[EG note: Jits Tricks are where I get away from talking about the process of learning, and into specific grappling tips. They’re not usually full moves – more like handy hints that you pick up as you go along]

One way to get better at grappling fast is to identify rules that apply in every position, like keeping your elbows close to your body at all times. An only slightly more elaborate way is to find rules where there’s an if>then choice, with only a couple of options, only one of which is technically correct.

The best example? The Rule Of Thumb.

The Rule Of Thumb is simple: if you’re defending, you usually use a C-grip (thumb opposing your fingers, like you’d hold a tennis racket), if you’re attacking, you use a Monkey Grip (thumb next to your index finger, like it isn’t opposable – in bench pressing, it’s known as the Suicide Grip, for obvious reasons). The reasoning is pretty simple: the C-grip pushes your opponent away, while the Monkey Grip lets you draw them into you – it’s also a stronger grip, assuming that that’s what you want to do. So you’d use the Monkey Grip for a kimura or Americana, but a C-grip to handfight when someone’s trying to rear-naked choke you. The Rule Of Thumb has simplified a lot of choices for me – hopefully it’ll do the same for you.