10th Planet is known for their different moves and also for applying unique names which are attached to these techniques. According to their founder Eddie Bravo, he gave these unusual names so that students would be able to remember certain positions and concepts easier in comparison to using their old, traditional names. Put another way, modern names helped create an easier roadmap to help understand ideas easier. In brief, 10th Planet has a bunch of moves which are unique to their system, as well as a number of quirky names based around these techniques.
It should also be noted that these moves aren’t exclusive to 10th Planet and 10th Planet members will also use all sorts of general BJJ moves. Below is a list of the main moves used and taught at the organization and what they involve. It should also be noted that we won’t be listing every single move available from the system as there are literally hundreds that may be overbearing. Instead, we will be focusing on the main moves which are most commonly used.
- Rubber Guard – The rubber guard is a hybrid from the closed guard position. Here, the practitioner puts their legs in a high position above their opponent’s head. From here, they then grab their shin with an arm to break posture.
There are various sub-positions within this guard but generally, it leads to submissions rather than submissions. Some of the sub-positions include the ‘zombie’ and ‘dead orchard’ which are meant to lead to triangles and arm locks. Bravo even has an entire book dedicated to mastering the Rubber Guard.
2. Lockdown – This is a variation of playing bottom half guard. This involves locking your feet around the foot of the opponent’s near-side foot to create tension. With this done, you can then fight for double underhooks to attack sweeps by getting underneath your opponent. Again, this has various sub-positions such as the dogfight and oldschool sweep. It is commonly entered by 10th Planet players to attack the electric chair which is a groin-stretching submission and can also be applied as a sweep.
3. The Truck – Often used by Geo Martinez, this involves wrapping both feet around your opponent’s leg and getting them on their side. This can be done from various positions including the top and bottom. It is used to take the back and one of the main submissions from there is the calf crusher as the opponent’s leg is often open to attack due to the nature of the entanglement.
4. The Twister – This is one of 10th Planets most known submissions. Entered from the truck, it is attacked when the opponent has their back flat on the mat, as if trying to escape a rear naked choke. Instead of attacking the choke, you then grab around the head or neck of the opponent with both hands. From here, you crank their neck one way whilst using your legs to move their lower body towards the opposite direction. This is a spinal lock that can seriously damage the opponent’s spine if applied too harshly. Check out how intricate details of The Twister in Eddie Bravo’s book here.
5. Spiderweb – This is a way of controlling the partner from the armbar position and is often the starting point from armbar attacks in the EBI series. Here, the practitioner has their opponent in a typical armbar position whilst on the ground. The next step is to keep their arm wrapped with one of your arms, whilst holding their near leg with your other arm. This is a great way of control and makes certain escapes such as the hitchiker more difficult as it immobilizes the leg of the opponent.
6. The 100% sweep – Often used from the closed guard, the idea of the 100% is to get your opponent in a position which is cross between a guillotine and a half nelson wrestling hold. This does two things; it breaks the posture of the opponent and traps their arm to stop them from posting to defend the sweep. You can then use butterfly hooks to sweep the opponent. If you keep the 100% head position then you can also finish the opponent from mount with a nasty neck crank.
7. The Vaporizer – This is a leg lock submission which enters from a similar position to the lockdown, but it can also be attacked from the top by rolling into the position. Mechanically, it’s similar to a calf crank. However, because of the angle, you can also twist the leg to the side which also creates pressure on the knee cap. With this said, it’s cross between a calf crank and a knee submission.
8. The Ghost escape – The ghost is a way of escaping bottom side control. Whilst pinned on the bottom, the move requires getting your near arm under the opponent as a near-side underhook. From here, you then bridge and shrimp away from the opponent to create distance. You can then move onto a top position or chose to regain a guard if required. This is one of the main 10th Planet ways that is taught to escape side control.
9. The Stomp – Again, this is mostly used as an escape to improve your position. Often used from bottom quarter guard, the aim is to powerfully stomp the ground in a quick motion. This will create space underneath the opponent where you can then move to a more beneficial guard. Often, stomping can be used to get to Z-guard or butterfly guard which are both superior positions to being squashed on the bottom which has far less attacking options.
10. The Fly trap – Popularized by Jeremiah Vance, this is a triangle choke attack from bottom side control. Unlike a reverse side control from the bottom, this submission relies heavily on frames to set up the attack. This involves trapping the opponent in a triangle by moving your legs towards your head and requires a level of flexibility to do so.
11. The Dead Orchard – This move is named after 10th Planet veteran Nathan Orchard who created the move. From the rubber guard position, the attacker should aim to get both of the opponent’s arms inside the closed guard. There are a number of attacks from here, but the most common one is the double armbar which is done by putting the arms in a dangerous position.
12. The Honeyhole / DOA – The Honeyhole is the 10th Planet term which is also referred to elsewhere as the saddle or the inside ashi position. This is typically used to attack leg locks, the most common being the heel hook. There is also a 10th Planet term called ‘DOA’ or ‘dead on arrival’ which is a variation of the Honeyhole which is an aggressive, dominant form of control which opens the legs up to attack with submissions.
13. The Electric chair – This is a submission from the lockdown position. The electric chair involves getting under the opponents legs and stretching them. Effectively, it is a form of the banana split submission. Sometimes, the opponent may be too flexible in their groin to actually tap to this move. If so, then you can still use the electric chair to sweep the opponent and start setting up passing options.
14. Hail Mary series – The Hail Mary is a warm up system designed to attack the open guard. As this is seen as something of a desperation move, this is where the name comes from. These attacks include attacking a footlock from the top, rolling kimura and grabbing a guilotine choke. Whilst it’s a good habit to learn to pass the guard, this is an option if you are in trouble and are in desperate need of a submission.
15. Dogfight – This position name is also used in wider areas of Jiu Jitsu. This is done when you start from bottom half guard and manage to get an underhook on the opponent. From here, you’re effectively in a ‘dog fight’ position which is where the opponent will be fighting back against you. However, as you have the underhook, you are in the better position. This can lead to back takes, sweeps and submissions.
16. The Mantis position – Created by Alex Magala, this is a starting stance which mimics the position of a praying mantis. It is designed to lure the opponent into attacks, primarily setting up heel hook entries. However, other options are also available such as triangle and using the position to sweep the opponent if needed.
17. The Carni – A favorite of Richie ‘Boogeyman’ Martinez, this is a modified Omoplata that can be used to sweep or submit. This involves keeping your high leg under the throat and your other leg under the far leg of the opponent. The point of this is to stop forward roll escapes or back-steps, whilst using your free arm to secure the shoulder lock.
