The Art of Subtlety in Jiu Jitsu

One thing I have learnt as a smaller guy in Jiu Jitsu, is the value of subtlety. Most of the guys I'm rolling with are 20-30kg heavier than me, and yep that means I spend a lot of time on wrong end of side-control😬.

I have learnt however, to use some subtle movements to trap my partners, and have earned something of a reputation for being 'sneaky' in my gym - I prefer 'subtle' but I'll settle for sneaky. If you are super strong and athletic, perhaps this isn't such an important attribute - and even if you telegraph your intentions from miles away you might still finish. For me though, I like to disguise what I am doing when I can to prevent defence until its too late. 

Something I've been playing around with lately, which I've had a bit of success with is the baseball choke from bottom half guard. I have found that the key is establishing the grips without your partner realising it.

I frame on their shoulder as they try to smash pass and secretly establish a grip with the arm that is framing. I keep the grip as subtle as possible and sometimes create a distraction with an obnoxiously tight lockdown. As they begin to pass, I fix my second grip - again disguising it as a frame if I can. The next aspect of subtly that leads to success is to allow them to pass your guard, without making it obvious - if they know the choke and you make it too easy for them to pass, they will recognise the trap... so make it hard to pass but not too hard... and hey presto they are tapping (or waking up) wondering what happened when then passed your guard. 😅