Act Early

Your determination matters a lot.
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In the previous post, I talked about how it’s essential…
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1) to decide that you will keep your guard and
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2) not to give up your guard too quickly.
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And I hinted that there’s a bit more to this mental side of the game.
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Here’s another mental command you should program into yourself:
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Prevention over recovery.
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Again, you might have heard of something similar from your coach over and over…
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But paying attention to your opponent’s moves and dealing with them in the early stages can help you keep your guard.
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Or at least it will be much easier to deal with their guard passing attempts in those early stages.
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When you are already in a bad enough position and thinking of recovering your guard, you’re late.
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It doesn’t mean you can’t recover. Sure, you should know how to recover (and escape if you end up in a worse position). But it’s much better for you if you don’t get into such a position in the first place.
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When I think of my progress as a guard player, increasing the level of attention I give to my opponent’s early stage moves (like grips and angle changes) helped me become a better guard player over time. Meaning, compared to myself-as-a-white-belt, I pay way more attention to my opponent’s moves.
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Initially, you will have to pay attention to these moves and learn to deal with them consciously.
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As you practice, this process becomes more automatic and intuitive.
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And your first step is to decide paying attention to your opponent’s moves. This is especially the case when you roll with higher belts.
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Right before sparring starts, you can say something like, “I am going to pay attention to my opponent’s moves & deal with them as early as I can. I will keep my guard as much as possible” to yourself in your mind.
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Or if it’s too wordy, say something simpler like “prevention over recovery”.
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That’s all for today…