You do what is appropriate. There are now plenty of videos out there with Ryan passing the guard/taking the back/doing double leg sweeps and finishing with collar chokes, RNCs, Darces, armbars, etc. So because he fights a guy with a strength and size advantage, uses back-takes and goes for leglocks, he's somehow not good?
I don't understand. Everyone used to give him shit for doing so many triangles, when many people would kill to have their triangle game that tight. Everyone said he was a buttscooter and only played inverted guard. Then he did the 50/50 and wrecked people's knees. Then all he does is leglock people. Then he started landing takedowns, passes, collar chokes, Darces, RNCs, top subs, etc, and God forbid he works from the bottom... I guess he's still a buttscoot player...
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People are gonna play what they're gonna play. If you start to focus on a new part of your game, but the old part still works well, what is wrong with doing something that has worked for you in the past? You seriously can't say this wasn't an exciting match, right? So what exactly is the problem? It's not like it made for a boring bout...
It never ceases to amaze me how critical people are of fighters/grapplers that are at the top level of their area. This goes for any other top level black belt besides Ryan, but I would bet the bank that if Ryan told the average, solid player "I am going to tap you with a cross collar or bow-and-arrow choke" he would do it. And you couldn't stop it either. All super-competitive black belts are a special breed.