Let the other guy feel the stress: A common problem i observe is that of athletes doing a good job getting to a dominant position and then trying too hard too quickly to get a submission and losing control of the position they worked so hard to attain. Unless there is limited time left on the clock, relax, the other fellow should be the one in panic mode – not you. Use the superior position to recompose yourself, recharge your lungs if necessary and formulate a plan to finish. If at any point you feel the danger of escape – PROTECT THE POSITION FIRST AND WORRY ABOUT THE SUBMISSION SECOND – you can always come back to that later. Here, Garry Tonon anchors himself in place on the back at the ADCC World Champions after a long period in standing position fighting for a takedown. Now it's time for him to take a little time and use the body triangle to both hold position and put his opponent under duress while he is relatively relaxed. Using this simple pattern of exertion to gain a position followed by active rest and recomposing in that position to gather resources into a final push for submission allowed him to secure the stranglehold soon after this photo was taken.
