There are a lot of uncertainties in any grappling situation – but there is always one certainty you can stake your life on – EVERY GRAPPLING EXCHANGE YOU EVER ENTER INTO WHETHER IN TRAINING OR competition WILL BEGIN WITH GRIP. The skills of GETTING, MAINTAINING and USING an effective grip and CORRELATING IT WITH YOUR INTENDED PURPOSE is probably one of the least taught skills in the sport – YET IT IS PROBABLY THE skill set MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR VICTORY AT ELITE LEVELS. At elite levels, EVERYONE IS HIGHLY SKILLED AT THE TECHNIQUES OF THE SPORT, so it is the PRECURSORS TO THE TECHNIQUE THAT SEPARATE THE gold MEDALLIST FROM THE OTHERS. Of all the precursors to the successful application of technique, few, of any, are more important than GRIPPING SKILLS. Yet strangely, they are the least taught. Do yourself a favor – next time you watch elite grapplers in action, switch your focus from the techniques they score or finish with, and instead, FOCUS UPON THE GRIPPING SEQUENCES THEY USE TO ENTER THOSE TECHNIQUES. I promise you that your study, though it may not be the most exciting, will have very positive results upon your mat performance.
