Grappling Tips Newsletter

Sometimes when you're grappling you might want to play 'crush the bug', totally immobilizing your opponent with your bodyweight and making it difficult for him to even breath. Obviously this is easier to do if you weigh 300 pounds, but most grapplers don't position themselves properly to maximize the bodyweight they do have. In the next few weeks I will give you a few pointers that might make you feel 50 pounds heavier when you are on top.

To start with I am going to ask you a few questions:

1. When you are pinning your opponent in sidemount, what is supporting your body? What parts of your body are placing weight on the mat and/or by your opponent?
2. What is supporting your weight when you are in mount?
   
3. What parts of your body are carrying your weight in kneemount?

Now that you've thought about that I will leave you with one final question: what can you do in each of these positions to ensure that you are putting more of your weight on your opponent and less on the mat? The answer to this is one of the keys to playing 'crush the bug' successfully.

Next week I'll give you some of my thoughts on the specific things you can do to make yourself heavier.

Labels: positions

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