Defense in depth: Most of you know that I put an extraordinarily high value on defense training for my students. My belief is that only when students have a strong belief in their defense will they take risks – and any offensive move entails risk – so ironically only athletes who believe in their defense will engage with their offense in high level competition. Understand always that defense comes in different forms based upon how far the opponent has entered into their move. Early defense is the most efficient. The old clock that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is very true with regards Jiu jitsu. If you can anticipate an attack you will defend it easily. Much more challenging is late defense, where an opponent has performed the move almost to completion and you have to dig your way out. This requires knowledge, skill and a steady nerve. Learn all the aspects of defense from early to late and everything in between – but when you care about winning, be sure to prioritize early defense – it will be easier on your body and less scary for your friends observing on the sidelines! Here, nicky ryan shuts down the dangerous leg lock game of the great masakazu imanari early on to allow himself to focus on his own attacks and victory
