Survival 101
The Principle of Grip Denial
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, one of the most fundamental aspects of survival during a roll is the ability to escape or defend against any potential attack. As you begin your training, you’ll quickly realize that virtually every submission, sweep, or dominant position starts with your opponent gaining some form of grip or control over your body. Whether it’s a collar grip, a wrist control, or a body lock, these grips serve as the foundation for nearly all attacks. Understanding how to deal with grips—and how to neutralize them—is a crucial first step toward improving your ability to survive in bad positions.
The Importance of Grip Control
Grip control is often the key to both offensive and defensive success in grappling. The first step in almost every submission or sweep is gaining a solid grip on some part of your opponent, whether it’s a lapel, arm, or leg. If you can prevent your opponent from establishing a solid grip, you effectively shut down their ability to execute most techniques. By doing so, you neutralize the immediate threat and create an opportunity to escape or counterattack.
So, when you’re training, consider this core principle: the grip is the foundation of the attack. If you can break or deny it, you are one step closer to survival. The next time you find yourself in a compromising position, focus on neutralizing your opponent’s grips before worrying about the details of an escape.
Denying the Grip: A Universal Defensive Principle
When you’re in a bad position—whether it’s trapped in side control, on the bottom in a mount, or in a submission attempt—the first thing you should do is defend against your opponent’s grips. This doesn’t always mean fighting to escape immediately. Instead, it often means denying them control over your body by removing or breaking the grip they have established. Once you’ve neutralized the grip, you will have significantly reduced the threat of submission, which buys you precious time to reassess your position and plan your next move.
For instance, if you’re in side control and your opponent has a strong grip on your far arm or lapel, you need to focus on breaking that grip. This is much more effective than immediately trying to escape, as breaking the grip removes the foundation of their control. Without that control, they can no longer easily apply pressure or move into a submission, giving you the opportunity to work toward a more dominant position.
The Process of Neutralizing Grips
The process of neutralizing grips isn’t just about “breaking” them—sometimes it’s about denying your opponent the chance to establish one in the first place. This can be as simple as keeping your arms close to your body, maintaining strong frames, and staying aware of where your opponent is trying to grab. If they do manage to grab something, your next step is to disrupt their ability to maintain control. This can be done by moving your body, shifting your weight, or using your legs to create space and prevent them from solidifying their grip.
This concept is clearly visible in the photo of @arnonabuurs. He’s focusing on denying his opponent the ability to grab and control his body, especially targeting any grips that would lead to an attack. At the same time, Arnon is working to disrupt his opponent’s base, using small movements to create gaps. By destabilizing the opponent’s posture and balance, he makes it harder for them to maintain their grip, which opens the door for escapes or even counterattacks.
Escaping Inch by Inch
Once you have denied or broken your opponent’s grips, you can start to think about escaping the position. However, it’s important to approach the escape process incrementally. Often, survival doesn’t require a dramatic, explosive movement—it requires subtle, strategic adjustments that slowly turn the tables on your opponent. By denying grips, creating movement, and maintaining pressure, you can escape a position inch by inch, gradually working your way out from a bad situation until you’ve reversed the position entirely.
A successful escape is often a series of small victories. Once you can neutralize the grips and create slight openings, you can begin to make incremental movements to reclaim space, adjust your position, and eventually escape. This process of gradual improvement is one of the cornerstones of successful defensive jiu-jitsu, and it’s the reason why control of grips is so crucial.
Training Survival
The best way to develop the ability to survive in bad positions is to practice deliberately putting yourself in those positions. In every training session, take the opportunity to put yourself in a compromising spot and then practice this principle of grip denial. Don’t rush for the escape; instead, focus on denying your opponent’s control first, and then work toward escaping or transitioning to a better position. This method will help you build both mental resilience and technical skills, as you’ll gradually improve your ability to defend and counterattack from the most uncomfortable positions.
By doing this, you’ll learn to stay calm under pressure, and you’ll have a better understanding of how to navigate difficult situations without panicking. Over time, you’ll start to see patterns in how grips and control work, and you’ll develop the instinct to defend against them before they become major threats.
Key Takeaways
1. Focus on Grip Denial: The foundation of almost every attack is the grip your opponent has on you. Deny or break their grip, and you remove most of the threat.
2. Neutralize, Don’t Just Escape: Before trying to escape, work to neutralize your opponent’s grips. Without their control, they have fewer options for attacking or maintaining dominant positions.
3. Gradual Escape: Once you’ve broken their grip, work on inch-by-inch escapes. Small movements can often lead to big improvements over time.
4. Training for Survival: Deliberately put yourself in bad positions during training to practice grip denial and gradual escapes. This will help you develop better defensive skills and improve your survival instincts on the mat.
By incorporating grip denial into your training, you’ll develop a more resilient game, allowing you to survive tough positions, regain control, and eventually turn the tables on your opponent.