A reader of my free email newsletter recently had a question about how to become better at setting up his submissions.
The thing is, once you get past white belt, submissions don’t just happen anymore. Chokes and joint locks need to be set up, which means taking your opponent out of alignment somehow and breaking his base, posture or structure. Once his alignment is broken, it’s 100 times easier to submit him.
One way to break your opponent’s alignment is with kuzushi or off-balancing; a sweeping type motion that doesn’t usually result in a positional reversal but still gets the other guy moving in certain predictable patterns that you can then take advantage of.
So don’t just go for a submission; instead, hit your opponent with a sweep or off-balancing motion and then go for the submission.
Another way to break your opponent’s alignment is by combining your submission attacks. Use a submission, or the threat of a submission, to create the opening to lock on the actual match-ending submission.
Here’s a video I shot breaking down the use of submissions and submission threats to set up your final submission…
Three Levels of Submissions
When it comes to setting up submissions, I like to quote what my friend Ritchie Yip says about kickboxing, “Beginners throw singular attacks, intermediates throw combinations, and advanced practitioners use fakes and feints to set up their shots.”
Let’s take a look at these distinctions in a grappling context…
1, Singular Submission Attacks
Beginners go for submissions one at a time. They go for an armbar. Or they go for a triangle choke. Or they go for a kneebar. Each attack is done in isolation and not connected to any other movement.
This is a totally normal stage of development in your grappling career, but it’s not the most efficient or effective way to go about submitting your opponent.
But as Seth Godin said, “The practice requires commitment to a series of steps, not a miracle.”
2, Combination Submission Attacks
Even if a submission attack doesn’t result in your opponent tapping out it can still disrupt his base, posture, or structure enough for you to finish the match with your next submission.
For example, you might really go for a triangle choke, and if that fails you might really try to finish the match with a wristlock, and if that fails you might really pursue a V-armlock (click here for an example of what chained attacks off of the triangle choke might look like).
The V-Armlock Followup to the Triangle Choke
Followups and combination attacks are very powerful and an essential part of jiu-jitsu for every practitioner. But there’s still one level higher…
3, Fakes into Real Attacks
People are twitchy – if they see an attack coming they’ll react to try and prevent it. And if you know what those reactions are likely to be then you can use the threat of one submission (or even a guard pass) to set up your real submission.
Let’s give you a couple of good examples of this from my Instagram (@stephan_kesting)…
Knee Cut Guard Pass Threat to 411 Heel Hook
The knee cut is one of the most powerful guard passes used in gi, no gi, and MMA competition. It demands respect, which means the merest hint of it can elicit an outsized reaction, which you can use to your advantage to set up a completely different attack.
Here’s how to use the knee cut to set up the heel hook…
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Kimura Threat to North-South Choke
Obviously if you secure the Kimura grip your opponent in now danger of getting submitted by the Kimura armlock, but that same grip is a gigantic handle you can use to move his body around, take his back, etc.
In this next attack you hint that you’re going for the Kimura from side control. His defense usually involves balling up defensively, and if that includes lifting his head off the ground you’ll take advantage of that to sink in the powerful north-south choke. Check it out…
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Additional Resources
3 Tips to Tighten Any Joint Lock Technique
It’ s not easy to tap out a high level grappler with a joint lock.
First of all their submission prevention is tight. They do everything they can to stop you from getting the submission in the first place.
Next, their defense and escape techniques are also top notch. If you give them even an inch of slack they’ll use that space to wiggle out of the submission.
Finally elite grapplers are just plain tough. Which means that the submission will need to be on tight before they’ll even consider tapping. And in competition it’s even worse – many world class grapplers will eat a fair bit of pain, even letting the joint get damaged, before they give up.
Click here to check out 3 Tips to Tighten Any Joint Lock Technique
The Critical Importance of Kuzushi in the Guard.
Every sweep, submission, or backclimb attempt should be preceded by offbalancing your opponent. Once he’s off balance with his alignment broken he’ll be much easier to deal with…
He won’t be trying to pass your guard. He’ll be so off balance that all he’ll be thinking is recovering his position.
And his frantic reactions to get back into position give YOU a ton of opportunities to launch your real attack.
There’s no such thing as magic in BJJ, but properly applied Kuzushi comes pretty close.
Click here to check out The Critical Importance of Kuzushi in the Guard.
The Best Omoplata Escape, and How to Shut it Down
The omoplata is one of my very favourite techniques – it’s a submission, a sweep, and a setup for other sweeps and submissions.
But much as I love the omoplata I absolutely HATE getting caught in it myself.
Here’s one of the very best counters to the omoplata. Then we’ll go further and examine 4 very specific ways to prevent, dismantle, counter and recover if someone tries it on you!
Click here to check out The Best Omoplata Escape, and How to Shut it Down
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The post How to Set Up Submissions So Your Opponent Gives You His Neck, Arm, or Leg on a Platter appeared first on Grapplearts.