Forcing Moves to Gain Tempo ♟️🤼

Strategic Insights into Initiating Offensive Cycles and Staying Ahead of Your Opponent

I’ve spoken about tempo a lot. It usually comes up when we speak about unbalancing our opponent from the guard or standing positions giving them no other option but to answer to the unbalance instead of proactively initiating any other kind of offense.

This time I want to speak about tempo or, more specifically, how to gain a tempo by using Forcing Moves

👍 My definition of “gaining a tempo” in BJJ: Being a step ahead of our opponent, forcing them to respond to our moves instead of proactively initiating cycle of movement.

Chess analogy ♟️: I’m very mediocre at playing chess, but one of the main things I’ve noticed is that whenever I am playing, and I’m in a tightly tied position (it usually has the potential to change 180 degrees in a single move) I always need to look for forcing moves that make my opponent move or lose the game (checks usually)… this gives me tempo and lets me start offensive cycles where I lead the direction of the game.

👍 My definition of a “forcing move” in BJJ: a move that my opponent has to address immediately or otherwise they give me an advantage (I’m not referring to IBJJF advantages… I hate those lol)

The same thing happens in BJJ from some positions. Especially from even positions or almost even positions:

Closed guard is a great example of an even position, and some forcing moves from closed guard are:

• Even when they do not work completely, loop chokes make my opponent move or get choked.

• Wrist locks are usually fairly weak submissions (sorry Pete the Greek) because they’re easy to escape, but they are extremely useful to generate reactions and movement (otherwise, they get submitted by an easy to escape/humiliating move)

Once your opponent addresses the immediate threat, you can use the situation to stay one step ahead. For example, if they pull their hand to avoid getting wrist-locked, you immediately try to get double underhooks - I do this ALL THE TIME.

The main thing to remember is that you need to know beforehand what the most common reaction is to each Forcing Move and anticipate your best answer to that reaction.

Example:

• I’m in closed guard

• I destabilize my opponent towards their head → They post an arm on my chest.

• I attack the arm with a wrist-lock → They pull the arm out.

• I anticipate their reaction and shoot both of my underhooks.

• Basically, I gained a tempo (and initiated an offensive cycle) by using a forcing move (wrist lock)

I actually got injured this week (dislocated my shoulder going for a wrist-lock from the closed guard) super freak accident. I just lifted my elbow, and my shoulder went out of the socket… At least I got the idea for the newsletter 😅. So, if you have any recommendations on strengthening the rotator cuff, Serratus anterior, and improving shoulder motion, please let me know.

That’s it for this week!

Thanks for reading.

PS.

I am taking notes on Brian Glick’s Under Pressure - Retention, Recovery And Attacking From Guard and will be sharing the notes with the premium users in the near future.

🙋‍♂️ What other instructional would you want me to create notes from? I’m open to suggestions. If many people want the same instructional, I’ll buy it and take notes for you.

If not, I’ll probably do John Danaher’s Triangle System next.