The Grappling Trifecta Part 4

The last factor involved in being functional as a grappler; Timing.
This is probably the least understood aspect especially for beginners.
There are even some who have been training for years who don't have a solid grasp of timing.

The best way to develop your timing?
Isolation drills.
Basically you need to isolate individual positions and the techniques from them.
How do you do this?
Do drills against a resisting partner where you work directly off a position.
Let's use the mount as an example. Here you have your opponent mount you, you attempt your escapes, (say, Bridge and roll or elbow escape) and your partner resists until you get it. Pay strict attention to the timing needed for the details of the move.
You then switch positions.
To make it more advanced once you get the hang of it, you do the same drill but have your partner try to submit as well as resist you while you're trying to escape.
You can do this with all the positions and your timing will improve.
The two most critical details involved are proper speed of movement and choosing the proper moment to execute the movement.

There you have it, work all three factors and your skills are guaranteed to improve.

I'll be back next week with something I've been working on for a while.
All I can say is that you'll be glad to be a subscriber!

The Grappling Trifecta Part 3

Although it might seem obvious, conditioning is the second most critical aspect in order to be an effective grappler.
The thing with conditioning is that you either have it or you don't.
You can't push yourself far beyond your current level of conditioning when you're gassing out.
So if you don't have it then you'd better work at getting your conditioning level up.
That's the good news, you can always work at improving your conditioning.

It doesn't matter how good your skills are if you don't have the conditioning to consistently be able to pull them off.
The last thing you want is to be incredibly skilled yet not properly conditioned, and to gas out when you're dominating your opponent.
So work at perfecting your techniques, work on your conditioning regularly, either through grappling specific drills and calisthenics, and later this week I'll be discussing the final factor necessary to be effective and reach your highest potential in Jiujitsu.

The Grappling Trifecta Part 2

The first and most obvious factor of the Grappling Trifecta is Technique.
This also encompasses strategy as well.
Technical proficiency is probably the most important factor but without the other two, a technical fighter still is not a complete and capable fighter.
Technical skill is mainly acquired through the proper learning and execution of a technique and repetition of the motion and details in order to ingrain them and be able to perform the technique as second nature.
Simply put your techniques need to be properly performed, well exceuted and repeated to the point where you can perform them without thinking about the details involved.
Next week we'll be looking at the second factor involved in the Grappling Trifecta.

The Grappling "Trifecta"

Over the next few weeks I'll be discussing 3 aspects that are necessary to be fully functional and capable in Jiujitsu and as a grappler.
These 3 aspects are critical for you to be able to pull off your techniques while sparring as well as outthink your opponents.
If you remove any 1 of these 3 from the equation and no matter what techniques you know, you won't be able to use them in sparring, which in the end should be your goal. To be able to use your techniques while sparring.
If your not aware of the grappling "trifecta" you'll want to keep reading as this will help you make a giant leap forward in your training.
Later this week, I'll be covering the first one.

Triangle/Armlock Connection Continued.

This week I'm including this excellent video by Roy Dean.
He goes over more details concerning the Triangle/Armlock connection and how to use them in your training and sparring.
Check it out!

Examining The Armlock to Triangle Connection.

Let's look at the connection between the Armlock and the Triangle.
Because of the close positioning of these two submissions, practicing linking them together is a practical strategy.
We can see through this video, one good set up is to make your opponent feel the release of pressure which brings him up, and sets him up for the triangle.
Obviously, if as you are applying the Armlock from the Mount, your opponent starts to rise up, you can switch to the Triangle as well.
This can also be applied from the guard.
When you go to apply an Armlock on your opponent inside your guard and he counters by firmly grabbing his own arm and coming forward to stack you.
You let go of the arm that you were trying to lock while grabbing his opposite arm just underneath the tricep area with a no thumb grip.
Depending on your opponent, who may pull his arm that you were attempting to lock out, which would inadvertently help you. If not you can still Triangle him with it in place.
Pull his arm across your body bringing him close, while wrapping your leg that's on his neck around his head.
Close the Triangle with your other leg to set him up off of his counter.
Another option is using the same arm you were going to lock.
From the guard again you are executing an Armlock.
As your opponent counters and stacks you, slip your foot in as in the video, bring it across the back of his head, close the Triangle with your other leg and again you've transitioned from Armlock to Triangle.

Omoplata Counter to Armlock Escape Part 2

Continuing from where we left off in the previous post. let's take a look at another Omoplata counter to an Armlock escape.
This time picture that the opponent being Armlocked (blue) has a split second of time and pushes Rodrigo's (white) lower leg, (the leg that's closer to Blue's abdomen) off and does a backward roll or scissors his legs and comes around the outside sideways to escape.
This is where white would keep the arm firmly held and bring his leg over the arm he's holding, in an Omoplata position while reaching over the lower back of blue to keep him from rolling.
As previously stated, to build a functional arsenal in Jiujitsu, it's always best to work combinations and counters off of related moves.

In the future we'll be looking at the Armbar to Triangle connection.

When training these submissions, see if you can find their correlation.

Omoplata Counter To Armlock Escape.

It's always a good idea to practice linking two techniques together. This way you will be able to perform combinations very fluidly and on the spur of the moment.
The Omoplata is the perfect counter to an Armlock Escape. So practicing linking an Armlock and, if the opponent escapes, flowing to an Omoplata works very effectively.




As we can see in this detailed video of the application stage of the armlock performed by Rodrigo Gracie. Imagine blue countering by pushing on white's leg that is closer to blue's head. Pushing the leg over his head.
Now blue rises up to escape and white continues the momentum spinning while passing his leg over blue's arm (that white should still be holding) while reaching over the lower back of blue to secure the Omoplata.

Next time we'll be looking at a different Armlock Escape and the Omoplata Counter.

Basic Armlock Escape.

Let's take a look at this basic armlock escape shown here from Dave Camarillo.





Ok, now to be able to really perform well in Jiujitsu, you have to be able to think several moves ahead. Let's look at how we can immediately counter this basic armlock escape.
The Omoplata is the perfect counter to an armlock escape and there are several armlock escapes that it applies very well to.
If you watch carefully there is a spot where Mr. Camarillo (in white) has successfully begun to counter the armlock once his arms are properly placed and he has stacked his opponent.
It is at this precise spot that his opponent can choose to abandon his armlock and move into omoplata the timing has to be precise though.
As soon as he lets go of whites arm with his hands, he needs to grab the other arm and use his leg to force white to roll slightly forward to free up some space to get his hips out.
Once they have moved forward and blue's hips are out, he can reach over and grab white's belt or waist to prevent him from rolling forward.
He then secures the submission by leaning forward himself into his opponent, finalizing the submission.
Later on this week I'll be discussing more on the Omoplata countering an Armlock escape.

Countering Your Instincts in Jiujitsu.

This might sound strange but being able to go against your instincts is a necessary part of becoming a capable grappler.
Jiujitsu itself was developed as an art that naturally applies itself against your opponents natural reactions.
The positions and the counters and submissions that come out of these positions were all designed to follow your opponents instinctive reactions and use them against him.
Mount anyone who has no experience and his initial response will be to push you off extending his arms and leaving them open to an armlock or to turn and give you his back exposing himself to a choke.
Get someone in a triangle choke and instinctively they will look down and bend forward moving further into the choke to avoid the pressure. To counter this technique they would need to do the opposite and go against their instincts by looking up and raising themselves away from the choke, but unless someone has practiced this they will never instinctively understand it.
This counter intuitive tactic can be used in your offense and defensive tactics.
Only through consistent practice can you develop the skills to counter your instincts and become more aware in your training.