Breakdown The Body Lock Squeeze With Benson Henderson

Cage fighting is a dynamic sport. One minute the two athletes are smashing each other with hands and feet, the next they are on the floor wrestling for position. 

The ability to either stay on the feet or too drag the other person to the ground is often the deciding factor in the outcome of fights. The concept of “imposing your will” on another athlete during combat is what will separate winners from losers. 

The roadblock that will stunt the progression of fighters  is when the practiced techniques are introduced into a new environment. In MMA a fighter will train Striking, Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling as their primary weapons.  During this practice the environment is an open mat or a boxing ring neither of these replicate the cage effectively.  

When fighters step into a cage that boundary is a hard limit. Unless the fighter crawls out and over the cage, that barrier is as far as they can go. This is different because in other sports like wrestling if you leave the area you are restarted in the center, in MMA you are stuck on that cage until the bell rings, you lose or you find a way out. 

Learning how to deal with this solid barrier is essential to anyone who is attempting to step into the cage for competition. Learning how to use the cage both defensively and offensively is critical to any fighters success.

The question is, where do you get started with learning how to use the cage walls to your benefit? 

The easiest path to learn these skills is to implement simple wrestling concepts and techniques then adapt them to the new environment. 

Simple concepts like a bodylock are great to start with. The bodylock is effective from all sides that it can be grabbed from. The amount of leverage and unbalancing a fighter can create because of this technique's principle of controlling the shoulder girdle is immense. ‘

Even if the technique is simple, the details have to be correct in order for it to be utilized effectively. For this instance we look to former World Extreme Cage Fighting Lightweight Champion and Ultimate Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson to show us how to properly implement the body lock for use in MMA.

Benson shows that it is not about how hard you can squeeze the body lock but rather how you make the squeeze in the body lock is what matters. 

Keeping the elbows pinched down and to the sides and then pulling the elbows back will allow a fighter to create a more effective control. Reason being when the elbows are pinched, there is more contract with the opponents body. Also you engage more muscle groups in the arms and back when the elbows are squeezed opposed to flared. 

Benson is no stranger to MMA being the former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. He holds notable wins over Frankie Edgar, Donald Cerrone,Jorge Masvidal and Patricio “Pitbull”. 

Benson is also a two time NAIA All American in wrestling so he knows a thing or two about getting the fight to the floor when he wants too. Benson has taken the time to outline a system to help fighters learn to use the cage walls in MMA. 

Things like using the bodylock to avoid damage and also take down your opponent. Various trips and throws. Benson also shows how to set up a beautiful double leg while working off the wall. 

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