Distance, Jabs and Three Rules: Georges St-Pierre Teaches Lex Fridman Wrestling and Ground Defense

Lex Fridman introduces the session by calling St-Pierre probably the greatest fighter of all time, and the early rolling is mostly playful banter. After one exchange, St-Pierre gives his first piece of advice: when standing, Lex reaches too much. If he reaches out, St-Pierre says, it is easy to take a good position or climb back on him.

His fix is to avoid reaching and to move the feet closer before seeking contact. Asked how this differs in MMA, he says grappling setups often start from a takedown, while MMA allows different styles. He prefers proactive and reactive takedowns, often using his longest weapon, the jab, as a decoy to get to the legs.

St-Pierre contrasts his explosive, dynamic style with Khabib's, which he describes as chain wrestling, using the fence and technical strength, including isometric strength. Asked whether he could take Khabib down, he says he thinks so, but adds that Khabib could probably take him down too. He then explains that the key to defense and offense is distance control, which depends on footwork: pushing off the opposite leg of the direction you move and staying in balance.

He says that he uses the jab, which starts outside the opponent's field of vision, to distract and plant a seed, since fighters remember the last thing that hurt them. Then he launches in like a snake, creating a false sense of security about range. His highest-percentage finish is the elbow deep double leg: look across, step across and drive.

If the opponent is stronger or sprawls, as Michael Bisping did, he says you turn the corner, because they open up on the other side. He then has Lex drill the jab setup, elbow-deep entry and turning the corner. His advice is to stay as economical as possible and not waste energy forcing something that is not there.

On the ground, St-Pierre says, jiu-jitsu and MMA are very different. In guard, he does not want to stay in mid-range: he keeps his head off the floor and abdominal muscles contracted, leaves a gap to see the opponent, and focuses protection on the head. He controls the opponent's head and arm, keeping them either very close or very far, and uses a leg or the tip of the foot to create distance.

On top, he says the ideal is to take the opponent's back, where he cannot be hit but can hit or submit. Mount is second best, and being inside the guard is the worst, though gravity helps more than in a jiu-jitsu competition. There he follows three rules.

The rules: never put the hands on the floor, because the opponent can wrap the arm and head and close the distance; never let the opponent's head get higher than his own, to avoid a guillotine; and never let them take an ankle. Respecting these lets him do damage even from within the guard, though his goal is always to pass to a more dominant position.

Asked about training with Elon Musk, a voice in the clip says he is much stronger than the average man, with a lot of heart and toughness. Another speaker argues that in a clash between two people, skill level outweighs everything else, and that the proposed opponent's nearly two years of jiu-jitsu experience is a big advantage. They also say Musk impressed them with how quickly he grasps the subject.

The speakers note that he is intelligent and finds the crux of a problem, but is also one of the busiest people on the planet. They add that both men have had an enormous impact on 21st century society and could create great benefits for humanity, so they wish they would focus on that more than on fighting each other. The clip ends with Lex asking for one more round, going to submission.