Jiu Jitsu, as a grappling art tends to be defined in terms of positions.
These positions are used for both teaching/learning and also as a reference in
competition. As beginners we tend to see these positions in very black and
white terms, but as our experience develops we should allow the lines on how we
define these positions to blur a little. This blurring is a sign of flexibility
in our thinking and is a hallmark of the creative process that is so important
to our evolution as grapplers. I believe that one of the impediments to this
flexibility is the overemphasis of seeing Jiu Jitsu as a sport (instead of a
broader grappling system) which can tend to narrow the focus a little in terms
of definitions based around rules. Please understand that I am not in any way
disparaging the sport of Jiu Jitsu, which I love and I see as the root of much
of the creativity that has helped Jiu Jitsu grow. My thoughts are that we tend
to think in terms of Jiu Jitsu-defined positions and don’t always look beyond
them, for example in Jiu Jitsu we define reversals and sweeps differently based
on the importance given to the guard position in the context of Jiu Jitsu.
So, in light of this “blurring” of our definition or positions, I like
to look at positons in terms of a hierarchy. Jiu Jitsu already has such a
hierarchy - in fact the points system is based on it. I use this hierarchy, but
in conjunction with a few other layers of position. First and foremost, I
define positions in what I consider to a more important and simple way, that is,
as “Top or Bottom.” I do this in order to make a system that is more compatible
with MMA, self defence and Jiu Jitsu competition. Next, I define positions
based on whether they are offensive or defensive, and finally I look at the Jiu
Jitsu scoring hierarchy. It is important to note that while “top and bottom”
and “offensive and defensive” seem like an either/or proposition, they are really
both opposite ends of their own spectrums. For example, we can make a position
more defensive or more offensive.
So, the first layer (and the subject of this post) is “Top and Bottom”. All
grappling positions can be looked at in these terms and it is fairly easy to
see which position is the top or bottom one. I do take this a step further
though by dy defining, not only top and bottom positions, but also top and
bottom postures. Primarily when I define a position as a “top” or “bottom”
position I do it based on the posture and alignment of the grappler. It is as
simple as the alignment of the grappler’s torso in relation to the ground.
A
top posture is when the chest is more facing towards the ground than the
ceiling, much like a push up position.
 |
| Chest pointing down is Top Posture, like a push up (except I NEVER do push ups...) |
Conversely, a bottom posture is when the
chest is facing more towards the ceiling than the ground, like a sit up.
 |
| Chest pointing up is Bottom Posture, like a sit up or a dying fly (which is what my sit ups look like...) |
Now, I
know what you are thinking, you are asking “Hold on Gerry, that isn’t always
the case. What if I shoot a double leg and my opponent sprawls over my back?
Then I am in the bottom position and we both have our chests facing the
ground.” To this my answer is the same, yes you are “under” your opponent, but
I don’t define being under someone as having a bottom posture. I use the
definition of top and bottom the way I do because of how you are able to move
and adapt in that particular alignment. In the example just given, one grappler
is certainly “under” the other one, however I would definite as both players
having A top posture, rather than having THE top
posture.
I spend a lot of my time when coaching my students yelling out “Top
Position, Top Position!” to encourage the importance of completing scrambles in
a top position, even if the opponent does too. In most cases I believe it is
better to have both grapplers end up on their knees or feet than it is to
concede bottom position voluntarily. However sometimes the way we play our top
and bottom games is also relevant, as our alignment can make a huge difference
to our positioning. By this I mean that, when under your opponent, the further
you can turn yourself to a top posture (chest down) the easier your reversals
are likely to be. Similarly, when on top of your opponent, the more you switch
to the bottom posture (chest up) the more likely you are of being reversed.
I will highlight the above with an example that shows the risk when
getting the positioning wrong, as well as how to approach each more
effectively.
Example 1. Bottom positon helped by turning chest down – Basic Half
Guard Sweep
In this example when playing half guard, the offensiveness of the
position is magnified the more you move towards a “top” posture. So even though
I am still underneath Ryan I use my under hook to allow me to move out to the
side. This takes me closer to a top posture and further from a bottom posture
until we are both in a top posture. Once this is achieved the sweep is far more
effective for me because of my increased mobility.
This example shows the opposite side of the coin, essentially how
changing your “top” posture to a “bottom” posture will undermine your control
and make a reversal much more likely. To highlight this, Ryan demonstrates a
poor way to attempt the knee slide pass, where he shoots his knee through with
his hips passing in front of his shoulder line. This movement results in Ryan’s
chest pointing more towards the ceiling than the ground, which means that it is
less distance for me to push back to the floor than it is for Ryan to get his
chest back to the ideal downward direction. The simple hip escape and stiff arm
combination that I use to reverse the situation is almost effortless due to
Ryan’s change from a “top“ to “bottom” posture.
There are many more examples that I could give that would highlight the
importance of this concept, but the basic message here is clear. Changing your
posture and alignment to suit a top or bottom positon will make the actual
change reversal of a situation easier or harder…. and remember, you can either
use this to take advantage or prepared to be taken advantage of!
Keep your eye out for the next post in this series on defining position:
Offensive vs Defensive, a sliding scale.