With a tournament coming up this weekend in Taiwan and a few more just around the corner, have you thought about your fighting strategies? If you haven’t here are a few ideas from one of the best competitors out there. Enjoy and good luck what ever your plan is!
“Can you plan a strategy? By Pablo Popovitch
Analysing your opponents
One of the most neglected parts of competition is analyzing your opponents. Your first match will be hardest to make a game plan. You’ve probably never seen your opponent compete before which is why I think first matches are the hardest of them all. Plus you have the jitters of the tournament, and the feeling of losing your first match and being eliminated is not a welcome feeling. Your first match is a very important way to set the day’s pace
Warming Up
Warm up very well one hour before your match. You need to break a sweat and continue stretching. When training at your academy the secondsparring session is always easier and usually your stamina lasts longer. That’s because your body is warm and your lungs are ready for the task ahead. Keep in mind that you should not warm up for more than 15-20 minutes or start too early before competition. You don’t want to stress your body too much. All you need is a good warm up and that’s it.
Game Plan
1. Set up a game plan based on your strengths
If you have a good bottom game, consider starting the match by pulling guard. Feel your opponent out and start working your strengths. Same goes with great takedowns and guard passing.
2. Pace of the match
Never start your first match going all out. It is very important to dictate the pace of your first match. If you go all out and your opponent is as good as you, you’ll have nothing left in the tank for your next matches. You need to feel him out analyze what he is capable of during the match. If he is going all out, focus on his mistakes and establish positions, that give you time to think like:
- Closed guard
- Half guard
- Front headlock (if he is shooting on you)
- Wrestling lock up (on your feet with hands inside his shoulders)
- Any other position that you feel comfortable with
Watch Your Opponents Fight Carefully
Do you ever watch your opponents fighting? Well I always do, and I feel that it helps my strategy a lot.
I designed a graph that you can either take to the tournament or memorize. I use this type of mental layout to help plan strategies.
Your Opponent’s Strengths
What is his strength? Is he a great wrestler? Have an attacking guard? Versed well in submissions? It is very important to analyze his strengths and see if they are your weakness, if they are you need to make a game plan or you will be in trouble.
Example:
I have fought many great wrestlers, division 1, All-American etc… Even though I’ve had people tell me I have world class takedowns in Submission Wrestling, I did not exchange takedowns with them. Why? Because I don’t want to fight on their strength. I want them where they feel they are the least comfortable. Playing Jiu-Jitsu, I know that if I sweep them they are done. Great wrestlers usually have no bottom game, so my game plan would be to work from my back.
Opponent’s Weakness
Everyone has a hole in their game, especially at the early stages of competition (beginners). Stamina, strength, wrestling, guard pass, guard defense. Pay attention to the way he fights as you watch.
Example:
I fought a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt that was feared for his anaconda chokes. Everyone that attempted to double leg him would submit to his anaconda. What did I do? I took him down with my arm drag because I knew that if I shot, he would attempt to apply the choke. I paid attention to how he dealt with takedowns and exploited his weakness.
I was patient for 6-7 minutes and took advantage of the weakness at the right time.
Analyse Submissions
Does your opponent have good submissions? What is he good at? Foot locks, guillotines, arm locks etc… By watching his early matches you can see what he is going for the most. That gives you a good vision of what he is capable of.
Overall Strength
Is he really strong? Did he outmuscle his first opponent? If your opponent is stronger than you that means you need to avoid certain positions. Your technique will have to play a big role in the match so you need to be sharp. Avoid exchanging a lot of strength.
Stamina
Does your opponent run out of Gas easily? By watching his first match you can see how his stamina is, maybe your stamina is much better than his, or maybe you need to stall a little more with him because he never gets tired.
Make a Game-plan!
Based on what you watched, always make a game plan. Having a game plan not only will give you better odds to win the match but also it will give you great confidence. When you have a game plan you don’t think about losing, you think about accomplishing your strategy.
Backup Your Gameplan
If you really want to increase your odds, always have a backup plan. Instead of just watching the fights, being focused and having strategies will not only help you win, but become a better fighter.”
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