Glass half full ....


Imagine … easy for most of us - that we are stuck under side control. We feel the pressure of our opponent - we feel restricted, controlled, trapped. Automatically, our mind snaps to focus on the problems - the bits that we cannot move - the drama! This is the natural tendency for most people - i.e: to focus on the problem. I suggest trying to cultivate the polar-opposite response. Instead of focussing on the problem - ask yourself this question: what part of us is ‘free’ - what CAN we move? Focussing on our remaining resources, rather than those that have been taken from us, is a real key to becoming better at escapes. Not that I am advocating this - BUT - imagine grabbing a cat by one leg - it doesn’t sit there bemoaning the fact that one of it’s legs is restricted - no hesitation at all, it’s remaining resources go into action. This is an effective strategy both on and off the mat. It is easy to become overly focussed on the dramas that life throws at us, rather than shifting our attention to all the great things we have going on in our lives. Shifting our attention from the negative to the positive, from what we cannot do to what we can do, from the annoyances to the delights - is simply, a better way to live. JBW

Comments

Matt Klein said…
This exact situation happened a few days ago as I was getting dominated by a purple belt. He had a very tight mount, but I found the one thing I could do was turn onto my side and get my elbow in between his legs and my ribs. He switched to technical mount and I tried two different escapes to no avail. Finally, an escape that capitalised on the fact that he was glued so tightly to me worked? Awhile back I would have panicked in this situation, but this time I made it a game to see if I could get out.
karl said…
Escaping back control is easier for me than escaping side control, sometimes 1 more step into the shit can make it easier to improve your situation

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