The Electric Chair not working? Try the “IGOR”!

If you've been experimenting with the Lotus Lockdown, as well as with the Electric Chair submission, you've probably realized that sometimes, things don't go exactly as planned. Your training partner defends himself, or you lose control over the upper body, or you go too low in the middle of the sweep... Whatever the case may be, you did not end up in an optimal position for the Electric Chair submission hold.

But don't worry! There are 3 elegant submission options right from here: The IGOR, The BANANA LOCK, and a KNEEBAR.

Motivation is key!

Some Jiujiteiros have a habit of losing motivation whenever a technique doesn't go their way. If you're one of them, then this is for you!

In Jiu-Jitsu, most of the time, things won't go your way. No matter how much you drilled the move, no matter how much you struggled to perfect it, and no matter how certain you were that you're that close to the tap... You sometimes won't quite make it. It's just the way it is. This is where beginners are easily spotted. They are the only ones who refuse to let go even though the choke is not 100%.

When this happens, your primary goal should be to find the next best alternative. In other words: If one doesn't work, try another! If you continue to muscle through, you'll lose vital seconds, time that you could be spending on another attack. Besides, having several attack options is also way much more creative and fun! 

Your mind should always be set on maximizing the available opportunities. If you fail the submission, that's ok! You can give it a shot again later on. If you got tapped because of a poor escape attempt, that's alright too? It's not the first, nor the last time this is going to happen.

THE IGOR

With the advice as mentioned above of "not giving up "in mind, let's move on to the options you have from a failed Electric Chair submission. In the first example, while you're doing the Electric Chair sweep (make sure to read our previous article), you might end up a bit too low – too far out from the training partner's hips. Because of this, you won't be able to tap them out immediately.

But what you do have as an alternative is the "Igor "! If your partner defends and tries to escape from this position by curling his leg up, then all you've got to do is grab his foot and pull it towards you. It's a Calf Slicer variation!

 "But what if they defend by extending their leg?" It doesn't matter; it just gives you another opportunity to go back to tap them out with the Electric Chair.

THE BANANA LOCK

If you lose control over the training partner's upper body once you've swept them, then you need to use your arm to control their hips on one side. On the other side, you'll keep your Lockdown. However, you'll make a switch – your other leg will now go over the partner's leg!

All that you've got to do from here is pull their leg while bending your body over them. The torque on their knee will be so immense that they'll have no other option than to tap out!

THE KNEEBAR

And finally, if you want to surprise your training partner immediately after you've swept them, you can go for the Kneebar! This setup is surprisingly simple and useful when they defend by pushing you away.

Quickly enough, you'll just lower your hips slightly above their knee and widen your base. Keep your Lockdown while you do this. Then, slide your knees down the mat, push your hips into their leg at an inside 45-degree angle. And they'll tap!

Good luck on the mats, and stay creative!

Check out the video where 10P Blackbelt Magnus Hansson shows the "IGOR" submission above.