There’s one school of BJJ that operates beyond the Gracie foundations. We’re talking, of course, about the notorious 10th Planet BJJ school. It was originally created by Eddie Bravo who exploded in the spotlight after he tapped out Royler Gracie with a triangle choke in their match. That being said, Eddie Bravo is known for his ingenuity in BJJ. He has managed to single-handedly figure out dozens of different moves that are very effective for BJJ. And one of these moves is the so-called banana split. You will learn more about how to perform this move if you read this article below.
Getting into the truck position
Now, if there is one thing that the 10th Planet BJJ school is known for, it’s the outlandish names of the moves. One of the positions that the practitioners of this school perform is the so-called truck position. I can’t really think of why this is the name of this position, to be frank. However, if you know how to enter this position then you will be able to do some devastating moves to your opponent, including and not limited to the banana split.
So, your first problem and task should be to enter the truck position. Now, the creative minds behind the 10th Planet BJJ system have already thought of dozens of different ways that you can use in order to enter the truck. But you don’t need to learn all of them. You can learn only a few that you find are most appropriate for your style.
One of the most basic ways to enter the truck is if your opponent is in the turtle position. You will need to inject one hook in between his legs and hook it on your opponent’s leg. Then you need to grab your opponent’s leg at the Achille’s tendon with both your arms and pull your opponent so that he will land above you. It may seem that he is in a good position – but we assure you that he is not. And this is one of the most basic ways that you can use in order to enter the truck position.
How to do banana split submission
It’s very easy to do the banana split once you’re in the truck position. All you need to do is use both your arms to grab your opponent’s leg. And it’s simple after this – you need to pull his one leg with your arms while extending your lockdown with your legs. Hopefully, this will create a severe pressure and overextend your opponent’s structure which will cause pain and result in a tap out.
We used the term “hopefully” because of the fact that there is a simple way to sabotage the banana split move. You will find out that this move is impossible to perform if your opponent is very flexible. If he can do splits, then chances are that he will be unphased by you doing this move. So, in such a case, we recommend you find another move of the truck variety that will work.
But you’ll also find out that the banana split is highly effective for most of your opponents. As things stand, most people aren’t really flexible at the groin area. This goes especially for males. So, if you do this move it will inevitably cause a lot of pain to these people and they will have to either scream in pain or do a tap out
Safety precautions
If you do this move lightly, then you won’t have to worry about causing any harm to your opponent. However, be careful not to overextend your opponent’s structure too quickly. This may result in a snapping of tendons and muscles. Now, when you compare tendon and muscle tears they can seem like a walk in the park when compared to ligament tears. But this doesn’t mean that these injuries are a joke. Your opponent may get incapacitated for months on end while the injuries heal up. Moreover, the area may be permanently damaged and prone to injuries in the future. And this is the main reason as to why we recommend you do this move very carefully, especially against the more inexperienced opponents.
In conclusion
The simple fact of the matter is that the 10th Planet BJJ system has a lot to offer to the art of BJJ. The truck position and the banana split move are just an example of what this system is truly capable of. There are groups of practitioners that only opt for practicing the Gracie BJJ system. There are other groups that opt for training only the 10th Planet BJJ system. We think that the smartest thing to do is to learn from the two schools as much as you can. If you want to see the banana split move in action, then see video below
Check also:
- Electric Chair – Eddie Bravo’s Sweep and Submission
- Twister – Application and Defense
- What is Combat Jiu-Jitsu?
- Gogoplata Technique Breakdown
