Don't just attack the joint – attack his balance at the same time: I'm sure that many times you have had the frustrating experience of locking on a nice submission hold and having your opponent hold a strong defensive posture and then work his way free of the hold. Most submission defense against submission holds applied from bottom position begin with POSTURE and BASE. It is for that reason that whenever possible, go beyond just attacking with the submission hold – ATTACK YOUR OPPONENTS BALANCE/POSTURE/BASE AT THE SAME TIME. This will greatly hamper his defense. Here, Garry Tonon has locked on a very tight cross ashi garami hold and is clamping it in place with a well applied inside sankaku (triangle) leg entanglement. Note how he goes the extra distance against tough opposition and breaks his opponents balance as well – immediately making escape more difficult and with the additional benefit of heel exposure as a bonus. Next time you are locked into an arm bar, triangle, leg lock or whatever from bottom position, make a simultaneous attack on your opponents balance and you will soon find that the balance attack makes the submission attacks much more successful
