Pressure
Pressure refers to applying force through your body to control, dominate, or exhaust your opponent. It’s a fundamental skill that enhances positional control, neutralizes escapes, and sets up submissions. Pressure isn’t about brute strength—it’s about strategically using your weight, positioning, and leverage to immobilize your opponent and make their movements difficult, if not impossible.
Why Pressure Is Important
Control
- Pressure allows you to control your opponent's movements by pinning them in place, limiting their ability to create space or escape.
Examples
Consistent pressure makes your control tight and difficult for your opponent to counter.
Neutralizing Escapes
- Applying pressure effectively shuts down escape attempts by compressing their frames and limiting their mobility.
Examples
- Knee-on-belly, heavy pressure on their torso stops them from turning into you or pushing your knee off.
- Back control, keeping tight chest-to-back pressure makes it nearly impossible for them to turn or slide out.
Proper pressure keeps your opponent flat and removes their ability to create angles for escapes.
Draining Energy
- Pressure forces your opponent to carry your weight, exhausting them physically and mentally while you conserve energy.
Examples
- In half guard, flattening them with chest pressure wears them down and opens up opportunities to pass or attack.
- North-south position, keeping your weight centered on their chest makes it hard for them to breathe and forces them to tire out.
Make your opponent carry your weight; the more effort they expend, the weaker their defenses become.
Breaking Their Will
- Constant pressure can mentally overwhelm your opponent, leading to mistakes or openings for attacks.
Examples
- Side control pressure, crushing shoulder pressure on their face can frustrate them and force them to expose an arm for submission.
- Mount pressure, driving your hips down can make them panic, exposing their arms or neck.
Effective pressure wears down both their body and their mind, making them more prone to errors.
Setting Up Submissions
- Pressure forces your opponent into reactive positions, exposing limbs or openings for submissions.
Examples
- Arm triangle from side control, chest pressure forces them to push against you, exposing their arm for isolation.
- Collar choke from mount, dropping your weight makes it hard for them to defend their neck effectively.
Use pressure to bait reactions, then capitalize on the openings they create.
Improving Positional Dominance
- Pressure helps stabilize dominant positions and prevents your opponent from reversing or escaping.
Examples
- In mount, heavy hips prevent them from elevating or moving you.
- During guard passing, driving your shoulder into their torso while passing half guard pins them, making it easier to secure side control.
A heavy, stable base supported by pressure ensures your dominant positions are unshakable.
Facilitating Transitions
- Pressure keeps your opponent controlled while you smoothly transition between positions.
Examples
- From side control to mount, staying heavy on their chest and transitioning your hips allows you to advance without losing control.
- From north-south to back control, maintaining weight on their torso ensures they can’t escape as you secure their back.
Pressure ensures you maintain control throughout transitions, preventing your opponent from countering.
Reducing Their Offensive Options
- Pressure disrupts your opponent's ability to set up attacks by keeping them defensive and flat on their back.
Examples
- In Closed Guard, applying forward pressure keeps them from sitting up to attack arm drags or sweeps.
- In turtle, heavy chest pressure prevents them from rolling or transitioning to guard.
Constant pressure forces your opponent into survival mode, making it difficult for them to initiate offense.
Enhancing Guard Passing
- Pressure passing is a highly effective style that uses bodyweight to pin your opponent, breaking their guard and establishing dominant positions.
Examples
- Over-under pass, chest pressure pins their hips and makes it hard for them to use their legs.
- Knee slice pass, dropping your weight through your knee and shoulder crushes their frames, allowing a clean pass.
Pressure passing turns your opponent’s guard into a liability by rendering their defenses ineffective.
Smothering Their Breathing
- Proper pressure on their chest or diaphragm restricts breathing, making it harder for your opponent to recover or fight back.
Examples
- In mount or side control, driving your chest into their diaphragm forces shallow breathing, wearing them down.
- North-south position, using your torso to block their ability to inhale fully adds a psychological and physical toll.
Controlled pressure in the right places can disrupt their breathing and reduce their stamina.