5 Ways to Counter & Defend the Berimbolo

Let’s keep this concise.  Whether you like the inverted game, 50/50 positions, double guard pulling, or berimbolos, you can’t just turn your head away, plug your ears, and scream, “lalalalalalalalalalala” and hope these strategies go away.

They won’t.

I wouldn’t hold my breath.  Because, more than likely, someone is eventually going to use them against you to sweep you off your feet and take your breath away.  Pun intended.  So, in the spirit of keeping things concise.

If you don’t personally want to employ these tactics, then simply abstain.

But, do yourself the service of at least understanding how they work and having some go to rebuttal techniques and strategies, so that when these punk ass inverted dudes try them you can win the transition and laugh in their face.  Then you can tell them how Royce Gracie would never berimbolo, “cuz he keep it real yo.”  Furthermore, you can go back to rubber guarding them to their death or using the good old patented gracie jiu-jitsu techniques that pass the Helio filter.

I kid.

5 Ways to Defend and Counter Berimbolo Attacks

Xande Ribiero Shows Berimbolo Defense Using the Crossface

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6gu84DhxR4]

Reasons I like this strategy:

1. It is big guy friendly.  (No need for acrobatics)
2. It can lead you directly into a submission. (Head & Arm Triangle or the Arm in Ezekiel you see Keenan Cornelius and the Miyao Brothers use well)
3. It can lead you directly to a back take via head and arm control.

Kit Dale Shows Berimbolo Defense Using Leg Control & Distance

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR-pIdlirZc]

Reasons I like this strategy:

1. Kit focuses on angles and protecting control of his hips.
2. Although not a universal technique (some mobility and dexterity involved) it should work for a fair amount of people, and most likely the ones that will encounter the berimbolo the most.
3. It is a very unorthodox strategy.  Therefore, your opponent will probably not have an immediate rebuttal.

Jason Scully Shows Berimbolo Counters via Inverted Rolling Leg Drags

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI6QHkE-OMA]

Reasons I like this strategy:

1. Very sneaky way to get your opponent to leg drag himself.
2. The surprise element is very strong.
3. A counter is superior to a defense because it creates opportunity for you to get on the offensive.

Matt Darcy Shows Berimbolo Counter via Rolling Back Take (Ninja Roll)

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ql2pooy2I]

Reasons I like this strategy:

1. I have already started to build my ninja rolling skills from half guard positions, so this is an easy plug and play for me theoretically.
2. Again, this is a counter which gives you immediate access to their back when performed correctly.
3. If you cannot get the back it should at least get you into a better position to scramble and transition into an opportunistic passing sequence.

Xande Ribeiro Shows Berimbolo Counter via Leg Vine Back Take

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDwVUD2IL08]

Reasons this is my favorite strategy:

1. It has become the highest percentage counter for me once someone has begun to invert.
2. It is remarkably, not that hard to start pulling off.  In fact, I did this well before I could even berimbolo at all.
3. Once you attain the leg vine position, you are pretty much guaranteed taking the back.

*Bonus* The Most Simple Berimbolo Defense

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9cYRmO_WI8]

This is not a berimbolo counter or defense, but it’ll at least buy you some time to reset before you get your timing and angle perfect.  I included this to be a little thorough, and so that you can have someone you can immediately pull off in training right away, but don’t use this as a crutch to never learn how to defend or counter the berimbolo.  If nothing else seems feasible, try this first.  Then, try defending the berimbolo.  Finally, work up the courage to start attacking berimbolos head on with an elegant counter that will leave your training partners thinking, “wtf.”  Those pesky inverted guys…

The Jiu-Jitsu Lab also has a good resource for you to peruse.  They included some fun stuff like countering the berimbolo with submissions.  Not for the faint of heart.

Know of any more berimbolo counters and defenses?  Tell me about them!