The interplay of push and pull: When playing bottom position in JiuJitsu there is a continual battle for DISTANCE CONTROL that leads to a never ending interplay between PUSHING and PULLING. From guard we always seek an optimum distance that keeps an opponent at a range that gives us SUFFICIENT ROOM TO ATTACK (space creation) and yet at the same time SUFFICIENT PROXIMITY TO ATTACK (space restriction). In short, if the opponent is too close you won't have room to move into your attacks. If he is too far away you won't be able to get and main connection to attack. We need to seek a middle distance we're the opponent is close enough to attack yet not so close that we our attacks get stifled. As such you must be able to PUSH BACK WITH FRAMES if he gets too close, and PULL HIM CLOSE WITH GRIPS if he is far away. Because things happen very quickly you must be able to switch from pull to push and back again at a moments notice. As a general rule DEFENSE IS BUILT around PUSHING and offense IS BUILT AROUND PULLING although there are some important exceptions to this general rule. Best of all are grips and positions that enable enable you to do both – such as ashi garami. Next time you play guard pay more attention to push and pull dynamics. When opponents threaten to pass – FOCUS ON STRONG PUSHING FRAMES. When opponents hand back FOCUS ON PULLING THEM INTO YOUR ATTACKS. It will make your developing guard game progress rapidly
