Plotting your next move: as much as we all aspire to have a high success rate for the performance of our favorite moves, the reality is that THE MAJORITY OF THE ATTEMPTED APPLICATIONS OF YOUR MOVES AGAINST SKILLED OPPONENTS WILL FAIL. That's the bad news. The good news is that the general slow pace of ground grappling means that in most cases YOU WILL KNOW WHEN THEY ARE LIKELY TO FAIL BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY DO. As a result you can have a follow up move prepared to work even as the first fails. Here Garry Tonon has a good bite on his opponents heel, but the ashi garami control is lacking. As a result he is rapidly losing control of the knee – the benchmark of control for these cases. THIS THE TIME TO BE THINKING OF YOUR NEXT MOVE – BEFORE failure is complete, not AFTER. This will make you a dangerous combination fighter who can seamlessly go from attack to attack and ensnare even very good opponents, rather than a one shot at a time fighter who must rely on surprise or strength to catch people. Every time you find yourself on the cusp of failure with your moves, practice the mental skill of searching for an appropriate second attack BEFORE the total collapse of the first and watch your success rate double!
