Over the weekend I did a sub only tournament called Submission Addiction. During that tournament I did a No Gi match that got me thinking. A lot of Jiu Jitsu is focused on passivity and patience with brief moments of explosiveness. A lot of Jiu Jitsu is really, REALLY boring. This No Gi match was against an opponent who wanted no part of that boring, plodding style. In the end, I wound up winning the match in a flurried transition, which makes me ponder: what is the value and what are the drawbacks of dynamism in BJJ competition?
Very often, I see submission only matches as being long, drawn out wars of attrition. People set up their grips, take a position and then wait for the other person to make some sort of mistake. Because of the lack of a short time limit, people are not that eager to sacrifice position in an attempt to get the tap. In points matches, we see people score and stall. I’m guilty of it and many others are as well. It’s part of the game and at the same time it is very likely ruining the game. I’ve been on both the giving and receiving end of being the person trying to push the pace while the other guy stalls to victory, and to me that’s just the worst.
These sorts of matches are also not entertaining to spectators, and are a big reason that the sport doesn’t have more fans who aren’t also practitioners. For this reason, practitioners who push the pace and hunt for the sub are a rare value not to be taken lightly. I had one such match at the submission only tournament which ended fairly quickly as a result of a submission I managed to catch, but the reality is we both won in a way. My opponent came to the match with the intention of never letting me rest, never letting me settle and never letting me stall and because of that the match was fantastic.
I only hope that more people begin to learn how to flurry. Flurries are fun to watch and fun to do, but they can be risky if you’re not ready for the submissions that can be caught. The best way to train for flurries is to artificially create them while drilling. If we do this, we can be ready for the flurry and to deal with it appropriately.
Dynamism during matches is good for the sport because it makes for more entertaining matches. It also forces competitors to think outside of the box. On the other hand, it exposes competitors to greater risks and almost inevitably takes people outside of their comfort zones (which is why I encourage everyone to train outside of their comfort zone.)
Are you dynamic? Do you do your best to explore every aspect of the game whilst rolling? Do you go outside of YOUR comfort zone?
Emil Fischer is an active blue belt competitor under Pablo Angel Castro III training with Strong Style Brasa and is sponsored by Pony Club Grappling Gear. For more information, other articles, and competition videos check out his athlete pages at www.facebook.com/emilfischerbjj and www.twitter.com/Emil_Fischer
