Match Analysis

Let's take a look at this match from the Naga competition.
After working for grip we see Rodrigo execute a beautiful set up as he drops like he's going to pull guard and using that to outpace his opponent to side control after that his opponent manages to get half guard though Rodrigo escapes and regains side control.
After using an excellent combination to escape at 1:22, his opponent reverses the position and almost ends up with side control yet Rodrigo does a great job of thinking ahead and escaping and eventually regaining side control this time calmly working and gaining the mount position and maintaining it despite his opponents escape attempt.
From there we see Rodrigo set up a choke at 2:52 by forcing his opponent to turn and then taking the back.
He then attempts to set up an armlock and though he loses that, attempts an omoplata from the guard right near the end of the match.

Now, before watching this match several times ask yourself, what can you learn from this match?





You'll notice there are two main reasons why Rodrigo dominates this match.

First off, he always attempts to set his opponent up using a combination of moves.
From the beginning attempt at dropping into guard to attempting to control his opponents side/back to gaining side control.
Then when he gets reversed he doesn't panic but immediately goes for an escape to his opponent getting side control on him by thinking ahead and escaping to his half guard where he reverses his opponent.
This is the second reason, he stays focused, doesn't panic and thinks ahead of his opponent.
For beginners, this is a great demonstration of the two technique principle, although Rodrigo is obviously more advanced and uses three or more technique combinations at times.
You can easily see the effectiveness of combining techniques and using them to set up other techniques.

Furthermore, developing the ability to think ahead of your opponent by developing immediate responses and escapes to positions that you can perform in the moment as they are occurring is a critical skill to develop.

Now, go back and study this match several times looking for the details discussed.

Again focus on the question, what can you learn from this match and apply to your game?