What To Do When A Technique Fails Part 2

Always train in combinations. When a boxer misses a punch, his training kicks in and he continues throwing punches in combinations. When a skilled grappler fights to secure and arm bar he can always follow it up with a choke or a sweep.

When you chain together techniques in training, you teach your body to keep moving.

Learn to flow from technique to technique. Why force and arm bar when you can abandon it for a kick to the side of his knee?

Set ups

When you elbow someone in the face where is their attention focused? It’s probably going to be on their broken nose. This is leaving them wide open for another strike.

While set up movements can be effective by themselves, they are primarily used to set up another technique. For example a palm strike to the nose causes his body to arch back exposing his lower body to stomps and kicks (or the other way around).

High low combinations

High low combinations are great ways to save you from a failing technique. As soon as your attacker blocks your thumbs from driving into his eyes, he now has to worry about your knee plowing into his groin. If that fails he now has to worry about your head smashing into his face.

When you alternate between high and low techniques, you are giving an opponent too much to think about. His focus is constantly changing and he exposes himself to other attacks.

Now back to our failing arm lock. What can you do? One option is to drop the arm lock and finish him another way.

Another option is to hold the arm lock and move his attention elsewhere. Sweep him off balance and stomp his feet. As soon as he is distracted, drill the arm lock hard. Continue to strike his lower body while locking out his arm (upper body).

Another option is to drive into him and take his balance. As he struggles to regain it you can finish the arm lock.

Any time you are in a fight and you gain an advantage... KEEP IT. Here’s an example. When you blasted his elbow with your body you failed to either wrench his arm or take him down. You notice that he lost some of his balance when you attacked his joint. Keep driving forward! Even if you lose the arm lock, keep driving and it will make your other techniques easier to apply.

What if instead, you blasted his arm and he kept his base? You could abandon the lock entirely but why not keep the lock as you follow up? You fought to get the move so don’t be eager to abandon it. The same goes for an advantageous position on the ground. KEEP IT! I’ve seen ground fighters (including myself) break a hold only to be put back in the same hold thirty seconds later. The same is true on your feet. When you get control of a joint, bite down like a pit bull and never let go. This arm is now your arm (until you’ve snapped it and rendered it useless to him for the remainder of the fight.) This does not apply when there is an opening that is clearly better than the move you’re going for at the moment.



Always be careful when training with a partner.

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Ryan Wolfenbarger
www.EndTheFightNow.com