The magic of cross collar grips: In all aspects of Jiu Jitsu – THE beginning OF CONTROL IS GRIP. When you go to grip an opponent you have a vast array of options, particularly when using the gi. Understand that each of the major grips offers a different type of control. Arguably the most important form of control is head CONTROL. This is due to the basic nature of the human body. We humans are essentially a skull connected to a spine and everything hangs off that – so if you control the head – you control everything else by default. The gi is a rope around your opponent's neck and offers a tremendous degree of indirect head control. As such, you want to take advantage of it as much as possible. When you first begin your Jiu jitsu journey I often recommend to use the cross lapel grip as your DEFAULT GRIP in most neutral positions on the ground (in standing situations straight collar grips are usually preferred) – if you are ever unsure where or how to grip in neutral positions, just go cross collar and in the majority of cases it will work well. As you gain in gripping expertise you will learn that gripping higher or lower can have important effects and that strangulation can be added to control. Take time to study the incredible potential of this foundational grip – it's value will extend throughout your entire time in jiujitsu.
