06/30/2026
This! Thank you John Danaher!
Stopping your opponents movement can be very good - but channeling his movement in directions you want is often better. The times to outright stop an opponent’s movement are when you’re trying to complete a submission hold. In reality however, you’ll never truly stop their movement - you’ll limit it to the point where you can get the job done. When it’s time to ENTER a submission hold or move into a dominant position, the idea is not so much to stop movement as channel movement in directions that suit your goals. If you want your opponent to move left, you put roadblocks on the right and threaten him with an attacking move that motivates him to move in the only direction he can. Next time your sparring see how often you can make your opponent move in the direction you want. Practice the idea of blocking certain movement directions while leaving others open - then give him a reason to move. That’s real control - the kind that leads directly to victory