Granby Roll in BJJ: Some would contend that BJJ is among the greatest and most comprehensive martial arts available. It may be somewhat accurate, but BJJ is still a work in progress. BJJ frequently modified grappling techniques from other martial arts, such as Judo and wrestling, during its growth to make them work best for the sport. Since both Judo and wrestling are excellent grappling techniques, this is, of course, a wonderful strategy. The Granby roll is a wrestling move that you will learn how to use from this article.
The Granby Roll in BJJ: What Is It?
The famed wrestling coach Billy Martin Sr. of the Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia, is credited for popularising the Granby roll, which was first employed in wrestling. In the past, Olympians and collegiate wrestling champions received direct instruction from Martin in this technique because of its effectiveness. The transition has now been made to MMA and Jiu-Jitsu. It is a typical method for both regaining one’s position and making an escape.
In wrestling, the Granby roll is used to get out of an opponent’s back control by rolling on your shoulder or, occasionally, even jumping into a roll. The BJJ method is executed nearly exactly the same way, but more carefully. In the past, the Granby was mostly employed to break out of the turtle position or to defend against the opponent’s back control. These days, it’s frequently utilised to set up leg strikes, transition to the tornado guard, attack the opponent’s back, and do berimbolos.
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How the Granby Roll Is Done?
To begin learning the Granby, you must be able to hold the ultimate posture, which is to hang upside down on your shoulders. Your hips should be higher than your head, and your toes should be touching the mat. Even though it can be difficult, you can help yourself by using your elbows to press on the mat or by bringing your toes down while holding onto your ankles. It’s common to experience trouble reaching your toes down the mat if this is your first time. You will eventually develop the flexibility needed to hang upside down with your toes on the mat, though, with consistent practise.
Being able to turn from side to side is the following phase. It indicates that you are able to shift your weight from one shoulder to the other with comfort. Dragging your toes across the mat should allow you to sway from side to side. You may then proceed from the shoulder roll posture to a sitting position where you can move side to side once you can accomplish it. Assume a sitting position by lowering your hips to one side and placing your glutes on the mat. Execute the same on the other side.
You may start drilling the roll now that you can get into a sitting posture. Sitting with your legs outstretched on the mat, begin. Tuck your head between your legs and fall to your shoulder. Tuck your head farther between your thighs and raise your hips over your head using your toes. As you did on the opposite side previously, drag your toes over the mat to finish the roll into a sitting posture.
To keep your neck safe, it’s crucial to move gently and pay attention to how your weight is distributed when rolling. This will also keep you flexible and at ease. You’ll get better at doing the moves at a faster pace.
One alternative is to roll while on your knees. From a kneeling posture, perform the Granby roll by tucking one arm between your knees, rolling to your shoulder, and then stepping back to a kneeling position. Similarly, accelerate your movements as you go.
Doing the shoulder roll against a wall is another sophisticated way to use it. To carry out this:
- Your hips should touch the wall when you place your feet against it.
- Lift your hips towards your shoulders with your feet.
- Turn your head to the side and move your shoulder towards the wall.
- Push off the wall with your toes and turn so that your head is facing the wall.
- In order to avoid pushing oneself back into a sitting posture, remain light on the wall.
- Continue with the circle while keeping your toes on the wall, then reposition yourself.
Getting Out of the Turtle Position
The Granby roll is a common technique in Jiu-Jitsu used to escape the turtle position. Starting from the turtle posture, where your opponent is holding your left hip with their right hand, drop your shoulder and roll your head to the left to perform a shoulder roll. To get back your guard, spread your legs apart while you roll at an angle. You should now have enough space to erect the closed guard. Once you roll, if your opponent commits to continuing, you can utilise the triangle to catch them.
When the opposition is less weighted on top of your hip, it is the ideal moment to employ this tactic. The opponent’s knees being on the ground is a good sign of this. There won’t be as much weight controlling your hip when your opponent is in a top turtle position but their weight is on the mat—better still, if both of their knees are on the mat. Now is the ideal moment to raise your guard and perform the Granby. When your hips and back are being heavily compressed, avoid attempting the Granby roll. You risk becoming locked in side control since there won’t be enough room to manoeuvre.
Conclusion
Similar to bridging and shrimping, the Granby roll in BJJ is an essential manoeuvre that any grappler has to know how to execute. As previously said, it’s a position that will provide you with plenty of chances to launch assaults in addition to helping you get out of awkward situations. We invite you to give the method a try the next time you go onto the mats, regardless of your level.
