Fluidity

It is a convention in grappling to talk about various positions between the two players.  One player might have another in the guard.  Someone might get into head and arm position.  The purpose of naming the positions is so we can break down techniques and strategies and talk about them in an organized way.  It’s a wonderful thing.

Trouble is that it is easy to get fixated on these defined positions and not pay attention to the transitions between them.  Take, for example, when a player passes your guard and goes to move into cross body position.  If all you can see is guard and cross body, it is easy to give up in that moment of change and let them take the dominant position.  DON’T do it!  Fight in that nebulous zone between guard and cross body.  Frame.  Shrimp.  Sweep.  Do something.  Don’t simply wait until you are in a worse (but named) position.