An excellent instructional on side control top and side control submissions and transitions (Long Review)
This No-Gi instructional covers holding and controlling from side control; transitioning to other positions (i.e., knee on belly, north-south, technical mount, S-mount, mount, back and closed guard) from side control and often back to side control; and a broad range of submission techniques from side control or from the positions that you have transitioned to. The submissions taught include versions of the triangle choke, americana, straight armbar, kimura, armlock, head and arm choke, darce choke, wrist lock, north-south choke, guillotine choke, anaconda choke, reverse heel hook and defending a kimura from top side control position. To see the complete list, please review the contents of the instructional. It is important to note that this instructional doesn’t just teach a range of submissions with Volume 1 (approximately 1 hour) dedicated to teaching control from side control top. This incorporates where and how you can direct your weight and pressure to maintain control; how you organise your body to gain and maintain control (i.e. control their head, link your hands together, be heavy with active feet and when to start to transition e.g. to take the back); an understanding of how your opponent can escape from side control; an overview of the different types of side control including north-south; and how to move around your opponent when they are in your side control. As I have experienced with the other Andre Galvao instructionals that I have purchased he demonstrates that he is an excellent and confident instructor. He speaks clearly, is engaging and knowledgeable. His approach is much more than just teaching the mechanics of the techniques. He teaches all the details, the why, the consequences, the likely responses from the opponent and insights into his thinking with the goal to get the submission. So often with instructionals you are told to do the techniques in a certain way, but often without the instructor explaining why. Andre Galvao explains the why which makes it easier to both understand and recall the technique. Techniques are demonstrated at a slow pace, repeated at different angles and towards the end of each chapter at speed. Typically, when discussing submissions Andre Galvao teaches the various options and variations that can be used with the submission. Picture and sound quality are excellent. For completeness there are a couple of occasions where the camera is out of focus for a second or two, but this does not detract from the instructional. A single camera has been used and the range is excellent, as you can easily see the details of each technique. The available previews are consistent with the whole instructional. The instructional runs for 7 hours 48 minutes and consists of a total of 8 volumes and 46 chapters. In my opinion this is an excellent instructional based on several factors including the content (both broad and detailed); the quality of the teaching; and the quality of the production. While it is taught from a No-Gi perspective the content is still relevant if you train in the Gi.
