“Big” John McCarthy Speaks

I agree with Big John's call to deduct a point from Tito for the fence grabbing, but I disagree that the guard is a…

By: Luke Thomas | 16 years ago
“Big” John McCarthy Speaks
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

I agree with Big John’s call to deduct a point from Tito for the fence grabbing, but I disagree that the guard is a 50-50 position.  It is correct to argue the person on the bottom has an array of submissions, so the guard can be offensive as it is defensive.  It is not correct, however, to then assume that the guard is equal to being on top.  First, there are also submissions from the top.  Two, the person on top is at a significant striking advantage.  Three, it’s a lot more tiring to be on the bottom than the top.  That sounds counterintuitive, but roll one or two times.  Someone who’s good at guard passing or weight distribution can make life on the bottom miserable.

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Luke Thomas
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