Photo Credit: San Diego Shooter

I thought it would be a good idea to get a baseline understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of my game.  I tend to think of an area as strong when meet the following simple two rules, (1) I have a game plan I go to naturally and (2) I can execute against it decent players. 

Any position without these being true constitutes an area where I either (1) Don't have a clear enough plan of attack or (2) Haven't worked my gameplan enough where I can do it on the mat.  Either way, it represents a gap that needs filling.

The idea of this exercise is just to clarify my own perceptions and help me to identify the rough edges I need to round out through focused study, rolling, and drilling.  Here is my quick list:

Areas for Improvement:

• Attacking Combat Base
• Attacking from Sitting Up Guard
• Sweeping from Butterfly Guard
• Defeating Butterfly Guard
• Attacking (Subs/Sweeps) from Closed Guard
• Opening Closed Guard
• Double Underhooks Pass
• Knee Drive Passes
• Attacking the Turtle
• Maintaining Back Control
• Finishing from the Back
• Footlocks
• Escaping Turtle Safely and Quickly
• Guard Recovery (Early)
• Side Control Escapes to Guard vs. Knees
• Attacking from Knee Ride
• Escaping Knee Ride

Areas of Strength:

• Controlling and Passing Half Guard Top
• Holding and Attacking Side Control
• Holding and Attacking Mount
• Gaining Mount Efficiently
• Gaining and Finishing S-Mount
• Armbar Control and Finish
• Getting to Knees from Bottom
• Protecting from Turtle
• Torrenado Pass

The first thing that I noticed in doing this is how lopsided it is - I have a lot more areas that need serious work than areas where I am strong.  I also think I am being a bit hard on myself since I play from these "weak" positions all the time, and do fine, but I know they can be much better.  My goal is that automatic pressure game.  I am light years away from what I know a game can be.

My sense is that when I have reversed this ratio, I will feel like I have a decent game from everywhere.  In my mind this is what a purple belt has vs. a blue.  They have a sound plan they can execute from everywhere and the confidence to put it into action.  Of course it works more against whites and blues that blacks, but the seed is there to build on.

I'll let you know if that is true when I get there, but I do recall Saulo saying once in JJ University that you should feel like the belt before you get it.  I don't feel like a purple at all yet so I keep at it like everyone else.