“He’s very, very patient. Like I said, he’s waiting for what he needs. He’s not gonna force anything.”
This is a comment by Josh Presley about Lucas Lepri. (Right, I can’t shut up about Lucas Lepri.)
If you didn’t watch it, I shared this video by Josh yesterday. In this video, Josh rolls with Lucas & breaks the roll down for his viewers. I highly recommend you to watch it.
I think the comment above is one of the most insightful ones Josh provides in his video.
As you may or may not know, Lepri insists on being precise. When you execute your moves with precision, you don’t need to force things into your opponent.
I don’t know how Lepri himself would define “being precise.” Still, I imagine it covers not only the steps and mechanics you use to execute your techniques but your timing and overall position, including how you get and break grips, where you place your limbs, and which angle you attack from.
Yes, I know this might sound like a lot. And yes, it will take time to refine your techniques and make them more precise.
Having said that, I believe one practical thing you can do to make sure you are on the right track is this:
Ask yourself if you are forcing things onto your opponent so you can be aware of it.
If you have to force your moves against your opponent, there’s a good chance you aren’t using proper techniques. Perhaps your positioning is off, and your opponent can resist you. Perhaps your finishing mechanics aren’t correct, and you’re just using your arm strength to finish the guillotine choke.
In any case, this realization is excellent news because it will help you move closer to figuring out what’s not working.
By the way, if it’s a competition situation, your best option at that particular moment might be using your brute force and getting the job done anyway. So keep in mind that I’m not saying it’s always wrong to use strength.
But in training, I’d argue that you should always focus on improving your overall precision so you will become able to move in a match as if you roll in training.
What’s not precise in your game? How would you improve those aspects? Think about these questions. They will help you.