Traps: If you face an opponent in a fiercely combative stance and posture you leave him nothing to work with and many opponents will be very reticent about engaging with you – leading to long bouts of passive inactivity. Sometimes you do better by deliberately leaving openings that will entice an opponent to enter. Lifting an elbow may entice an under hook, leaving a foot out unguarded may entice a leg lock attempt. remember that the first line of defense is mental – awareness of the threat. If you are not only aware of the danger but knowingly creating it yourself then it is extremely unlike an opponent will be able to exploit it before you spring the trap on him. As such, it's actually a fairly safe way to play despite the appearance of danger. This approach will often create engagement where it would otherwise not occur with a nervous opponent and it will be the best kind of engagement – engagement on your terms.
