format is really great for Lister.  He doesn't mind giving up position and has an uncanny ability to reverse and regain dominant positions if he loses a potential submission.

Link for those using mobile:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Ffeature%3Dplayer_embedded%26v%3Dwyy_a8AsmCY&h=xAQE--_c-