In theory, all of the techniques in jiu-jitsu should work for everyone. That is the theory before the roll starts and you actually try to do it! Then the plan falls apart.
When I ask most advanced belts if there are any popular BJJ techniques that just don’t seem to work for them, they will sheepishly admit that there are a few basic techniques that they never seem to get.
Some of their responses are:
I don’t think I’ve actually tapped someone with an armlock from the guard!
I don’t remember the last time that I got a rear naked choke on someone who was not a complete newbie.
I know purple belts with hobbit-like legs who last got a triangle choke several presidential terms ago.
Why is this?
Perhaps the most obvious reason would be that your anatomy doesn’t make certain positions favorable. When I see a BJJ guy with short, thick legs I say, “I fear that you are not destined for triangle greatness!”
For several years I used to feel frustrated that my triangles most often ended up in my guard getting passed until I met a professional fighter who said simply, “Triangles are very difficult if you have short legs. I can not do them on bigger guys.”
Hearing that really helped me feel better about my weak triangle.
Another move I rarely get is the arm triangle or head and arm choke. I understand the mechanics. I’ve drilled it many times. I’ve watched YouTube videos to see how World Champions do it.
But darn it…I just can’t seem to get the proper squeeze. I adjust and change the angle, but my training partner says, “It was more of a crank than a choke.” Uughhhh!
I just don’t feel the arm triangle.
Some moves will just be outside of your game and won’t spend much time developing them. If you love open guard and spend your training time on spider guard and De la Riva, then you may rarely find yourself using butterfly guard. You simply don’t use it as one of your tools and therefore never develop proficiency with it.
What popular techniques in jiu-jitsu can you just not seem to get?
