Lots of Techniques and No Grips creates big problems in your BJJ Game.
Think about it.
When your coach shows a technique to you in class. What is the very 1st thing they show...
It's probably the placement of your hands and body in relation to your opponent's right?
Yet this absolutely crucial and necessary aspect of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is often brushed over as an afterthought.
I know many gyms that don't regularly do grip fighting classes or training.
And this leads to a big problem. Having an arsenal of techniques without the grips to execute them...
You Can't Use Techniques without the Grips to Execute
This is one of the big reasons why some people who can show you a million techniques but aren't able to use them effectively during rolling or competition.
It's also the reason why you may have experienced the issue of not being able to execute a technique.
You know how to do the technique but can't seem to pull the trigger. . .
So what exactly is the problem?
Think of your techniques as a bullet.
In order for the bullet to properly shoot from the gun and into the target, you need what?
Right, some sort of propellent (like gunpowder for old guns) to make the bullet go.
So consider they grip fighting the equivalent of the gunpowder for your techniques. . .
With properly drilled movements. Dominating grips give your techniques the ability to go.
I Couldn't Use My Wrestling Because My Grip Fighting Sucked.
There was a period of time where I was experiencing the same issues!
As a White - Blue Belt I typically had no issues dominating the takedowns with my wrestling. . .
Then as I moved into Purple Belt and the higher levels of BJJ.
The grip fighting became tougher and I often struggled to get my takedowns to work.
In no gi I was solid.
But in gi I had a lot of trouble.
An Unexpected Friend Changed My Game
BJJ has a funny way of bringing people into your life that sometimes change your game in ways you never anticipated.
In 2011. I had the pleasure of meeting a person who would become a friend and great training partner.
Mash, was a Purple Belt in BJJ and a Black Belt in Judo. He competed in both Judo in college and BJJ in Japan.
He was visiting Louisville for about a year and while he was here he became a fixture in the gym.
We trained together, competed together and partied together. He was hilarious in the last respect.
I Was Exposed To Grip Fighting
One of the things that stuck out about his stand up style compared to mine which had more of a wrestling / BJJ element to it.
Was the hand fighting for grips. . .
This led to me having him teach Judo classes with an emphasis on the grip fighting techniques he used.
These classes had a profound effect on me and sent me on a road of being kind of obsessed with grip fighting at times.
I've gone as far as purchasing out-of-print $200 Judo books on grip fighting just to learn more about the subject!
I know it’s a weird thing to obsess over. . .
Especially with all the cool stuff in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu like upside down inverted submissions.
I mean it’s not sexy and doesn’t make you go OOOOOooo. . . . ahhhhhh.
But dominating grips and being able to control the grip fighting is huge!
Control The Grips And You Control EVERYTHING!
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