How does Demian Maia avoid the guillotine?

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Leigh

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He runs the pipe a lot with his head on the outside. It's a fantastic takedown but why doesn't he get guillotined?

 
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He runs the pipe a lot with his head on the outside. It's a fantastic takedown but why doesn't he get guillotined?

odd you would post that, I was watching his latest fight and noticed that same thing. It's one of the reasons I tend to avoid and outside single....and I'm lame as fuck :D

I guess he circles inside and runs his hips to the inside, I suspect that combined with the fact he's in on your leg makes it hard to set in any kind of guillotine. He also keeps his head lower than his hips which is kind of odd but as long as it's on the outside and he's circling in then he can always switch to a body lock.
 

Zeph

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He runs the pipe a lot with his head on the outside. It's a fantastic takedown but why doesn't he get guillotined?

Isn't it a question of how quickly he gets into side control making the guillotine worthless unless you can stop that?
 

Leigh

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Isn't it a question of how quickly he gets into side control making the guillotine worthless unless you can stop that?
Getting to side control would stop the geo but raising the other leg would stop him passing
 

Leigh

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odd you would post that, I was watching his latest fight and noticed that same thing. It's one of the reasons I tend to avoid and outside single....and I'm lame as fuck :D

I guess he circles inside and runs his hips to the inside, I suspect that combined with the fact he's in on your leg makes it hard to set in any kind of guillotine. He also keeps his head lower than his hips which is kind of odd but as long as it's on the outside and he's circling in then he can always switch to a body lock.
I know a couple of guillotine kings who would pull my head off if I tried it LOL
 
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I know a couple of guillotine kings who would pull my head off if I tried it LOL
fair enough.
If you look again, you'll see he's in on the leg as soon as his opponent puts weight on it.
 

Leigh

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fair enough.
If you look again, you'll see he's in on the leg as soon as his opponent puts weight on it.
You mean in hitting the takedown?

His takedown on Condit was cleaner but I couldn't find a big. It's a takedown I love but, like you, don't use cos of the geo.
 

Zeph

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Getting to side control would stop the geo but raising the other leg would stop him passing
Maia lands needing only a small shift to get half guard, then it looks like he blocks the right leg partly with his left elbow limiting how much his opponent can open up the leg, banking on the height of his pass to get over the top and into side control.
 

Leigh

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Maia lands needing only a small shift to get half guard, then it looks like he blocks the right leg partly with his left elbow limiting how much his opponent can open up the leg, banking on the height of his pass to get over the top and into side control.
His half guard has his head on the wrong side.
 

Leigh

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Is that a problem if he plans to advance to side control straight away, or was I used the wrong terminology?
Well, he may not be able to advance straight away.

I mean, I know he's avoiding it somehow cos it doesn't happen to him but why can't someone just throw their right leg up and clamp onto his neck?
 

Zeph

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Well, he may not be able to advance straight away.

I mean, I know he's avoiding it somehow cos it doesn't happen to him but why can't someone just throw their right leg up and clamp onto his neck?
Well nothing is stopping them grabbing the neck, but if he limits the movement of the right leg to the point he is supremely confident in his ability to pass, and he manages it, then it doesn't matter? Or just no one has threatened his neck to the point he has to bail on the takedown?
 

Leigh

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Well nothing is stopping them grabbing the neck, but if he limits the movement of the right leg to the point he is supremely confident in his ability to pass, and he manages it, then it doesn't matter? Or just no one has threatened his neck to the point he has to bail on the takedown?
You are correct but to run the pipe, he needs both his arms on the left leg, so he can't control the right leg, at least with his hands. And maybe noone has threatened the neck sufficiently. Well, except when Marcelo toyed with him but that's Marcelo.
 

Zeph

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You are correct but to run the pipe, he needs both his arms on the left leg, so he can't control the right leg, at least with his hands. And maybe noone has threatened the neck sufficiently. Well, except when Marcelo toyed with him but that's Marcelo.
I guess if you jumped guard while he is still running the pipe and grabbed the neck it would put him in a bad position, but how many people are going to jump guard and go for a guillotine in MMA, against Maia? Perhaps, he banks on them trying to defend the takedown, and as he lands on the mat he already has his arm coming around to clamp to the right side and block the right leg with his elbow. He's playing their expected reactions.
 
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Leigh

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I guess if you jumped guard while he is still running the pipe and grabbed the neck it would put him in a bad position, but how many people are going to jump guard and go for a guillotine in MMA, against Maia? Perhaps, he banks on them trying to defend the takedown, and as he lands on the mat he already has his arm coming around to clamp to the left side and block the right leg with his elbow. He's playing their expected reactions.
In general I agree but as previously stated, there are some guillotine monsters who will go for it. Has he just not met any yet?

Check out this video at 1:50 ish. Putting his head in gets him in trouble and eventually guillotine by Marcelo.

 

Zeph

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In general I agree but as previously stated, there are some guillotine monsters who will go for it. Has he just not met any yet?

Check out this video at 1:50 ish. Putting his head in gets him in trouble and eventually guillotine by Marcelo.

Yup, I've seen that. But how many MMA fighters are going to be confident enough to go for it against him? So while the opening is there for a short window, by the time they have deliberated it it's gone and they're trying to defend the pass.
 

Zeph

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Gunnar might have I guess. I can't remember that one of the top off my head, I'd have to rewatch.
 
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Leigh

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Yup, I've seen that. But how many MMA fighters are going to be confident enough to go for it against him? So while the opening is there for a short window, by the time they have deliberated it it's gone and they're trying to defend the pass.
Is that his guillotine defence? His opponents are too scared to do it? You might be right but it doesn't seem like a very safe strategy.
 

Zeph

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Is that his guillotine defence? His opponents are too scared to do it? You might be right but it doesn't seem like a very safe strategy.
Ok, so in the first round against Gunnar, Maia has a single on the right leg and is turning into him as Gunnar threatens the neck but balances on one leg. Maia snaps him down the opposite way to which he was turning and looks to scoop up both legs and passes where he is in position to threaten mount, but Gunnar manages to free one leg and get back up to a single leg. From there Maia moves to a one arm controling the leg and one arm around the back and tries a trip of the back leg, but only ends up pulling Gunnar ontop of him.
 

Zeph

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Is that his guillotine defence? His opponents are too scared to do it? You might be right but it doesn't seem like a very safe strategy.
Later in the round he switches to head inside single which works and immediately takes the back.
 

Leigh

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Gunnar might have I guess. I can't remember that one of the top of my head, I'd have to rewatch.
I just watched it to. He seems to ignore the guillotine in the first round and just works to complete the takedown. He then, as you said, looks to control the other leg as well and circle back and round to side control.

Great shout by you on the Gunnar fight.
 

Zeph

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I just watched it to. He seems to ignore the guillotine in the first round and just works to complete the takedown. He then, as you said, looks to control the other leg as well and circle back and round to side control.

Great shout by you on the Gunnar fight.
Third round he tries head inside and nearly gets caught but Gunnar doesn't manage to get control of the body and Maia rolls to his back to get out. He never goes for the head outside single again after that first attempt.
 

Leigh

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Third round he tries head inside and nearly gets caught but Gunnar doesn't manage to get control of the body and Maia rolls to his back to get out. He never goes for the head outside single again after that first attempt.
I have some very good guillotine guys at my gym and I have a good head outside run the pipe. I'm going to play with it.
 

Zeph

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Jan 22, 2015
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I have some very good guillotine guys at my gym and I have a good head outside run the pipe. I'm going to play with it.
Nice goodluck. It seems the trick is to plan to get side control asap.