No one expects the....Kneebar?

We interrupt this segment to talk about UFC 81, in particular The Kneebar.

You see, I like to think of Kneebar's like the classic Monty Python sketch..

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...

Because nobody expects the kneebar!

In particular Mir's setup was nice, simple, and quite effective. If you haven't seen it yet I recommend you do, it will really make you stop and think about the Kneebar and well executed leg locks in particular.


Frank Mir sets in for a tight Knee bar.

Myself, up until a few weeks/months ago all things leg lock oriented were foreign to me. Like most classic BJJ practitioners, I'd only heard of "heel hooks" as dreaded ultra dangerous submissions, something never to be used unless everyone involved knew the risks. In looking back on it that is a very sound argument, as a leg lock newbie who is a tad agressive can hurt themselves very easily when caught in a heel hook.

However the kneebar, that's a different animal.

Much like the arm bar there are numerous setups, it creates a slight pain response when it's being applied properly (makes knowing to tap easier), and as evidenced in UFC 81 it can be a fight finisher.

So how do you go about learning the knee bar? Frankly, there is only one truly well recognized and respected source of "kneebarology", Dynamic Kneebars from GrappleArts.com.

I know I've told you about Stephan's stuff before, but this is worth repeating, Plain and simple if you want to learn kneebars inside and out then you owe it yourself to watch this DVD.

Stephan breaks down the kneebar into manageable portions.

First he covers the basics of positioning, there are more than a few ways to get your body in position to apply the kneebar properly. We all know that the difference between a good submission and a weak one is more often than not body positioning. This is first section is key to getting it right when you are knee hunting.

Next he covers many different setups, from open guard, half guard, etc. In fact, the same exact setup Mir used on Lesnar is shown, and we know that one works.

Lastly he covers different flows and escapes, because quite frankly what sort of kneebar expert would you be if you constantly got stuck in other's kneebars? In addition for those exercise enthusiasts, he's got a few traditional lifts to build the lower back and squeezing power to make the kneebar work.

Over the last few weeks I've spent a good bit of time exploring the kneebar (Thanks to this DVD) and I think you might be well served to consider it as well because..

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquis... er Knee Bar!

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

-hz

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