This week on Gracie Barra Blog we are looking at how to attack a strong defensive position: the Turtle.

If you have ever had a roll with an experienced judo player, you will have likely had to deal with them defending from a tight turtle position. This can be a very frustrating position to try to attack if you don’t have a solid strategy.

Fortunately, there are several different ways to defeat the turtle position and look to attack with a number of submissions.

Let’s take a look at some variations of turtle attacks as demonstrated by some of the best Gracie Barra black belt instructors.

1) Turtle Breakdown / Dicas posicionamento dos 4 apoios

One of your best options is to break down the structure of the opponent’s turtle before attempting your submission attack. Note the placement of the knee to break the opponent’s base.

2) Opposite side collar choke from Turtle / Estrangulamento Na Posição de 4 Apoios

The most common attack may be the Clock Choke, but Prof. Carlos Liberi has a surprise choke for his opponent by attacking the opposite lapel and rolling them over for a choke.

3) Triangle from Rear Mount / Triângulo partindo da pegada das Costas

Prof. Rodrigo Scott of GB Itaipaiva shows how he enters into the triangle from a single hook against the opponent’s turtle.

4) Clock Choke variation with your lapel

This variation of the Clock Choke technique comes from Prof. Samuel Carvalho of GB Bahia. If your opponent is protecting their own lapels and preventing the Clock Choke, you can improvise and pass your own lapel.

5) Double leg defense to choke / Defesa de Double Leg com Ataque de Estrangulamento

The no-gi version of this leg assisted choke is known as the Peruvian Neck Tie. Making use of the lapel, your can sit back to a very powerful choke when defending the double leg.

See also on Gracie Barra : Take And Attack The Back