Refine Your Grip Game With Jimmy Pedro
It’s hard to over-stress how important grip fighting is. As a beginner it's possible to become infatuated with bodies flying through the air without paying enough respect to how the throw was established. Getting a strong usable grip on your opponent is a foundational aspect to securing your victory!
Paralysis by analysis is a real threat to your progress. At times we get our grips and become overwhelmed by the opportunities that are in front of us. You can be flooded with questions about what to do once you latch onto your opponent. A great mindset to develop is to “attack off off the grip.” This means that once you get the grips you want you immediately enter into your attacking sequence. Creating tempo is a great way to control how many variables are at play, which can reduce “paralysis by analysis”.
By knowing ahead of time what your attacking options are based on your current grip, you can avoid over analyzing and immediately go on the attack. Doing this puts your opponent on the defensive, which is often referred to as creating tempo. Let’s take a look at Top-Tier US Judo Coach Jimmy Pedro’s tips on attacking off of the grip.
Jimmy puts his teaching skills on display here as he rifles through a dozen or so techniques in under 3 minutes! On top of that you can see that he is, smooth as silk in his technique execution. If you didn’t know Pedro is a 2x Olympic Bronze medalist and World Champion, so it’s safe to say he knows what is going on.
Throughout the demonstration a familiar theme emerges. Pedro gets his preferred grip, enters in to prepare his takedown, and then he executes. At the 0:35 you can see him execute the ‘cross sleeve grip sequence’. Pedro gets the cross sleeve grip, enters closer to his partner to get the back grip, and then executes. Once his grips are set he is ready to launch into multiple techniques. By obtaining the proper grips he is able to limit his opponents options while simultaneously presenting himself with multiple attacks.
Ready to Grip Like A World Champ? Click Learn More!
Jimmy goes on to demonstrate a couple more sequential drills that would be a great addition to anyone’s routine. He shows how to attack the front sleeve of the opponent by circling towards their lead hand. As they turn to face him he grabs the sleeve while punching his other hand to the collar. This affords him the ability to open his partner up and turn into multiple attacks. Once again it all starts with a successful grip.
While gripping is important it is also essential to remember that there are counter grips. Pedro reinforces the habit of keeping a good position. At the 2:08 mark he describes getting good control and maintaining control. Undoubtedly your opponent will attempt to get ahold of you in some manner or another. Pedro stresses keeping good position throughout which opens opportunities for him to counter his partner’s attempt to establish any offense.
One thing that Pedro credits much of his success to is the ability to obtain and use a quality grip. Grip Like A World Champion 2.0 is Pedro’s newest instructional available through JudoFanatics! This instructional covers the ins and outs of the grip game. Learn how to win the very first engagement to increase your chances of victory!