Imposing my game in BJJ

[Fedorzilla]

My gameplan in the gym is generally as follows:
play guard and sweep
(if submission is there great, but I'm concentrating on getting top position)
pass guard to side/mount
attack with submissions

if I were in competition, my takedowns are pretty good and I would probably just go for that. But, I find that playing guard is a great way to round out your game, provided you can consistently get those sweeps. Top game is what EVERYONE should be looking for, but how you get there is your issue and it's what makes your game what it is. Very few of us (if any) can know without a doubt that they're going to take top position and dominate with attacks. Even Roger Gracie ends up playing guard at times, but that's definitely not where he wants to be. So if you can't get back to top if you lose it, you've got a huge hole that needs to be fixed. The only reason I work so hard on guard is so that, even after a mistake or being taken down, I can regain top position and attack.

I rarely look for a specific sweep when rolling with people at/above my level, but I will experiment extensively against people below me and (once honed) will work it into my A game. Otherwise... basics, basics, basics.

 

[JRT6]

I'm pretty passive in sparring and my instructor dosen't like it but the fear of getting hurt holds me back and there are of course recovery issues with us OG's but I think that once my game gets good enough to be passive and do well all will be good.

 

[CrazyJHL]

The fear of hurting other people makes me a reactionary player. Sometimes I decide what I'll do in a certain situation, but I hold back a bit and lose position because I'm afraid of injuring someone x_x. Essentially my game plan is such:

Achieve top position, if successful aim for a choke.
If failure occurs, pull guard, let them pass, reverse and work from their guard x_X.
Pass guard, to mount, aim for side control (where I am most comfortable).
Keep weight on opponent (which I have trouble doing because I fear injuring them lol..) solidify position.
Aim for Submission (choke, arm bar, kimura)

I suck, I never can stick to the game plan because I hesitate x_x.

 

[LegLockUnicorn]

The fear of hurting other people makes me a reactionary player. Sometimes I decide what I'll do in a certain situation, but I hold back a bit and lose position because I'm afraid of injuring someone x_x. Essentially my game plan is such:

Achieve top position, if successful aim for a choke.
If failure occurs, pull guard, let them pass, reverse and work from their guard x_X.
Pass guard, to mount, aim for side control (where I am most comfortable).
Keep weight on opponent (which I have trouble doing because I fear injuring them lol..) solidify position.
Aim for Submission (choke, arm bar, kimura)

I suck, I never can stick to the game plan because I hesitate x_x.

Crazy, how big are you?. You sound like me! I'm 6' and 225 so I don't want to necessarily crush the life out of my partners--how would I know if they've got good jujitsu if they're 2-Dimensional now.

So as a result I play guard, I come to top and then roll back to guard and continue...

Sounds familiar?

 

[879lexus]

It's been a month. I feel like I'm always defending.

 

[hackenbush]

Crazy, how big are you?. You sound like me! I'm 6' and 225 so I don't want to necessarily crush the life out of my partners--how would I know if they've got good jujitsu if they're 2-Dimensional now.

So as a result I play guard, I come to top and then roll back to guard and continue...

Sounds familiar?

I am the pretty much the same situation. A lot of partners are smaller so I don't get much practice in my top/smothering game. I find it easier to play guard and practice sweeps.

 

[Dane Bramage]

bump

important thread as far as mentality and grappling goes

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

Do you think "I'm going to play guard and just throw up submissions until he makes a mistake and take what he gives me" or do you think "I'm going to work my de la riva sweeps over and over again"?

If I'm playing guard I'm looking to do something. I'm not going to mentally limit myself to a single technique, but I'm going to create the setups that force him to do something, rather than wait for his first move and reacting.

 

[td82394]

Wrong forum, dude.

But I personally think that it's better to do it that way because if a certain gameplan doesn't work, you're stuck. That being said, if you're gonna' do that, you have to learn how to make oppurtunites happen as opposed to just stalling and hoping they give you something.

 

[Auspex]

Debana

 

[Auspex]

And what I mean is....

Don't wait to be a victim. Advance and attack where the opportunity presents itself. I never try to mentally lock into a technique and try to hit it at any cost.