If you can make an opponent stumble – whichever move you choose to perform next will be easy: There are many truly valuable combat skills, but one which may not seem very useful on the surface is in fact, arguably among the most useful of them all, since it makes possible so many of the other more well known and glamorous skills – this is the ability to MAKE YOUR OPPONENT STUMBLE AT WILL. If you can do this it will be MUCH easier to perform the subsequent moves that you use to score or finish with. You must develop the ability to the greatest degree possible. It is particularly important when you are grappling in standing position and in situations where you are seated in open guard and your opponent is standing in front of you (though it is important in other common scenarios also). You must be able to make your opponent stumble both forward and backwards, as resistance to one direction will set up attacks in the other. You will need to develop good dexterity in your feet as you will be using your feet and legs like hands and arms to reach out and grab and push and pull. If you can make a man stumble, you make him well nigh defenseless for a quarter of a second – and in combat sports, quarter of a second can be an awfully long time. So work hard on this skill – for it will make many of your other skills much easier to apply
