Complexity Rating ★★

Cardiovascular Rating ★★★

Purpose

Build effective movements to circumvent the Reverse De la Riva hook or Open Guard hooks that are inside the knees.

Description

Training Partner Starting Position. The assisting student will lie flat on their back with their legs bent and feet flat on the floor.  The hands are in the Home Alone position.

Practicing Student. The practicing student will start standing directly in front of the assisting student and place one leg in between the assisting student’s legs.  The other leg will stand squarely on the other side of the assisting student's leg. 

To initiate the drill, the assisting student will lift their leg in between the practicing student’s legs and curl the hook around the inside of the practicing student’s knee pit.  The practicing student will place one hand on each of the assisting student’s knees and partially squat.  The hands on the knees can be used to assist and base, but the legs should not be manipulated otherwise.  Based on the hands, the practicing student will slide their outside foot in close to the assisting student’s hip and pull their knee up towards their chest. The goal is to elevate the knee until it clears the top of the assisting student’s shin.  As the knee passes the shin, the practicing student will pass over the top of the shin and turn the knee slightly backwards making sure to keep their heel pinched towards their own buttocks.As the knee passes over the shin, the practicing student will deepen their squat and lower their knee slightly.  When the knee lowers past the calf the knee will change directions to the back of the knee pit and then the foot can be placed on the floor.  The hands will then go into the Football position by cupping both hands on the assistings student’s knee and pulling it across the thigh into the Leg Drag. 

The practicing student will then stand up, reset by stepping back between the assistants student's legs and repeat the process to the other side.

Common Mistakes 

• If the practicing student can not lift their knee over the shin it is either because they did not reposition their outside foot close to the hip, or they are bending over at the waist and their chest is crowding the space that their knee needs to go.  Make sure the foot is adjusted and the student is squatting rather than bending at the waist.

• When choosing a pathway over the shin, there is more “give” in the shin the closer to the ankle the practicing student can go.  This is why the knee is turned slightly back, so that it can slide back towards the ankle.  This is an important concept to clear the hook during the squatting process as well and should be monitored. 

• When basing on the knees it is important to not directionally change the orientation.  Changing the orientation of the knee will make sliding over the shin more difficult and another pass would be more effective.

Testing Threshold 

Time 45 Seconds

Requirement 25 Repetitions