The 3 facets of grappling

[bushido_man96]

I have been doing some reading in Black Belt Magazine (again!) and came across an article that discussed the 3 facets of grappling. They were divided into pain-compliance, breaking, and choking techniques.

I don't know why, but I had never thought to break them up like that before, but it makes good sense. Different techniques would have different levels of priority, depending on the situation. For example, with my job as a Jailer, I would be more likely to stay in the realm of pain-compliance techniques, in order to coerce inmates to go where I want them too, causing pain, but not damaging anything permanently. If I were to do upgrade to breaking and choking, I would have to be able to articulate why I did so, and be able to prove that the inmate was a danger to myself and others.

In the UFC, I think that it is breaking, or more appropriately, the threat of the breaking, and choking that reign supreme.

What is everyone's elses experiences with the these 3 ranges of grappling? Do you agree or disagree? Which would you find the most appropriate for what you do and why? Since I have very limited knowledge and experience in grappling, I always appreciate everyone's input.

[lordtariel]

Where would you say pins fall into? Some pins can be painful if applied correctly, but I wouldn't consider them pain-compliance.

[bushido_man96]

That's a good question. I am not sure. I would guess pain-compliance, kind of going along the restraint route. I know that most pins in Wrestling don't tend to be painful, much like Judo, I would guess. Perhaps that is one of the results of competition techniques. However, you wouldn't see many pins in an MMA fight, unless one fighter was holding the other in a pin to try to work into something else.

I am not for sure. Can anyone else chime on this question?

[ninjer]

Black belt magazine always aggrevates me whenever they try to write an article concerning grappling or mma, because those people have no training or expertise in it.

Trying to break grappling up into 3 facets- you can break it up into as many things as you want, it doesnt end at 3. What about takedowns, escapes, defenses? I think they just chose 3 because you can fit that on one or two pages for a magazine ;p

Anyways, pain compliance holds are often nothing more than joint locks that havent been fully applied. Most of them are shoulder locks, wristlocks, and elbow locks that if executed properly will break whatever it is you're grabbing.

Beyond that, trying to break the techniques up even further is only going to complicate things- a technique is a technique, regardless if its a sweep, escape, or submission- you'll hold your jiu jitsu back if you try to break it up the way black belt magazine did.

For example, lets take a basic x-choke from the bottom closed guard. A choking technique, its quite effective to use when your opponent doesnt posture. A good combination is this with an armbar- when an opponent extends his arm to posture and defend the choke, he gives you the armbar. Defend a choke and you give your arm, defend your arm, and you give a choke. Thats the way jiu jitsu works, its about what you CAN do, not what you WANT to do.

Some people will go now after reading that article and say "I want to work more"

When secluded, the moves are not very applicable, at least not to anyone who even has a decent idea of what they're doing on the ground. Its the combinations that make the game better. Jean Jaques claimed the 3 aspects of jiu jitsu were gi, no gi, and self defense for a complete jiu jitsu fighter.

The best thing you can do isnt work on your "pain compliance" techniques, but simply work on your grappling and take whatever your opponent gives you.

[bushido_man96]

That is a very enlightening post, ninjer, and I agree with some of the points that you make.

When secluded, the moves are not very applicable, at least not to anyone who even has a decent idea of what they're doing on the ground. Its the combinations that make the game better. Jean Jaques claimed the 3 aspects of jiu jitsu were gi, no gi, and self defense for a complete jiu jitsu fighter.

This, I agree with. The combinations work to set up the opponent, and you transition from one to the next until you get one that you can stick. I have read about this as well, and I think it is one of the interesting aspects of ground fighting (although I don't get to do it much).

In the article, there is mention of transitioning from one move to another if the first doesn't take, like you mention as well. I don't really think that the article is trying to break them up, just describe the three of them. John Machado contributed to the article....but I don't know much about him, other than sharing the name of Machado.

Anyways, pain compliance holds are often nothing more than joint locks that havent been fully applied. Most of them are shoulder locks, wristlocks, and elbow locks that if executed properly will break whatever it is you're grabbing.

When you say this here, do you mean they are not executed properly, or that they just aren't executed completely?

[ninjer]

Poor choice of wording- Im implying that the techniques arent executed completely.

[bushido_man96]

Poor choice of wording- Im implying that the techniques arent executed completely.

That is what I thought you meant, but I just wanted to clarify.

[Marine]

i agree with ninjer. though i do think that it is good to focus on different elements of BJJ for brief times during training in order to get proficient in those areas...like sweeps, escapes from cross side bottom, or escape from mount bottom.

[Adonis]

you also have bicept cutters and calf cutters that are used as pain compliance. Not really a joint techniqaue or choke. How ever, not really realistic outside of sports competion either.

[TheRenegade]

Bah, just something to write an article about. Pretty useless, seems to me. If you ask me, there are two facets of grappling. Standing, and grounded.