Grip Breaking

What it is

Grip breaking is removing your opponent's grips before they can use them to sweep, choke or pass. In the gi you break collar and sleeve grips with two hands on one wrist and your hips moving away; in no-gi you strip or control the wrist. A grip they keep for long is a grip they will use.

Where it shows up

• In closed guard on top: they grab your collar or sleeve, and you break it while you rebuild posture.
• Standing: they take a collar or sleeve grip, and you break it before they set up a throw.
• In open guard: they grip your sleeves or trousers, and you break them before you pass.
• Under side control or the back: break the grip that is setting up the choke first.

Key details

• Two on one: both of your hands on their one wrist. One hand against one hand is a strength contest.
• Break with your hips, not just your hands. Pull the wrist toward your hip as you sit back, posture up or step away.
• Break toward their thumb, the weakest side of any grip. For a sleeve grip, turn your wrist toward their thumb and rip the arm away.
• Never pull fingers back. Bending fingers is illegal at every belt and can break them.
• After the break, control the hand or take your own grip. A broken grip that comes straight back gained you nothing.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: peeling one finger at a time. It is slow, it does not work, and bending fingers is illegal.
• Mistake: breaking the grip with your arms while your posture is bent. The grip comes off, but they break you down anyway.
• Mistake: breaking one grip and ignoring the other. They switch grips and keep the attack going.

Gi and no-gi

In no-gi there are no collar or sleeve grips to break. The fight is for the wrist: circle your wrist out toward their thumb to strip it, then take wrist control yourself.