Here are a few tips when rolling (wrestling, grappling).
Being Heavy
When you’re on top of your opponent, you should make yourself as heavy as possible.
Why be heavy?
- It makes it harder for him to escape.
- It makes it harder for him to breathe, which means he’ll get tired faster.
- You’ll be connected to him in such a way that you’ll feel everything he’s attempting to do.
- He might make a mistake trying to get your bodyweight off him, which may create submission opportunities.
How do you become heavy?
Keep your hips below his center of gravity. For example, if your opponent is lying flat on his back, dissect the distance between the top of his chest and the ground and find the halfway point. That halfway point is his center of gravity. You must keep your hips below that center of gravity.
Make sure your energy is going straight through him and not on an angle. This will make you as heavy as humanly possible.
Hips
Your opponent - on his feet - whether he’s striking , attempting a take down or when he’s on the ground, gets all his power from his hips. Therefore, you want to control his hips.
Comfort
You want to keep your opponent in an unnatural position. You don’t want him to be in a comfortable, relaxed or natural state. If he’s comfortable, relaxed or in natural state, he can harness all of his energy and strength to counter your moves.
The bottom line is... make your opponent carry your weight at all times, keep his hips under control and make him as uncomfortable as possible.
