10th Planet Half Guard Bottom System is a intermediate difficulty Guard System system. Integrates 5 components.
System ID: System Type: Guard System Difficulty Level: Intermediate
What is 10th Planet Half Guard Bottom System?
The 10th Planet Half Guard Bottom System represents Eddie Bravo’s revolutionary approach to bottom half guard, transforming what was traditionally a defensive position into a powerful offensive platform. At its core, the system centers around the Lockdown control mechanism - a unique leg configuration that traps the opponent’s leg and disrupts their base while creating multiple offensive pathways. This systematic framework connects control positions like the Lockdown and Deep Half Guard to powerful sweeps, back takes, and the signature Electric Chair submission. Unlike traditional half guard systems that rely primarily on underhooks and conventional sweeps, the 10th Planet approach emphasizes leg control, creating leverage through the Lockdown to off-balance opponents and generate explosive attacking opportunities. The system is particularly effective in no-gi grappling where traditional gi grips are unavailable, making it a cornerstone of modern submission grappling competition. Through systematic application of the Lockdown’s control principles, practitioners learn to dominate from what opponents perceive as a neutral or defensive position, consistently generating submission threats and positional advances.
Core Principles
- Lockdown control as the foundation - establish and maintain the leg trap to disrupt opponent’s base and posture
- Active bottom position - constantly attacking and creating dilemmas rather than passively defending
- Systematic progressions - use defined pathways from Lockdown to sweeps, back takes, and submissions
- Whip-up mechanics - generate explosive power through hip movement and leg extension for sweeps
- Electric Chair threat - maintain constant submission pressure to force defensive reactions
- Old School sweep integration - combine traditional and modern techniques for unpredictable attacks
- Underhook battles - control opponent’s upper body while the Lockdown controls lower body
- Creating angles - use the Lockdown to turn opponent’s hips and expose their back
Key Components
Lockdown Position (Establishes foundational control and creates the platform for all subsequent attacks in the system) The Lockdown is the cornerstone control position where the bottom player traps the opponent’s leg by threading their inside leg under and around the opponent’s thigh, then grabbing their own shin to create a figure-four lock. This configuration prevents the opponent from freeing their leg, disrupts their base, and allows the bottom player to extend their hips to create powerful off-balancing force. From the Lockdown, the bottom player can control the pace of the match, prevent passing attempts, and systematically work toward sweeps and submissions while the opponent is forced into defensive responses.
Electric Chair Submission (Primary submission threat that creates defensive reactions enabling sweeps and positional advances) The Electric Chair is a crotch-ripper submission that applies pressure to the opponent’s groin, hip, and knee simultaneously by extending the Lockdown while controlling the opponent’s upper body and driving their trapped leg into an extreme split position. This submission can be finished from various configurations of the Lockdown position and serves as both a legitimate finishing technique and a powerful threat that forces opponents to defend, creating opportunities for sweeps and transitions to other positions like the back or mount.
Old School Sweep (High-percentage sweep that reverses position and frequently leads to back control or mount) The Old School sweep leverages the Lockdown control combined with an underhook and triangle lock on the opponent’s far arm to roll them over the shoulder, transitioning to top position or the opponent’s back. The technique requires precise timing and hip movement, using the Lockdown to prevent the opponent from posting their trapped leg while the underhook and arm triangle eliminate their ability to base with their upper body. This sweep is particularly effective against opponents who attempt to maintain a low posture to defend against the Electric Chair.
Whip-Up Mechanics (Generates explosive off-balancing force that enables sweeps and creates scramble opportunities) The whip-up technique utilizes explosive hip extension while maintaining the Lockdown to violently off-balance the opponent forward and to the side, creating opportunities for sweeps, back takes, and scrambles. By timing the whip-up with the opponent’s forward pressure, the bottom player can generate significant momentum that overwhelms the opponent’s base. This fundamental movement pattern is integrated throughout the system, appearing in various sweep entries and creating the dynamic, explosive character that distinguishes 10th Planet half guard from more static traditional approaches.
Deep Half Guard Integration (Provides alternative attacking platform and defensive escape route while maintaining bottom half guard structure) The system seamlessly integrates Deep Half Guard positions as both a defensive safety valve when the Lockdown is threatened and as an alternative attacking platform with its own sweep series. Practitioners learn to flow between Lockdown and Deep Half based on the opponent’s reactions, maintaining offensive pressure regardless of which configuration they occupy. The transition between these positions is facilitated by releasing the Lockdown while maintaining leg control, allowing for adaptability against opponents who develop Lockdown-specific defenses.
Implementation Sequence
- Establishing the Lockdown: From bottom half guard, thread your inside leg under the opponent’s trapped leg and grab your own shin to complete the Lockdown. Focus on getting your foot to your opposite hip to maximize control. Immediately extend your hips slightly to disrupt their base and prevent them from driving forward into a passing position. Key points:
- Secure the Lockdown before opponent establishes strong crossface or underhook control
- Keep your outside leg as a butterfly hook or frame to prevent immediate smash passing
- Begin working for an underhook on the opponent’s far side immediately
- Use small hip extensions to test opponent’s balance and base
- Developing Underhook Control: While maintaining the Lockdown, battle for the underhook on the opponent’s far side. Use your inside arm to dig under their armpit while using your outside arm to frame against their crossface attempts. Once the underhook is secured, connect your hands and begin driving your underhook shoulder into their armpit to break their posture down. Key points:
- Frame against crossface with outside arm while digging for underhook
- Once underhook is established, connect hands in a seat belt grip
- Drive underhook shoulder upward to elevate opponent’s upper body
- Use Lockdown extensions to coordinate with underhook pressure
- Creating the Electric Chair Threat: With the Lockdown and underhook established, begin extending your locked legs while pulling their upper body toward you with the underhook. This creates the Electric Chair position where pressure is applied to their groin and hip. Even if not attempting to finish the submission, maintaining this threat forces the opponent into defensive postures that create sweep opportunities. Key points:
- Extend legs powerfully while maintaining Lockdown security
- Pull opponent’s upper body close to prevent them from posturing away
- Look for opponent to post their free hand or shift weight backward (defensive reactions)
- Use submission threat to set up Old School sweep or back take transitions
- Executing Old School Sweep: When the opponent defends the Electric Chair by leaning back or posting, transition to the Old School sweep by maintaining your underhook while grabbing their far wrist and threading it behind your head to create a triangle lock on their arm. Execute a powerful whip-up with your Lockdown while rolling over your underhook shoulder to sweep them over and take top position or their back. Key points:
- Timing is critical - execute when opponent’s weight shifts backward
- Triangle lock on the arm prevents them from posting to defend
- Whip-up explosively to generate momentum for the roll
- Look to take the back if they turtle or turn away during the sweep
- Alternative Attacks and Transitions: If the primary Electric Chair and Old School attacks are defended, transition to alternative pathways including the Homer Simpson sweep (maintaining Lockdown while rolling under to sweep), Deep Half Guard entries, or back take attempts. Maintain constant offensive pressure by cycling through these options based on the opponent’s defensive reactions. Key points:
- Never remain static - constantly attack with different techniques
- Read opponent’s weight distribution to select appropriate technique
- Use feints toward one attack to set up another
- Be prepared to release Lockdown and transition to Deep Half if necessary
- Advanced Integration and Combinations: At advanced levels, integrate the half guard system with other 10th Planet positions like Rubber Guard and Twister controls. Flow seamlessly between Lockdown attacks, Deep Half sweeps, and leg lock entries. Develop the ability to chain multiple techniques together, using each failed attempt to set up the next attack in the sequence. Key points:
- Study opponent’s individual defensive patterns to develop custom attack sequences
- Integrate leg lock threats from bottom half guard for additional offensive options
- Practice smooth transitions between Lockdown, Deep Half, and standard half guard
- Develop conditioning to maintain aggressive bottom game throughout entire match
How to Measure Your Progress
Lockdown Establishment Rate: Measures the practitioner’s ability to secure the Lockdown position from various half guard configurations and against different levels of resistance Proficiency indicators:
- Can establish Lockdown within 3-5 seconds from bottom half guard against resisting opponent
- Successfully secures Lockdown before opponent establishes dominant crossface or underhook
- Maintains Lockdown security even when opponent attempts to stand or posture up
- Can re-establish Lockdown immediately after brief releases during transitions
Sweep Success Rate from Lockdown: Tracks the percentage of successful sweeps executed from the Lockdown position, including Old School, Electric Chair transitions, and whip-up based attacks Proficiency indicators:
- Achieves 60%+ sweep success rate against similarly skilled opponents from Lockdown positions
- Can execute at least 3 different sweep variations fluently from the Lockdown
- Successfully times whip-up mechanics to coincide with opponent’s weight shifts
- Regularly achieves back control or mount as result of Lockdown-based sweeps
Electric Chair Threat Integration: Evaluates how effectively the practitioner uses the Electric Chair submission threat to create sweep opportunities and defensive reactions Proficiency indicators:
- Consistently forces opponent into defensive postures when threatening Electric Chair
- Can finish Electric Chair submission against appropriate resistance levels
- Successfully transitions from Electric Chair attempts to Old School sweeps when defended
- Uses Electric Chair threat to prevent opponent from establishing passing grips
System Integration and Flow: Assesses the ability to flow seamlessly between different components of the system based on opponent reactions Proficiency indicators:
- Smoothly transitions between Lockdown, Deep Half, and standard half guard without losing control
- Chains 2-3 techniques together in logical sequences based on opponent’s defensive choices
- Maintains constant offensive pressure without stalling in static positions
- Adapts technique selection based on opponent’s body type, skill level, and defensive patterns
Expert Insights
- John Danaher: While the 10th Planet Half Guard Bottom System diverges from traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu methodology in several ways, its underlying principles demonstrate sound systematic thinking. The Lockdown mechanism achieves what all effective guard systems must accomplish - it creates a stable control platform that simultaneously limits the opponent’s options while generating offensive opportunities for the guard player. The brilliance of the system lies in its integration of lower body control through the Lockdown with upper body control through underhooks, creating a comprehensive framework where the practitioner controls both ends of the opponent’s body. The Electric Chair submission threat functions as what I call a ‘systemic catalyst’ - it forces defensive reactions that create the conditions for successful sweeps and transitions. Where traditional half guard relies primarily on underhook and knee shield mechanics, the 10th Planet approach adds the Lockdown as a third control dimension, effectively reducing the opponent’s defensive options by one-third. The whip-up mechanics demonstrate proper application of leverage principles, using hip extension and the opponent’s forward momentum to generate sweeping power rather than relying on muscular strength. For students developing this system, focus on the decision trees - understand precisely which technique to select based on the opponent’s weight distribution and defensive posture, and practice smooth transitions between options rather than forcing any single technique against inappropriate resistance.
- Gordon Ryan: From a competition standpoint, the 10th Planet Half Guard Bottom System is a legitimate weapon that has proven effective at the highest levels of no-gi grappling. What makes it particularly dangerous is that most opponents don’t train against it regularly, so they’re unfamiliar with the specific defensive requirements it demands. The Lockdown completely changes the dynamic of half guard passing - traditional pressure passing methods don’t work because you can’t drive the knee through, and standing up to free the leg creates entirely different problems. In my competition experience, I’ve seen the Electric Chair threat create more sweep opportunities than actual submissions, which is exactly how a good systematic threat should function. The Old School sweep is genuinely high-percentage when timed correctly, and the back exposure it creates is often more valuable than the sweep itself. What I’ve learned fighting against this system is that you must address the Lockdown immediately - if you allow the opponent to fully establish it with underhook control, you’re in serious danger. The system rewards aggressive, constant pressure from the bottom, which aligns with modern competitive strategies. If I were building a game around this system, I’d focus on the transition to the back, using the Old School sweep primarily as a vehicle to get there rather than just achieving top position. The integration with leg lock entries adds another dimension that makes it even more threatening in current ADCC-rules competition.
- Eddie Bravo: The 10th Planet Half Guard Bottom System represents my philosophy of transforming traditionally defensive positions into offensive launching pads. I developed this system because I was tired of seeing people get stuck in half guard doing nothing but defending and trying to survive. The Lockdown was the key innovation that changed everything - it turns the bottom player’s legs into an offensive weapon rather than just a defensive barrier. What people don’t understand is that the Lockdown isn’t just about controlling their leg, it’s about controlling their entire base and their psychology. Once you lock it up, they know they’re in trouble, and that mental pressure creates mistakes and opportunities. The Electric Chair submission emerged from experimenting with ways to maximize the pressure created by the Lockdown - we found that by extending the legs while controlling the upper body, we could create a unique submission that had no traditional counter because nobody had trained against it. The beauty of the system is how everything connects - the Electric Chair threat sets up the Old School sweep, the Old School creates back take opportunities, and if they defend everything, you can transition to Deep Half or come up to the dogfight. It’s a complete game plan from one position. I tell my students that the half guard bottom should be one of your best positions, not somewhere you get stuck. With the Lockdown system, you’re never stuck - you’re always attacking, always creating problems for your opponent. The whip-up mechanics took years to refine, finding the exact timing and hip movement that generates maximum sweeping power. This system proves that innovation and systematic thinking can completely change the meta-game of a position that had been around for decades.