How Catch Wrestling Wrecks The Half Guard by Neil Melanson

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Neil Melanson Shows A Nasty Catch Wrestling Series Against Half Guard.
To learn more from Neil Melanson check out his DVD "The Catch Wrestling Formula" - bjjfanatics.com/products/the-...
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[@Presence_o_Mind]

So many haters. Good grappling is good grappling. Period.

[@NONAME-GIVEN]

“Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own” - Bruce Lee

[@errcoche]

I supposes it's a form of tribalism. I do BJJ in the gi but I actively look for techniques from judo, sambo, catch or wherever because I want to be using techniques that my partner/opponent is not used to seeing and also to develop my own games based on my temperament and attributes. There seems to be an attitude in posts here that this stuff relies on superior physicality even though Neil is very carefully explaining how to use weight and leverage to maximum advantage. He talks about getting your legs and torso into the equation for the choke and details of closing up the space. It's great stuff and a better explanation of the darce than I have seen from BJJ coaches.

[@DUARTE99]

Presence of Mind - Well said and agreed.

[@skipfuego6339]

@@errcoche then you are a mixed martial artist

[@twitchypow241]

@James Yorizzo and when you consider catch predates bjj, and all the originators of bjj were studying catch wrestling, it becomes sorta silly...

[@frannelk]

I didn't know anything about catch wrestling till today... and I think I just love it.

[@cabalofdemons]

I like this. My opponents get the under hook frequently when I'm in their half guard. I get the whizzer but I don't grab their thigh or knee. This is the detail I needed.

[@nicolasperidakis3335]

I’m a Bjj brown belt, 13 years. And this stuff is GOLD 😲

[@buzz-bombskateboards4833]

Most people don't realize how difficult it is to explain and talk through technique. This is instruction at its finest. Outstanding video.

[@thos1618]

Dear god. I've been doing BJJ for 10 years and I fully accept this guy and this style would wreck me.

[@oneway19781]

8 months in and I can see it also.

[@ootsam]

ollhashedfetish Well, the fact that he looks like the offspring between Wanderlei Silva and a Sasquatch probably contributes to the intimidation.

[@samuelvieira645]

for the love of god just hold the knee before going to a half guard

[@naomibaker9714]

Coyote guard. He is setting you up perfectly to use Lucis Leite's half guard. :) Learn it and master it.

[@ArizonaMMJ]

which is crazy because you cant find a single person that has ever seen him roll and he has never competed or produced a person who has competed. Yet you are calling it quits already. amazing. lol

[@honestresponse6833]

Beautiful set up and beautiful TECHNIQUE! As someone who has caught a great opponent in a Twister during a cage fight...... I think this is fantastic! Remember, at one point, people said the Twister was bullshit. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu has turned into the same thing it looked to change........ a mindless fad that refuses to evolve. "If it doesn't say Gracie on it, then it isn't good Jiu-Jitsu." What if a Gracie practitioner gets tapped with it? "Then it was a fluke." A good submission is a good submission.

[@greenwave2450]

Gracie’s tried to brand jujitsu as Brazilian and Gracie BJJ. Hahaha let them stay behind while the world shucks their control attempt. People simply aren’t that dumb. It’s also disrespectful to the legions of Japanese ancestry from which they inherited their knowledge. I don’t look to Gracie for anything except a blurb in the history of the spread of the art/ science of grapple fighting

[@counterhit121]

Melanson is Danaher-tier. Love these little short technique hits too. Own many of his instructionals, but these short vids shot at his gym with his guys, are my favorite.

[@jonathanhoward1499]

It's just catch.

[@guam58]

Neil's three finger grip is a life saver in no-gi. Baseball chokes have become much more effective with this grip. The amount of pressure you put on an opponent not only makes them uncomfortable, but forces them to make mistakes.

[@abnmp7865]

Wow! So simple. Great instruction!!!

[@westendlolo3313]

I train bjj would love to train some catch wrestling I love all grappling :)

[@LuisRodriguez_007]

awesome instruction.........thank you for sharing

[@ajaxSAF]

So much good material here

[@CB-td4ck]

This is so different than what I hear in bjj I am so glad I saw this channels to fundamentally change how I think

[@kallepikku4991]

Great stuff. Thanks so much!!!

[@juntjoonunya9216]

Dude, thanks for the moves and your obvious passion for this art

[@legitprowrestling6653]

Great video!! Catch As Catch Can...

[@Durin_Son]

Beautiful stuff. I just subbed. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@me34]

Great teaching point about framing against yourself!

[@ericheath563]

Thank you so much for putting catch wrestling on youtube

[@DUARTE99]

This was very cool. I’m gonna try this out in my next training session.

[@ronin6158]

awesome technique from half guard, thanks.

[@okish02]

The superiority of catch

[@thebritishbookworm2649]

Superb technical teaching 👏

[@jenniferjones1585]

Thank you!

[@jaypan2623]

His moves are game changers 🤙. Respect!

[@Dontsilencesam]

Catch wrestling is like a more evolved top game of jiu jitsu but leg locks are allowed

[@franciscod4826]

@@peteramarillo8952 The "Sport" of CACC yeah you could say was popularized and "invesnted" by the british but Submission grappling was practiced in India, Ancient Egypt and the Greeks. The greeks called their form of MMA "Pankration"

[@lancebello3178]

Not quite @more evolved. There’s no guard in catch. It doesn’t exist. Having a mechanism to be 150lb and fight off your back against someone 200lb, that alone makes bjj a much more dynamic and fictional system

[@Zwerchhau]

Also, at 2:25 instead of using an open palm (nice way of doing it) use the cutting bone of your arm to grind it across the sensitive back part of their neck. As my catch instructor would say, "Catch has ADD, Always Do Damage". If there is a more painful or more uncomfortable way to go about doing something, this is the way the Catch man should seek to do it.

[@billgates8744]

Zwerchhau Then it's not a viable martial art and should not be taught if the intent is offensive I feel like that mindset creates bullying.

[@jessamaly]

Bill Gates it’s a very viable martial art... if it’s too rough for you then don’t do it or even worry about it. Stick with something slower paced for children and geriatrics so you feel more comfortable

[@billgates8744]

jessamaly Not even that it's just I like self defence mentality as a pose to a aggressive mindset.

[@dojanglesclimb]

Better to cause pain then real damage. Same kind of pain compliance is used by police and security (though their's is not as high-tech as this).

[@felixkoniger6378]

its Martial Arts - read it out loud, then think about it for 3 seconds....its not: how do i gently not get killed - its the fuck i wreck this guy!

[@k9m42]

Awesome Darce setup!

[@zoidberger1652]

I like all of this a lot. I'm gunna watch this many times studying every detail of every movement. Thank you!

[@westonchenault2125]

Ive been finishing darces like this since I first saw it. My MMA fight ended with that daece in mount. So tight.

[@HerreraCam]

Always good stuff.

[@felixkoniger6378]

This video has so many little details that are overlooked by the haters...nice content. The main thing is nothing new but its the details!

[@HuntFishJits]

Excellent video!

[@psyience3213]

Love this. Also, try switching your hips to finish, does the same thing but it's vicious

[@adriansaninja]

Gotta love how the catch guys really smother and smesh

[@28nihilist]

Catch is truly amazing

[@thebritishbookworm2649]

Superb.

[@jeffzahnd]

4:58 great tip, I think that is a very common mistake that people will do and not even notice. I think I’ve been doing that 👍

[@devriestown]

So cool

[@efficiencyjiujitsu417bjj2]

So sweet!

[@MrSupertwo]

Ground Marshal... I haven't seen anything from this guy that wasn't top notch

[@bryantharris5914]

Some nice looking techniques

[@SanDmaNTheFreakTrucker]

People are always comparing styles, but in reality all martial art styles have effective techniques. It's always about the utilizer, not the art.

[@user-nl3wg9ip7p]

Sandman well said. Can't stand the whole age old debate between which martial art is more "effective"

[@zaccedeno7138]

You know what's funny though. The person who knows the most martial arts techniques are the most likely to win. ;) so I think it's more about the art knowledge less about the person.

[@Oldhandlewasabitcringe]

Unless its no touch kung fu

[@lil_sumpinsi9961]

I would use this as a white belt against blues and purples and they’d be shocked . Super effective stuff. Neil is the man

[@BORICUENSIS]

very good

[@devriestown]

Ha I have a insane side control game this is going to take it to a hole next level.

[@AlecCommentstheInternet]

both arts are developing. The reality is BJJ schools should be learning and teaching these techniques, and catch wrestling should learn and use BJJ techniques. Submission grappling is submission grappling or at least it should be imo

[@isaiahvilla6908]

Thanks for the tilt tip on the darce! i used to squeeze so hard, now I know to tilt and drive pressure! Oss!

[@LateBjart]

This is gold. - Blue Belt

[@BB4UFit]

Very nice... will me adding it to my half-guard top game. Thanks. I like blending catch into my jiujitsu

[@oneway19781]

Fact

[@FRforcing]

There is no more effective martial art for self defense than catch jitsu

[@XMartinv90x]

Same here.

[@vishnuas1842]

Catch as you can...catch wrestling😍

[@tusccountyjiujitsu]

Awesome technique, usually as I feel them start to whizzer I secure the whizzer in place and scoot back underneath them and roll them toward their whizzer arm for the sweep and I end up on top. As with all grappling techniques it really comes down to who is a half step ahead of the other. I actually prefer them trying to whizzer it is easier than getting up to my knees.

[@CZECHMATE650]

Solid technique with options

[@thefilmpoets]

That quarter nelson saved me in half guard at white and blue belt. If I dont know what to do and they go for an undertook it's a quarter nelson.

[@dna8269]

When you realize he's missing a toe. Fuk that mustve been painful

[@RichardYu1983]

He was told it would take time to recover so he opted to have it removed so he could get back to training faster.

[@mpforeverunlimited]

@@RichardYu1983 tough lad

[@John2corner]

Good to learn. I like it. But would it work against Lucas Leite?

[@jeffzahnd]

8:10 perfect start finish sequence for a quick recap.

[@johnpauljones9310]

3m54s. Holy crap. I've seen that a long, long time ago. Two guys got into a brawl during Spring Break and one of the guys put the other guy into that position and then repeatedly slammed the other guy's head into the pavement until he lost consciousness. That side of his head was covered with blood. I didn't know until now it was called a "quarter-nelson".

[@WhereThereDude]

2:24 lol

[@AlecCommentstheInternet]

kinda shows he's a dick to train with

[@yodizzll]

Great details, really really fucking great details

[@pledgestone]

Poetry in motion.

[@AT-in9ld]

its funny that people are butthurt about the title, its just a troll title this guy does jiu jitsu seems like to me with a catch wrestling background... his guard dvd is great and all jiu jitsu moves

[@kallepikku4991]

Screw Choke has been around way before D'arcy boy was even born.

[@anonymouse7095]

When you slap your hand on the back of his neck, it sounds like you were hitting him with a 10 pound wet ham

[@xemafer2712]

Top!!👍

[@elolife1375]

I have been trying this, but i find myself in lockdown. I am on top and can just fuck em' up with punches but in straight grappling I am having trouble... any suggestions?

[@youngpoppychulo8304]

Is there a catch wrestling class near Maryland

[@guam58]

If partner is in a deep half and you go with the wizzer, how do stop the sweep? The sweep is partner rolling underneath your hips and grabs under your left shin/ankle with right arm and rolls you over on your right shoulder. I am guessing if you wizzer you need to automatically cup the head immediately.

[@michaelcorcoran3942]

I'd imagine he might not go for that in deep half. There is probably a way to do it but it might not be a ideal option in the situation.

[@BruceRogersHamchuc]

I've had success with this in BJJ; however, I am getting my leg stuck, some BJJ guys are very tight with the 1/2 guard and will not give that up so easily, 1/4 nelson in place but can't get out to apply the Darce, Any tips?

[@redhoward11]

Bruce , force his head as low as possible using the 1/4 nelson then switch to the half and darce your opponent while he is still in half guard. similar cranking/compression motion as a 3/4 stack in folk style wrestling.

[@aqdjbcr]

I started doing this from top half naturally when I learned the d’arce and anaconda. They underhook from half guard everytime

[@YawehthedragondogofEL]

The details of the darce choke are nice, but I am not getting how you're breaking the half guard. Are you waiting to perform this technique until after he has opened his legs and is attempting a sweep or escape? If that is the case then it all makes sense. Otherwise I am missing something.

[@elolife1375]

for real! I haven't really found a way around it yet....

[@TENNSUMITSUMA]

4:29 why does he only have 4 toes?! what happened?! (why do I have a feeling it has something to do with a motorcycle?)

[@MrMultifunc]

How do you kick the leg free when he has his legs wrapped around yours? (Passing the half guard)

[@death4127]

Question: being a wrestler as you are , what do you think the benefits of learning jiujitsu are from a wrestling prospectus? I'm a wrestler and I've trained in bjj as well but the philosophy of wrestling is different than jiujitsu. Just want your take on it. Thanks

[@TC-cv1dg]

No you dont...you want to find your synthesis...not an-others...

[@death4127]

theo carbone what are you talking about worm

[@pikkon899]

I was a Wrestler in College and my father was a Catch Wrestler in his old country. The real benefit that I see about learning Brazilian JiuJitsu is being able to still fight while on your back. Even my father said the same thing when he first saw some videos of Dean Lister. He never watched MMA or BJJ but I remember him saying "they're allowed and can fight while on their backs?" He also started seeing many opportunities to catch submissions from that position as well as catching some wrestling submissions while someone in BJJ is defending on their back. He also saw a lot of submissions that were used in Catch Wrestling in BJJ. Both legal and illegal. I was never a submission wrestler but I found that conversation fascinating.

[@PsychologyStud]

I do wrestling and jiujitsu. Jiujitsu helped me learn how to use and control my body better.

[@peteramarillo8952]

+Pikkon89 pikkon89 excellent point bro!!! fighting while on your back is extremely important. while on top use catch wrestling. while on the bottom use bjj guard. i been saying that for so long but no wrestler believes me. they think they will ALWAYS stay on top. 100% of the time. Which is unrealistic

[@MetalGamer666]

Whenever I bait someone into using the whizzer, I try to sweep right away. Knee torque and roll by lifting their leg.

[@vanillacrem3]

A good whizzer (and a catch wrestler with folkstyle or Greco-Roman experience will know how to do this) prevents immediate sweeps by controlling the arm underneath it and using shoulder pressure to collapse posture if needed. So it will come down to whether you get a better underhook than their whizzer, and usually the initiator of the sequence ends up ahead.

[@hermandiaz8455]

@@vanillacrem3 why do you think usually the initiator ends up ahead?

[@vanillacrem3]

Ceteris paribus, the initiator of any grappling sequence is setting the terms of the engagement and is ready for it to begin, whereas the opposing grappler has to correctly predict/time you to get the advantage. In the specific case of underhook vs. whizzer, the initiator does not have a reaction time delay and will have a brief timing window to sink in good hook positioning with relatively reduced resistance. By the time the opposing grappler begins to respond (even if they have very quick response times), you are closer to consolidating your underhook than they are their whizzer, or vice versa, and that's not even getting into the fact that you get to choose the hook that works better for your skillset/body type.

[@guam58]

Actually in catch they use both whizzer and overhook. Both, have the same are entry while whizzer is shoulder pressure and over hook pulls away. By using over hook while catching wrist of basing arm the sweep you are talking about becomes negated. Now, if you have someone that whizzers and knee slices correctly at the same time again your sweep becomes negated. But, it is all timing and all about intent. If you are using whizzer just to slow down progress without a follow-up technique then your dead in the water, as you stated with your sweep. The knee torgue can become nasty.

[@russelltimmerman3771]

2:40 how did you just 'pick you knee out'? Does your opponent just let your leg out of half guard?

[@xBaconbitz]

going to assume you can do so because of the pressure on their torso and neck, as well as the leg control with the right arm.

[@russelltimmerman3771]

Well against a guy built like that.. I suppose he could pressure me hard enough... But I don't see how he does it as a matter of technique (ie could he do it that way f he was 90lbs lighter, if I was just willing to live with the pressure...)?

[@theodorewurz8424]

You can learn to use your weight no matter how much weight you have. For example if I lay on you it prob won't feel like too much pressure, but if all my weight in on my elbow and I'm driving that in with my toes and everything focused on that point and I'm pulling your head up, you will feel a ton of pressure, even if I'm 115 lbs. Much more so if I'm 215 lbs.

[@peteramarillo8952]

+Theodore Wurz if he was 90 lbs lighter no way can he keep you down on your back. you can just turn him over and put him on his back. so if matt hughs (170 lbs) fought dan Severn (260lbs) matt could stay on top of severn? no way. severn will turn him over and put him on his back. you have to learn how to fight on your back on the ground. thats why the guard is vrry important.

[@redhoward11]

it's called a quater nelson and used to counter head inside singles. once it's locked you can simply rip your leg out, there is alot more pressure on the neck and wind pipe than you realize.

[@teovu5557]

thats all nice n all but what would you against the dim mak?

[@yehpoting3299]

This is fucking gold , if I got this info while I am white belt , my nogi control would be better now

[@BJJ.Fanatics]

It's pretty cool to get a glimpse into Neil's mind. He is always 2 steps ahead when he is working his systems.

[@jaguarstrikesagain7927]

I like it but it's so hard to let go of Kenpo karate , it's so cool looking .

[@reivaxsplayground6086]

Whatever makes you happy, but don't rely on that shit to save your life, you will be murdered

[@CH-tv1cy]

Do both its called mma

[@dredned]

"Frame of Die" -T-Bone

[@Prymary2]

I'm gonna use this lol

[@oneguy7202]

The one style complete the other

[@tyhatfield7156]

There absolutely should not be anybody that doesn’t like the stuff and when I was reading through some stuff it is tribalism. It’s just can’t see anything because they are so blind. My only thing about this whole thing I am really big on posts. So when he post up to move that’s when I would take out his post and I would be in a big scramble with him. The thing is that’s what we’re trying not to accomplish and I think it’s interesting. When I learned this choke along time ago! I actually understood it because I did a three-quarter stack I would step over the leg! I would pull them in and underneath and Wrestling I would stick them right there. When you talk to a wrestler and then you actually explain how to choke them from that situation through a Darcy it is very very good.

[@oneDonly]

one thumb down from the Gracie family

[@peteramarillo1817]

Name one catch wrestler that has won a championship in the UFC. None. Two thumbs up for the Gracie family. Amen

[@croatianwarmaster7872]

I love the gracie family but josh barnett and sakuraba are catch wrestlers and they were ufc champions.

[@croatianwarmaster7872]

***** Sakuraba was ufc japan tournament champion,submitted Marcus Silveira

[@bascorasco7984]

catch wrestler sakuraba destroyed 4 gracies

[@jeremywhitfield4556]

Sick

[@ps3ud0nym]

Power in Honda 😆

[@sanjuansteve]

What's the story behind Neil Melanson's loss of his left toe? Was it smashed in a fight?

[@marsoc0326]

sanjuansteve I believe it's Behcet's disease or something I think he also is blind in one eye from it or limited vision in one eye from. Been a long time so my memory is off but yeah and I believe he hung the toe on a plaque at XtremeCouture.

[@thomasscanlan8624]

I feel like you could do this to setup a darce

[@BeardJitsu]

Thomas Scanlan lol you didn’t watch it did you.

[@christophergatley7875]

How'd you lose that toe coach?

[@GridironMasters]

If it works use it.

[@MAllen-ng8pl]

You can't stop him from extracting his right leg from your whizzer. Even if you're John Smith. Sorry. Unless you're Bob Dole.

[@jaroschj]

As soon as you wizrd, you can easily get rolled by the bottom guy taking his right hand and grabbing opponents left knee and roll on the back and sweep.

[@MoisesEsquirolet]

That is exactly the first thing that came to my mind: "if this guy ever tried this against a competent grappler, he's getting swept"

[@connorpenka5432]

I think that’s why he’s controlling his partners knees with the whizzer, as opposed to keeping his hand in their armpit. Knee control + pressure = bottom immobilized hips = no sweep for bottom

[@shreddword]

Seems like he’s a little tired because he was up late breaking pool cues over peoples heads and throwing fellas through swinging doors.

[@stevena3333]

Neil Melanson, could you please show the counter to this form of attack on half guard? I have someone who watched this and uses it perfectly, but I love half guard. I’m not sure what to do when I’m being crushed in this way. Thanks!

[@MrRazmut]

I think u have to avoid letting him get the whizzer. Maybe wait until he tries to get it then grab his tricep on that arm(with the opposite arm), press it across/over yourself while pulling a leg out of your half guard onto his thigh (the leg that was in your half guard) and pushing his leg out from under him. Sometimes you can roll right into side control. Be careful though sometimes it can expose your back if it doesn´t work. Sorry if it doesn´t make any sense it´s hard to explain in english and I don´t think it´s an official technique or anything (could probably be improved) I´ve just done it sometimes and it works if u time it good and do it fast, like a judo throw.

[@seangentry74]

@@MrRazmut i know this comment is 2 years old... but this guy is designing his technique off of a very poor half guard. If your half guard is like the guy on bottoms... then you deserve whats coming. This dude is not showing you how to defend against a good half guard. Period. He is actually doing you a disservice. If you would use these techniques against my half guard, you will get swept or have your back taken.

[@brian4479]

Theres a guy on that claims that the ghost escape is unstoppable. I'd like to see your reply to that in a demonstration.

[@obviousgiant4568]

If the opponent pulls his head back you have the option to transition into a Japanese Necktie. 🤙

[@isaacbonilla4964]

Whenever someone wizzers me from half I just sweep them toward that wizzer arm, because they lost a post with that arm. Idk, cool stuff though

[@terrywoods6913]

If they work proper shoulder pressure with their whizzer it should be pretty difficult to sweep them. Most of what he's showing isn't just slapping on a whizzer though, it's applying a 1/4 nelson. Sweeping someone who has you in a 1/4 nelson with a significant amount of weight pressing your head into the mat is a herculean feat!

[@isaacbonilla4964]

Terry Woods You ever heard of a lock down? lol

[@isaacbonilla4964]

Terry Woods since you already have the underhook you get your lock down then whip down and yank their weight into your deep half. It’s all leverage But what do I know

[@terrywoods6913]

@@isaacbonilla4964 yes, I know all about lockdown, lol. We aren't talking about lockdown, we're talking about half guard with the underhook. If someone whizzers you (the right way) and 1/4 Nelson's your head into the mat you might be able to get your feet wrapped up, but you won't have the leverage to whip down.

[@isaacbonilla4964]

Terry Woods that’s it, we need to roll lol

[@generaltso6974]

3:30

[@railroadtrash09]

Wonder how many bjj guys call these moves "gooning"? If it works, it works..

[@thedust850]

what is gooning?

[@nick2000720]

Tortilla soup