Stephen Whittier – The Pillars Clinch And Takedowns

Description Of The Pillars Clinch And Takedowns

Many a 40+ grapplers suffer from the misconception that training the clinch and takedowns is really hard on the body and way more dangerous to practice than ground techniques.

But nothing could be further from the truth…. If you have the right approach!

“Not what’s most basic, but what’s most important”…

How did I come up with this approach?

Well, just like I always preach when it comes to other areas of Jiu Jitsu skill development, it’s all about having a deep focus and understanding of the fundamentals. And remember, if you’re familiar with my work you know that I differentiate between fundamentals and “basics”. To borrow a phrase from Matt Thornton, fundamentals are “not what’s most basic, but what’s most important”!

In other words, fundamentals don’t just refer to “basic techniques”, but to the most important physical principles and concepts that make all grappling work at a high level…

Principles like: posture, connection, base and weight distribution, angles and lines of force, etc. When you can develop these, you’ll not only learn any techniques you learn much faster, you’ll also notice that you get WAY better results with far less effort.

Let me give you a quick background on my own experience. ..

My first real grappling experience was Jiu Jitsu – no wresting background, no Judo.And like most people in the very beginning I spent at least 90% of my grappling time on the ground game, with the other 10% being standup BJJ self-defense techniques.But my very first day of doing vale tudo (early MMA) training, two things very quickly became clear….

1. If you can’t grapple on the feet, you have a BIG hole in your ability to use your Jiu Jitsu
2. If you aren’t comfortable grappling on your feet, you’re going to be stiff, inefficient, and use way too much energy (just like when you first started rolling)

So I took a couple years and really focused on learning the fundamentals of the standup game, with a focus on: The Clinch!

Why? Because so many Jiu Jitsu students who try to get better at standup grappling try to learn the game like a competitive freestyle wrestler with many years’ experience. As a result, very few have those physical attributes to set up wrestling shots and takedowns from the outside, so they get pancaked on the mat and injured!

With the clinch as your standup grappling base, however, you can learn to control and take down opponents much more effectively – and efficiently!

Well, over the years I have been able to help many Jiu Jitsu students as well as amateur and professional MMA fighters to improve their skills. And MANY times, my understanding of the deeper mechanical principles I mentioned has allowed me to dramatically improve the technique of even highly experienced wrestlers – often in just one coaching session!

So after tons of requests over the years, I thought it was high time I made this information available to you as well. And if you’re a Jiu Jitsu or grappling student who wants to develop a strong clinch and takedown skill set, then THIS is exactly what you’re looking for.

What You’ll Learn In The Pillars Clinch And Takedowns?

“The Pillars: Clinch & Takedowns” makes it easier than ever for you to:

1. Skyrocket your grappling game on the feet faster than you ever thought possible
2. Learn high percentage takedowns without having to shoot in on opponents and get “pancaked” into the mat
3. Instantly make yourself twice as hard to take down
4. Develop these great skills without having to rely on speed, explosiveness, or strength
5. Gain the confidence you need to tense up in a competitive match again because your standup game is so much weaker than your ground game
6. Train your standup safely without all the injuries commonly associated with grappling the feet and takedowns
7. Develop a fundamentals-based skillset that will work with or without a gi
8. And much more!

Course Content

Volume 1

• Introduction: The Master Posture
• Head Position
• Hand Fighting
• Combining Head & Hand Fighting
• Adding The Snapdown
• Standing Them Up
• Single Neck Tie Defense: “Pop & Go”
• Details On Attacking Base
• The Single Underhook
• The Head & Arm Pinch
• The Russian (2-on-1)
• The Threaded 2-on-1

Volume 2

• Sensitivity, Connection, & Pressure
• The Arm Drag
• Circles & Angles Concept
• The Reverse Grip
• Passing The Arm vs. Opposite Wrist Grab
• Arm Drag vs. Same Side Wrist Grab
• Offensive Pressure Tips
• The Snap Down
• Neutral Underhooks & Pummeling
• Weight Distribution & Base Details
• The “Magic Shoulder”

Volume 3

• Repummeling the Arm
• Repummel Progression
• Shotput To Repummel
• The Hand Swim & The Thumb Block
• Beating A High Underhook
• Adding Head Fighting To Body Pummeling
• The Overhook (Whizzer)
• Adding The Head Peel
• Transition To Head & Arm
• Countering A Strong Single Underhook 1:

Volume 4

• Switching the Underhook Counter To the Other Side
• Beating High Double Underhooks
• Head Peel Counter To High Double Underhooks
• The Fist-In-Sternum Counter
• The Head Peel & Trip Bodylock Counter
• Counters To the 2-on-1
• Bodylock Takedown from Over/Under
• Corkscrew Takedown From Over/Under
• The Interceptor Trip Takedown
• Step Step-By Single

Volume 5

• The Wind Mill Knee Block
• Triceps Pull From Wind Mill Knee Block
• High Single Underhook To Body Lock Takedown
• High Underhook To High Single Leg Takedown
• High Underhook To Low Single Leg Takedown
• High Single Underhook To Inner Reap
• Transition To the Knee Block
• Review and Isolation Driling
• Snap Down To Front Headlock
• Head & Arm Pinch To Takedown
• Single Neck Tie With Inside Biceps Control
• Single Neck Tie With Biceps Control To Duck Under
• Duck Under To Hip Block Takedown
• Single Neck Tie With Biceps Control To High Crotch

Volume 6

• High Crotch To Double Leg Transition
• Double Leg Finish: Details
• High Crotch To Single Leg Takedown
• Takedowns Off The 2-On-1
• Takedown From Front Headlock
• Head In The Hole To Cradle
• The Standing Sprawl
• Using Connection & Weight To Counter the Shot

About Stephen Whittier

One of the most decorated martial arts instructors in the country, Stephen is the owner and head instructor of SBG East Coast in Wareham, MA, and one of only a handful of head coaches with Straight Blast Gym International (the original “mixed martial arts” organization) as well as the organization’s Director.

Stephen Whittier is also the Massachusetts South Coast region’s highest ranking instructor in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (under the Godfather of New England Jiu Jitsu, Roberto Maia) and one of only five trainers to ever be awarded the rank of Red Mongkol in the legendary Sityodtong Muay Thai lineage (under Sityodtong USA director, Kru Mark DellaGrotte).

In addition, Stephen Whittier has earned black belts and instructor ranks in a number of martial arts disciplines over decades of study, and has trained a broad range of students and athletes – from local, state, and federal law enforcement to multiple UFC title contenders.

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