Sometimes when you're grappling you might want to play 'crush the bug', totally immobilizing your opponent with your bodyweight and making it difficult for him to even breath. Obviously this is easier to do if you weigh 300 pounds, but most grapplers don't position themselves properly to maximize the bodyweight they do have … [Read more...]
The Larger, Stronger Opponent
If you try contesting a larger, stronger opponent using your strength against his strength you will probably lose.You need to fight the battle on your own terms, and two effective (and somewhat related) strategies to do this include: 1, Move quicker 2, Tire him out. … [Read more...]
Three Pin Escape Movements
Escaping pins is never easy: if you get pinned in a match, then chances are that your opponent is either pretty good (relative to you) or that you are tired. Either way, escaping pins is almost always difficult and tiring, but a few simple principles can make it a little easier. … [Read more...]
One more thing about Choking
Before we leave this topic I want to point out that not all chokes occur at the neck.Of course squeezing the windpipe is the most common form of choking, but you can also impair breathing by applying pressure to the torso. … [Read more...]
The Fundamental Rear Mount
In the last tip we talked about how you should (mostly) avoid crossing your ankles while rear mounted on your opponent. This week I just want to go over some fundamental tips that may help you maintain rear mount on an opponent trying to escape. … [Read more...]
Rear Mount – Crossing your Feet
The rear mount is arguably the most dominant position in grappling. When you have rear mount you can apply some very powerful chokes and locks. In MMA or self defense you can administer severe punishment without your opponent having the ability to strike you back. … [Read more...]
Static Bridging – a Common Mistake in Sparring
There are two fundamental ways to escape from most pinning positions: escapes based on ‘shrimping’ style hip movement, and escapes based on bridging. One common mistake I see among beginners is that they hold the bridge position for far too long. … [Read more...]
Double Ankle Control Position for Footlocks
Today’s topic is a slightly unusual control position for footlocks. Control positions are methods of positioning your legs while you are attempting a leglock. The purpose of a control position is to control your opponent’s legs and body while you set up and execute your leglock. … [Read more...]
Competitive 2 Person Drilling
We've talked about solo drills and partner drills. There is a final category of drills I'd like to talk about: competitive 2 person drills. When you do this type of drilling you are training a specific aspect of your game against a resisting opponent. … [Read more...]
Two-Person Drills
Two-person drills are important training methods to develop skills on the mat. They can be used to warm up at the beginning of your training session, as part of your conditioning program, or as a finishing exercise. … [Read more...]
One Simple Tip for Surviving the Smother
There's nothing worse than tapping out to a smother. It is one thing to get caught in a nice technical choke and having to tap out, but it really sucks to get slowly smothered as someone covers your nose and mouth with some part of their body. … [Read more...]
Targeted Sparring Concluded: Bad Positions
In this last installment on fine-tuning your sparring time I would like to talk about starting your sparring sessions from bad positions. Starting out in a bad position is a good way to rapidly improve your pin escapes and submission counters. It is also a great way to challenge yourself, particularly when sparring lighter or less experienced people. … [Read more...]
Targeted Sparring: Position
A 'position game' is usually characterized by tight transitions between positions, an emphasis on maintaining a position while attacking, and lots of pressure while in a top position. How does one become better at this game? … [Read more...]
Mobility and Position
There are two basic games in grappling: the 'mobility game' and the 'position game'. The mobility game is based on speed and movement - transitions between positions, attacks and reversals are accomplished with speed. … [Read more...]
A Roadmap for Grappling
When an uninitiated person sees grappling in action for the first time it seems very chaotic and confusing. There are limbs and bodies all over the place and then, all of a sudden and for ‘no reason’ someone taps out. This can be a very intimidating activity for beginners to launch themselves into. … [Read more...]