Sacrifice throw and pulling guard
One move that I encourage all of my students to incorporate into their game is some type of sacrifice throw. I have one in particular that I use a lot and I like having a well drilled sacrifice throw for 3 main reasons.
The first is that it can provide you with an alternative to a basic guard pull. Unlike a traditional guard pull where your opponent will instantly start preparing for their passing position, if the sacrifice throw fails you will typically be in a guard pull like position with your opponent off balance. If you work on chaining together some sort of sweep or guard position off of a failed throw you can take advantage of your opponent being off balance from defending the throw.
The second is that it gives you an option if your opponent is superior in the area of takedowns. I’ve had several situations where I had an opponent who was a better wrestler than I was. Even worse, if the wrestler knows how to disengage and avoid sweep getting on top of them can be seemingly impossible. Having a practiced sacrifice throw allows you to take advantage of their, more than likely, forward aggressive posture and movement on the feet. It also allows you to take advantage of the fact that this person probably feels more comfortable on their feet and will be a little less on guard. I had a no gi match in particular that this reminds me off. It was about two years ago. The guy was a tough brown belt and a strong wrestler from Chicago and we were in a no gi tournament. He had already hit two takedowns on me during the match and every time I would be close to getting a sweep he would disengage. With about 2 minutes left in the match I was down 4 points. I locked up an under over grip and hit the no gi version of my favorite sacrifice throw. After a successful throw I ended up racking up points for a takedown, guard pass and mount awarding me the win. If I didn’t have a sacrifice throw I would have lost this match for sure.
The last is that is just adds another facet to your game. I think it’s incredibly important as a BJJ player to have a well varied toolbox. If you possess a game where you are able to attack your opponent from multiple directions and positions it makes you a little more unpredictable. It allows you to keep your opponent guessing and off balance, not allowing them the luxury of feeling safe no matter where they are.
So if you don’t have any type of sacrifice throw in your arsenal, you should consider drilling one and adding it to your game. Be sure to have a Plan A and Plan B if you do. Plan A, the throw works and you get the takedown. Plan B, the throw fails and you will need to adjust to some guard position.
Here are a couple of videos to check out showing some sacrifice movements
Flavio Canto has a slick pull to armbar, its nasty.
A couple of examples of me using a sacrifice technique in tournaments.
Against this guy who was a Judo and BJJ black belt, I didn’t feel as comfortable as normal trying to shoot in for the legs. He almost secured a takedown early on when I grabbed a single leg. Around 1:42 in the match I hit the sacrifice throw which leads to a scramble with me coming on top. (Excuse the camera work, I don’t have professional camera following me around. I have my students with phones.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7WNw_Bh7Q0
During this match I hit the throw since my opponent was pressing forward.
As always, Thanks for reading!
Chewy