Hold the Shell
Mat mode
4:00
Tell the roomPasser pries the top knee off the elbow to dig an underhook, or climbs to mount.
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TOP PLAYER
POSITION
Chest to the bottom player's side.
OBJECTIVE
Pry the top knee off the elbow to dig an underhook, or climb to mount. Either passer score must hold for 3 seconds.
CONSTRAINTS
Underhook or mount only. No leg attacks and no going straight to the back. Stay on the side. The bottom cannot flatten to their back or turtle. No disengaging. The passer keeps continuous contact and pressure while prying. Reset when the passer holds an underhook under the bottom's top arm for 3 seconds; when the passer holds mount for 3 seconds; when the bottom keeps the knee-and-elbow connection and the underhook out; or when the bottom frames in front facing the passer, sits up, or stands. 4-5 min rounds.
WIN CONDITION
Underhook under the bottom's top arm, or mount, held for 3 seconds.
BOTTOM PLAYER
POSITION
On their side in the defensive shell, top knee to the chest, forearms inside the knees, near elbow posted.
OBJECTIVE
Keep knee and elbow connected and the underhook out.
CONSTRAINTS
Same underhook-or-mount, stay-on-the-side, no-disengaging, and named reset rules. 4-5 min rounds.
WIN CONDITION
Keep the knee-and-elbow connection and the underhook out; or frame in front facing the passer, sit up, or stand.
Grapplers Collective, Hold the Shell. 4-5 min rounds.
Problem
Protecting the knee-and-elbow connection in the defensive shell so a passer can never dig the underhook that leads to the pass.
Tell the room
Passer pries the top knee off the elbow to dig an underhook, or climbs to mount. Bottom keeps knee and elbow connected. Either passer score must hold for 3 seconds.
Setup
Start in the defensive shell. Bottom on their side, top knee to the chest, forearms inside the knees, near elbow posted. Passer chest to their side.
Score
Hold it for 3 seconds.
- Passer — underhook under the bottom's top arm, or mount
- Bottom — keeps the knee-and-elbow connection and the underhook out
- Bottom — frames in front facing the passer, sits up, or stands
Rules
- Underhook or mount only. No leg attacks and no going straight to the back.
- Stay on the side. The bottom cannot flatten to their back or turtle.
- No disengaging. The passer keeps continuous contact and pressure while prying.
Adjust
Easier
Passer works at 60-70 percent and attacks only the underhook, with the mount win dropped.
Harder
Add the mount threat live and give the passer a leg-drag option to the back.
If it stalls
If the underhook keeps getting in, the top knee is drifting off the elbow — slow the passer until the bottom feels it open.
guard