A Look At The Turtle Position – Attacking And Defending.

The turtle position – Attacking and defending.

What is the “turtle” position you ask? Below is a photo to show you what we’re talking about in case you don’t know.

***COULDN’T GET PHOTO TO UPLOAD, DARN!

Since we’re talking about turtles I feel like there are 2 things I should point out. Point number 1 is that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the whole reason I got started in martial arts and I really believe that if not for them myself and my academy, Ivey League MMA would not exist.

Second, They have a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie coming out that’s going to be based on the darker side of the original comic book published in 1984. This will be a freaking amazing movie so go see it!

Alright enough with the Ninja Turtle plugging. Lets talk some turtle MMA…

The turtle for both BJJ and MMA has almost a cult like following. People love it and there are whole DVD sets dedicated to the series.

Lots of people call it the “turtle guard” mainly due to the success of Eduardo Telles. I prefer not to call it a “guard” because It’s not the guard at all. It’s just the turtle or if you’ve wrestled then the referee’s position.

I’ll be the first to admit that I too really enjoy working from this position. We also have some great students that use this position and the skills from here very well.

Paul “Murda Ink” Peck, Combat Platinum member and blue belt under myself, uses this position to attack all the time. So does my other blue belt and another Combat Platinum member, Nick Conception. Both of these guys have a number of good counter attacks, submissions and reversals from the turtle and I feel like writing about this position and not mentioning them would be unfair.

The turtle position for MMA has been used for a while now. It first broke onto the scene when Kazushi Sakuraba used it to get Renzo Gracie in a kimura and break his arm. Since that time (in 2000) other great fighters have taken to it and used it in high level MMA, guys like Nick and Nate Diaz and Jim Miller all excel here.

Now, let me say this and be clear, the turtle is not a position you want to base your offense on! Too many guys get good here and skip guard work and just go to the knees and work from turtle. Not a good idea. Use the techniques from here only as needed when forced to the knees, the guard is still your best and safest option when on bottom.

With all that said let’s look at the best and most common reversals, sweeps and submissions from the turtle.

Peterson Roll:

The Peterson roll is named after Olympic wrestling champions, John and Ben Peterson. They were so good at this move that it got their name attached to it. A “Peterson” happens when you snag the opponents hand, hold it tight to your ribs and tuck and roll. Taking the opponent over you and right to their back. This is a tailor made move for MMA/BJJ and should be drilled a lot. Watch the video below.

Rolling Kneebar:

In the video below you see Nick Diaz hitting this technique on an opponent at a grappling tournament. This is a great technique and is pretty easy to learn. I could talk more about this move but below is a video of me teaching it to a CAP class a while back along with the Nick Diaz match.

Kimura:

In all fairness this technique really should be renamed the “Sakuraba kimura” due to Sakuraba’s amazing victory over Renzo Gracie in the Pride Fighting Championships. Funny as it may be, Renzo’s nephew, Roger Gracie, is now considered the best with this technique. The key here is to get the Kimura grip on the opponent from one or both knees (complete turtle) then turn either into them and back to guard or stand up. Standing up with the kimura locked is by far the most common but at the same time carries a lot more risk because your opponent might try to pick you up and slam you down. Still, if done right this is a dangerous and very effective move. This one is advanced and will take practice, start slow in drilling and take baby steps.

Watch video

Kendall Cross Roll:

This is another technique borrowed/stolen from wrestling. It was made famous by NCAA and Olympic wrestling champion Kendall Cross. At 1:33 of the match posted below you can see another great wrestler, Buvaisar Saitiev applying this technique. This move, much like the kimura is far from basic and will take a lot of drilling to get it right. The way it works is to gain control of the wrist with one hand while at the same time trapping the knee with your other free hand, from there you bump your hips up and in and do a forward “somersault(SP)” roll into your opponent, landing in crossbody. When I first learned this I had a hard time with it but just keep drilling and trying, I ended it getting the hang of it and it’s worked ever since. It just takes time to learn.

At 1:33 of the video watch the “Kendall Cross Roll” in action!

Alright well then, we’ve covered some good rock solid stuff from the turtle. I 100% recommend working on it and adding it to your game. Like I said before, have tools from here and be good but at the same time DO NOT BASE YOUR OFFENSE ON IT!

Oh and one more cool thing about turtle is that you don’t have to be the fastest or strongest guy/gal to make it work. The moves are simple for the most part, it just takes timing and technique so get to work and master this cool and effective position.

TURTLE POWER! (Yes I know I’m cheesy, what of it!?)

–Master Danny Ives

“Worlds slowest weakest but knows his stuff MMA instructor…”