Here’s another thing I recommend if you want to improve your BJJ skills:
Don’t take a rest during a sparring session by sitting on the sidelines…
… but rest while rolling.
You could say that this way of resting is a skill as well.
You can learn & improve this resting skill by practicing it just like any other skill.
By learning this skill, you can spend more time on the mat. And this can help you improve your overall BJJ skills.
Let’s think about what’s involved in this resting skill…
I can think of 3 components:
1) Knowing where you can be reasonably safe.
2) Being able to stay in this safe position.
3) Knowing how to catch & control your breaths.
Apart from HOW EXACTLY to do it, I suppose #2 & #3 are pretty straightforward.
Perhaps #1 would need a bit more explanation… especially because I’m using my favorite word “reasonably” again.
First of all, why do I add “reasonably” to “safe” and make it “reasonably safe”?
Simple.
As you’ve probably figured out already, there’s no such position as the safest position…
… except that it’s easier/less risky to escape from some positions than others.
But, if you know how to escape from so-called bad positions, a typical position ranking may become irrelevant.
Garry Tonon, in his match against Kron Gracie, is a great example.
I digressed a little bit…
My point is:
A) How safe you can be in a given position partly depends on you as well… not entirely on your opponent.
B) Your opponent is most likely to adjust their position as well. The situation is always dynamic rather than static. So you will need to adjust your position constantly as well.
After all, #1 blends into #2…
But learning where (and how) you can be safe is the first step you need to take if you want to rest while rolling.
And how do you learn these things?
By rolling more!
But make sure to have this (new) perspective:
You can rest while rolling and that it’s a skill you can practice & improve.