Can Openers

When I say “Can Openers” a lot of people get the image of neck cranks from inside guard a la Tito Ortiz, but that isn’t what I am looking at here. These can openers are means seperating a persons arms from their body when they are defending really well in the bottom position. I have been working with three different types of can openers recently;

1. The “Homer Simpson” - I picked this name as it resembles Homer’s celebratory habit of lying on his side and “running” in a circle. Essentially this technique is from side control and is used to clear the far arm from the body to insert an underhook and go for submissions. To do it you grab your opponents far trap (as you would with an underhook) and make sure that your bicep is between his elbow and body. Then making sure that your chest is low enough to be below the level of your opponents forearm do the tight Homer Simpson walk around the head of your opponent until the arm is clear. Once it is free you have many options, such as a progression of submissions like: Figure 4, Straight entangled Arm Bar, Far Arm Bar.

2. The Wrist Drive - This technique is much like the previous one and achieves a similar result, the only difference is that instead of driving in a circular motion around the body, the pressure goes in a straight line driven by both feet. Start by gripping the arm in the same way as the previous technique, but slide your chest up to the wrist. Once there drive accross the body with both legs, this should apply maximum leverage on the elbow and force the arm away. Once arm is seperated follow the same submissions as the previous example.

3. The Smear - Unlike the previous two can openers, the smear is done from front control and is used to clear an arm to setup a forearm choke or front headlock. In essence I use the inside of rib cage as a hook to drag the opponents arm away from the body. Start in front control and move slightly further down opponents body so you can get your rib cage over the opponents elbow. Then keeping tight to their body move laterally back and forth smearing their arms away from their body. As soon as the arm clears the body drop your elbow into the arm pit to keep it seperated. From there you can start to attack with Front Headlocks or setup a forearm choke, it is also a good scenario for setting up a cross face with the arm trapped.

Heaps of Fun have a crack!