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Jiu-Jitsu is a Philosophy: UFC Veteran Ryan Hall on the Lex Fridman Podcast

by matmartial · September 21, 2020

Jiu-Jitsu black belt, computer scientist, podcaster, and all-around-smart-guy, Lex Fridman, welcomed fellow Jiu-Jitsu black belt Ryan Hall to his podcast on September 20, 2020. Among a range of topics from Ghengis Khan to science fiction, the two black mostly discussed Jiu-Jitsu during the nearly 4 hour long podcast, which can be seen in its entirety on YouTube: http://Lex Fridaman Podcast 125: Ryan Hall.

Ryan Hall – Ultimate Fighter

UFC fighter Ryan Hall on the Lex Fridman Podcast #125 discuss jiu-jitsu black belt, heel hook, Imanari roll, bj penn, — Jiu-Jitsu black belt and UFC fighter Ryan Hall on the Lex Fridman Podcast

Currently, Ryan Hall fights in the UFC’s featherweight division. He has an MMA record of 8-1, and he is undefeated in UFC, having defeated B.J. Penn by heel hook submission, and Artem Lobov, Gray Maynard, and Darren Elkins all by unanimous decision.

Hall was also a contestant on the 22nd season of The Ultimate Fighter, Team McGregor vs. Team Faber, in 2015. On the show, Hall competed at lightweight and submitted his first two opponents early in the first round, both by heel hook. He lost to English fighter Saul Rogers in the quarterfinals via majority decision, but Rogers had some visa issues so Hall replaced him in the final match where he defeated Lobov to become the Ultimate Fighter.

It may come as a surprise to some that Hall has so many decision victories on his record. After all he was given his nickname, “the Wizard”, due to his exceptional Jiu-Jitsu skills, particularly his heel hook game. Of course, it is one thing to run through the guys at the Ultimate Fighter house, it is another thing entirely to submit the best of the best in three round fights in the UFC. Hall did just that with an extraordinary submission victory over two-weight division former champion and UFC Hall of Famer, BJ Penn at UFC 232.

Ryan Hall submits BJ Penn via Heel Hook at UFC 232

Not only is BJ Penn a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, his Jiu-Jitsu game is legendary. UFC Commentator Joe Rogan would marvel at the dexterity Penn possessed in his legs every time he fought. Honestly, it was a bit shocking to watch Hall submit Penn at 2:46 of the first round. It marked the only time Penn has ever been submitted in an MMA fight.

Hall’s heel hook submission of Penn was a thing of beauty. As the fight begins, Penn pushes Hall up against the cage, and hall slips free. Then, Hall throws a high kick and falls to his back. You can see that he is trying to get a shallow grip on either one of Penn’s legs, but Penn makes him pay with kicks to the thigh. He’s not going down to engage Hall, but it feels like BJ is already in trouble. They both kick at each other’s legs, but the referee wants to see more action, so he stands them up.

Immediately, Hall throws a head kick that misses. He throws a low kick, and follows up with a diving Imanari roll. Hall’s timing is impeccable.

From standing to inverted heel hook in 3 seconds

At 2:49 of the first round, Hall and Penn are standing, facing each other. At 2:46, Penn is tapping out due to the expertly applied heel hook from Hall. Three seconds. That’s all it took.

Hall dove for BJ’s left leg and utilized a picture-perfect Imanari roll to set up a deep, deep heel hook. BJ tapped immediately. Even though he tapped right away, Penn could still be seen noticeably limping after the fight. Even Joe Rogan, who usually emotes loudly after a punch, kick, or even a submission attempt, offered a delayed and muted, “Oh no.” It happened so fast that unless you have studied the Imanari roll and the heel hook, you will have to study the replay in slow motion to understand just how incredible Hall’s finishing move was.

Best Jiu-Jitsu Resources Online

In the interest of providing the best Jiu-Jitsu resources as we like to do here at matmartial.com, Hall’s spectacular submission of BJ Penn is so complex that it requires mastery both the Imanari roll and the inside heel hook.

Inside Heel Hook

Here is matmartial.com favorite Lachlan Giles breaking down the inside heel hook with extra careful details to ensure he doesn’t injure his student/training partner Craig Jones:

How to submit with the inside heel hook + safety tips

Imanari Roll

Here is another matmartial.com favorite, Stephen Kesting, on how to execute the Imanari roll:

Jiu-Jitsu is a Philosophy

Fridman and Hall begin their discussion of Jiu-Jitsu at 45:44 of the podcast, here. They open up the discussion with Hall proclaiming, “I think that Jiu-Jitsu is a philosophy that’s expressed physically.” You will have to listen to the rest of the conversation unfold for yourself. I’ve got to get back to practicing my Imanari roll.