In BJJ, I have a few guards that I use most often, trying to have a guard to answer each different situation without learning too many different things. In wrestling, how many ties are you good at? Do good wrestlers feel equally comfortable in each tie, or do you have some that you specialize in? Like, would you have someone who specializes in attacking from a right side underhook and their whole handfighting game is based on getting that specific position and then maybe they have a series of attacks from there? Or are you comfortable in a lot of ties?
How many ties to learn?
- Thread starter ben35
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You have to find what works for you. I think wrestlers have most ties in their arsenal, but usually use the same couple that they are able to find success with.
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Not to derail the thread, but most good BJJ players don't use that many different guards. And to the extent that they do, it's usually just to get to their preferred guard (e.g. Leandro Lo used to play a lot of spider, but just to get to X guard). If you're using a ton of different guards you're probably not going to be great at any of them. I'd pick a few that you really like and try to figure out how to get there from everywhere. For example, I can get to 1X guard from virtually any open guard because that's where I like to play from. Some guards I basically don't use (e.g. spider), but if I need to to stop the pass I'll just try to get to X.
I think it's pretty similar in wrestling (certainly is in Judo) where by the time you get good you can do a few things from almost everywhere, but most of your game will be about getting to your positions where you have strong attacks, and if you need to use ties you're not very good at you use them mostly to get to ties you are good at. Better wrestlers than me can correct me if I'm wrong, but what's I've described (forcing the match into the places you're best) seems to be a common quality among elite grapplers under any rule set.
I think it's pretty similar in wrestling (certainly is in Judo) where by the time you get good you can do a few things from almost everywhere, but most of your game will be about getting to your positions where you have strong attacks, and if you need to use ties you're not very good at you use them mostly to get to ties you are good at. Better wrestlers than me can correct me if I'm wrong, but what's I've described (forcing the match into the places you're best) seems to be a common quality among elite grapplers under any rule set.
Uchi, I agree, that's what I meant by having only a few guards. For example, I'll play half if I get forced there, but one of the main things I try to do from there is work back to closed or bfly since I am way more comfortable there. I probably dont have anywhere near as coherent a bjj game plan as yours, but I know what I like and try to get there, unless Im deliberately practixing a guard I dont like. Trying to figure out how much to do the same standing.
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You want to learn all of the ties even if you aren't going to use them.
I don't know how you'd defend a tie if you didn't know who to use it.
I don't know how you'd defend a tie if you didn't know who to use it.
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When it comes to things like this, no one has the perfect answer.
You can win 6 world and Olympic titles without using any ties.
Most guys who have success at the highest levels, they mainly really only employ a few ties that they are good at, and they have a high level of success from those ties.
The thing about grappling sports over many other sports is, the old cliche of "exploit their weakness" is far less true than what really happens, which is exploiting them with your own offense. Some guys can destroy the field for 10 years straight strictly from open hitting ducks, hi crotches and low singles, and some guys need to go to many different ties to exploit a single opponent in the world championships.
You can win 6 world and Olympic titles without using any ties.
Most guys who have success at the highest levels, they mainly really only employ a few ties that they are good at, and they have a high level of success from those ties.
The thing about grappling sports over many other sports is, the old cliche of "exploit their weakness" is far less true than what really happens, which is exploiting them with your own offense. Some guys can destroy the field for 10 years straight strictly from open hitting ducks, hi crotches and low singles, and some guys need to go to many different ties to exploit a single opponent in the world championships.
