Tuesday, June 21, 2005

BJJ Move # 19: What? Standing?

Unfortunately, people are reluctant to start a fight with you by lying down and waiting for you to get a good position.
In fact, they're typically standing up, so you have to stand, too.
Some basics of standing up - stance, guard, and movement.

WARNING! These techniques could result in serious injury or death if practiced incorrectly or even if performed correctly. They should only be practiced with the supervision of an experienced instructor.

Standing Basics:
-stance
-basic

Stance & Guard
Feet pointed mostly forward; don’t let your back foot point out at too much of an angle (you won’t be able to push off to move forward).
Balance your weight evenly on each foot, so you can move in either direction.
Keep your weight on the balls of your feet, not your heels (so you can move).
Raise your rear heel slightly (keeps you on the balls of your feet, more power for moving forward).
Keep your hands up, especially the rear hand, which should be near your cheek.
Elbows in to your ribs.
Head movement, shoulder movement. Keep moving.
Don’t get backed up. Circle.
Keep loose.
Chin down and tucked into lead shoulder (or you’ll get punched in the face too easily). Don’t lead with your face.
Don’t bounce up and down or hop around.
Don’t stand up too straight—your power and mobility come from pushing off the ground with your feet (impossible if you’re too upright), and it makes you vulnerable to shooting. Don’t go too low, either, or you’ll be vulnerable to kicks.

Movement
Move by "shuffling:" If you’re moving in direction X, the foot closest to that direction moves first, then the other one follows up. Don’t cross your feet (you won’t be able to change directions, you’ll fall or get knocked over). This is fast, keeps you in a position where you can execute techniques while staying on balance, and lets you expose a minimum of targets while moving.
Don’t get your feet spread out (you’ll get kicked in the crotch, ankle picked, and you’ll be immobile) or close together (you’ll get taken down or knocked over).
Don’t lean forward at the waist when you step forward (you’ll get uppercut, shot on, etc.) or lead with your face (you’ll get hit with a cross and knocked out) or lean back at the waist when you step backward (you’ll get backed up).
When circling an opponent, don’t circle towards his rear (power) hand. If he’s right-handed, circle counter-clockwise. This way you’re moving away from his heavy punches; even though he’s moving from yours, a clinching/shooting strategy favors that tradeoff. Also, the lead side is best to shoot for: it’s closer, doesn’t bring your head between his hands and between his feet (where his shots are stronger), and keeps you away from his power side.

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