Position isn’t enough: You could make a good career in jiu jitsu just by getting into good positions. However, if you want to live up to the IDEAL of jiu jitsu, you’ll need to go further and FINISH opponents. That means in addition to position, you’ll need LIMB ISOLATION AND CONTROL from the pin that allows you to transition into the submission hold. You need a bridge between the POSITION and the SUBMISSION. The former is control over the TORSO, the latter is an attack on a LIMB. Without a bridge between the two you will rarely be able to go from one to the other. When you get good position on opponents make it your daily habit to go further and ISOLATE A LIMB so that you can translate positions into submissions. If you aren’t sure where to start, begin with under hooks – they are a relatively simple and easily understood method of isolating a limb from a variety of dominant positions. Remember, good jiu jitsu gets you into dominant positions, but great Jiu jitsu sees pins as a means to an end and strives to go further by isolating limbs from the pin and then attacking with submissions.
