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The Importance of Submission Traps
Improve your BJJ Trickery
Mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the most difficult tasks you will ever under take. If you step back and think about what is actually happening when you are trying to execute a submission on an unwilling opponent or partner, it’s actually quite amazing.
On one hand, you are trying to execute a series of movements with your own body, some simple, that came easy and others that required a complete retraining of your brain to eventually get to the point that the particular movement sort of made sense. On the other hand, you are trying to manipulate an unwilling human who is, regardless of their belt rank, doing everything in their power to prevent you from executing that move on them.
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The longer you train, the more you will begin to understand the mind game of grappling that is equally as important if not more important than the actual physical game of jiu jitsu. Along the way to catching whatever submission you’re working on, the more “traps” you can set for your opponent, the easier your job will be. Learning how to trick them into giving you what you want, because you actually gave them the path they chose is one of the greatest skills you will ever learn. Allowing your opponent to think they see the light at the end of the tunnel, when really its just a mirage, makes that submission all the more satisfying.
In the technique below, Julio Binda shares a favorite Hand Trap that he uses when attacking from the back. Check it out as he demonstrates it on Bernardo Faria!
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In this set up, Bernardo as the opponent has rolled to the safer side, away from the choking arm of Julio. The first thing Julio will do is establish a unique and strong grip on Bernardo’s far hand. This traps and controls Bernardo and makes it unlikely that he will try to turn into Julio to get his back on the floor and instead will go towards the trapped hand by trying to step out of the hooks, to a temporary turtle and reestablishment of guard.
Julio will further encourage this action by allowing his top hook to slip off. But he will slow the expected escape by locking his legs behind Bernardo’s hips. He will then allow Bernardo to begin to turn out and all the while he will maintain that grip on his arm. As Bernardo comes to his knees, Julio will pull the arm through the space and stay connected to Bernardo by holding the belt. The bottom hook also remains to prevent Bernardo from completely freeing himself. The kimura-esque arm lock is finished as Bernardo’s hand and arm are pulled behind him and cranked towards his head.
For more submissions with Bernardo Faria, check out his High Percentage Submissions Series from BJJ Fanatics. You will learn all of his favorite techniques that are sure to bolster your attack arsenal. Get your copy here!
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