The back – Reconciliation of two fundamental approaches: There is no question that the single most successful attack from the back in jiu jitsu is the rear naked strangle (mata leao/hadaka jime). The essential nature of this attack is one of A SINGLE HIGH PERCENTAGE MOVE ATTACKING A SMALL AREA IN AN ENTIRELY predictable MANNER. Such is the positional control afforded by this method of attack, that even though it is known to all, it is still very difficult to stop. When it DOES fail, we need to shift our method entirely to DIVERSIFIED ATTACKS OVER A WIDE AREA – the very opposite of the initial approach. Learning to play these extremes of CONCENTRATION OF force with rear naked strangle in one hand and DIVERSITY OF ATTACKS AND LOCATION OF ATTACKS on the other, is the heart of a successful back attack program. We have to recognize the simple fact that one submission deserves the majority of our attention, but that we need back up attacks in different areas to get a breakthrough when the big gun fails. Learning how to reconcile these two different approaches to the back is crucial for your success. Here, young athletes Mikey Wilson and Liam Zeh show how it is done with excellent switches between rear naked strangles and rear triangles (ushiro sankaku) both essential elements of our back attack system. Everything begins with the rear naked strangle, but where things finish is often determined by the directions of resistance.
