Favoured Techniques: Calf Slicer

I've had virtually no time for anything Bjj related or anything else that doesn't involve work this week. I work as a Highways Inspector for the local Council (North Somerset) and part of this job requires me to work on call to cover any out of hours emergencies every 1 in 9 weeks. I am on call this week and we have had some heavy rainfall and high winds in the South West of England meaning that I have been called out A LOT to flooding issues, trees down in the road and various pieces of traffic management blown into roads. Glamorous much?

All this adds up to the fact the I've had virtually no time to train, read or watch anything Bjj related (except for the odd blog on my feed reader at work) and I'm a bit bummed out. This is the first opportunity to sit down at the computer for any length of time so I figured I'd do a quick update of my blog.

The subject is a technique that I don't use any more due to taking leg locks out of my game for the time being (not allowed in comps remember) but while I was using it I found it a very handy move to have in the arsenal. The Calf Slicer is a move that I found on Sherdog.com as the Technique of the Week back in September 2010 as shown by Former UFC fighter Gabe Ruediger and a rather despondent looking Mac Danzig.

The technique starts when attacking someone who has gone to turtle. This is the underlying reason why I loved this technique so much as there's a guy at our SJJA club who has a very effective turtle defence. Neil Owen (formerly called "Tank" but more recently rebranded as "the Turtle") is a former Judo practitioner and for some reason has a very very good turtle. He's a big, heavy, squat type of guy giving him a very good base that has proved nearly impossible to pull him over. Couple this with his near non-existent neck and very good collar up-head down position and it also becomes ridiculously difficult to get any form of purchase on his neck or lapel. Generally you'd end up getting bucked over the top whilst struggling to find his neck and you've lost your good position.

So when I saw this technique I couldn't wait to try it. The very next time in training it came to my turn to spar with Neil, I inevitably came to a position where I was to pass his guard and he rolled over into the turtle.This was my chance.

Move Description: 

I put pressure down on the opponents back from a rear side mount position and used a seat belt style grip around his body to secure him in position and make him think you're going for the neck or collar. You then tuck your leg that is closer to the opponents head, through the space between the guys arm and leg (as if to get the hook in). Then push that leg through further and pull it over the lower part of the guys nearside leg and reach down for the guys foot/ankle and pull it up so the leg pulled closed with your leg inside around the crook. You then fall backwards - forcing the guy to roll over onto his back - and wrap your other leg over the top of the first leg (as if you've got his leg in a triangle). Then just pull on his leg a little bit harder (not too hard though if it's just training) to clamp his leg shut with your leg still inside, to put very painful pressure on the calf. I have never seen seen anyone not tap to this sub when it's locked on.

Here's the vid of the move.

See what I mean about Mac.

So anyway, I hit the move on Neil first time and he tapped straight away. And told me it was a nice move. And called me a bastard. I used that move, or a variation of it, a few more times before hanging it up and I must confess that I really enjoyed landing it. One day I may dust it off if I ever have need but until that day I'll just consign it to the archives.

If anyone reading this has a reason to use it (they do MMA) or hold less guilt about non IBJJF legal moves in training, go ahead and have a crack. It's a fun move that yields instant results and gives you a nice warm chuffed feeling inside when you hit it.

Cheers now. I'm back to work. \m/