Technique: Gokor Chivichyan    Article by: Kevin Howell   Photos by: Dave Contreras

The open guard is a very dangerous position with regards to leg attacks. With your opponent’s legs just hanging in the air, a swift leg submission can end the fight in an instant. While the guy on the bottom will try to stop you from passing his guard, sometimes you don’t even have to pass but you can go straight for the submission. This is just one of the many techniques that Gokor teaches on his new “Leglock Encyclopedia 5 DVD Set” available from Budovideos.com.

Interview by: Jake McKee    Photos by: Dave Contreras

Gokor Chivichyan was born in Armenia and has been training in the grappling arts since the age of 5. With decades of experience in wrestling, judo, and sambo, Gokor is a wealth of experience to rely on. He’s been training world class Judoka and MMA fighters at the Hayastan MMA Academy since 1991 and is always innovating, improving, and refining the art of submission grappling.

BV: Many people in the MMA world know you as the coach of such fighters as Karo, Manny, and Roman. When you watch these fighters in the ring we’re usually guaranteed to see strong leg attacks, and some good throws. Are these two things emphasized more strongly than other things at your school?