The Key to Control and Attack

Alignment isn’t just crucial from the top—its importance is equally profound when playing from the bottom. Master Carlson Gracie often demonstrates this principle by showing how effective misalignment of your opponent can lead to control, sweeps, and submissions.

From beneath, Master Carlson works to misalign his opponent by pulling their weight forward, forcing them into rotation, and shifting their base. This subtle disruption of their posture—without compromising his own—opens up a wealth of offensive opportunities. As the opponent struggles to regain stability, their reactions reveal openings for attack.

For instance, if the opponent’s base narrows and their arms draw inward to protect themselves, they become vulnerable to sweeps. With their posture compromised, it’s easier to manipulate their balance and reverse the position. On the other hand, if their base widens and their arms extend in an attempt to regain stability, they expose themselves to submissions. The extended limbs provide ideal opportunities for armlocks or other submissions.

The mastery of alignment from the bottom allows you to create options. By consistently working to break your opponent’s posture while keeping your own structure intact, you gain the ability to either sweep or submit, depending on how they react. It’s a demonstration of how fundamental alignment is in both defense and attack—on either side of the position.