Back in 2003, Eddie Bravo received his black belt from Jean Jacques Machado and shortly after founded his first gym, 10th Planet in California. Since then, the gym has grown to a worldwide group with hundreds of affiliates in various continents around the globe. Originally, 10th Planet was unique for only teaching classes without the gi.
Further down the road, Bravo also claimed its system was better suited towards MMA than conventional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Decades later, we shall assess whether 10th Planet is a good system for fighting MMA, or whether regular sports BJJ is just as good.
Table of Contents
10th Planet guards used in MMA
Rubber guard and the lockdown
These days, 10th Planet is a pretty mixed bag in terms of what it teaches and it’s arguably more broad and open-minded compared to its earlier days. However, there are two main guards that stick out when it comes to 10th Planet BJJ. Specifically, these are the lockdown and rubber guard.
In short, the lockdown is a half guard that is used whilst flat on your back, whilst the rubber guard is form of high guard from the closed guard position. The positions are relatively common in MMA, however they have different applications when used in fighting compared to sports BJJ. This is because with striking involved, these positions differ massively.
Often, the lockdown isn’t used offensively in MMA and is instead used to prevent the opponent from passing or to start a ground and pound procedure. So, although it may not be offensively great – it’s good for defense and stalling if a fighter needs to make it to the next round.
Arguably, the rubber guard is far more offensive in MMA. Although it almost never leads to sweeps, it has a number of submissions available such as triangles and armbars. Furthermore, due to its leg placements, it makes it difficult for opponents to strike you which is advantageous compared to the regular closed guard. Undoubtedly, if you can master the rubber guard for MMA, it is a valuable asset whilst fighting from the bottom position.
Other 10th Planet guards used in MMA
Although 10th Planet specializes in the aforementioned guards, they’re not the only guards used by 10th Planet practitioners. Often, Eddie Bravo also liked to play regular half guard positions, as well as the butterfly guard. Arguably, these are also very useful guards that are pretty common in MMA. Interestingly, 10th Planet practitioners rarely use the closed guard which may be because it’s harder to attack from compared to using it in the gi.
10th Planet submissions used in MMA
Although 10th Planet uses all of the no gi submissions found in conventional BJJ, it does have a few submissions of its own as well. Specifically, the main submission it’s best known for is the Twister which is a spinal lock from the back position. Whilst this submission is very dangerous, it’s also very rarely seen in MMA and this is because it’s difficult to get to. Usually, it happens when a fighter is trying to escape the back, and then the other fighter switches to a Twister as a result.
In the UFC, there have literally only ever been two Twister submissions – with The Korean Zombie being the first to do so. Despite its rareness, it’s still a solid submission that is learning. Aside from the Twister, 10th Planet does have a number of other submissions such as the Dead Orchid and Vaporizer leg lock. Although these are decent for BJJ, the reality is that they’re pretty hard to pull off with punches involved. So, the reality is that even though 10th Planet has some cool techniques, they can also be considered as low percentage moves when it comes to MMA.
Does 10th Planet teach wrestling?
Arguably, it’s pointless trying to get into MMA these days without knowing how to wrestle. This is why it’s important to learn which should complement your BJJ and overall grappling. Thankfully, most 10th Planet gyms will teach takedowns and wrestling. In fact, the 10th Planet black belt PJ Barch is well known for his wrestling.
At the same time, 10th Planet often falls into the same problems that regular BJJ gyms do when it comes to takedowns. This is that even though the wrestling they teach is ok, it will rarely match that which is taught in a standard wrestling gym.
So, as a prospective MMA fighter, you may want to learn your wrestling from a wrestler – as opposed to a BJJ guy. Still, if your local 10th Planet gym has a decent wrestler teaching the takedowns, then this could be ideal. Ultimately though, each gym is different and will have its own flavor of grappling. Undoubtedly, there will be both good and bad 10th Planet gyms when it comes to wrestling.
Fighters who have used 10th Planet in MMA
One of Eddie Bravo’s main objectives when he first started teaching was to revolutionize MMA with his moves. In some ways, you could argue that he achieved this. Even though 10th Planer hasn’t completely changed MMA altogether, it’s definitely left its mark.
So far, the most famous MMA fighter to use 10th Planet in the cage is the Eddie Bravo black belt, Tony Ferguson. Although his career tailed off towards the end, at one point he was one of the best fighters in the UFC who won the interim UFC title. During his fights, Ferguson would showcase high level BJJ, specializing in darce and triangle chokes, as well as using the rubber guard to great effect.
Unfortunately, aside from Ferguson – 10th Planet hasn’t had many top level fighters who regularly train at their gyms. Over the years, the likes of Ronda Rousey, Vinny Magalhaes and others have trained at 10th Planet gyms – but Rousey was never really a regular, whereas Magalhaes’s MMA career wasn’t elite either. Regardless, the chances are that we will see another 10th Planet MMA champion in the future due to the sheer number of schools dotted around the world.
10th Planet vs regular BJJ for MMA fighters
So far, we’ve established that 10th Planet undeniably has certain moves that are useful in MMA. Obviously, the fact that it disregards the gi completely is another benefit for MMA fighters. Having said this, the main issue with 10th Planet is that it often focuses on the guard too much, as opposed to pinning from dominant top positions. Sometimes, its students are too focused on leg locks too, which are pretty low percentage when it comes to MMA.
As a result, it’s fair to say that certain aspects of 10th Planet are good in MMA, whereas other areas are redundant. This is the case when it comes to trying to develop a tough pressure style from the top, which 10th Planet practitioners rarely focus on. So, if you want to train 10th Planet for MMA, it’s best to pick certain parts of it and apply them to your style, whilst also still focusing on your specialist MMA grappling as well.
Conclusion
Overall, the reality is that 10th Planet has some useful techniques for MMA. Of course though, it shouldn’t be your only method of training for MMA and should be complemented with striking styles as well. With this said, perhaps your best bet for training BJJ for MMA should be done by training at a decent 10th Planet gym, or by training at a decent BJJ school elsewhere. In conclusion, this shows the old adage that good grappling is good grappling, no matter what banner it falls under.
