Prof Carlos Lemos On How To Train Standup
“That’s why I train my standup game so hard. Because I love to throw. It’s one of the favorite parts of my Jiu-Jitsu.”
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Part of having complete jiu-jitsu is the standup. Yet many jiu-jitsu students are not confident in their standup skills. Why are takedowns so important if most matches are won or lost on the ground?
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Prof Lemos loves to train in standup takedowns (check out his many videos on IG) and shares his concepts and advice for Gracie Barra students to get a strong takedown game.
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GB: Prof Carlos, you have been posting a lot of great takedown videos on your Instagram account. What is the importance of having strong takedowns for Gracie Barra students and competitors?
Prof Carlos: Thank you so much for your kind words. I just love throws and I love throwing and takedowns. I think that wrestling and judo is a really important part of jiu-jitsu. Master Carlos Gracie Jr always encouraged us since we were kids to find our strong throw and have the discipline to practice judo. Since we love jiu-jitsu so much we tend to spend way more time on the ground. So Master Carlos was always trying to keep the balance with us. He encouraged all of his students to have a strong standup game.
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I think that was the main influence on my mindset of training takedowns and throws and understanding the standup game. So I don’t believe that everybody needs to be an incredible wrestler or judo player to have great jiu-jitsu, but I believe that everybody needs to train consistently in either wrestling or judo or both to have great jiu-jitsu.
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In essence training the standup game is important. Extremely important in my opinion. But having strong takedowns or throws is not as important as is the practice and the training. You can be an incredible guard player; have 9 out of 10 submissions coming off your back and you can only benefit from the standup training even though that is not going to be your strategy going into a match.
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That is my vision and my opinion.
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That’s my vision and my opinion.
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GB: I heard one IBJJF World Champion say that he felt that he never would have achieved his full potential in Jiu-Jitsu if he had not also studied judo as well. What is your take on this idea?
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Prof Carlos: I couldn’t agree more with this world champion in question. I think that it is an incredible necessity like I said of understanding the standup game whether that comes from wrestling or judo or both. I don’t think that anybody can achieve their full potential if they are not versed in ALL aspects of Jiu-Jitsu – which includes the standup game.
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GB: What do you feel are the most significant differences between the standup/takedowns in Jiu-Jitsu vs judo? (Ex. gripping, referees restarting the match standing, etc)
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Prof Carlos: I couldn’t agree more with this world champion in question. I think that is an incredible necessity like I said of understanding the standup game. Whether that comes from wrestling or judo or both. I don’t think that anybody can achieve their full potential if they are not well versed in ALL aspects of Jiu-Jitsu. Which includes the standup game.
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Prof Carlos: This is a great question and I get asked this question often. What is the main difference between traditional judo and judo for Jiu-Jitsu?
The main differences are first of all the stance. You can not have a fully erect stance in a Jiu-Jitsu match because people will grab your legs. Today in judo you have almost zero leg grabs and in Jiu-Jitsu they are very popular. They have a ton of variety of leg grabs and freestyle wrestling takedowns so you can’t stand up like a judo player would because you will be put on your back.
Now the other main concern is that a Jiu-Jitsu fighter must have judo incorporated in his game and is not allowed anybody to end up on their backs once they throw. There must be a preoccupation and adaptation because in some of the judo throws – especially the hip throws – you have your back exposed. If you don’t adapt and you are not preoccupied with people landing on your back, you will encounter problems with that.
In judo, once it’s a clean throw and you put your opponent on their back, it doesn’t matter if the thrower lands on their back. It’s an ippon and the match is over!
Now in Jiu-Jitsu, we all know that it’s different. That preoccupation, that concern, that adaptation must be in place.
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Another very important thing that is tied to what I just said is the transition. A Jiu-Jitsu fighter must always be looking for the transition after the throw. You can’t simply get a clean throw and land in somebody’s guard and BOOM! you are inside the triangle. Or you get a clean throw and you are not preoccupied with that person landing on your back and BOOM! …you get your back taken. That has to be an adaptation and a strategy for the next step. The throw must immediately be attached to a transition after that.
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GB: Is there any difference in how you approach training your standup compared to training on the ground?
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Prof Carlos: The difference in the training methods depends on how close you are getting to the competition. What I normally do is way more repetitions standing up. Like drilling my takedowns and my throws with my team. Then I do sparring. Sparring is reserved for towards the end of the training. We do rolls on the ground, we do specific sparring, and we do drills on the ground. The body is warm. The body is loose. You have to be careful you know, because if you do too much standup training and you start the standup training too early or too late in your camp injuries can happen. The way to prevent the injuries is to do more standup drills. Standup sparring towards the end of the session when everybody is warm and loose. Also, cut the standup training like a week before the tournament. Sparring I mean. You can still drill. You can still do live throws. But not so much sparring in the final few weeks before the tournament. Less sparring and more drills would be the only difference for me.
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GB: Lastly, what is your best advice for Gracie Barra students who want to develop a strong standing/takedown game?
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Prof Carlos: If you are a Gracie Barra student and you want to develop a strong standup game, a strong takedown game, my advice for you is this: Start small. Meaning first developing one small judo throw and one small wrestling takedown. Such as for example a single leg or an ankle pick for wrestling and o soto gari or kouchi gari or ouchi gari as far as it goes with the judo throws. Start small. Because once you become very strong at the small takedowns they can always turn to big takedowns. People are always thinking about a spectacular throw or a big throw.
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It’s very easy to set up a small takedown game and from that build it for an opportunity for a big throw or a combination from that than it is for a student to master a big throw game right off the bat. It’s always harder. At the end of the day, 2 points are 2 points. Whether they are coming from a foot sweep or from a German suplex or uranage. It doesn’t matter…2 points are 2 points.
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Start small and train consistently. Repeat a lot. That is the way forward. Nobody can go wrong with that kind of formula. These are my tips and advice for anybody who wants to develop a strong standup and takedown game. Yes, it’s possible. We believe in well-rounded jiu-jitsu, complete jiu-jitsu. That is what we learned from Master Carlos. That is what we pass to our students.
It’s all about training, staying consistent, avoiding injuries of course, and ultimately having fun on the mats. That’s why I train my standup game so hard. Because I love to throw. It’s one of the favorite parts of my Jiu-Jitsu.
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Thank you!
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See also on GB Technique:
GB Technique: Passing Different Guard Styles
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Writer: Mark Mullen, Gracie Barra Black Belt