Basic Guillotine Defense

April 18, 2023

A Fight for Rotation and Neck Space

Partner Warmup Drills

(15 minutes)

  • Pummel
  • Snapdowns
  • Basic guillotines from seated

Live Positional

(10 minutes)

The Big Cheese; switch out every time. The cheese is on hands and knees, opponent is holding a guillotine grip, head in pocket. The cheese is trying to get their head free. Opponent is trying to control, but can't finish. Let the cheese work.

Guillotine Defense 101

  1. Uke starts with a guillotine, in the pocket, somewhat sprawled on top.
  2. Get your head out of the pocket & back to center by push-pulling your head back to center. e.g.
    • Post on uke's hips
    • Use your shoulder & control of uke's leg when on a single
  3. Pull uke's choking elbow tight to your head.
  4. Grip the choking hand with a 2-on-1 grip. Retract your head & reset.

Keys

  • Keep your head out of the pocket.
  • Control the choking hand.

References

Drill

(15 minutes)

High pace rotating drill.

Guillotine Defense 102

  1. Get your body to the opposite side of uke's body. i.e. the opposite side of the choke. By e.g.
    • Post down on uke's top leg and jump over. Crossface & pressure.
    • Finish a double while making sure to clear uke's legs across your body.
  2. Gator roll to the same side as the choke.
  3. Last ditch method to buy time for grip fighting: Tripod, keep good neck posture, and connect your top shoulder to uke's chest.
    • Look to overhook uke's shoulder with that arm.
    • Pressure into uke's chest.

Keys

  • Get cross-body.
  • Keep your top shoulder tight to uke's chest.
  • Try to flatten uke / get uke's hips facing the sky.

References

Drill

(15 minutes)

High Elbow Guillotine

  1. Start seated with chinstrap head control.
  2. Roll your shoulder forward to create space between uke's shoulder and your chest.
  3. Close high elbow grip, keeping your support arm's elbow down.
  4. Go to high elbow position by turning your hip that way & shifting your head across uke's shoulder axis.
  5. Hold half guard with inside leg & throw outside leg over opponent's back to stop the jump-over.
  6. "Rock the baby" and hamstring curl to finish.

Keys

  • Creating the initial space between uke's shoulder and our chest.
  • Hiding our grip in uke's neck/clavicle area hinders defensive grip fighting.

References

Drill

(15 minutes)

Live Positional

(10 minutes)

Repeat The Big Cheese, but winner stays in for up to 3 rounds.

Live Rounds

(30 minutes)

3 - 6 minute rounds depending on energy levels.