Rickson Gracie
Self.Defense.Unit
workbook
1
Rickson Gracie
Self.Defense.Unit
Contents
01- Welcome letter
02- How to train
03- TECHNIQUES
01- TWO-HANDED CHOKE
02- HEADLOCK, ATTACKER UPRIGHT
03- Mount Escape (Upa)
04- Rear Bear Hug over arms
05- Mount Control
06- Single Hand Collar Grab
07- Hip Throw
08- Basic Guard Pass
09- Americana from mount
10- Headlock with Punch
11- Scissor Sweep
12- One Handed Collar Grab (Bully grip - Palm turned up)
13- Headlock on the ground defense with frame
14- Neck grab from behind
15- Cross Choke
16- Striking Approach and Clinch
17- Guillotine Choke
18- Rear Naked Choke
19- Back Position Control
20- Two handed grab, hands apart
04- Conclusion
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Rickson Gracie
Self.Defense.Unit
1 Welcome to the first Module of Self.
Defense.Unit
M
odule 1 presents twenty fundamental techniques with the details
developed by Rickson in his forty years of dedication to teaching,
in an initiative that aims to rescue the essence of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
with a modern vision of what the knowledge and practice of self-
defense can offer all people.
These are the first twenty techniques in the self-defense curriculum that
Rickson teaches his students. The program’s didactics, which presents three vi-
deos per technique, was developed to transmit the details that are important
to the effectiveness of each technique. The cinematographic editing emphasizes
and repeats the important moments and moves. The voice-over and the graphi-
cal punctuation of key words offer the practitioner a new perspective on these
fundamental techniques.
We hope you will absorb the benefits of technical and personal evolution
that Rickson’s knowledge that is contained within Self.Defense.Unit can give you.
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2 How to train with Self.Defense.Unit
To take full advantage of the techniques contained within Self.Defense.
Unit, you must always keep in mind and reflect on the concepts taught. “Trai-
ning self-defense will give you better understanding of strategy, timing, base,
weight distribution and connection...”
With your training partner, you must get prepared for an increase in pres-
sure -- the scenarios found in the videos labeled Stress. Always beginning
from the execution of the techniques presented in the videos labeled Demo
and Technique, you must evolve to the execution of variations, alternatives and
intensifications contained in the Stress videos.
It is important for you to practice these positions in a responsible way,
without excessive force or speed. Safety first -- you don’t want anybody get-
ting hurt. We advise you always to practice under the supervision of a black
-belt teacher.
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3 techniques:
Tech 1
Two-Handed Choke
TECHNIQUE
1. Protect the neck by tucking your chin, raising the shoulders.
2. Make and keep the base by slightly flexing the knees.
3. Step back with one leg (4) doing the swing movement with the upper body.
(Obs.: Keep both hands crossed in front of your face to block a knee hit.)
4. Finish the movement keeping the base, keeping both arms up to block pun-
ches, slaps or pushes.
Obs.: Note the base performed by Rickson, with knees slightly flexed and the
correct distance in Step 2, and the balance maintenance as he takes a step back
in Step 3.
STRESS
1. Practice protecting the neck by contracting and raising the shoulder muscles
and tucking your chin, in order to feel comfortable with the pressure. Don’t
forget to keep the base.
2. The training partner increases the pressure by pushing, pulling and shaking
to test the base. You have to keep moving, taking short steps in base to feel
comfortable.
3. Block the knee hit with both hands crossed in front of your face, keep base,
and do the swing movement.
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Tech 2
Headlock, attacker upright
TECHNIQUE
1. As you feel the grab on the neck, step forward connecting the hip with the
training partner’s side.
2. Slightly flex the knees, keeping the base; hold behind the leg with one hand
and over the shoulder with the other simultaneously.
3. Lift the training partner with a hip movement and throw them on the ground,
relaxing the neck so they do not have support.
STRESS
1. Your training partner grabs your head and tries to bend you over. Take a good
step forward and connect the hip, keeping the posture; hold behind the leg and
over the shoulder, and use the hip to lift and throw.
2. When the training partner is too big and heavy, one hand goes under the nose
and pushes upward, controlling the head to go for the guillotine choke.
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Tech 3
Mount Escape (Upa)
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TECHNIQUE
1. Hold one arm with both hands, holding the wrist with one hand (right hand
holds right wrist) and the elbow with the other.
2. Trap the foot with your foot on the same side of the hand grips.
3. Tilt the head and take it out of the way in a rolling motion over your shoulder,
ending the movement on your knees and on top.
STRESS
1. When your training partner tries to hit you, you raise your hip to take them off
balance and make them place their hands on the ground.
2. Once they have their hands on the floor, hold over their arms and get a good grip.
3. Trap the leg with one foot.
4. Raise your hip doing the “upa” movement to roll over your training partner to
the side, finishing on your knees on top.
Obs.: Observe and practice the proper head positioning that precedes the upa
motion. Tilt your head to the opposite side of the projection, gluing your ear to
the shoulder, as shown, and bridge rolling to the other side over the shoulder
until you get on your knees.
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Tech 4
Rear Bear Hug over arms
TECHNIQUE
1. Base. Raise both arms.
2. Step back around your training partner, making a new base.
3. Grab behind the knees with both hands.
4. Execute throw rolling over the hips.
DETAIL
1. When stepping back around, maintain base and posture so your training part-
ner does not use their weight to bend you over.
STRESS
1. Practice to keep base when the training partner shakes you around, using the
right weight distribution.
2. When the training partner follows and blocks your hip movement, shift your
hip movement so you can be one step ahead to do the move around.
3. If the aggressor has the strength and efficiency to block the step around,
use the heel to kick between the legs and then do the step back around and
the hip throw.
4. Or use a head butt against the aggressor’s face.
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Tech 5
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Mount Control
TECHNIQUE
1. Maintain your weight on your knees, not on your hips.
2. Use your hands accordingly to keep the position.
3. Depending on how the training partner tries to escape, use different leverage
at different angles: using the arm to push holding the shoulder.
4. Or use the chest to weigh down and control your training partner.
5. When your training partner tries to move, you can keep the balance and give
them the space, since establishing control does not mean you have to prevent
them from moving, and you can keep the mount or go to the back when they turn.
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STRESS
1. As the training partner tries to lift you by the armpit, you should come with the
hands through the inside of their arms to deflect the energy.
2. In order to avoid pushes and punches, keep your balance and deflect the ener-
gy with your hands.
3. When your training partner tries to get up to the side, you must control the
shoulder and push their face backwards with your arm.
4. When they try to push your legs or knees, you grab their wrist and pull their
hands up, taking the leverage away.
Obs.: Observing the concept of timing is key to mount maintenance techniques,
so practice these techniques with that in mind. If are too late to get the hands in,
hold the shoulder, pull the wrists, deflect the pushes, then the techniques lose
their efficiency.
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Tech 6
Single Hand Collar Grab
TECHNIQUE
1. Grab the wrist and control the grip.
2. Raise the elbow with the other hand, opening space for the first step under
the arm, using your hip to support your own elbow and going towards the back.
3. Creating the space by raising the elbow, take the second step around their back.
4. Control the elbow and raise the wrist, applying the armlock.
STRESS
1. As the training partner tries to make you lose balance, you connect your hip
to them to keep the base, and keep controlling the elbow to go around and
apply the lock.
2. When the training partner keeps their arm straight and stiff, connect your el-
bow to your hip to increase your leverage and lift the partner’s elbow, stepping
back around, controlling the wrist and applying the lock.
Obs.: The concept of connection is key to this technique. Feel the connection of
your elbow with the hip so that you have the leverage originated from the mo-
vement of your entire body to raise your partner’s elbow.
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Tech 7
Hip Throw
TECHNIQUE
1. Control the arm.
2. Take a step beside your training partner.
3. Hug their back.
4. Take a step in front of the aggressor, getting your hip in.
5. Maintaining control of the arm, use the hip as a lever and throw.
STRESS
1. When your partner tries to get free, push or pull, establish and feel the con-
nection with the shoulder before you take the step forward to execute the throw.
2. When your partner puts their belly forward, release their back to open up the
space necessary for the forward step and the hip connection.
3. Keeping the connection, explore the movement in the direction of your part-
ner’s escape attempt, and take them down with the heel hook.
Obs.: Feel the connection of the shoulder with your partner’s ribs at the moment
you pass to the side and hug their back.
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Tech 8
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Basic Guard Pass
TECHNIQUE
1. Keep your posture.
2. Seek the correct angle for the hip and place your knee on your partner’s lower back.
3. Raise the other leg.
4. Find the proper grip on the pants or leg, and open the guard with the concurrent
movement of the elbow pressing the leg and hip backward.
5. Get your hand under the leg and bring it to the shoulder. (Keep the posture and
connection of the other elbow with your partner’s leg to avoid the triangle.)
6. Control your partner’s hip with the grip on the pants, and change the weight
distribution laterally.
7. Raise your partner’s hip, centralize the weight distribution toward their chest,
and land across.
Obs.: Practice with the concept of weight distribution in mind. Keep your base and
posture until you are able to open the guard, and use the weight and connection
to press when passing.
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Tech 9
Americana from mount
TECHNIQUE
1. Lean in the direction of the arm and grab the wrist with a monkey grip (thumb
in line with the other fingers).
2. Put your elbow on the ground next to your partner’s head.
3. Get the second hand in under their bicep before touching their arm to the
ground and holding your own wrist.
4. Pull the grip down raising the elbow, keeping their hand on the ground.
STRESS
1. When your partner tries to resist by stretching their arm, keep the weight
distribution over your own elbow to achieve a good lever, maintain control and
apply the lock.
2. When your partner tries to push, raise the knee on the same side of the lock
and change the weight distribution to keep the balance as you apply the lock.
Obs.: Practice with the concept of weight distribution in mind. Maintain the
mount, putting your weight on your knees -- not your hip, -- and pay attention
to the distributions demonstrated in the two Stress situations.
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Tech 10
Headlock with Punch
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TECHNIQUE
1. When your partner attempts a punch or slap, block with the right hand and
control their arm holding the bicep from the back with your left hand.
2. Take a step back controlling the wrist, maintaining base and posture, opening
the chest and freeing the head.
3. Keep controlling the wrist.
4. Employ the shoulder lock pushing the wrist up.
STRESS
1. Develop control over the free arm, keeping your own arm connected to your
partner’s back, and the grip over the arm right above the elbow with the five
fingers.
2. Develop control over your partner’s wrist, connecting your wrist to the chest
and using your torso to apply the lock.
Obs.: Practice with the concept of connection in mind. As you control the arm
that threatens the punch, connect your arm to the back, and the grip over the
arm right above your partner’s elbow, without giving them any space. Connect
your forearm to your chest to control your partner’s wrist, and apply the lock
raising the wrist with the leverage from your torso.
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Tech 11
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scissor sweep
TECHNIQUE
1. Consolidate one grip on the collar, and another on the sleeve.
2. Use the motion of raising the leg to prop your calf on your partner’s thigh
and hip-escape.
3. Glue your other leg to the ground, kicking your partner’s leg that is kneeling.
4. Do the sweep keeping the grips on the collar and sleeve tight, making a scis-
sor motion with your legs. One pushing to the side at the ribs; the other, kicking
your partner’s leg that is kneeling, ending the motion on the mount.
STRESS
1. Develop the shrimping motion to reach the right distance and correct angle
to obtain the lever even in the face of increased resistance.
Obs.: Practice the shrimping motion testing out different distances to feel the
variation in the sweep’s leverage.
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Tech 12
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One Handed Collar Grab
(Bully grip - Palm turned up)
TECHNIQUE
1. Take your partner’s hand with both hands, consolidating the grip.
2. Lean your body to the side and take a step blocking your partner’s leg to finish
with the lock or take them down.
STRESS
1. When your opponent tries to unbalance you by pushing and pulling, keep your
base and lean to apply the lock.
Obs.: Practice with the concept of weight distribution in mind to maintain your base
-- and with the concept of connection to apply the lock. The twisting of the wrist is
done with the leaning of the torso, with your partner’s hand connected to the chest.
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Headlock on the ground
defense with frame
TECHNIQUE
1. Turn sideways, protecting your neck with your shoulder muscles.
2. Holding your own wrist, create a lever or frame.
3. Move your hip backwards, pushing with your feet on the ground.
4. Bring your leg over your partner’s head, making them release the headlock.
5. Choke them with your legs.
STRESS
1. When your partner is strong and heavy, use your shoulder to protect your neck
and defend.
2. Turn sideways, making the lever with your arms, moving your hip away and
using your leg to make your partner release the headlock.
Obs.: Practice and feel the connection of this position, which must be on the
shoulder that is away from the ground and touching your partner’s back. Protect
your neck and head using your shoulder muscles.
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Tech 14
Neck grab from behind
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TECHNIQUE
1. Make a good base grabbing your partner’s arm with both hands and protect-
ing your neck with your shoulder muscles.
2. Connect your hip with your partner to get a better lever.
3. Lower your head and raise your hip, performing the throw.
STRESS
1. Develop your ability to throw through use of the hip connection, finding the
lever for the projection.
Obs.: Practice with the concept of base, which must be performed with your
knees slightly flexed and your hips connected to your partner.
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Tech 15
Cross Choke
TECHNIQUE
1. Make the grip as deep as possible, with four fingers inside.
2. The second hand goes in under the first, with the same grip trying to touch the
fingers of the first hand.
3. Twist your wrists, bringing your palms toward your chest.
4. Squeeze the choke feeling the chest’s opening and the use of the shoulder
and back muscles.
OPTION
1. After getting the first hand in, come in with the other hand and get the thumb
inside the lapel to make the grip. IMPORTANT: As you go for the second grip with
the thumb, open the first hand to loosen your partner’s lapel and get the thumb
in more easily.
2. Twist your wrist and close the chokehold.
3. Squeeze the choke using also your shoulder and back muscles, and bring your
partner’s face toward your chest.
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Tech 16
Striking Approach and Clinch
TECHNIQUE
1. Practice the stomp on your partner’s hand. It’s important to maintain weight
distribution forward. The stomp must hit their knee at the right moment, when
they plant their front foot to kick or punch, so you can intercept their move.
2. The practice of blocking laterally, deflecting with your hands or ducking pun-
ches or slaps is key to having the ability to approach to clinch.
3. Practice, alongside the defenses, the right timing to reach the clinch and seek
the body lock and the connection.
Obs.: Practice the stomp with your partner’s approach and the concept of timing
in mind in order to obtain a notion of distance. The stomp must reach your part-
ner’s knee when they enter your radius of action, before they reach the exact
distance to throw a punch or kick.
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Guillotine choke
TECHNIQUE
1. When your partner attempts a double-leg, make your base putting your
weight forward.
2. Wrap your partner’s neck closing the grip, holding your own hand.
3. Maintain your base and squeeze the guillotine, raising your wrists toward
your chin.
STRESS
1. In the case of loss of balance, hold the grip and pull guard.
2. Close the guard.
3. Maintaining the grip and bringing your wrists toward your chin, stretch your
body and project your hip forward, creating a lever to finish.
Obs.: Practice the guillotine upright with the concept of weight distribution in
mind, as well as the concept of connection in the guillotine in the guard.
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Rear Naked Choke
TECHNIQUE
1. Get the first arm in, spinning your torso and projecting your shoulder so as to
make the grip as deep as possible.
2. Get the second hand in over the first one, going behind the head; grab the
bicep with the first hand.
3. Close the second hand in a fist.
DETAIL
1. Close the distance, getting as close as possible, pulling the hooks and projec-
ting torso and shoulder forward.
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Back Position Control
TECHNIQUE
1. Place the hooks and use both grips to stabilize the position -- one over the
shoulder, and the other under the arm.
2. Follow the motion.
STRESS
1. Practice proper weight distribution over your partner’s hip when they get on
all fours. Use one hand on the ground for support, and the other making a grip
under the arm, and with your hip over your partner’s hip and the hooks nice and
tight, open your knees and press with your hip, forcing your partner to lose the
support of their knees, open their legs and stay glued to the ground.
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Two handed grab, hands apart
TECHNIQUE
1. Raise your hands on the inside and lasso your partner’s arms.
2. Hold your wrist to close the grip.
3. Lean to one side to get started on unbalancing your partner.
4. Place one foot over your partner’s leg on the side you leaned to, and take
them down.
STRESS
1. When your partner is strong and heavy and has a good base, perform a backwards
movement with short steps on base to unbalance them and perform the takedown.
Obs.: Practice the technique having the concepts of connection and weight dis-
tribution in mind.
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4 Conclusion
We would like to thank you for your interest in Self.Defense.Unit. Being able
to share with you our passion for self-defense, which we believe to be the essence
of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, is a privilege we esteem highly. That interest is what motiva-
tes us to go on producing videos of high didactic quality to bring to the biggest pos-
sible number of people the benefits we believe self-defense offers: evolution of
strategic vision, improvement of physical condition, self-knowledge, and emotio-
nal control. Module 1 presents the first twenty out of about a hundred and twenty
techniques that make up the Gracie family’s complete self-defense curriculum by
way of the vision and execution of Master Rickson Gracie.
As you read this, production has already begun on the twenty techniques of
Module 2, and we hope you will stick around in this search for constant evolution.
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