Describing "Victors Roll" Of Russian Sambo
Describing "Victors Roll" of Russian Sambo
by Scott Sonnon
My friends...
This is difficult as always to describe with biomechanical accuracy the aspects of technical nuances. If I am unclear (which my mate says that I am notoriously), please ask me to restate this verbal rendering...
Victor's Roll... The VR is typically immediately engaged when the opponent passes frontal position and gains a dorsal or rear body lock. In more skillful application, it may be engaged from a perpendicular angle to the opponent. In its most skillful application it is engaged frontally. Possibility of success in this method decreases to the degree that the opponent has time to recover. (As the opponent's potential to sprawl increases, the chance of executing a VR method decreases.)
When describing, I am only going to be referring to the static model of the opponent in a rear body clinch with the defender's arms free. There are many methods of "entry" into a "back to belly" position, which is not within the scope of this VR description. [Typically there is a different entry corresponding to each of the three 'styles' of Sambo.]
For the purpose of this description: Youropponent is behind you, arms locked around your midsection. Your arms are free.
There are 5 major methods of the VR:
1. Conclusion in Side-headlock hold-down:
Your left foot 'hop-slides' back and to the outside of his left foot. Consecutively, the right leg lifts as you breathe and compress your midsection. Your left arm posts directly in front of his left foot. Your right arm slides through the gap between your left hand post and his left foot, DIRECTLY TO THE LEFT PERPENDICULAR ANGLE TO YOUR ORIGINAL POSITION (meaning along his "Left Sideward Frontal Plane" that divides his body into to two halves - front and back). Shoot your arm through completely so that your shoulder blades touch the mat. This is the decisive nuance of this method, not the right leg elevator. Your right leg continues to lift which causes your roll to "throw" your opponent at a right side perpendicular angle to the originally faced starting position. Done correctly you will land on top of your opponent in with your opponent still clutching your midsection. Reach around his head with your right arm into a headlock and split-leg your hold-down for triangular stability. Lean your weight onto his diaphragm. Continue as your personal style affords options.
2. Conclusion in a Cross body knee-lever
Your left foot 'hop-slides' back and to the outside of his left foot. Consecutively, the right leg lifts as you breathe and compress your midsection. Your left arm posts directly in front of his left foot. Your right arm slides through the gap between your left handed post and his left
foot, but this time directly backwards along the "Aft Sagittal Plane". Your right arm should be completely straight so that your deltoid is tight against your right ear. Again, the decisive nuance is your ability for complete exhalation and your ability to place your shoulder blades flatly on the mat. Your right leg again is subordinate, not the prime mover. It is the rolling backward, not attempt to "throw" your opponent forward with your right leg, that makes this maneuver effortless. As your right armpit clears the back of his left heel, begin to wrap your arm around his leg in a "pect-lat" lock. He should be in mid-air at this time.
Aggressive opponents will release the gut wrench and post with both arms. This is optimal for the application of this method. Unsuspecting opponents (which is the your job to make him thusly through smooth application and gentle transition) will like a monkey clench without release and 'face-plant'. Please do not apply this method to beginners or to frail sportsman. This has the potential to cause serious injury, and we are all sportsmen after all. So let's live to drink vodka together after training.
Now you and your opponent are on the ground. He is pronate (on his stomach) and you are supine (on your back). Your legs are straddling his left leg. His knee should be above your pelvis. His heel is under the clasp of your right armpit (actually firm against your posterior deltoid). Many people inadvertently lose this position of mechanical advantage by clasping their legs (right leg over the opponent's leg and your left leg over your right) in a figure of 4. This decreases the leverage about to be placed upon the knee. Instead when first learning, bend your knees and 'clutch' his thigh with your lower legs (actually your ankles are making contact).
Advanced comfort with this lever can be found by placing your left foot on the inside of his leg (crossing it) using the outside of your knee as downward pressure on his hamstring for the "Resistance character" of the lever. Shove your right foot under his groin, with your shin tight against his crotch, and your knee bent. This is more challenging than the basic hold, requiring smooth entrance, but it is also more secure.
Once mechanical advantage is purchased then roll your shoulders backward and tilt your pelvis upward. Don't arch to the top of your head or it will left your pelvis off the mat and give 'slack' in the hold by removing the resistance character to the lever. Tilt your pelvis toward your chin and roll your shoulders backward - this will keep you flat on the mat, will elevating the fulcrum (just below his knee) and depressing (declining) the 'force' character of the lever (his heel). His knee is very delicate at this position. There is NO reason to crank his knee. If you take the time to become skillful enough to be in a position of mechanical advantage, please slowly and with control increase pressure until submission.
As a pre-caution: kinesthetically sensitive opponents will post with their right arm to avoid a 'face-plant'. This is the optimal neutralization of your roll, for he can plant his left arm on your back and then he has at the very least triangular security to sprawl his body of your collapsed form in mid-roll. This can be painful to those who have experienced this (like myself unfortunately). The way to prevent this? Concentrate on attribute development: Kinesthetic Sensitivity is the prime requisite.
There are variations here in finishing hold, should he manage to prevent his leg from hyper-extending, but that is beyond the scope of the VR description.
3. Conclusion in a Straight knee-bar
Similar to Method #2 above... The opponent is beginning to lift (say for in a suplex method) and the VR is used primarily for a 'block'. Breath and compress midsection explosively (through "compressed ventilation") until ALL air is released in a forced exhalation. The pendulum of his midsection clasped keeps you suspended in air. Rotate around his grasp with both legs rising simultaneously, left leg to his outside, right leg between his legs. Clasp with your hands his left ankle. Here is the challenging part to explain in text. Now that you are inverted, you must lace your right leg around his hamstring and across the outside of his hip. With your hands pull his heel inside and forward. [Use your left forearm to buttress while your right hand rotates his heel.] This causes his right foot to be placed at (at least, but preferably more) a 45 degree angle toes outward (towards his left sideward frontal plane). If his toes are pointed directly to his eft, this is optimal. Now, he has still managed to remain standing, but you begin your 'takedown' by applying force with your pelvis to the inside of his thigh/knee (since you have turned his foot outward). Executed properly, he falls backward and to his left.
As he is falling, you are becoming pronate (on your belly) straddling his leg and he is becoming supine (on his back). As he hits the mat, you should be tilting your pelvis ever more dramatically the further he falls. His heel never touches the mat, for your left forearm lands flat, giving you about 4 inches of hyperextension on his knee.
[Should this fail, due to misapplication or to his advanced sensitivity or luck, take your right hand to the outside of his leg. Wrap underneath his heel so that this lower leg is buried into your armpit. As your are wrapping your right arm, take your left arm and 'chase' your right arm, which allows you to roll to your back. Often the opponent will pronate, and then you can continue with the above Method #2, but should he 'refuse' then you have a volatile Rotational submission on the knee. Rotational submissions are the most effective and the most difficult to purchase.]
When I have more time I will expand on these two methods:
4. Conclusion in a Peroneal Squeeze and Heel Hook [Which can be considered a variation on Method #2.]
5. Conclusion in a Figure of 4 Straight knee-bar [Which can be considered a variation on Method #3.]
My personal suggestion is to never "apply" a VR. The risk of injury should the opponent sprawl atop of you is extremely high, considering the olling at a certain point places your spinal curvature in a precarious and potentially hazardous position. Please train extensive in this method under your trainer's direct supervision, and 'allow' the application to happen. Without conscious intervention in the application of the method, the timing will be precise. This means training, training, and yes, more training in biomechanical exercises.
Fraternal,
Scott Sonnon
AmeROSS.com