Instructional Review - Grandmaster Leg Locks by Gokor Chivitchyan

The master shares some of his favorite techniques in an exceptional collection to bolster any grappler’s arsenal.

Looking to improve your leg attack game but are intimidated by how unusual it may seem? Perhaps you’re overwhelmed by the amount of learning options available out there and don’t know where to start. Well, today I’m very pleased to inform you that Gokor Chivitchyan has got you covered.

Having been a pioneer in martial arts for decades, Chivitchyan has been at the forefront of submission grappling forever. Building off of his Judo and Sambo base, he’s worked his way to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Catch Wrestling for good measure. All of this has made him a fountain of knowledge and a wizard ready to impart knowledge.

Being a very credentialed grappler that is respected greatly in MMA circles and friend of Judo Gene Lebell, he’s been in early proto-MMA bouts as well (shout out to a young Buffer and commentary from Lebell). Being just shy of age 60, he’s still remarkably nimble and spry. Having trained Karo Parisyan, Ronda Rousey, Neil Melanson and Manny Gamburyan, and Roman Mititchyan, among others, he’s a certified tough guy that’s trained some tough people.

So if you’re not very familiar with the man, I hope we’ve provided a bit of context as to why this is an exciting addition to any grappler’s library. As the name indicates, this is about attacking the lower body. What’s different here is precisely how he goes about it, with minor adjustments you may not have seen and making absolutely everything look effortless and clean.

For starters, the instructional begins with a basic heel hook attack. The setup and grip is different from how it’s taught in most BJJ schools, and Chivitchyan’s emphasis on keeping tight positioning is key. From there, it’s all about using your entire body as a unit, and an attack some may find a bit complicated due to a lack of familiarity is suddenly beautiful in its simplicity.

From there, he teaches a counter for anyone attempting a basic escape, with further entanglement options to outwork your opponent. Then there’s ankle lock variants, including this choke-type setup that looks like an absolutely miserable place to be.

But the real treat for me was moving from ankle attacks to kneebars. Working from both top and bottom positions, Chivitchyan very plainly and clearly lays out how to set up something as basic as a top half-guard spin setup to whatever the name for this is.

All of this is in the first three modules, with the final one being focused on defense in the form of kneebar and heel hook escapes, a few standing attacks, and a funky armbar to leglock transition that’s smoother than Mookie Alexander’s voice.

Here’s one of those standing attacks in action:

The production is of the quality you should expect by now from any BJJFanatics product, with clear and well-lit video, excellent sound, and minimal presentation that is well-framed. There’s not really any sort of warm-up segment or the usual bit where an instructor explains who they are and what they’ve done. It just getting right into the meat and potatoes with no frills. And it works. None of this is a knock or anything, it’s just right to the material and Chivitchyan remains very serious and focused throughout.

Should you buy it? I’d highly recommend this. It’s one of the best instructionals I’ve seen in a while because the simplicity even in the more elaborate segments. While Chivitchyan doesn’t smile much, you can sense he cares deeply about his craft and about ensuring that his message is getting through. The man really shows the work and it pays off greatly.

So yes, absolutely. Get this as soon as you can. It’s available for digital purchase (streaming and download) exclusively at BJJFanatics.com, where you can get a 37% discount for a limited time by using FOUNDERS2021 in honor of the site founder’s birthday.

**Review was conducted on a purchase of the material.