Video: Counter a single leg takedown by jumping for a flying omoplata with Greg Nelson

GMA member Greg Nelson, head instructor at The Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota, shows how to combat a single leg takedown by an opponent and turn it into a submission.

Greg explains how to get the flying omoplata, a move her secured at the 2000 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, when your opponent attempts a takedown. Read on and watch the video below:

The beginning of the video shows me throwing the jumping omoplata countering a single leg attempt at the 2000 Pans (purple belt at the time). Be prepared when you do this technique you will be landing a bit hard….gravity is a great thing, but also brings you to earth pretty fast. When throwing it with adrenaline you can see my head is the first to land (fortunately I have been blessed with a thicker skull to protect a smaller brain). Initially my opponent stalls the omoplata by immediately grabbing my pants preventing me from getting both legs to the outside to allow full leverage. Eventually I got my leg free, but lost some pressure giving my opponent an opportunity to roll, but giving up 2 points in the process and giving me top position.

My goal was simple: Go for the submission and always fight for top position when given the chance. I look at BJJ, submission grappling, wrestling, judo, catch wrestling…all the grappling and striking arts in terms of a real fight. Now that being said you can work within the rules and goals of each sport. All of the combat sports have specific rules and methods to score points to win a time limit match. Each sport is unique and fun in its own way, and each brings specific elements that will cross over to a real ‘no holds barred’ self-defense fight. It is important to know what techniques are specific to the sport and which techniques are street/pavement/tar ready. If you think by doing 100% sport BJJ you are preparing for the intensity of a fight on the tar, where strikes, slams, scrapes, multiple opponents, potential weapons….complete combat chaos is the norm…you may be sadly mistaken and subsequently pummeled into the pavement. Have fun and play, but make sure you know and train those aspects of the arts you choose, that are 100% MMA functional and those that are street effective.

****Note the jumping omoplata is a sport move, on tar my head would have smashed and would have probably knocked myself out in the process.****

Learn more about The Academy at www.theacademymn.com