Biomechanics of Rotational Strikes
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In regards to striking martial arts the available options involve either linear strikes or rotational strikes.
?️Linear strikes: Jab, Cross, Push kick, front kick, Teep.
?️Rotational Strikes: Hook, Uppercut, Roundhouse kick, Wheel kick, Spinning elbow.
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There are advantages and disadvantages to both options.
?️Linear strikes: Less distance is required therefore there is less time necessary to reach the target. Less time means the defender may not have an adequate defense, therefore it has a higher likelihood of landing.
?️Rotational strikes: More distance/time is required therefore more velocity can be built up. This can translate into higher force generation.
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Due to the increased time, coordination and accuracy rotational attacks like the spinning elbow are not considered high percentage strikes. However there are specialists, such as @dreamkiller_bolanos who have the ability to perform and land this strike often.
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A competent striker does not need to be able to throw spinning attacks, however these strikes have the ability to generate considerable force so it is a good back up option if you want to catch your opponent off-guard.

Concussions: Linear vs Rotational forces
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The type of force and location of head impact may increase the likelihood of a concussion. Studies show that strikes aimed to the side of the head may be more effective than strikes aimed at the front.
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“Higher linear and angular accelerations produced longer periods of unconsciousness (more than 3 times) on the side than at any of the other locations. (Hodgson 1983)”. .
“Model predictions have shown that the laterally impacted brain experiences a larger skull deformation, a higher intracranial pressure, and a higher shear deformation as compared to a brain impacted from the frontal direction. (Zhang 2004)”. .
Based on the anatomical design of the brain, brain tissue deforms easier to shear forces and rotational accelerations have a higher potential to cause shear-induced tissue damage. “Shear deformation caused by rotational acceleration is the predominant mechanism of injury in concussion ( Meaney 2010)”.
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@aaronpicousa @bellatormma .
References:
1. Hodgson, V. R., Thomas, L. M., & Khalil, T. B. (1983). The role of impact location in reversible cerebral concussion (No. 831618). SAE Technical Paper.
2. Meaney, D. F., & Smith, D. H. (2011). Biomechanics of concussion. Clinics in sports medicine, 30(1), 19-31.
3. Zhang, L., Yang, K. H., & King, A. I. (2004). A proposed injury threshold for mild traumatic brain injury. Transactions-American Society of Mechanical Engineers Journal of Biomechanical I Engineering, 126(2), 226-236.

Elbow rehab for jiu jitsu
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Elbow pain is fairly common among jiu jitsu athletes, due to excessive gi gripping or repetitive elbow strains from elbow locks. Often jiu jitsu athletes are too stubborn to stop or reduce their activity so this can become a chronic injury that lingers.
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Tendinopathy in general is difficult to manage once it becomes chronic. In early stages, acute / reactive tendinopathy, reducing aggravating activities is enough to manage symptoms. In the later stages there is degenerative changes to the tendon which make just stopping the activity insufficient to deal with pain.
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Strategies for dealing with elbow tendinopathy
Acute / forearm tendinopathy:
1️⃣Rest.
2️⃣Isometrics: Isometrics are a great way to reduce pain and load the tendon without putting too much stress on the irritated structures.
3️⃣Minimize techniques that are reliant on grips: sweeps, passes, chokes.
✳️Keep in mind heavy barbell or dumbell training may put a significant load on these same muscles as well.
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Degenerative tendinopathy:
1️⃣Load management. At this point resting, massage or stretching will not be enough to reverse the changes to the tendon. ✅When dealing with degenerative tendinopathy you need to start to strengthen the tendon. .
Slow wrist extensions: 4 seconds in each direction. To increase the demand you can alter your elbow position or increase resistance.
You may have an increase of symptoms (up to 5/10) following the loading process but if you return to baseline within 24 hours you can repeat. If your baseline symptoms are worse after 24 hours you need to reduce your load. .
When dealing with suspected tendinopathy I would recommend seeing a healthcare professional to effectively diagnose and rule out other potential factors for elbow pain. In addition to proper assessment of the injury a healthcare professional will also be able to help you properly load, to avoid under/over loading, so that you can achieve tendon adaption and strengthening.
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Reference:
Coombes, B. K., Bisset, L., & Vicenzino, B. (2015). Management of lateral elbow tendinopathy: one size does not fit all. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy, 45(11), 938-949

Zabit vs Aljo: Same leglock or different?
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At @ufc 228 there were two examples of a leglock from back control, @zabit_magomedsharipov and @funkmaster_ufc but was it the same submission?
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In my last post I hypothesized that Zabit’s finish was more of a hamstring strain than a typical kneebar. In my opinion Aljo’s variation was more of a modified kneebar. .
Traditional kneebars involve femur isolation to create hyperextension at the knee. Once Aljo had the foot trapped they appear to fall slightly to the side, which would create a varus force. The knee does not bend to the side, and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) is the primary structure to prevent excessive varus motion at the knee. This hypothesis is supported when Aljo’s opponent instantly tapped and clutched the outside of his knee, where the LCL attaches.
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While the entry was the same I would argue that the finishing mechanics were different. As a martial artist I am fascinated with unorthodox finishes as the sport continues to evolve.

Neck Health: How to take care of your neck with Cervical Hinge Point Training
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When looking for health and mobility most people focus on general ranges of motion but when the spine is involved it gets more complicated. Because the spine is made up of several segments each one has to contribute. When one segment does not move well often another segment will compensate, which often results in a “hinge”.
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What should you do? Hinge point training. Learn to control the excessive motion and help the other segments move better.
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How to address spinal hinges:
1️⃣Create more work space for the joint/ cervical facets via Functional Release manual treatment.
2️⃣Train newly acquired segmental movement via cervical hinge point training.
3️⃣Retrain global movements to utilize the new ranges via cervical CARs.
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How to perform Cervical hinge point training:
Every segment should have the ability to move: flex, extend and rotate. Use your fingers and place them between vertebrae. The goal is to be able to isolate movement to one segment.
Start with flexion and extension. Progress to rotation.
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✳️Proper segmental movement is essential for long term neck health.
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@functionalrangerelease @functionalrangeconditioning @drmchivers @drandreospina

Hip mobility to improve your guard
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In jiu jitsu one area of your body that may significantly impact your grappling prowess are your hips. A grappler needs all of their joints to be functional but heightened hip mobility can definitely translate into improved performance.
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1️⃣CARs: Learn how to move your hips. Being a ball and socket joint hips have a large range of potential motion. Rotational inputs are an excellent way to improve linear movements. Controlled articular rotation are an excellent way to learn rotational control.
2️⃣PAILs/RAILs: 90/90 hip stretch (Both internal and external) followed up with isometric holds are an excellent way to expand the passive mobility of the hip capsule.
3️⃣Active hip mobility: Once you have appropriate awareness of hip control and you begin to expand your available range the next step is active mobility. Active motion is how to develop end range strength and useable leg dexterity.
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Concerning jiu jitsu you have to be able to control those new ranges for it to translate into performance.
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@functionalrangeconditioning

Check out @electrum_performance who are putting out good information on S&C for jiu jitsu.
Repost @electrum_performance with @get_repost
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Specificity Series: Hip Abduction
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Specificity is a concept that should always be taken into consideration when designing a strength training regimen for a particular sport. This time we’ll examine a particular movement that has far more applications to BJJ than almost any other sport – Hip Abduction.
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Hip abduction is defined as moving the leg away from the midline of the body. This can occur with the knee bent (transverse plane abduction) or with the leg straight (frontal plane abduction).
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Both types of hip abduction can be found in countless positions in BJJ. The specific examples we demonstrate in the top video are:
-Recovery from the leg drag (transverse)
-Recovery from the side smash (transverse)
-Lasso tilt sweep (transverse)
-Spider X-guard sweep (frontal)
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Since there are so many applications of hip abduction in BJJ, we find it crucial to train abduction in both planes of motion. We also aim to keep our abduction exercises within the context of metabolic stress, as recovering guard can be a grueling match-long process. Our specific examples in the second video are:
-Band Seated Hip Abduction (at 3 different angles of hip flexion: leaning back, sitting up tall, hinged forward)
-Band Seated Hip Abduction + Iso Hold
-Band Walks (performed as lateral band walks or monster walks)
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Don’t sleep on hip abduction! For those looking for the bands we use, visit the link on the page for @the_hip_thruster. Anybody looking for more abduction variations or ways to use a hip loop you already have, check out @bretcontreras1 @theglutelab
#ElectrumPerformance #Electrum #EP #fitness #bjj #bjjlifestyle #ibjjf #exercisescience #strengthandconditioning #conditioning #hipabduction #glutes #GluteLab

Heel hook finishing mechanics
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For success in modern nogi grappling a competitor must be educated on how to use and defend a heel hook. The heel hook is a high percentage submission hold but often there are many nuisances to apply the leg lock correctly.
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The @danaherjohn approach to finishing heel hooks there are multiple steps to ensure optimal control and finishing ability.
1️⃣Control the knee line.
2️⃣Enter the position.
3️⃣Expose the heel.
4️⃣Apply finishing torque opposite of controlling force.
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Comparing these two examples – Controlling the knee line. Without adequate controlling of the knee line there will be no ability rotate the knee effectively.
Video 1️⃣: The grappler lacks knee control and he has trouble finishing the leg lock until his opponent attempts an uneducated escape.
Video 2️⃣: @craigjonesbjj has firm control of the knee line so when he gets heel exposure he is able to get the finish almost instantly.
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In both examples the leg locker is able to finish their opponent however there is nothing more frustrating then getting a submission hold and being unable to finish. Comparing these two videos highlights an important detail to ensure proper breaking power.

“Rotational inputs are the only way to influence joint capsule”.
@drmchivers .
A profound concept I have taken from @functionalrangeconditioning is using rotational inputs to improve linear movements. .
When there is closing angle dysfunction or aberrant joint mechanics it is essential to address the joint first. .
Want to improve mobility? Expand joint capacity first with rotational movements.
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Video example of rotational inputs to stress the joint capsule of three joints.
?️Rotational inputs : PAIL/RAILs- Passive holds followed by end-range isometric contractions.
•Hip
•Shoulder
•Knee .
Goal: Expand global joint capacity.

How to heelhook proof your knees
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The heelhook is arguably the most devastating joint lock in grappling because of the potential damage it can cause to the knee and ankle. With the recent rise in popularity with this leglock how can you minimize the risk for heelhook-related injuries?
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1️⃣Maximize mobility: Increased joint mobility means there is more time before an injury occurs. This will give more time to attempt an escape.

2️⃣Joint specific end range stability: Active control of extreme ranges will help make those ranges more resilient to injury. This can help mitigate an injury if one occurs.

3️⃣Weight bearing resistance training: Ligament hypertrophy occurs via direct loading. Resistance training is an excellent way to properly load the tissue.

4️⃣Know when to tap: Even if your ligaments are strong and your knee is mobile there is a point everyone has to tap. The intention of this video is to minimize injury and tapping is one of the best ways to accomplish this.
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Reference: Grzelak, P., Podgorski, M., Stefanczyk, L., Krochmalski, M., & Domzalski, M. (2012). Hypertrophied cruciate ligament in high performance weightlifters observed in magnetic resonance imaging. International orthopaedics, 36(8), 1715-1719.

Kimura-proof your shoulders: Part II
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Jiu jitsu is a martial art designed to take advantage of the simple fact that everyone is weak at their joint end-range.
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How do you protect your shoulder and strengthen your end-range?
By using FRC concepts you can:
1️⃣Improve mobility: Usable motion.
2️⃣Create resiliency: By applying loads into your end-range you can improve resiliency in the shoulder joint to mitigate injury.
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After spending several weeks of improving mobility and end-range stability (CARs and PAILs/RAILs) one can progress to the next step: Eccentric neural grooving (ENG).
Focusing on the eccentric portion of a movement to connect the dots of previous mobility work to make the entire range more resilient.
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✳️Eccentric Neural Grooving of Shoulder Internal Rotation: Start in the same position as the shoulder IR PAILs (sleeper stretch) and slowly lower a resistance that you can control. As you get more competent in the movement you can gradually increase the load.
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In the context of jiu jitsu:
1️⃣ if you do not have adequate passive range then the injury from the joint lock will come much quicker.
2️⃣If you do not have adequate strength at the end range you will not be able to resist long enough to escape or tap.
3️⃣If you haven’t prepared the tissue for that range then more likely the damage will be more severe.
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@functionalrangeconditioning @functionalrangerelease @drandreospina @drmchivers @kinstretch

AC sprain rehabilitation •••••••••••••••••••••••
In a previous post I discussed early management of a ligament sprain in the acromioclavicular joint (AC joint). The first phase was to protect the joint which entailed joint taping and using a sling to unload the joint. Next phase is optimal loading.
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The primary impairment of an AC sprain is limited shoulder motion (and pain❗️) therefore the goal is to restore full range. Controlled articular rotations (CARs), a FRC concept (Functional range conditioning) is a method to explore the complete range of the isolated joint. Not only does this help maintain joint health but it can be used as a diagnostic tool to detect limitations and pain. Complete a full PAIN-FREE circle with 20% muscle contraction (video was 2x as fast as actual CAR).
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The acromioclavicular joint’s job is to work in conjunction with the sternoclavicular joint to assist the scapula with upperward rotation. This is what allows the shoulder to reach overhead. This makes scapulothoracic CARs key for early rehab of the AC joint. Once the painful ranges are detected isometric holds can be used to properly load the joint to allow for adequate tissue healing.
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[Side note] I used this exercise to personally to rehab a type ll AC sprain I suffered during Jiu Jitsu.
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@functionalrangeconditioning @functionalrangerelease @drmchivers @drandreospina @hapdiesel

Concussion incidence in MMA
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There is a high correlation between repetitive blows to the head and brain trauma therefore it is reasonable to expect a high incidence of concussion in MMA. However how risky is the sport?
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@concussion_doc recent posted about the topic. A recently retrospective study (Curran-Sills 2018) examined the incidence of concussions in MMA over a 5 year period. Of the 343 bouts (amateur/professional) observed there were 162 injuries, 101 of those injuries were reported concussions!
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That is 14.7 concussions per 100 AE (athlete exposure). Each bout was categorized as 2 AE. Based on the statistic the author theorized that an MMA athlete may experience 4.4 concussions in a 10 year period.
Comparison: Hockey (27.6), Football (2.2), Rugby (0.8).
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[IMPORTANT NOTE] This data is in regard to competition only. The rigors of training for a fight, including hard sparring, are not included. In the early days of the sports there were camps that had notoriously tough sparring. Recently there has been a trend among camps to reduce the amount of hard sparring done in fight camp.
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Concussion awareness/education in the MMA community needs to improve to allow for adequate recovery for the athletes. In my opinion baseline concussion testing should be mandatory for each state. At the moment California is the only state in the US that requires a neurocognitive component to be granted a professional MMA license. .
Reference:
Curran-Sills, G., & Albedin, T. (2018). Risk factors associated with injury and concussion in sanctioned amateur and professional mixed martial arts bouts in Calgary, Alberta. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 4(1). e000348.

AC separations and grappling
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Have you ever hurt your shoulder following an overhead throw or takedown? In grappling martial arts your opponent may succeed in taking you to the ground, but what happens when you land improperly on your shoulder?
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The shoulder complex is made up of several joints:
1️⃣glenohumeral joint
2️⃣sternoclavicular joint
3️⃣acromioclavicular joint
4️⃣scapulothoracic “joint”
All four are involved in overhead arm motion. The joint likely affected by an overhead fall will be the acromioclavicular joint.
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The acromioclavicular joint is a gliding joint meaning it is predominately flat. This means ligaments are the primary constraints protecting against separation. The ligaments involved in preventing excessive inferior-medial translation are the superior and inferior acromioclavicular capsular ligaments. The coracoclavicular ligament may help, but it is a secondary constraint to this movement and typically only involved in severe falls.
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So what does this all mean to grapplers? When you are thrown or swept and land on the tip of shoulder you put a massive amount of force on a thin band of connective tissue. This band will likely not be able to effectively absorb the impact. When performing a proper break fall the goal is to impact the back of the shoulder / scapula and ‘roll’ with the movement so the top of the shoulder is not absorbing the full impact.
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Minor injuries to the AC joint can be asymptomatic or will heal quickly, however a sign of this injury is a large bump on the top of the shoulder as the joint heals slightly out of position. .
[IMPORTANT NOTE ✳️]This video is a clip from a grappling match @polaris_professional Gilbert Burns vs Gregor Gracie. Gracie fell improperly and was not able to continue. Unfortunately there is no available information on the exact injury Gracie suffered.
I suspect an AC joint injury based on:
•The mechanism of injury: How he fell. Despite him posting it appears his shoulder took the brunt of impact.
•Area of pain: Gracie clutching the top of his shoulder / his AC joint.
•The inability for him to raise his arm afterwards