Florzack Returns

AJJ with Cam Florzack, ADCC competitor and Danaher blackbelt.

Cam Florzack led a terrific seminar at Grants Martial Arts, where he shared some on the intricacies of American Jiujitsu. Cam is a ADCC competitor and a student of John Danaher. Florzack’s teachings drew heavily from wrestling and ADCC-style techniques, offering a fresh perspective on new wave jiujitsu.

Responsive image

Live Rolling

Cross Ashi Tech

This was cool because last time Cam did a seminar we didn’t mess with leglocks. The new wave guard is in part distinguished by strong leglock threats.

Figure 411 is for Control

These variations are primarily for control you’re opponents movement. Effectively you’re pinning their hips to the ground using their legs as levers and your figure four leg position as a fulcrum.

Butterfly Clamp, Cross Ashi is for Breaking I made that name up because this is a critical detail. Whether you go with the straight ankle lock or the inside heel hook Butterfly Clamp, Cross Ashi amplifies the breaking power of your chosen footlock. If it can get a reaction of of topG TJ Grant you can be sure it’s a powerful lock.

Back Heel/Shrimp to Bend the Leg and Control the Knee Line Essential movements to bend the opponent’s leg to 90 degrees and recover the knee line. The more you can bend the knee the more torque you can exert at the ankle. Imagine you’re twisting at the heel like a torque wrench for a car. The other benefit is the backheel pulls the knee line by hanging your bodyweight off the limb.

American Jiujitsu ADCC style jiujitsu is built around two players competiting for top position. And rather than play guard wrestle up and take the other player down.

Heavy Hands Strategy Use heavy hands to tire and intimidate the opponent, often leading them to pull guard. ADCC rules encourage more upright stances. Somewhere between a low wrestling stance and a Shizentai, upright Judo stance. I don’t remember why but snapdowns are a big part of the New Wave standing game. The rear hand reach is one opening gambit, where you post on your opponents shoulder and then convert to a forward snap. From there you can deploy multi snapping, snapping with both hands to draw a posturing reaction out of your opponent. It’s effective and simple. Joncas is going to be a problem with this technique.

Ankle Pick The ankle pick is also available off heavy hands and collar ties. Some mechanical principles are bring the head over the ankle your targetting. Pull from the end of the lever with pinky touching the mat ideally. Shot knee and shot hand are on the same side. Shoot to a knee capture the ankle, hanign off the head then drive forward to complete the takedown. Tony Ferguson approves!

Jousting Foot Sweeps Cam delivers the term with some Danaher hypnotism. Echoes of dark knights in shinning armour? I haven’t quite sorted out what jousting is. But one “jousts in with the feet” There a foot to foot step, followed by an unweighted forward foot that does the side kick style or de ashi harai style (foward foot sweep) Low-risk, high-reward techniques that, when executed correctly, can disrupt the opponent’s balance with minimal effort.

Practice Goals

Less is more jiujitsu. I’m paraphrasing in the quote below. This was something Cam mentioned in passing that caught my attention.

“You only need 10 moves, with 2 options from each position.” – Cam Florzack.

Because there are so many systems within systems all over the place in jiujitsu.

Leg Lock Mechanics

411 Ankle Lock: Employ toe-to-tail mechanics similar to toe hold techniques in EOS leglocks.
Aoki Lock Variations: Utilize short hooks and outside back heel akin to outside ashi. The belly-down version is performed with a butterfly pose (splay knees).
Kryptonian’s Aokia Lock: Notably effective, especially against the left knee’s ACL.

Side Mount Techniques

Ryan Style 10-Finger Grip: Focus on elbow separation and thumb post arm block to control the opponent.
Go Behind vs. Underhook: Effective strategies inspired by wrestling to secure dominant positions.

Live Rolling Sessions

To give you a taste of the seminar’s intensity and instructional value, we’ve included two YouTube videos of live rolling sessions with Cam Florzack and the Grants Martial Arts crew. These videos feature time codes and commentary in the comments section, providing detailed insights into the techniques demonstrated.

Conclusion

The seminar was a blend of wrestling and jiujitsu, perfectly encapsulating the New Wave style. Florzack’s emphasis on efficient, high-percentage techniques left a lasting impact on all attendees. A heartfelt thank you to Cam Florzack and Grants Martial Arts for hosting this enlightening event. This seminar provided invaluable insights and practical techniques, solidifying the foundation of New Wave Jiujitsu for all participants.