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The Monkey Flip

A Lethal Defense Against A Front Tackle

A front tackle is usually used by a bigger man who is using his larger mass to take the advantage. Trying to stop him in his tracks is useless if you are smaller. That’s just basic physics. That’s why you need a move like this that doesn’t require you overpowering him.

Breaking It Down



This move is pretty simple. Here’s the breakdown:

  1. You check him with both of your forearms against his shoulders. This ensures that he doesn’t get a tight hold on you and prevent you from getting the guillotine.
  2. Next you get the guillotine hold and drop to the ground. It’s very important that when you get the guillotine hold you have your forearm against his trachea.
  3. As you go to the ground you keep one leg bend so that your knee is into his abdomen. Next, you utilize your momentum and a push from the knee that’s into his abdomen to flip him over.
  4. This is where this self-defense technique gets lethal. If you retain control of his head in the guillotine as you flip him it will break his neck. This is not usually the goal of a self-defense technique, but there may be times when you have no choice.

WARNING

Because this is a lethal technique you should NEVER practice it full speed, there are just too many things that can go wrong. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend practicing the flip part at speed unless you and your training partner are very experienced. It’s just TOO dangerous. Once his weight and momentum send him over in the flip, there is very little you can do to stop it. You’ll also want to make sure you have training mats for this one.

This is a great self-defense move, but should only be used when your life is in serious danger.

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292 thoughts on “The Monkey Flip”

  1. Great stuff. I was injured in Afghanistan and can not protect my family and or myself like I use to should I ever have to. I own weapons for home defense and I have a license to carry, but unlike how the media tends to describe gun owners these days I don’t walk around looking to hurt anyone. I really like all the technics that you share we us.

    I am still in uniform and plan on retiring next year. I will be looking into your video fighting course. Thanks!

    George

  2. With this move, it’s better simply to push the head down to the ground and stay standing and then run away. You can also grab the back of the hair and force the attacker to the ground. Moreover, you can do the same choke, but sprawl (i.e., kick your back legs out) so the attacker falls face first to the ground and into your choke and you land on top of his head and upper torso with a choke in place. Don’t like the monkey flip.

  3. I am about 155 pounds and I have a ten year history in martial arts. I think the move is cool but if that’s not practiced over and over and you have an alternate I can easily see a big, fat, a-hole basically now being on top of you. After that you are in a serious situation that you probably will not get out of unless you know some good ground stuff.
    A big huge dude rushing a guy my size? I prefer to get the hell out of the way and grab a weapon like the knife I always carry. Better still I would hope my instincts warn me to leave the place before things get to that point.
    C.

  4. I just finished reading Navy2013 And I wanted to add a further comment. Well done Navy you have the right idea and people need to understand that there is no such thing as fair. How will you feel missing your teeth and nursing a broken mandible after fighting fair? The last fight I was in I punched the prick in the throat and it was over before it started.
    Of course a big dude has some nice eyeballs to puncture which might be the only things vulnerable as he’s taking YOU down. Just NEVER stop until its over, never let your opponent get set and amped. Go at him like a “windmill” my grandfather used to say and he was a tough Italian from Yonkers who grew up on the streets. He used to call it Rough and Tumble fighting which was a sort of precursor to MMA. Basically anything goes. Lastly for the Parkinson’s patient Carl check out my website for some insights on reducing inflammation. PD has over 65 studies linking it to pesticide use.

  5. 76 and disabled (heart, etc.) and that is why I always wear a side arm; that means having been depended on for some 56 years now so as to be potentially able to REPEL ALL BORDERS regardless of their being “foreign OR DOMESTIC”!!!

  6. I never broke anyone’s neck doing this. They were better ground fighters and I did release early to beat them back to my feet after avoiding the tackle. Also, I don’t think they had necks to break. Anyway, it’s a good way to escape a double leg and beat a wrestler back to the boxing match.

  9. Would not a sprawl also be an option, especially if room was an issue. Both peoples weight on the head while choking would probably kill the opponet. But that would be a pretty athletic move for some, but not us collegent wrestlers at any age.

  10. While that does look effective, could height be an issue? I am 56 years of age, 6’5”, 205lbs., and while I still am in decent shape what if the assailant happens to be somewhat taller? While I am aware that things like this one can happen most anywhere, I make it a point NOT to go into areas that are renowned for trouble.

  13. very similar to a jui jitsu move where you grasp the lapels of the opponent as you are rushed instead of applying the guillotine. then as you go to the ground, in addition to the knee/leg push you can also push with both hands. this combined momentum is very effective in launching your opponent well over your head.

  14. a similar move without the lethal consequences is to grasp his lapels instead of applying the guillotine. thus the combined momentum of the knee/leg push with the hands push will launch the opponent well over and past you as you go down.

  15. I am also 76, but mistakenly feel as if I am 18: mentally and physically. I try to walk as fast as I did at 18 and am surprised when I must slow down occasionally due to little kinks in the legs and/or ankles. I see younger men with canes when I go shopping and it invariably depresses me.

    Navy has it right. In Junior High long ago I was a lightweight and skinny when I involuntarily became involved in a spitting fracas with a character who considered himself ‘king.’ I spit a goober right between his eyes and he – after staring at me in horror – headed for the lavatory to wash it all off and never again gave me any more trouble. I did apologize profusely, and was glad I didn’t have to brain him, but it was nice to be left alone and receive better treatment from him and sincere accolades from the horrified and at-that-time much more respectful fellow students.

    I have an expired CCW permit, and have thought about renewing it, if I were sure I wouldn’t use the firearm inappropriately. I don’t worry much about what others can or can’t do to me since I have become a Christian and know I and my family are watched over and that I as well watch over my family pretty carefully in condition yellow.

    That ‘Monkey Flip’ production was exceptionally clear, and I feel as if I might be able to reproduce it by modifying it slightly to dropping the opponent to my knee instead of dropping him to the ground and actually flipping him. I wouldn’t want to finish off a work-out partner accidentally. . .

    Thanks Bob for the excellent materials you send out. I don’t know if I can devote the time necessary to all of the DVDs, but maybe. . .

  18. Sorry, but I’m not buying. You always must assume that an attacker has friends and the LAST place you want to be is on the ground. There are plenty of simple and lethal maneuvers that can be used to deal with a tackle that keep you standing. How about going for the eyes once you have the guillotine? Or, as Navy2013 mentioned, a hammer-fist or forearm to the back of the neck? Or…both? Point is, STAY ON YOUR FEET! I’m sure the gentleman in the video is a very capable fighter but beware of these athletic moves. I fully agree with the concerns of some of the older readers regarding ability to use this kind of thing. As a 30 year veteran of many martial arts (including Karate, Judo, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, Jeet Kune Do and TFT), the most important thing I have learned is to keep it simple. Pick a vital target (TFT is great for this info), strike hard, strike fast…REPEAT…until the attacker is nonfunctional.

  19. I am a young 77. In good shape and an exMP. I keep all your techniques in a folder and review them periodically. Thanks for your wonderful life saving training.

  20. i dont believe this technique will work. you dont just “check” someone bull rushing you with your forearms they will blow right past that into you.

  21. Looks dangerous for both the attacker and the attacked. If the timing isn’t right to take advantage of the attacker’s momentum in the throw, the defender could be in a world of hurt, even if she IS mashing the guy’s windpipe, ’cause she’d be UNDER the oaf.

    At 5’11” and 160# I’m a pretty big girl, but guys twice my weight aren’t that uncommon, and guys three times my weight aren’t unheard of.

    I practice Aikido (but I’m still hardly past being a raw beginner) and our chief instructor will occasionally point out “modifications you can do if it’s a real fight” then goes back to gently persuading people to fall on the floor (sometimes with considerable impact.)

  22. As a 5’5, 105 lb. female, these moves are extremely important to me. Thank you for all your great, doable tips.

  23. This a momentum play. The guy has to be charging into you. Instead of breaking the neck and subjecting yourself to legal proceedings, you can use this momentum to continue to roll backward and end up in the mount. Keep the gullotine grip and go for the choke or release and ground and pound.

  24. Great move, I’ve used something similar to this, I was charged by a friend once who was planning on tackling me, as I was already falling backwards, I decided he was going to join me so I held on with two hands onto his coat collar. As I was falling backwards, with him coming down on me about mid fall I used my leg in his crouch to catapult him over my head, with the momentum he was charging me, he must have flew 15 feet beyond me. After he realized what had happened it passed him off, and he charged me again. Beings it worked so well the first time, the 2nd time was no different. He flew another 15 feet. He stopped after that, it knocked the wind out of him. I like the forearm block of this, and the neck snap. Nice to have in the back of your mind, if you ever have a life and death need to use something like that. Great video, thanks!!

  25. Fantastic move for a full on fight! However, since men sneakily bull rush women while they are not looking, for example, getting into a car or shoving them into their vehicle, please show how to regain composure and hurt an attacker bad enough to get away in that circumstance. For the women–be aware that even Police are surprised at the numbers of “normal” men they pick up on traffic violations that have the locks fixed in their vehicles so that passengers cannot open the doors! Survival for men and women is different because the intent and the tactics used are different. Thank you for the life saving tips. Looking forward to seeing the next video addressing this.
    Sunny

  27. From my experience, the best thing to do when a large person is charging at you is to gtf out of there way by any means possible our put something between you and that person to slow them down, move a piece of furniture in front of, throw a chair at them etc. Anything that will break up their momentum or disrupt their path of travel. Sorry to say, an 160 pound man is not going to stop a 250 pound man who is charging full speed at him from across the room with a move.

  29. It is a good move to prevent a take down, if you are already grappling range. I have seen it used in that instance, but the fighter using it remained standing while applying the guillotine and did not drop back into the monkey flip.

  30. The move seems very effective but a large man running at you I believe you should use the elbows or knees if he goes very low to the shoulders
    to stop him and then go for the guillotine. There’s no need to take him to the ground after you have them in the guillotine it would complicate it
    For the average person. Great move thanks!

  31. Awesome thank you! These empower me, I am in my 60’s. femail with a 10 year old daughter. I need to know I have tequneques that can protect us if needed. Many thanks.
    Brenda

  32. this is absolutely a devastating move! Thanks, BOB……. :] MOST PRACTITIONERS MIGHT THINK THIS MOVE IS COMPLICATED,FOCUS YOUR MONKEY MIND!! AND FLIP THE MONKEY.. ;]

  33. Great stuff! Nice little Judo move with a twist! Awesome!
    Archangel***

  34. Thanks again Bob! Great Judo move with a little twist!
    Archangel***

  35. Thanks for all the great tips bob , I’m a geezoid and if it ever happened I couldn’t afford to lose, really appreciate it

  36. As in most cases, I would have liked to have had a closer look at his technique with regards to foot placement for balance and with this move, the placement of his left hand.

  37. Bob – Keep your excellent, and timely E – mails coming.
    Thank you very much!

  38. Thank you Mr. Burke. This is very useful. However, since men bull rush females when they are not looking or aware of the monster’s presence, please explain and show a video how to get away once you have been rushed and knocked to the ground or worse knocked into a car. Thank you again for the life saving tips.
    Sunny

  45. What if the guy weights 500+ pounds? If you stop his momentum… Would not seem like flipping him is going to be easy.

  49. Think I’d skip the forearm block. I’d prefer to ‘step off the tracks’, an elbow spike to the back and a good ole ankle stomp. Or, just go for a sit down sacrifice and use his momentum to flip the a-hole over.

  50. I don’t know if it works every time, but I used a quick knee to the face in a bull rush situation and the guy wound up with his teeth on the ground. I like this technique though.

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