Starting an engagement

Hello guys,

I often find myself being confused as to what I want to be doing when starting to spar with someone. I know the control positions i.e side control, mount, guard etc (haven't mastered them yet of course), but the biggest problem I have is trying to get to those positions. Closing the space to secure positions is so difficult for me.

I've really tried to work on this for a few weeks now but I feel like my progress is slower than it should be so I've come here to see if anyone can help.

I've been told that Marcelo Garcia is someone I should really try and watch when it comes to guard passing, however there are so many videos, I don't want to overload myself with information.

Can anyone tell me some fundamental stuff?

I like to work through stuff in my head as if it was a shopping list. E.g. side control = crossface, underhook, elbow knee connection, knee next to hip

Please help :(

Check out Zog's 10th Planet Rochester TWIR on youtube, especially the takedown episodes. This should give you a whole lot of ideas about how to engage from standing and options you have once you are engaged.

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Originally Posted by NameLikeNoOther

Check out Zog's 10th Planet Rochester TWIR on youtube, especially the takedown episodes. This should give you a whole lot of ideas about how to engage from standing and options you have once you are engaged.

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Thanks my man!

The 10P half guard game night not be a bad place to start. That is usually what I go for the first time I roll with someone. You start on your butt with your feet out and as they advance go for quarter guard to half guard to sweeps etc.

I'm not sure this ever goes away. I've been grappling for over a decade and I still just react. It has become my engagement. My opponent feels like things are going their way and then I work from a bad spot.

Work for electric chairs and if an overhook comes up, fire and flip to rubber guard

Feel free to ask your training partners to spend sparring time doing situationals. "Let's start from half guard, I want to work on my half guard sweeps". Most of your training partners will be receptive to this request.

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Originally Posted by Aiden

The 10P half guard game night not be a bad place to start. That is usually what I go for the first time I roll with someone. You start on your butt with your feet out and as they advance go for quarter guard to half guard to sweeps etc.

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I've fallen in love with half guard over the last month or so. I actually prefer it some other positions. Thanks ^_^

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Originally Posted by NelsonLucca

I'm not sure this ever goes away. I've been grappling for over a decade and I still just react. It has become my engagement. My opponent feels like things are going their way and then I work from a bad spot.

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This is the trouble. I'm new to the whole concept of grappling. My background in relation to martial arts is mostly striking and there doesn't seem as much importance on where you kick a guy in the head where as there are so many fine details when it comes to grappling. I tend to work from a bad spot but it's not my choice, I'd like to get my wrestling up a level where I can eventually start from a good spot. Thanks ^_^

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Originally Posted by Eddie Bravo

Work for electric chairs and if an overhook comes up, fire and flip to rubber guard

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We were living drilling with the rubber guard the other night and I found it was extremely difficult for me to keep control of my opponent. Since then I've watched some MTS's on crackhead control and will probably need to try this next time but I find my transitions from new york to meathook or chilldog are so weak at the moment. Couple that with the fact that I haven't developed the flexibility to double bag, I'm loosing dominant positions constantly when trying to play the rubber guard. Not going to give up but that's my current state of affairs.

I remember watching and MTS where you went from lockdown to rubber guard, I might watch it again after I've replied to this thread actually.

Thank you ^_^

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Originally Posted by Avi

Feel free to ask your training partners to spend sparring time doing situationals. "Let's start from half guard, I want to work on my half guard sweeps". Most of your training partners will be receptive to this request.

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Thanks for the reply Avi, but I mean the actual wrestling part, the hand fighting etc that takes place before you start getting into positions like half guard etc

When you roll do you normally start on your knees or standing? One of the issues when starting BJJ is what to do when starting from your knees. A lot of beginners spend some time fighting, pushing and pulling for top position. There are actual takedowns/throws you can do from your knees that actually work from standing too. Or you can skip the pushing and pulling and just pull guard, half guard, or a lot of times I’ll try for a butterfly sweep. That way when you finally get to top position it is because you did some sweet Jitsu techniques not because you were able to muscle him to the top.

Well because of safety and space we normally start from knees. There are some people who do start from standing but they have more experience and I don't want to post accidently and break my arm because I didn't understand what was happening.

The takedowns you talk about are exactly the sort of thing I'm after! Ideally, I want to use some technique to get the top position, but for now I find either one of two things happen: I muscle down my opponent or they muscle me down. I've been spending a lot of time, jumping straight into 1/4 guard against bigger guys then using LD to work into better positions but I'd like to know some alternatives!