| "I just finished watching the BJJ City DVD on the Tornado Roll/Inverted Guard, and it was very good. Shows several solo and partner drills for developing the necessary body movements and applications from several positions. Then, it goes into setting up and using the inverted guard, and covers submissions from that position including omoplata, triangle, armbar, kneebars, etc. Some really good stuff. I've never really messed with the inverted guard much to this point, but I'm definately going to try to incorporate some of it into my game."
________________ "Very specialized dvd and does a nice job covering the whole "inverted game." Not a bad price either for the amount of techniques you will be exposed to"
________________ "I bought the DVD and really enjoyed it. I liked Chuck's no nonsense approach, and the fact that he is an over-40 guy like me who makes it look easy to do.
Firstly, for a reasonable price, the video runs an hour plus of instruction, which makes it a good value. It was broken up into three clear sections showing drills, tornado roll moves, and inverted guard moves. Everything was clearly explained, decent camera angles, and repetitive explanation that made it easy to follow.
I wanted it since I no longer have an instructor or training partners who really play this kind of game. I like spider guard and turtle position, and I found it extremely helpful in filling in some of the gaps I have working from them. I think I just sort of fell out of the habit of using the tornado roll more often or more effectively. In fact, I pulled off a tornado roll to omoplata sweep tonite on a brown belt, which was nice since he usually smashes me in a similar position.
Granted, I didn't see or learn any trick moves or things I hadn't been exposed to in the past, but it did help refresh, clarify, and reinforce this type of game. I think maybe white belts could benefit from more of the explanation as to the whys, but it wasn't something I needed or expected.
I have bought/watched videos from top black belts that were doing things I had never seen, broken down to the tiniest detail, and I like those also. But that wasn't my expectation here, and the trailers made it pretty clear what you get.
I recommend the video to anyone who is interested in this type of game and wants to use the basic concepts to enhance their guard performance. I only came away wishing it had even more moves on it with advanced concepts, so I will be looking for a part 2. Nice work Chuck.
Oh, and it has a really cool guitar riff throughout."
________________ "One of the first DVDs out that is different than anything out there. Nicely done."
________________ "I got mine Satruday and really like it. It filled some gaps for me. Good instruction on a good and unique topic."
________________ "Just got the DVD and it's great. Very well done. I love the drills."
________________ "I've only had the DVD for like 5 days and I now have an inverted guard game. I have yet to submit any one but I have great control while in inverted guard. This is a great instructional if you want a new twist on the guard this is a great DVD to start with."
________________ "I bought the video the day it came out. Real solid overview of that kind of game. I liked that it included solo drills. It was worth the money for sure since there are a ton of techniques. My only gripe would be that each move could have benefited from being shown a few more times. Solid instructional."
________________ "Good progression. I like the way you teach. Some of these drills we used to do but I have been neglecting them and lost some movement.
A few years ago I was comfortable inverted. But working through the dvd stuff was harder than it should have been. Gotta keep practicing or you lose it.
I thought the interview feature was excellent btw. Always interested in what makes people tick."
________________ "I just got the DVD and watched it. It is really a great DVD and will be one of my favorites.
I feel that the tornado roll stuff is not just a technique, but a movement pattern which will help me to move more fluid on the ground.
Everyone who wants to explore new ways of rolling should check this DVD out.
The Tornado roll stuff can be used No-Gi and I think also the inverted stuff is partly usable for no gi with some modifications.
It´s really worth the price, great DVD."
Take care
Björn Friedrich
www.BjoernFriedrich.com
________________ The graphics, presentation, and layout of this DVD are excellent. Some of the best I've seen, actually. What is really nice is that in each section, the drills and techniques are not only listed by number, but also by name. So if you can't remember what technique #9 is, it spells it out for you for easy reference.
While there are too many drills and techniques to go over one by one, I'll give some of what I consider highlights from each section. Drills
There were some very basic things here like forward and backward rolls, but it shows how they lead into the more sophistocated rolls such as the tornado, which leads to the inversion. He shows both solo and partner drills to instill not just how, but when to use this move. Chuck goes into nice detail on how to "walk the wall" and drill the tornado/inversion techniques solo. While I have been shown how to walk the wall before, and played around with it on my own, his details will make it a much more usefull drill for me.
Chuck's "hide the elbow" drill is something that is often overlooked, both when performing escapes from the bottom, and when initiating tornado rolls and inversions. Tornado Roll
Spending a lot of time working with wrestlers, i have come to understand that the Tornado Roll and the Granby Roll are essentially the same thing - a horizonal roll across the shoulder blades instead of a traditional forward or backward roll. At the same time, they can be viewed as very different in their goals and applications. It can be used defensively, as a reversal, to create a scramble, or to recover the guard position from a turtle or a guard pass attempt - or even as an escape from the North/South position. It can also be used offensively, to initiate a variety of submissions and sweeps.
My favorite part from this section was how Chuck explained the reasons behind different grips when attacking the triangle and the omaplata from the Tornado roll. Watching his grips and his foot positioning will definitely make this a more effective attack combo for me.
I really like Chuck's shoulder lock from the Tornado roll, which he showed already online as well. My only complaint is that he didn't show how to combine this with the Tornado roll half-guard sweep that I have seen others use from here (Cobrinha, Shawn Williams,etc.). I'm sure I can figure it out on my own eventually, but sometimes I am lazy and want to be spoon fed. :) Inverted Guard
At last! The mysterious and sometimes frightening Inverted Guard. I've seen many high level players use it with fantastic effect, but it has never been something I've put much time into or felt safe with. This DVD has inspired me to hope that this position is possible for me. Unlike some of the young athletes using this on the competition scene, Chuck does not appear to be insanely limber - just extremely technical and efficient in his movements.
My favorites from this section were Chuck's explanation of the different foot placements involved, which are dependent on the opponent's "range" within in your inverted guard; and his entries into movements which I hadn't really considered from here, such as the 50/50 heelhook, taking the back, and several movements from the closed inverted guard! While not all of it will be added into my "A" game any time soon, it is very cool stuff to be aware of and slowly add into the mixing pot. The DVD closes with an interview with Chuck, which I found very insightful. You get a real taste of his close relationship with Carlson, his loyalty and pride with De La Riva, and his passion for teaching and training jiu-jitsu. Overall, I would recommend this DVD for blue belt level and above, but some of the concepts and drills will be beneficial for beginners as well.
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