Having Trouble With The Z Guard, China Wall or Shin Shield? You aren't alone. Learn Why ADCC Absolute World Champion and IBJJF Black Belt World Champion Robert Drysdale Resorted To An Old School Wrestling Pin To Pass The Guard and Smash the Wall!
Yes, even world champions can struggle with simple defensive tools like the Z Guard, China Wall, or Shin Shield as shown below. Combined with a good frame, passing a good half guard players shin shield can be tricky business.
Robert Drysdale was able to slice through this defense when working with the Kimono, in part by using controlling the collar and sleeves to secure the pass. But when he worked without the gi he had a problem - his opponent would block his arm from controlling the head and fight for under hooks.
It didn't take him long to adapt to the situation, and realize that instead of trying to come under the head, he needed to go over it. And instead of trying to remove the shin shield, he needed to use it to his advantage.
What came next is the break through in guard passing that uses a technique that is centuries old, but foreign to BJJ - the Cradle.
Don't be fooled by the name - the Cradle is not comforting in any sense of the imagination. It is a lock that wraps around your neck and leg (sometimes trapping an arm as well) that when cinched tight will have your knee in your eye socket. Definitely not a place you want to be in.
In wrestling, the Cradle is used as a pin. The control is so great with a cradle that once it is closed - there pretty much is no way out short of spazzing like a mad man! There are also many different ways to cradle someone (cradling the near or far leg, arms wrapped over or under) and many positions to execute it from. So it is a versatile weapon in any wrestlers arsenal.
So why hasn't it been used in BJJ and MMA?
I believe that many BJJers and Mixed Martial Artists have little knowledge of wrestling. Those that do only focus on the take down aspect of wrestling. The bottom game in wrestling is entirely discarded by MMA and BJJ since they believe pinning someone is not that useful for their sport.
This is a big oversight, as the bottom game in wrestling is VERY underrated. While a pin on the surface seems not to have value in BJJ or MMA, the analytical mind will realize that it has TREMENDOUS value. When your opponent cannot move at all, it puts you in a powerful position to take action. Whether you decide to ground and pound your opponent to submission for MMA, or use the pin to make your opponent scramble and give up position, there are a lot of ways a pin can be used for BJJ and MMA.
Not all pins are created equal, and some have more uses than others. The Cradle in particular is such a great pin because it is easy to setup, and can be used to pass the guard and finish your opponent. I should know, Robert used a cradle on me back in our match at ADCC 2007...
Furthermore, one of Drysdale's favorite wrestling positions is the Front Head Lock, which is easily transitioned to from the Cradle. The Front Head Lock allows you to easily move into powerful chokes such as the Brabo (D'Arce choke), the Guillotine Choke, or the Box (Japanese Neck Tie). If you have seen Robert you know he is well built for arm chokes and has famously submitted one of BJJ's greatest of all time with a Brabo Choke - Marcello Garcia.
So as you can see, the Cradle opens up a world of possibilities in BJJ and MMA. From guard passing, smashing the shin shield, hitting Guillotine chokes, Brabo chokes, or Japanese neck ties - you will have plenty of options to finish your opponent while they are helpless to defend themselves. Rather than trying to figure out how to merge wrestling and BJJ on your own, Drysdale has made a simple course to get your smashing the China Wall in no time!
What Does The Drysdale Cradle Series Cover?
The Cradle To The Half Guard Sprawl Pass - If your opponent props up that shin shield from half guard, no problem! This is the staging point of the series and will show you how to use his defense against him and score a strong pass.
The Cradle To The Half Guard Butt Flop Pass - Perhaps your opponent is resilient and the Sprawl pass falls. That is when you flop to your butt and create a ton of pressure to pop open his guard like a bottle of champagne!
The Cradle To Brabo Choke - There is no one out there that I would rather learn the Brabo Choke from than Robert Drysdale. I have learned a bunch of "small details" from this video alone that dramatically change how I use the Brabo. A night and day difference. This alone is worth the cost of admission, and you will learn why he doesn't even consider it a choke!
The Cradle To Side Control - If you still can't crack open that half guard, your opponent will regret holding tight with this face crushing cradle pass.
The Cradle To The Half Guard Butt Flop Pass II - For that relentless guard player, you need to bring out all the weapons from your arsenal. Continuing from the first pass, we add some more neck cranking action to make this pass more powerful while feigning weakness. Very tricky!
The Cradle To The Guillotine Choke I & II - Who doesn't love a good Guillotine? You will learn how to hit a wicked tight guillotine off the Cradle, and be given several options on how to finish it.
The Cradle To Pass to Reverse Cradle - We all have rolled with that guy that just doesn't know when to quit. You pass the guard, but he still is fighting like he has a chance. That is when you turn the tables and reverse your cradle. This puts you in an even better position with loads of options.
The Brabo Choke with Butt Flop I & II - If you thought you knew everything that was from the Brabo or D'Arce choke, you might want to watch this and see what you are missing. Adding the flop creates enormous pressure on your opponent's neck and gives you more power to use your hips.
The Brabo Choke Roll to Sprawl - If you can't get your opponent on his side to finish the Brabo, this nifty roll will come in handy. Plus give you an option to use a sprawl to crank the Brabo for a strong choke.
The Box - Also known as the Japanese Neck Tie, this brutal submission will leave your opponent's in a world of pain. If you have short arms and have a hard time setting up a Brabo or D'Arce choke, you will LOVE this submission!
The Key to the Box - Just in case you are having trouble with the Box, the Key will give you extra leverage to rip your opponent's head off their shoulders!
Altogether, there are 13 techniques that span over 59 minutes of instruction. Robert Drysdale is an excellent instructor and gives plenty of attention to every aspect to each technique. This is a master class of Cradles and chokes that you won't learn anywhere else. But wait, there is more!
LOL, seriously though. 🙂
After watching Drysdale's Cradle Series, I was inspired to work Cradles into my game more. I have ended up coming up with a few more techniques that I have since battle tested and gotten great results. So I have teamed up with Robert to include some of my cradle techniques on the Online Video Portal:
Bonus Videos Available on the Drysdale Cradle Series Online Portal:
The Cradle Against the Sitting Guard - I usually like going for the diving Kimura Trap, but cradling your opponent is much easier and safer. Yet another reason why you shouldn't use a sitting guard.
The Cradle Choke aka German Neck Tie - This submission is a cross between the Japanese and Peruvian Neck ties. Best part is that you don't need to pass the half guard - it actually works better in the half guard as you can use a leg cradle to finish the choke.
The Cradle to Arm Bar - Once you pass to side control with the Cradle, what is one to do? If you got his arm trapped in your cradle, then you have a sneaky arm bar that he won't be able to escape from. So simple I'm surprised I didn't see this sooner!
The Cradle to Back Mount with Hooks - If the arm isn't inside the cradle, no need to cry. They just gave you a free pass to the back mount, and you will be guaranteed the hooks!
As with all my courses, I always include updates to the course for FREE! So these are just the first few techniques we are adding as a bonus, with more to come in the future. At this time, we have an additional 4 techniques spanning 15 minutes, bringing the grand total to 17 techniques and about 75 minutes of video instruction.
I know the question most of you will have at this point: "How Much Does It Cost?"
You can get either the Online Course (with Streaming Video that you can watch on any device, phone, tablet, or PC) or the DVD (which comes with online access) for only:
Why should I get this?
If any of the following conditions describe you, then the Drysdale Cradle Series will be a good fit for you:
- Struggle to pass against the Z-Guard, China Wall, or Shin Shield
- Have a weak choke game
- Want to think outside the box and use unorthodox techniques to defeat your opponents
- Be on the cutting edge of MMA & BJJ
What I also like about the series is that Robert's teachings go hand-in-hand with everything I teach. My Front Head Lock Series, Guillotine Choke Series, and Back Trap System go hand in Hand with everything shown here. You do NOT need to be strong, flexible, fast, or high level to use the Cradle. You can be a white belt and easily use this series to your advantage.
Robert likes to call his style of Jiu Jitsu ugly. I say it's simple and effective. The fancy stuff is nice for highlight reels, but when you want the job done this is a series for you.
So go ahead and order now. You will thank me later for sharing this with you. 🙂
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Get the Drysdale Cradle Series and receive all the bonuses. You can watch the DVD, use the mind map and take it with you to the gym. If within 30 Days you are not satisfied with the Drysdale Cradle Series, then you can return it back to me by simply:
- Writing a simple review of my system telling me why it sucked and how you didn’t learn one technique from it (you can be brutally honest)
- Returning the package with all the products within 30 days after receiving the Drysdale Cradle Series and receive a full refund.
In the 5 years since I started selling DVD's and Online Courses, I can count the number of refunds I have given out on one hand. Only 5, and I have had thousands of orders made through me.
I'm extremely proud of that fact, and I take great care to ensure everyone that orders through me is 100% satisfied with their order. Whether you want to email me, Facebook Message me, call me, or even do a Skype session to address a problem with your order I will be more than happy to.
If you have read down this far, that means to me you are interested. So go ahead and indulge your curiousity and order now. After all, it is only $35 and if you don't like it, you can get a refund. So really, you have nothing to lose. Go ahead and order now!