The Dead Orchard was a BJJ position and submission that was the brain child of 10th Planet black belt, Nathan Orchard. Reliant on using the Rubber Guard position, the practitioner then changes their leg positioning to create a tight angle. This in turn traps the opponent’s arms and allows for various attacks to be attempted. Usually, these submissions are armbars and omoplatas. Because of this, the Dead Orchard can be seen as a highly aggressive position.
Much like the Williams Guard, it has similar submissions and doesn’t really offer sweeping options. Perhaps the hard part of the Dead Orchard is its ability to enter the position in the first place. However, once there, usually your opponent’s are in big trouble.
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What is the Dead Orchard?
As mentioned, it’s a dangerous position that comes from the Rubber Guard. Another way of thinking about it is that it’s a modified, arm-in triangle from the Closed Guard. Basically, with both arms in and your opponent’s posture broken, you can start submitting them. The most common submission used here is the armbar. This is because the Dead Orchard isolates the arms and puts them in a very vulnerable position. To recap, imagine locking a triangle over both shoulders of the opponent, this is what the Dead Orchard looks like.
How to set up the Dead Orchard
The vast majority of the time, the Dead Orchard is entered from the Rubber Guard. However, it is possible to enter the position from a High Guard or similar positions, so don’t worry if you’re not wise on the 10th Planet system, or lack flexibility.
For ease, we won’t go into the details of obtaining Rubber Guard. Instead, it’s probably best to read our comprehensive Rubber Guard guide here that breaks things down more precisely. With this done, we’ll assume that you’re already in the Rubber Guard and ready to go.
From the Rubber Guard, you then want to hold your knee with your other, free hand. This adds control and friction to the Rubber Guard to make it more difficult for the opponent to slip out and escape. From there, you then want to lock a triangle with your legs, covering the far shoulder of the opponent. Even if they do try pulling their arm out, you can sometimes catch the triangle mid-pull anyway to trap the arm as it’s straightened. With this done, you are now in the Dead Orchard.
Below is a video for a different entry that is not based on the Rubber Guard. This specific entry is based on the opponent’s posture being already broken in your Closed Guard. Sometimes, people in this position will choose to stall and ball up.
With this done, you can open your legs and put your feet on both hips of the opponent. During this, make sure you have both hands on their head to keep their posture low. You can then jump your feet off the hips and bring your legs into a High Guard, next you can pull the elbow in to set up the armbar. Once the elbow is in place, you can lock up your triangle and you’ve entered the Dead Orchard.
Finishing the submission
Usually, the easiest submission from the Dead Orchard is the armbar. The main reason for this is as you enter the position, the opponent’s arm is easily available to attack. Sometimes if they defend by making an RNC grip with their other arm, you can do the ‘zombie’ to isolate their arm. By doing this, you can then peel the hand down and hip up, to finish like you would with a regular armbar from Closed Guard.
Sometimes, you can also by bending the secondary arm back against your leg. This isn’t the most common finish but can still get the job done if they overcompensate by defending the regular arm. In some cases, if you manage to peel both arms back, you can even hit a double armbar, submitting both arms at once.
As you may have visualized, you can also attack omoplatas too. This can be done if the opponent is simply too strong and defends their arms well. With this in mind, you would then bring your leg over the shoulder, as you would with a normal omoplata. Of course, you would need to unlock the triangle to free your legs first. With this in mind, there are various options when thinking about Dead Orchard submission options.
Can you do the Dead Orchard from the back position?
The answer to this is yes. In brief, if you can get a regular back triangle from the back, then the Dead Orchard is also a possibility. Really, it depends on preference though as many people would favor the regular back triangle to begin with. If you’re experienced in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, then you will be well aware that this is one of the best positions in the sport.
However, if for some reason it’s not quite on, or the opponent somehow slips their arm in to defend then the Dead Orchard is definitely a good idea. Even from the back, the same focus is on armbars and even though omoplatas aren’t available, you can use wristlocks instead. Basically, it is generally a well-controlled back position. The main entry to the back Dead Orchard is similar to entering a back triangle, but instead you lock the triangle over the secondary shoulder, as opposed to leaving the shoulder out entirely.
Can you do the Dead Orchard in the gi?
This is a commonly asked question by people who enjoy 10th Planet moves, yet still train in the gi. Again, the answer is yes. In short, if you can do something in no gi, then by default you can also do it in the gi. Arguably, it is even easier to finish in the gi for two reasons.
The first is that the gi brings more friction that makes it harder for people to slip out and escape. Secondly, you could possibly even opt for collar chokes from a locked in Dead Orchard. As the carotid arteries are exposed with a lapel that is easy to get to, this is definitely an option.
However, regular Dead Orchard’s are also available. Check the video below of Caio Terra using it in the gi in competition as a black belt.
Can the Dead Orchard be done by non-flexible people?
This question is often asked by those who lack flexibility. As discussed earlier, this is not a problem, provided it is done from certain angles such as the High Guard or with broken posture. Having said this, Eddie Bravo has said for years that the Rubber Guard can be used by un-flexible people. According to Bravo, it is doable by making angles to cut down on space.
Of course, be careful not to bend your leg too far when trying to bring your leg forward. This can potentially damage your knee ligaments and is something you should do carefully, especially to begin with.
