Getting good at offense quickly – learn to get to the back – the remarkable case of Nick Rodríguez: So often I am asked how one can improve more rapidly in Jiu Jitsu. Well, there is no avoiding the mastery of fundamentals, especially the skills of escape and guard retention as the necessities for fast progress. Nonetheless, I can give you some simple advice for faster progress and results in one part of your game – offense. Devote a LOT of your training time mastering the various routes to your opponents back. The back is the single most dominant finishing position in the sport. If you want to boost your finishing rates in a hurry – focus on getting there quickly and efficiently. There are many routes to the back – you can go under the arms, around the arms, through the legs, over the back and shoulders etc – and once you get there your opponent is one hundred percent defensive. Nick Rodríguez is a blue belt with around a years training. This weekend he went into a crazy tournament where he took on four opponents (four against one) including a black belt and brown belt and beat all four. His favorite tactic for getting finishes against people with far more experience than him? You guessed it -TAKE THE BACK. He is a legend in the blue basement for a quote he gave us one day as we talked after class “If I can get behind an opponent and lock my stranglehold anywhere below his eyebrows – it's done!” Make a point of training your pathways to the back. I am certain you can hasten your progress if you do.
