The Art of Finding Gaps

As a white belt, your primary focus should be on survival rather than submissions or clean escapes. Early on, your goal is to develop the ability to find and use small pockets of space in any position. These gaps, however minor, can give you the room to endure a little longer, whether you’re stuck in mount, side control, or under pressure from an opponent’s submission attempts.

This isn’t just about staying physically safe—it’s about building the awareness and patience needed to navigate difficult situations. By focusing on survival now, you’re training yourself to stay calm under pressure and recognize opportunities for movement, even when it seems like there’s no space. Over time, these small moments of relief will turn into chances to escape or even reverse the situation.

The reason for this focus on survival is simple: the same gaps you use to stay safe today will become the openings you exploit later. As you progress, you’ll learn to not only survive in these positions but also to create and expand space for escapes and counters. For now, if you’re finding that your attempts to escape are consistently leading you into submissions, shift your mindset. Instead of scrambling, focus on staying calm, finding small areas of safety, and holding out longer in tough spots.

Learning to be comfortable in uncomfortable positions is key to your growth. By finding these gaps, you build a foundation of endurance and composure that will help you progress in the long run. With time, you’ll turn survival into strategy, using those same small spaces to escape and even attack. Until then, trust in the process—survive first, and the rest will follow.