If I were to break down how I distribute the emphasis of my coaching, on average it would look very close to the fractal nature of the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule).
When it comes to submissions in Jiu-Jitsu, there are three primary components:
- Control
- Isolation
- Finishing mechanics
About 80% of my time and attention is dedicated to the first principles of positional fluency, positioning, and control, and 20% dedicated to the technical possibilities (specific moves that emerge out of that control).
Then divide that 20% by 80/20 further and you get 16/4…
Which equates to about 16% of that time dedicated to technical possibilities will be dedicated to isolating the head or limb being attacked, and 4% of the time will be dedicated to the finishing mechanics.
So:
- Control – 80%
- Isolation – 16 %
- Finishing mechanics – 4%
Here’s an example:
In this video, I show the details for the 20% – isolating and finishing mechanics on the one handed “chinstrap” guillotine.
In my classes over the past week, we’ve been working how to access this choke from different positions, but only after providing the context of having spent the last month on positional control from top (the most important 80%).
So from top we start working this guillotine from mount (with two legs involved in control), then work back out into other top positions with less initial control.
Then we do the same from bottom, beginning with closed guard (two legs involved in control), then working back out into other bottom positions with less initial control.
I love teaching those fine details of connection in the finishing mechanics, which make the choke come on so quickly and with so little movement, but I’m always careful to pay even more attention to the isolation of the head as the opponent is working to defend and escape. Without being able to maintain that isolation, the finishing mechanics won’t matter.
A tip my friend and guillotine master John Kavanagh shared with me many years ago: during live drilling or rolling just get your partner’s head in the guillotine grip (isolation) but don’t worry about finishing them. Instead, just let them try to defend with handfighting, changing positions, etc. and see how long you can maintain the isolation. Once you get to a point that you can maintain the grip for a minute or more and follow them no matter how they move to escape, finishing becomes very easy.
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To your long-term Jiu-Jitsu success,
Coach Stephen
