Brushless ESC Question (braking)

Ok,
So, I got back from the track earlier today after a not so successful day.
Long story short, I let a nitro guy try out my buggy and he did his best to beat the crap out of it, first he stripped the plastic spur gear (a few minutes after he said "hey something sounds weird you should check the gear mess", but he kept driving).
After I swapped out the spur he decided he wanted to play with it some more and he got about two laps around before cracking the ball-cup on the front universal shaft.

So... Finally to my question:
I am running a HV4.5 with the HV maxx ESC and a Spektrum DX3.0
I just got back into RC last year (was involved maybe 10ish years ago before motor braking). How does one activate the motor brake while having reverse enabled?
The nitro guy was pushing the throttle to the reserve position when he wanted to use the brake. In the past I just let off the throttle and the buggy would slow down adequately enough for me. Are you supposed to throw the throttle trigger to reverse to brake? if so, how does the ESC know you want break not reverse?
Essentially, aside from wanting to know how to properly use reverse, I want to know if him using reverse as brake (if that is what he was doing) was the cause of breaking the universal shaft, or if it was just a weak part.

Any thoughts?
Thanks

[suicideneil]

Its all in the manual, but for the sake of plain english:

The hvmaxx esc (or any modern esc for that matter) will not send the motor from forwards to reverse without slowing it to a stop first, period (push full reverse on transitter). Once the truck has stopped moving (for about 2 seconds with the hvmaxx I believe), it will then allow you to use reverse- simply push the trigger to the reverse posistion again and hey-presto.

Its essentialy a safe-guard to prevent damage to the esc, motor and drivetrain of the truck- nothing like slamming it into reverse when you are doing 30+mph to kill your gears....

[rootar]

haha wasnt brushless but i had one of the first emaxxs when it first came out its VX12 esc traxxas made had no brakes but instant reverse......made for incredile front flips off jumps and even driving on flat ground topped out in 1st just grab reverse real hard and itd do a perfect front flip and as it started to go over you could slam back on the gas and keep going fast when it landed...................then traxxas recalled them and had novak make a new contoller to fix their "screw up" and it ruined all the fun of bashing a stock maxx and made for no more front flips.

but anyways the noavk HV controllers have a full trigger of reverse only after the tires have locked up or truck has stopped can you get reverse, now if your going fast enough it is possible to lock up the wheels and let of the trigger alittle and grad it agian and that WILL throw it in reverse even though you still might be moving/sliding forward.