Get It Started (Live Training)

Initiating live training effectively is crucial for maximizing the benefits for both you and your training partner. Positional training should be a significant part of your regimen, focusing on guard opening, mount escapes or attacks, and working from various control positions. When starting from the knees, remember it's not a realistic combat position. Instead of engaging in a prolonged and unproductive struggle from the knees, either push your partner to encourage them to sit back into guard or choose to sit yourself. This approach quickly leads to more practical training scenarios.

If you find yourself starting on the knees and your partner is reluctant to engage, it's better to voluntarily take a less dominant position, like the bottom of the mount or guard, to start active training. While there are a few moves that can be executed from the knees, their practical application is limited. If you do choose to attempt a technique from the knees, such as a takedown leading to an armbar, do so with the understanding that opportunities to apply these moves in live situations are rare.

When starting a match on your feet, adopt a hybrid stance that combines wrestling and judo elements to defend against both upper and lower body attacks. Before making contact, maintain a wrestling stance with your shoulder, knee, and big toe in alignment, ready to sprawl or down block against shots. Reach across with your non-lead arm to your opponent's lead collar, pass it to your power hand, and be prepared to defend against takedowns.

Once grips are established, you can transition to a more upright stance, bringing your hips closer to the action, especially if you intend to execute upper body throws. Keep in mind that maintaining distance with your hips will make it difficult to apply throws. Use your grips to manage your opponent's attempts to reach for your legs, applying weight against their grip to break it and reposition as needed.