When training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there’s no doubt that being in the lockdown position can be extremely burdening. Not only is it tight, but it can cause you to tap in a variety of ways. In regards to Jiu-Jitsu self-defense, learning how to escape the lockdown position, as well as prevent it in the first place, is a major key to cranking up your game.

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Lockdown Prevention – Tips and Considerations

One of the first ways to not get tapped in the lockdown position is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. If you know that your opponent is very good at the lockdown position, don’t allow your knee to lie flat on the floor in half-guard position as this is the primary way to get the
lock into position.

Proper Jiu-Jitsu self-defense for this position instead encourages you to avoid being stagnant in the half-guard. The longer you wait to pass your opponent’s guard, the more likely it will be that he or she is going to put the lockdown into place. Remember to be active and keep your leg
postured up to avoid the trap in the first place.

Escaping the Lockdown – What to Know

Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try, there are going to be times when you get caught in the lockdown. That’s part of Jiu-Jitsu self-defense. But if you don’t know how to escape, you’re going to be caught in a position that will force you to expend a great deal of energy defending the abundance of attacks that your opponent has at their disposal. The escape the lockdown, it won’t cut it to simply allow your leg to stay limp. If your opponent has it in tight, your leg isn’t going anywhere. When here, be sure that you avoid getting under hooked. If this happens, your opponent can easily transition to a submission or sweep and there will be little that you can do to defend it.

 

Portland Jiu Jitsu Technique: The Lockdown

 

Scooting Down to Prevent Lockdown Pressure

One of the best ways to escape is to scoot your upper body all the way down to your opponent’s legs and grab them. This is automatically going to release a huge amount of pressure on your leg. Once this occurs, it is imperative that you stay tight and slowly work your way back up the body. For this Jiu-Jitsu self-defense technique to work, you need to make sure that your leg remains postured up, and that your opponent cannot sink in the under hooks when you are coming back up the body. The lockdown is a super-effective technique that will work on a lot of opponents. But just like knowing the offensive side of the table, you need to learn how to prevent and escape the position so that it doesn’t happen to you during competition.