Many people outside of the 10th planet system believe the lockdown or the scorpion as they call it in Brazil can cause injury. Many people feel that is too much of a dangerous technique to practice on a regular basis and it can cause very serious injury to the knee. If you are not familiar with the lock down it is a leg weave position where you use both of your legs to inter twine your opponent’s leg from half guard. This technique was made famous by 10th Planet jiu-jitsu founder and Jean Jaques Machado black belt Eddie Bravo. Eddie has written several books which have featured several moves along with the lockdown position and the sweeps and submissions that can come from it. The lockdown name was given by Bravo to make sure everyone in the 10th planet system could talk intelligently about the moves and position but it isn’t a new concept.

What Bravo was able to do is revolutionize the position and add a series of moves from the half guard using the lockdown to gain sweeps and submissions on would be opponents. The lockdown can be used within a sequence of moves called the whip up, whip down and eventually leading to the electric chair submission or sweep. Generally, once you attain the lockdown from half guard you use us leg position and momentum to whip the lockdown and your opponent’s leg into the air, this is called the whip up. You want to have movement in your lockdown and create certain angles to off balance your opponent. Next comes the whip down where you stretch the lockdown out and angle off to the side, at the same time your arms are pushing your opponent’s triceps and under hooking their leg. Once the leg is on the shoulder and the lockdown is stretching out the other leg, this is the electric chair which can be used to submit your opponent or lead to a sweep which provides great control.

Can the lockdown cause injury? Absolutely. If you try and force yourself out of any position in jiu-jitsu including the lockdown you can definitely cause and injury. Most injuries that occur from the lockdown is from lack of knowledge of the position and moves within the lockdown. During the whip up and whip down there is a point where you can definitely injure yourself if you try and rip your leg out. If you understand the position you will know when you have to tap or you have to give up the sweep. Just like any other move you have to learn the ins and outs and how to properly defend it.

Let’s get the opinion of Dr Kickass, Mike Piekarski, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Former MMA Fighter, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt. Follow him on instagram. 

“Lockdown & Electric Chair: Unexpected Knee Injuries
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
Lockdown half guard is a position popularized by 10th planet founder, @eddiebravo10p . The intention of this half guard is to “lockdown” the top player by intertwining one’s leg in such a way to severely limit the top player’s ability to pass. While this can be an effective tool it can also be unintentionally dangerous to an ignorant top player.

For optimal control the the bottom player will straighten out their legs to keep the top player from applying any top pressure. This motion will put valgus stress on the knee while imparting an internal rotation force. This force alone will not harm the knee however if the top player is unaware of the position they may resist the motion, which puts unnatural stress on the knee, specifically challenging the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medical collateral ligament (MCL). While injury to these ligaments from this position are rare it is not unheard of.

The electric chair sweep can be a slightly more dangerous position because the bottom player adds another element by adding an adductor (groin) stretch. While the submission is possible it is a higher percentage sweep. However during the sweep the knee is put in an awkward position and at an increase risk of injury if the pressure on the knee is resisted.

This position is not inherently dangerous to your opponent’s knee, however injuries can happen.

Advice for the top player: Do not resist the pressure on your knee, your goal should be to move in a way to alleviate pressure. In a worse case scenario this may mean you need to give up the sweep to keep your knee safe.”

Still in doubt? Check out www.grapplinginstructionals.com for further information on the Lotus Lockdown, the world’s most complete Lockdown instructional in a Gi.

Magnus Hansson, 3rd-degree blackbelt under Duda Suares (Gi) and Eddie Bravo’s 1st European blackbelt shows everything there is to know about the Lockdown in a Gi with new revolutionary details. Modified from its original, the Lotus Lockdown will change the way you approach this powerful half-guard. Let the Lotus Lockdown be your solution!