Question about breaking your opponent down....

[John P]

To start im a white belt, now tonight i got to roll with a solid purple belt with the gi. I started with him in my guard and right away i went to try and break him down. He had a tight grip on my upper chest and i wasnt able to break the grip to go into mission control.... He had me pinned basically and the only thing i was able to try and do was scissor sweep or try and attack an arm. If it was no gi i dont think i would of had a problem at all, i usually don't....

anyone know a better way, the only thing i could think of was break the grip with both hands but i thought of that after the fact and not while we were rolling....

all input is greatly needed, but eddie, if you could explain how you dealt with this when you used the gi, because from what i understand you ALWAYS attempt to break the person down

[Tyler Timmermans]

[Ehsan_Karam]

I like it.

[Danny Stolfi]

Your grips with the gi would be: Four finger grip at the wrist, Sleeve control at the elbow, Cross Collar Grip.
You can mix up which grip you use with either hand (ie cross collar with one wrist, cross collar with one sleeve at the elbow, double wrist control, or both sleeves at the elbow)

With double wrist control, pull the wrists up and toward you while also pulling his body into you with your legs.
With double sleeve control, pull the elbows out while pulling his body into you with your legs. By doing these things simultaneously, his arms should give in and you'll break him down.
If you have a cross collar grip you want to keep your forearm tight to his chest and pull him down while pulling in with your legs. Again if you have one hand on his wrist pull that wrist up and toward you, if you have a grip on the elbow, pull out on it.

I hope this helped, and didn't confuse you.

[watty31]

Your grips with the gi would be: Four finger grip at the wrist, Sleeve control at the elbow, Cross Collar Grip.
You can mix up which grip you use with either hand (ie cross collar with one wrist, cross collar with one sleeve at the elbow, double wrist control, or both sleeves at the elbow)

With double wrist control, pull the wrists up and toward you while also pulling his body into you with your legs.
With double sleeve control, pull the elbows out while pulling his body into you with your legs. By doing these things simultaneously, his arms should give in and you'll break him down.
If you have a cross collar grip you want to keep your forearm tight to his chest and pull him down while pulling in with your legs. Again if you have one hand on his wrist pull that wrist up and toward you, if you have a grip on the elbow, pull out on it.

I hope this helped, and didn't confuse you.

I have also been having trouble too with the gi, great advice cheers.

[Aab]

Every thing that you do you must do with all your will. Pull on his arms while you pull your legs forward. Constant sitting up.......man against a purple belt you really don't have much of a choice. Just stay with it. Ive been training almost a year and my first instructor made me look stupid the other night........Its such a humbling experience. Look just stay focused......The more experience you get the better you will become.....It just takes time my friend....I get depressed too but it just takes time my friend....hope i helped.....peace.

[John P]

thanks guys, yea i think doing wrist control and pulling towards me seems to be the best way, or like you said one on wrist and one on sleeve and pull in with legs

[Luis Acherbo]

i find that getting one hand off of me in the gi makes it pretty easy to break there posture while using your legs to move them up

[Jon Watkins]

Every thing that you do you must do with all your will. Pull on his arms while you pull your legs forward. Constant sitting up.......man against a purple belt you really don't have much of a choice. Just stay with it. Ive been training almost a year and my first instructor made me look stupid the other night........Its such a humbling experience. Look just stay focused......The more experience you get the better you will become.....It just takes time my friend....I get depressed too but it just takes time my friend....hope i helped.....peace.

I don't mean to be a jerk, but this sounds like an anti-jiu jitsu approach. If by saying do everything with all your will you're staying single minded and forcing one position, you're probably not going to get it on someone who sees what you're doing. And if someone isn't letting you break his posture, he's usually giving you a hip bump sweep attempt, and if he shuts down the hip bump sweep, he's broken his posture for you by pinning you forward. Jiu Jitsu is about taking what your opponent gives you and trust me your opponent is always giving you something. You just have to see the holes That's why it appears to be a gentle art. And don't get me wrong, I force things sometimes, but it's not an all my will kind of thing. That's more of a high school wrestling mentality that can work, but it's not going to make you better in the long run. Sorry if I sounded like a preachy dickhole whose just telling you the same condesending bullshit you've heard from other condesending dickholes, but I'm really just trying to help.

[Cookie Monster]

dont forget to open up your legs to make it easier
also for your opponent if his shoulders arent stalked over his hips all you got to do is use your legs and sit up and it'll be easy
and if hes STILL be a stuburn mother fucker go for a a hip bump sweep / kimura and as soon as your back goes
back to the mat go straight to invisible collar( they always hug me when i do that so its easier to go to IC)

or if he keeps posturing back up after you break him down do it again and trap his shoulder right when he pops back up
reach under his leg and flower fuck sweep the shit out of him