Attacking through 360 degrees: When we practice most of our favorite submissions we typically do so in the standard, most comfortable and controlling positions and orientations. Then in sparring and competitions we find that opponents defend by twisting and turning in ways you never anticipated and you have to try to finish in orientations you rarely, if ever, practice in. Unsurprisingly the lack of familiarity with these contorted position means the submissions fail. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN AN attack COMFORTABLY AND EFFECTIVELY THROUGH 360 DEGREES OF ROTATION AND IN ALL THE RESULTING UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNFAMILIAR ORIENTATIONS THAN CAN ARISE. Only then can you hope to use your favorite submissions against strong resistance. Practice having training partners rotate out of your holds and rotate with them whilst holding the lock tight enough that you could apply the lock at any point in the rotation if you wanted. Go through multiple rotations and be tight enough at the end to apply a finishing hold. Here, Nicky Ryan has an opponent turn through a triangle and is ready to either follow the movement or switch to another form of triangle – this is the kind of skill that enables you to get the breakthrough against serious resistance
