Joint locks – don't be in a hurry to extend the limb: There are two ways to submit an opponent in Jiu jitsu – strangles and joint locks. Overall I believe strangles are the more effective of the two but joint locks are still a truly vital part of the game. You must make a deep study of the skill of attacking the arms and legs of an opponent. Probably the single most common problem I see in developing students who have gotten into a position to joint lock an opponent is AN UNNECESSARY RUSH TO COMPLETION that sacrifices control and allows an opponent to escape. When it comes to joint locks CONTROL BEATS SPEED. There are exceptions to this. There are times when a fast entry and finish can get you a win before an opponent can get into a defensive reaction – but for every time you see this happen you will see twenty cases where too much concern with speed weakens your control and you end up with nothing. focus on a tight connection to the joint above the joint that you are attacking. If you are attacking the knee – get a good connection to the hip. If your attacking the elbow, get a good connection to the shoulder. Don't be afraid to move with your opponent to maintain that connection. When you feel the connection is strong and you can control your opponents movement – THEN go to attack the joint. Victory will go to the athlete who exhibits great control more often than the athlete who exhibits great speed.
