⚠️ SAFETY: Crotch Ripper targets the Hip flexors, groin muscles, and inner thigh adductors. Risk: Groin strain or muscle tear. Release immediately upon tap.
The Crotch Ripper is a compression-based leg lock submission originating from Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, specifically designed to be executed from the lockdown position in half guard. This technique applies intense pressure to the opponent’s groin, hip flexors, and inner thigh muscles through a combination of lockdown control and strategic knee positioning. Unlike traditional joint locks that target specific joints, the Crotch Ripper creates a painful compression that forces the opponent to tap due to muscular strain rather than joint damage. The submission is particularly effective in no-gi grappling where the lockdown can be secured without gi grips interfering with leg positioning. The Crotch Ripper represents the offensive potential of the lockdown system, transforming a traditionally defensive half guard position into a legitimate finishing threat. This technique requires excellent flexibility, hip control, and precise timing to execute effectively, making it a hallmark of the 10th Planet methodology’s emphasis on unconventional attacks from bottom positions.
Category: Compression Type: Groin Compression Target Area: Hip flexors, groin muscles, and inner thigh adductors Starting Position: Lockdown Success Rates: Beginner 20%, Intermediate 35%, Advanced 50%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Groin strain or muscle tear | Medium | 2-4 weeks with proper rest |
| Hip flexor strain | Medium | 2-3 weeks |
| Adductor muscle damage | Medium | 3-6 weeks depending on severity |
| Lower back strain from excessive arching | Low | 1-2 weeks |
Application Speed: SLOW and progressive - 4-6 seconds minimum to allow partner to recognize pressure and tap
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap (most common due to leg entanglement)
- Physical hand tap on mat or opponent’s body
- Physical foot tap with free leg
- Any distress signal or vocalization
Release Protocol:
- Immediately release lockdown figure-four grip
- Remove knee pressure from groin area
- Straighten attacking leg to remove compression
- Allow opponent’s leg to naturally extend and decompress
- Do not suddenly jerk or twist during release
Training Restrictions:
- Never spike or jerk the submission - apply gradually
- Never practice at competition intensity during training
- Always communicate with partner about pressure level
- Stop immediately if partner shows any sign of discomfort
- Avoid practicing on partners with known groin or hip injuries
- Never combine with sudden sweeping motions that could increase injury risk
Key Principles
- Lockdown security must be established before attempting submission pressure
- Hip angle and underhook control determine submission effectiveness
- Knee positioning on the groin creates the compression point
- Progressive pressure application allows partner time to tap safely
- Opponent’s weight distribution affects submission angle and power
- Flexibility in your own hips enhances control and finishing ability
- Combination with Electric Chair sweep creates powerful dilemma
Prerequisites
- Secure lockdown figure-four with your legs controlling opponent’s trapped leg
- Establish underhook on the same side as the lockdown
- Control opponent’s posture to prevent them from driving forward and flattening you
- Create angle by turning onto your side toward the underhook
- Ensure opponent’s weight is distributed properly - not completely flattened on top of you
- Maintain tight connection between your hip and opponent’s trapped leg
- Have free leg positioned to apply knee pressure to opponent’s groin area
Execution Steps
- Secure the lockdown position: From half guard bottom, thread your inside leg underneath opponent’s trapped leg and establish the lockdown figure-four by grabbing your own ankle or shin. Your outside leg wraps over their thigh while your inside leg hooks under their ankle, creating a tight figure-four configuration that prevents leg extraction. (Timing: Take 2-3 seconds to properly secure the lockdown before proceeding) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Establish underhook control: Secure a deep underhook on the same side as your lockdown, driving your shoulder into opponent’s armpit. This underhook is critical for creating the angle necessary for the submission and preventing opponent from flattening you completely. Your underhook hand should grip behind their back or their far lat muscle. (Timing: Maintain constant underhook pressure throughout) [Pressure: Firm]
- Create the angle and turn to your side: Use your underhook to turn your body toward the underhook side, rotating onto your side rather than staying flat on your back. This angle is essential - you want to create approximately 45-90 degrees of rotation. Your lockdown should stretch opponent’s trapped leg as you turn, and your hips should be mobile, not pinned flat. (Timing: Smooth rotation over 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Position attacking knee on groin: Your free leg (top leg, not the one in lockdown) now becomes the attacking tool. Bring your knee across and position it directly on opponent’s groin area where their inner thigh meets their hip. The bony part of your knee creates the compression point. Your shin should be angled across their groin with your foot potentially hooking behind their far hip. (Timing: Place knee carefully over 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Light]
- Extend hips and apply compression: While maintaining lockdown control and underhook, extend your hips forward and slightly upward. This hip extension drives your knee deeper into opponent’s groin while the lockdown prevents their leg from escaping. The compression comes from the combination of your knee pressure and their inability to move away due to the lockdown. Keep your chest connected to them via the underhook. (Timing: Progressive pressure application over 3-4 seconds minimum) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Adjust and finish with controlled pressure: Make micro-adjustments to your knee position to find the most sensitive area of opponent’s groin and inner thigh. Increase pressure gradually by extending your hips more and pulling with your underhook. The submission creates intense muscular compression that becomes increasingly painful. Watch for the tap and release immediately when it occurs. If opponent tries to roll or escape, follow with your underhook while maintaining lockdown and knee pressure. (Timing: Hold pressure until tap, typically within 2-5 seconds of full application) [Pressure: Firm]
Opponent Defenses
- Opponent drives weight forward to flatten you and remove angle (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Use your lockdown to off-balance them backward while strengthening your underhook. If they flatten you completely, transition to Electric Chair sweep or release and re-establish angle before attempting submission again.
- Opponent sprawls their hips back to create distance from knee pressure (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Follow their hips with your knee by extending your attacking leg further. Use lockdown to prevent full hip escape. If they create too much distance, switch to Old School sweep or other lockdown attacks.
- Opponent grabs your attacking leg to control the knee position (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Use this grip against them by switching to Electric Chair position - their grip on your leg actually helps you load them onto your hip for the sweep. Alternatively, fight the grip by circling your knee while maintaining underhook control.
- Opponent attempts to break lockdown by stepping over or ankle lock counter (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Tighten lockdown immediately and use underhook to prevent them from generating the angle needed to attack your lockdown. If they successfully attack lockdown, release submission and defend lockdown break first, then reset position.
- Opponent turns away from underhook to remove angle (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Follow their turn while maintaining lockdown. If they give you their back, release submission and transition to back take. If they turn but don’t expose back, use their movement to enter Electric Chair sweep position.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the minimum time you should take to apply pressure during Crotch Ripper submission in training? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: 4-6 seconds minimum of progressive pressure application. This allows your training partner sufficient time to recognize the submission, feel the pressure building, and tap safely before any muscular damage occurs. Unlike joint locks which have mechanical stop points, compression submissions can cause muscle tears if applied too quickly, making controlled application essential for training safety.
Q2: Why is the underhook critical for Crotch Ripper execution, and what happens if you lose it? A: The underhook serves multiple essential functions: it creates the angle by allowing you to turn onto your side rather than staying flat, prevents opponent from driving forward and flattening you, and maintains connection during hip extension when applying pressure. If you lose the underhook, opponent can easily flatten you by driving their weight forward, eliminating the angle needed for knee pressure on their groin. Without proper angle, no compression is generated and opponent can pass your guard easily.
Q3: Where exactly should your knee be positioned to create effective compression, and how do you find this location? A: Your knee should be positioned on the soft muscular tissue of opponent’s groin area where their inner thigh meets their hip - specifically targeting the hip flexors and adductor muscles, not on bone. You find this location by placing your knee and making small adjustments based on opponent’s reaction. When positioned correctly on muscular tissue, even light pressure creates noticeable discomfort. If you only feel bone contact or opponent shows no reaction, adjust position until you find the sensitive muscular area.
Q4: What immediate steps must you take when your training partner taps to a Crotch Ripper? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Immediately release the lockdown figure-four grip, remove your knee pressure from their groin area, straighten your attacking leg to eliminate all compression, and allow their leg to naturally extend and decompress. Do not jerk or twist during the release. The release should be as smooth and controlled as the application, ensuring no additional stress is placed on already compressed muscles. This protocol prevents muscle tears that could occur from sudden movement while tissues are under compression.
Q5: How does the Crotch Ripper create a submission/sweep dilemma when combined with Electric Chair? A: When you threaten Crotch Ripper, opponent typically defends by either grabbing your attacking leg to control knee position or sprawling their hips back to create distance. Both defensive reactions actually facilitate the Electric Chair sweep - their grip on your leg helps you load them onto your hip, and their backward hip movement gives you the angle to roll them over. This creates a true dilemma where defending the submission opens the sweep, and defending the sweep leaves the submission available. This represents core 10th Planet philosophy of creating multiple offensive threats from bottom positions.
Q6: What are the primary muscle groups being compressed in a properly executed Crotch Ripper, and why is this relevant for training safety? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The primary targets are the hip flexor muscles (particularly iliopsoas), groin muscles (adductor group including adductor longus, brevis, and magnus), and inner thigh muscles. Understanding these targets is crucial for safety because muscular compression submissions can cause strains or tears if applied explosively. Unlike joint locks where ligaments provide mechanical stopping points, muscles can continue to be compressed beyond safe limits if pressure is applied too rapidly. This knowledge emphasizes why progressive, controlled application is mandatory - you’re compressing soft tissue that can be damaged without obvious warning signals beyond pain.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Crotch Ripper represents an interesting case study in submission mechanics because it relies purely on compression and pain compliance rather than joint manipulation or arterial restriction. From a systematic perspective, what makes this technique valuable is not necessarily its finishing rate in high-level competition, but rather its role in creating offensive dilemmas from a traditionally defensive position. The lockdown itself is a powerful control mechanism that prevents the opponent from completing their pass, and the Crotch Ripper transforms this defensive structure into an offensive threat. The key technical element is understanding that the submission’s effectiveness is entirely dependent on your ability to create and maintain the proper angle through underhook control - without this angle, no amount of knee pressure will generate sufficient compression. When teaching this technique, I emphasize the importance of progressive pressure application because unlike joint locks where the body provides natural mechanical limits, muscular compression can continue past safe thresholds if applied explosively. The practitioner must develop sensitivity to their partner’s tolerance and always prioritize training longevity over immediate gratification of a tap. This submission should be viewed as one component of a complete lockdown system rather than an isolated finishing technique.
- Gordon Ryan: Look, I’m going to be completely honest - the Crotch Ripper is not a submission I use in high-level competition because the risk-reward ratio doesn’t favor it when facing elite opposition who understand lockdown defense. However, that doesn’t mean it lacks value in your training or against less experienced opponents. The real power of this technique is the dilemma it creates when combined with the Electric Chair sweep. When I’m coaching students on the lockdown system, I tell them to use the Crotch Ripper as a threat that makes their sweeps more effective, not necessarily as their primary finishing option. In competition, the moment you threaten this submission, your opponent will defend in predictable ways - either controlling your attacking leg or attempting to posture up and create distance. Both reactions set up the Electric Chair sweep perfectly. This is what Eddie Bravo understood brilliantly about designing the 10th Planet system - create submissions that force defensive reactions which open other attacks. In the training room, absolutely practice finishing this submission to understand the mechanics and develop your bottom game offense, but in competition, think of it more as a position control tool and sweep setup. One critical distinction between training and competition: in training, you have time to apply pressure progressively and safely. In competition, if you’re going to attack this submission, you need to have already secured such dominant lockdown control that your opponent cannot effectively defend, which is rare against high-level opposition. The Crotch Ripper exemplifies the 10th Planet philosophy of turning bottom positions into offensive platforms, which has influenced my approach to half guard despite coming from a different lineage. What I respect about this technique is that it punishes opponents for certain defensive postures - specifically when they’re attempting to maintain base while working to free their trapped leg. The timing window is very specific: you need them weighted forward enough that they can’t sprawl away from your knee pressure, but not so heavy that they flatten you completely. In my experience, the athletes who make this submission work consistently are those with exceptional hip flexibility and core strength to maintain the angle under pressure. If you’re going to invest time developing the lockdown system, understand that it requires significant physical preparation - your hips need mobility that allows you to maintain the figure-four while creating angle, and your core needs strength to prevent being flattened. From a competitive standpoint, I’ve found that the threat of leg attacks from lockdown is often more valuable than committing fully to the finish, because elite opponents will defend aggressively, potentially giving up position in the process. Use the Crotch Ripper threat to create scrambles and transitions rather than as a do-or-die submission attempt. The modern game has evolved to where leg lock defense is highly sophisticated, so surprise attacks from unconventional positions like lockdown can catch even experienced grapplers off-guard.
- Eddie Bravo: The Crotch Ripper is one of my favorite examples of how you can weaponize positions that traditional jiu-jitsu considers purely defensive. When I developed the lockdown system, everyone told me half guard bottom should be about survival and recovery - I said no, let’s make it a legitimate attacking position. The Crotch Ripper submission came from asking ‘what can I do with my free leg once lockdown is secured?’ and the answer was to create compression on the groin area where opponent is vulnerable. This technique embodies the 10th Planet methodology: find the unconventional attack that opponents don’t expect or train to defend. The beauty of this submission is that it works at multiple levels - beginners can hit it against other beginners because people don’t know it’s coming, and at advanced levels it creates the dilemma that sets up the Electric Chair sweep, which is honestly where most of the value comes from in high-level rolling. When I teach the lockdown system, I always emphasize the flow between Crotch Ripper, Electric Chair, and Old School - these three techniques create a rock-paper-scissors game where defending one opens another. The key is flexibility and comfort being on your side in half guard, which is why we drill this position extensively. Regarding safety: because this is a compression submission targeting muscles rather than joints, you need to be extra careful in training. There’s no mechanical stop like with an armbar - you can keep compressing past the point of injury. Always apply pressure gradually and release immediately when partner taps. I’ve seen groin strains from this technique when applied too aggressively, and those injuries sideline people for weeks. Train smart, create the threat, use it to set up your sweeps, and save the hard finishes for competition if you choose to compete.