Catch! With most submission holds there is a significant gap between THE INITIAL APPLICATION of the hold, and the ACTUAL finish. Submissions, unlike strikes, do not do all their work in an instant. Once the set ups are complete, there is an initial hold AND THEN A CRITICAL PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT IN WHICH THE mechanical tightness OF THE HOLD IS INCREASED OVER TIME UNTIL SUBMISSION OCCURS. This critical period of time is one of the most important in the sport and often distinguishes those who merely dabble in submissions from those who truly seek to master them. So much is going on. The athlete must have a clear goal that directs his movement against strong resistance to solidify and tighten the hold. S/he must also be capable of determining when the process cannot be sustained and switch to another submission or positional move. It all happens very quickly and under great physical pressure, so having the various directions that usually occur in response to a given submission attempt mapped out in advance is a big help. Here, teenage prodigy, nicky ryan snatches a quick entry into sankaku (triangle) from open guard. He immediately goes all out to follow the lines of his opponents resistance, shutting down as many as he can with mechanical tightness and tactical savvy (threatening other submissions etc). Focus upon this critical gap between initial application and finalization is a big feature of our training program.
