Layers of defense: When an opponent goes on the attack his offense will achieve a certain depth – sometimes it's a rather superficial attack that you can stop early before it gets too far. Other times it's a powerful attack that tests the depth of your defense. Many athletes defend the initial lines of defense well – but the best athletes can defend well all the way to the last lines of defense and stop an attack even at a point where most would have given up and conceded a score or even a submission. Arrange your defense in layers. Categorize your defenses in terms of early, middle and late stage and pay them equal attention. Don't be satisfied with saying “I won't let my opponent get me in that position” or “don't get there in the first place.” Rest assured – a good opponent WILL get you into bad positions and you better have a more effective response than these cliches. Put yourself in critical late stage defense regularly under light pressure and try to work your way out, increasing pressure as your skills rise. The ideal is to have equally robust defense from the first line of defense to the last!
