The three kings of the scramble: Most of the time in jiu jitsu we are looking to create situations where we have greater control over our opponent's ability to move than he has over us. Unfortunately our opponents are actively doing the same and are usually just as good at this as we are. The inevitable result is that we spend considerable amounts of time, perhaps the majority in many cases, in SCRAMBLE situations, which we will define as dynamic situations where neither athlete has a greater capacity to control the other's movement than their opponent does. It is my belief that in any scramble situation – THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF SUBMISSION/CONTROL METHODS THAT ARE ALMOST ALWAYS AVAILABLE AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE – these are KIMURA, FRONT HEADLOCK/GUILLOTINE and ASHI GARAMI based leg locks. In any dynamic, free flowing situation where neither athlete has decisive control – YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENTER INTO AT LEAST one OF THESE THREE SUBMISSION ENTRIES. I put a heavy emphasis on all three in my coaching for this reason (among others). It is almost impossible to get into a hard grappling match for two or three minutes (and usually a lot less) of movement and exchange without exposing the opportunity for one of these three submissions/controls. Proficiency in these three areas of the game is critical to your success in scramble situations. Of course there are many other moves and tactics that work well in scrambles – but in the sport of jiu jitsu/submission grappling, THESE THREE ARE KING. Make sure you work them relentlessly paying particular attention to how you would employ them in quick moving situations. Doing so will give you a clear and effective sense of direction in any scramble.
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