Improving shoulder stability
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Stability does not mean immobile. For proper stability the humeral head should be centralized in the glenoid while the arm elevates. When someone lacks stability they may have inadequate centralizing of the humeral head during elevation. .
How do we improve shoulder stability? .
End-range rotational inputs.
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“Ihashi et al. demonstrated internal rotation and external rotation will activate all of the rotator cuff musculature including supraspinatus (Wilk 1997).” A healthy shoulder will have an appropriate balance between force couples: deltoids and rotator cuff. This is why proper proprioception is essential. How do we improve shoulder proprioception?
1️⃣Compression: “Increasing the joint compressive load appears to “center” the humeral head within the glenoid and, subsequently, reduces the magnitude of aberrant translations (Wilk 1997).”
2️⃣End-range movements: “Guanche et al. (1995) found the presence of mechanoreceptors in the capsule, creating reflex arcs via capsular afferent nerves, resulted in muscle contraction (Hess 2000).” “Terry et al have theorized that stretch-sensitive mechanoreceptors within the capsular ligaments could be activated by tension, thus, producing a muscular contraction to protect the ligaments at the extremes of motion (Wilk 1997).”
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Won’t extreme ranges of motion put stress on the joint capsule?
“The joint capsule collagen fiber orientation is comprised of radial fibers. The cross-linked capsular collagen structure assists in providing joint stability. During rotational movements, such as internal and external rotation, the collagen fiber bundles tighten, thus centering the humeral head and reducing humeral head displacement (Wilk 1997).”
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References:
1️⃣Hess, S. A. (2000). Functional stability of the glenohumeral joint. Manual therapy, 5(2), 63-71.
2️⃣Wilk, K. E., Arrigo, C. A., & Andrews, J. R. (1997). Current concepts: the stabilizing structures of the glenohumeral joint. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 25(6), 364-379.
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@functionalrangeconditioning @functionalrangerelease @drandreospina @drmchivers

Neutral spine does not exist in athletics
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Alexander Karelin, perhaps the best Greco-Roman wrestler, executing a gut wrench. Essentially he is forced to deadlift a man his size who is fully resisting him. Why is his back bent so much?
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Neutral spine has a place but in the world of athletics you will not find a perfect position. While this is only one example he had probably performed this move thousands of times in training and competition.
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Most stable position for the spine:
Neutral spine with braced abdominals.
Least stable position for the spine: fully flexed spine without bracing.
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The spine is a flexible rod that was designed to move. When attempting to overcome a load (ie lifting) for training purposes having the spine in an optimal position is ideal. I would also recommend preparing your spine for non-optimal positioning so when you are forced to go there your spine will be resilient.
. “You will regret not training in the position that you were injured” – Andreo Spina.

#Repost @electrum_performance with @get_repost
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Specificity Series: Hip Thrust
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One of the foundational principles of Jiu-Jitsu is the idea of using larger, stronger joints to compromise the smaller joints of your opponent. Since the hips are one of the strongest joints in the body (and the glutes the largest muscle group) it comes as no surprise that they are often used as the fulcrum in various joint locks.
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The ability to produce force in terminal hip extension can best be expressed in the barbell hip thrust. As we’ve observed time and time again with @bretcontreras1, prioritizing the hip thrust for even a short period of time will result in it being your heaviest barbell movement.
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In this video, we demonstrate the similarities between hip thrust patterns in the weight room with various joint locks (knee bars, arm bars, and a scorpion lock). In these scenarios the breaking power comes from terminal hip extension, but the similarities hardly end there. You can also notice that the T-spine often stays in a flexed position to secure the end of the lever in a submission. This parallels proper hip thrust form, where the head and shoulders face forward to prevent excessive extension of the lumbar spine. We’re aware that many athletes may not have proper coaching in the barbell hip thrust.

The importance of breaking mechanics
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Jiu jitsu is a martial art designed to control an opponent with effective pins and using joint locks to disable an opponent. While in class it is very important to not hurt your training partners but it is also important to be competent with finishing the techniques correctly.
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Remember that Jiu jitsu was designed to break your opponent, not to elicit a tap.
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This is why understanding proper breaking mechanics are essential for practitioners and competitors. At the highest level competitors may risk injury for the chance of victory.
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A great example of this was At @f2wbjj . Talented prospect @keithkrikorian had his opponent in a very deep heel hook. His opponent stubbornly survived the next 22 seconds but managed to avoid tapping. I do not doubt that Keith knows how to finish a heel hook, but this is an example of someone willing to let his knee rip apart so that they can win.
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Commonly many practitioners employ a “catch and release” strategy while using heel hooks. But others argue without understanding the finish the technique might not be nearly as effective. @gordonlovesjiujitsu , one of the best submission grapplers in the world, discussed how many of the DDS members emphasized proper breaking mechanics which led them to achieving a very high finish rate.
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How do you training submissions and what are your opinions?
@flograppling

Do you have tight hips from jiu jitsu?
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Has extensive time playing guard lead to tightness in the front of your hips? Too often people stretch without checking if it should be stretched.
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Assessment: controlled articular rotation (CARs) are an excellent tool to assess for range of motion deficits. If you feel thigh tightness when you bring your leg back or are unable to get your thigh past parallel with your torso you may have hip flexor / quad tightness. .
Treatment:
1️⃣Passively stretch your hip flexor for approximately 2 minutes. Make sure to tilt your tail bone under you to avoid overly stressing your lumbar spine or hip joint.
2️⃣PAIL/RAIL: Neurologically activate your new range by actively isometrically loading your hip flexor / quad. After a prolonged hold follow by isometrically holding your glut / hamstrings. Repeat. ❌Do not continue if there is pain.
This allows for improved ACTIVE mobility vs only improving less useable PASSIVE flexibility. ✳️cramping may occur: this is neurological confusion from your body not understanding how to active the shortened range. This diminishes with practice.
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Don’t let mobility deficits interfere with your options for potential jiu jitsu techniques.

The Persian Prybar
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Dustin Akbari, @persian.fury, one of the most exciting grapplers at the recent East coast ADCC trials had no shortage of highlight real matches. One in particular where Akbari used a creative shoulder lock to submit his opponent that @flograppling writer @hywelteague coined the term “Persian Prybar”.
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Anatomically what is happening with this joint lock?
This joint lock differs from a Kimura or Americana because it primarily is creating a shear force to anterior translate the glenohumeral joint in the glenoid fossa. This motion is common for anterior shoulder dislocations.
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The rotator cuff muscles help to stabilize the humeral head in the glenoid fossa with the subscapularis being the primary dynamic constraint that may resist this motion. The static structures that oppose this motion are anterior band of the inferior glenohumeral ligament, axillary pouch and the middle glenohumeral joint ligament. A forceful anterior translation may also fray or tear the glenoid labrum. Glenohumeral capsule laxity can also occur from repeated stretching of these structures, such as years of late tapping to this shoulder lock.
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@teamalphamalemma @urijahfaber

What makes the temple so vulnerable?
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In combat sports when trying to inflict maximum damage there are two prime areas to attack: lateral aspect of the mandible or “testing someone’s chin” and the “temple” . The “temple” is also known as the pterion, and makes makes this area so vulnerable is it is where several skull bones interconnect.
•Parietal Bone
•Temporal Bone
•Sphenoid Bone
•Frontal Bone
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Due to the nature of this arrangement it is considered to be the weakest part of the skull.
In addition to this area being weak there is also a major cranial artery that runs underneath: middle meningeal artery.
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Due to the weak structure of the skull and the sensitive arterial system underneath this area is a prime area for inducing trauma to the brain. .
A good example of was at @ufc 230 with @ronaldojacare Vs @chrisweidman . Jacare needed to rally back after a back and forth fight and came back with an overhead cross to the temple of Weidman. Weidman was unconscious on his feet, despite the late stoppage from the referee.

Understanding Heel Hooks
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Arguably the most damaging submission hold across all grappling styles is the heel hook. This technique works by isolating your opponent’s femur and rotating the tibia beyond its normal range of motion. .
The knee (tibiofemoral joint) has 2 degrees of freedom: sagittal plane and transverse plane motion. This means that the knee is able to not only bend and straighten but there is rotation that occurs as well. The tibiofemoral joint can allow for up to 40-50 degrees of total axial rotation with a 2:1 ratio of external rotation to internal rotation. The primary constraints to stop excessive axial rotation are the ligaments that connect the two bones. The ligaments most commonly involve to prevent this motion include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). .
There are 3 reasons that makes this technique so devastating:
1️⃣Ligaments do not have the same sensory receptors that muscles/tendons have so by the time tension is felt there is a very small window of opportunity to tap.
2️⃣The structures being attacked, ligaments, do not heal as easily as other tissues in the body. Often these ligaments require surgical intervention to repair, specifically the ACL. Rehabilitation of ACL reconstruction is very long, often taking 6 to 12 months, before someone is cleared to return to sport.
3️⃣Many grapplers are ignorant of the technique and do not respond properly when being attacked by this submission. Often the ignorant grappler will tap too late or attempt to escape by spinning without control which may accidently cause excessive tibial rotation resulting in injury.
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As a martial artist I think it is foolish to not be educated on such an effective technique. As a physical therapist I feel that with proper training methods and controlled training partners this submission can be trained effectively without damaging your training partners.

When should someone start training overhead?
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There are many basic movement patterns that are essential for a well rounded program: often one pattern includes overhead lifting. This pattern may involve: strict press, push press, dumbbell press, snatch, KB snatch, turkish get up etc…
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An important question: should you train this quality if you do not have full shoulder range of motion?
The glenohumeral joint theoretically should allow 180 degrees of uncompensated motion. Other factors that may limit over motion include: scapulothoracic, thoracic spine, acromioclavicular and sternoclavicular joint. .
When the isolated joints lack sufficient mobility will you be overloading the joints trying to compensate for it to achieve overhead motion?
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Curious what your opinion is. Personally I’m going to address my mobility deficit before continuing with training overhead movements.

Cool video by @drnimamehran showing how an acute AC injury may present.
@drnimamehran with @get_repost
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Here is an example of a snowboarder who took a jump and landed onto their shoulder developing an AC Injury (acromioclavicular). The AC joint is where the acromion (the roof of the shoulder) meets the clavicle (the collar bone). A direct force can lead to ligament tears that cause instability and pain at that joint. Many contact athletes such as football players experience similar injuries. This video demonstrates the back side of the patient’s shoulder where you can appreciate the instability between the AC joint and how the clavicle (collar bone) shifts as the patient elevates and lowers their arm.

Joint Preparation for jiu jitsu
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Often warm ups for athletic competitions involve general and sport specific movements to increase body temperature and lubricate tissues prior to the activity. One often missed component is isolate joint movements.
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Controlled articular rotations (CARs) are a fantastic tool for a variety of reasons but in this case the goal is to prepare specific joints so the sport specific compound movements can be performed correctly and without compensation. If you do not have the prerequisite joint movement the entire compound movement will be altered.
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In the case of Jiu jitsu joint prep is essential considering the grappling art involves techniques designed specifically to stress the limits of joints. .
Personally I would want to make sure my joints are prepared for my full available active movement prior to being put in a position where someone is attempting to passively move it beyond its limits. .
@functionalrangeconditioning @functionalrangerelease @drandreospina @drmchivers @kinstretch @dynamixmma

Throwback to one of my matches last year. Looking forward to get back at it soon.

How to maximize your back attacks
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Back control is often consider the ultimate dominant position because it takes away many of the counterattacks from the defender. Despite this being such an effective position finishing a clean choke can be challenging when grappling an opponent who can use both their hands to defend attacks. .
A strategy to minimize the defender from hand fighting is when the attacker uses hand trapping. This is accomplished when the attacker can trap one arm with their leg. This allows the attacker to use both hands against the one remaining hand of the defender.
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A great example of this strategy is with young phenom @nickyryanbjj who used this technique to cinch in a strangle against his opponent
at @quintet_pr .

“Modern grappling’s secret isn’t size, it is anatomy”
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This phrase summarizes my IG page.
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@deanlisterbjj