If you can't handle real violence, your Jiu-Jitsu is useless!

The cornerstone of black belt level skill is Self-Defense from the feet. 

Because that's where all real-life fights start.

Sadly, many people believe self-defense in Jiu-Jitsu is kind of a joke... and just go through the motions because they have to. 

  But if you believe that, the joke is on you!

Because a deep knowledge of the self-defense is actually what makes someone worthy of their black belt, and also...

It's the "missing piece" for most Jiu-Jitsu practitioners to become complete and effective martial artists in any context, especially in MMA and self-defense situations where strikes are invovled. 
 

Here's what I mean:

I hope you never have to use Jiu-Jitsu to defend yourself from real violence. 

However, if you ever do, every violent encounter you will ever face is going to start from the feet. 

So if you want your Jiu-Jitsu to be effective in a self-defense context, (or MMA or any type of fighting outside of grappling)...

Your knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu needs to start from the feet!

In fact, that is what Rickson tested me on for my black belt...

It was my level of knowledge of the self defense from the feet.

“A black belt”, he told me, “must know all the self defense so he can teach and empower others.”

And he was absolutely right, because I saw it night after night as a bouncer and later a doorman at some of the hottest night clubs in Los Angeles for 15 years. 

You see, in that environment, you almost never want to go to the ground, because there are broken bottles and glasses all over the floor.

Plus, it's such a chaotic environment, with so many people, you never know who is on your side or who might be trying to hurt you.

So if you end up on the ground with someone, you may be getting kicked, stomped, sucker punched, blind sided or getting large shards of glass stuck into your body.

On the other hand, by knowing the stand up self-defense techniques, I had the option to choose whether I wanted to finish the fight from the feet or take the fight to the ground.

Most the time I was able to subdue and control someone on the feet and remove them without anyone getting hurt.

And it was my knowledge and training in the self defense that helped me to be able to stay safe in an environment where I was constantly exposed to danger.

And this gave me the confidence to deal with people in an extremely humane way, even when the level of aggression escalated.

Plus, when you understand the self-defense curriculum, and the hidden details that actually make it effective (and not just something to snicker at in class as you go through the motions)...

Your standup game for competition and every other aspect of Jiu-Jitsu will skyrocket. 

Here's a great example below, of a wrist lock you may have seen Jacare pull off in competition, that is covered in video 11 in this self-defense course:

There are 38 videos in the Ultimate Self-Defense course, that cover every likely scenario you'll face in a violent encounter, and the details you learn in this course will skyrocket your standing skill for ALL of Jiu-Jitsu.

This is the exact same self-defense knowledge that earned me my black belt with Rickson.

And here's some of what you'll learn as you watch this series:

• How to finish the fight before it even hits the ground

• How people put themselves in way more danger than they need to be before things escalate… and how to avoid this mistake.

• Why the headbutt is one of the most dangerous weapons in fighting, and what to do to prevent getting taken out by a headbutt you can’t react to!

• The smartest way to manage the distance BEFORE things get out of control, and keep your face and head safe from any sort of surprise or “sucker” punch

• How to block a punch realistically, and how NOT to block a punch (doing this wrong can either get you hit, or knocked over so you’re stumbling and losing your balance, NOT good!)

• How to stay safe from knees and other strikes after you’ve closed the distance and clinched

• How to do the hip throw properly, and keep total control of your opponent’s upper body (hint: how you grip the arm is key), while staying safe from strikes and taking your time to set things up properly.

• How low kicks are so dangerous they can end fights, and how to deal with them effectively so you can completely neutralize this threat. (Hint: If you remember the fight between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, you can actually generate enough focused force to snap someone’s shin in half if you check a kick properly! Here are the details to make it work for you.)

• The critical detail you need to understand and apply when checking kicks that will make the difference between doing damage to your opponent, or taking damage to yourself, and limping around for the rest of the fight because you did it wrong (bad thing)!

• How to break the same side wrist grab - which is extremely relevant when it comes to countering wrestling techniques from the feet - and also, self-defense situations when someone is trying to grab your wrist and pull you somewhere.

• How to break the cross side wrist grab - how this is different and how to use your entire body to generate the force you need to break, so make it easy instead of a struggle, and guarantee you are successful.

• How to break the two-hand wrist grab - where the weaknesses you are used to exploiting with the single hand wrist grab are now reinforced with your opponent’s or attacker’s OTHER hand… and actually there’s a very easy way to use leverage and your whole body working together to break this grip just as easily. Super important for women / kids to know this.

• How to turn someone’s attempt to choke you or grab your throat into a viscous armlock that can end the fight from the feet FAST - super effective, super efficient, and lightning fast to end the confrontation.

• How to hip throw from the two hand throat grab / standing choke. Martial artists often underestimate how common this sort of instinctual attack can be in real life violence. Here’s how to turn their attempt to choke you into a hip throw - where they go down but you keep your balance.

• How to turn the stiff arm push into a standing armlock - when people try to shove you (very common as fights escalate) - there’s a perfect opportunity to finish the standing armlock. But many people think this standing armlock is kind of a useless joke - because they’ve never been taught the hidden details that make it wickedly effective.

• How to turn a stiff arm push into a lightning fast wrist lock. And actually, once they feel their arm trapped, many times they’ll pull to get their arm back - and you can use that same energy to make this wristlock even more fast and devastating.

• When someone grabs your clothing - this kind of bully fist grab where they bunch up your shirt or lapel in their fist - you can easily turn into a massive mistake that puts them on their knees, keeps you safe from strikes, and sets up a viscous armlock - all in the time it takes you to simply bend over. Bonus: as soon as you secure the proper grip, that fist they were trying to threaten you with by grabbing you - they will not be able to get it back, and they will just be along for the ride as you put them down.

• The famous “Jacare wrist lock” to counter the bully clothing grab - or gi grips. This is not only a devastating submission that works for self-defense, but also at the highest levels of Jiu-Jitsu competition - and this is also a great example of just how much crossover there is between self defense and grappling skills - so long as you train with the right understanding and details.

• How to use your entire body against his wrist to turn the bully grab into a vortex of misery for your would-be attacker.

• How to finish the standing armlock - that comes up in so many different situations - whether you’ve finished a throw or any type of self-defense takedown - that allows you to quickly break the arm while YOU stay standing, and keep your balance and base so you can stay mobile and avoid any danger or threats on the ground - like broken glass, or getting kicked in the head or swarmed by other attackers, etc.

• How to prevent the headlock from standing - many people underestimate just how dangerous the headlock can be - because it’s not a technical grappling move. Yet, it’s so common in real violence because it’s such a natural instinct. The headlock is a serious threat to anybody, because it can hurt your neck, your face or skull, breaks your balance and posture, allows your opponent to throw you or hit you while seriously limiting what you can do back. You need to be able to prevent the headlock easily in the first place.

• The self-defense secret that will keep you from getting cauliflower ear just as effectively as it will prevent you from taking damage!

• How to turn their attempt to headlock you into an easy guillotine for YOU - and finish them quickly from the feet. Plus, you’ll learn how to use your hip to prevent them from being able to break your posture in the first place, and a slick way to wheel them around right into your guillotine.

• How to protect yourself from your opponent attempting to headlock and punch you, and instead, trap his arm into an absolutely wicked shoulder lock.

• How to use your ENTIRE BODY to break the shoulder from the headlock attempt - instead of just your arm - for insane leverage and an easy finish.

• What to do if your attacker is successful in achieving a headlock - it’s not over by a longshot, and there is an easy way to gain the dominant position.

• How to take your opponent down - when you’re stuck in a headlock - and you can’t get to their side for the normal takedown. This one works just as well, and gives you a great position to start using weight distribution to easily take the dominant position.

• How to defend and counter the standing guillotine - the way this is normally taught has some huge weaknesses that are really dangerous. Here’s how to stay safe and get out every time, and why the priorities for defense are taught wrong for this move most of the time.

• Why you don’t want to use your thumbs to brace the knee from the head and arm escape - and what you want to do instead.

• How to flip your attacker clean over your head if he goes for the head and arm grab - and how to kick over once you land to beat him to the dominant position (cross side) every time.

• How to escape the chest grab from broken posture - this one relates to one of the Hidden Jiu-Jitsu solo drills - and will not only keep you safe in this self defense situation, but teaches you some basic principles and motions that pop up all over Jiu-Jitsu.

• How to easily defend and escape the most dominant position from the feet - when your attacker has double underhooks and your body locked. If you understand these details and how to use your body, it will feel effortless for you, no matter how much strength your opponent is using. This exploits a certain structure your body can take on, that makes their size and strength count for nothing.

• Once you’ve broken your attacker’s posture from escaping the double underhooks, there’s something you should do to KEEP your opponent’s posture broken - and quickly take the Thai Clinch, to completely control the situation easily.

• How to break double unders if your attacker uses a HIGH grip - which will nullify your hip scoot.
  
  

• How to free your shoulders up and make the escape easy when someone bear hugs you from the front.
  
  
• How to escape the bear hug from behind - without having to use any strength or struggle. 
  
  

• How to escape the bear hug from behind underneath your arms - when their grip is high and around your chest - how to use the “drunk friend” trick to make it easy for you, leading straight into a simple leg trip.

• How to defend - and bust out a brutal knee bar - when someone grabs you from behind around the waist (or high on the chest). There are also some key details that will make this effective or not, that are not commonly taught for this technique.

• The defense and escape for the standing Rear Naked Choke that nobody else is teaching - that is so effective it will work even when your posture is broken.

• How to escape the rear naked choke when you are sitting - when someone is standing or kneeling behind you - and how to finish this escape with a lightning fast armlock.

• My absolute favorite technique to use as a bouncer - the shoulder check to the rear naked choke - that comes as a complete surprise, and quickly wheels your attacker around so you have an easy (and unstoppable) rear naked choke from the standing.

• Here's a strategy I love to do with my MMA fighters - how to prevent getting pushed up against a wall or cage - there's a drill you can do to make this second nature (turn their attempts to trap you into a trap THEY fall into!)
• Okay, they caught you by surprise and got you smashed against a wall or fence... now what? Here's a drill you can do to quickly get off the wall and take the dominant position back in a hurry. 
• How to defend and escape the throat grab with one hand - trapped against the wall. 
• How to defend and escape the two hand throat grab against the wall. 
• How to defend and escape the two hand push or shove against the wall. 
• How to escape the headlock when you're jammed into a wall - why you should hook his leg first, and how to hop around to free your head - and how to use the wall you're trapped against to your advantage! 
• How to do the ankle pick against the wall takedown - when you have THEM trapped against the wall, there's a great takedown you can do that uses the wall to your advantage! (there's a critical detail here with what to do with your foot and shin that will make this effortless for you)
• What to do when your attacker secures the Thai Clinch against you - a potentially fight ending blow that will quickly turn the tables and put you back in control. 
• How to punch through the Thai Clinch and use your elbows to turn the tables on your attacker fast. 

P.S. If you're still skeptical, I get it. 

Most people don't believe Jiu-Jitsu can be this effective until they see or feel it for themselves. 

That's why I put together the "Henry's Students Speak" page. 

Because some of those who have come to a Hidden Jiu-Jitsu seminar or camp have been kind enough to get on camera and tell the world just how much of a difference this Hidden Jiu-Jitsu knowledge has made for them. 

Click here to see what Hidden Jiu-Jitsu students have to say.