At our annual Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu conference, we spent time working on one of the most important areas of grappling development: the mechanics of control.
Submissions are exciting. They are what most people remember. They are often what students want to learn first.
But submissions do not exist by themselves.
A submission usually appears because something happened before it. A grip was established. A position was controlled. A pathway was created. The opponent reacted. Their body gave you information. You recognized that information and moved into the next option.
That is what we are really studying here.
Not just submissions.
The pathway to submissions.
The Importance of the Master Grip
One of the first principles introduced in this lesson is the master grip.
A master grip is not just a way to hold someone. It is a control point that gives you access to multiple directions. Once that grip is established, it can lead into different submissions, transitions, and control options depending on how the opponent responds.
That is an important idea.
A good grip should not give you only one move. A good grip should give you options.
From the master grip, we can begin to feel when the opponent bends, straightens, hides, pulls away, posts, or tries to recover. Each one of those reactions becomes information.
The student has to learn how to listen to the body.
Secondary Control
Along with the master grip, we also use secondary control positions. This may be a hook, a yoke, or another form of elbow control that allows us to manage the opponent’s arm and posture.
The secondary control helps us stay connected while the opponent moves.
Sometimes the secondary control comes first. Sometimes the master grip comes first. The order can change depending on the body position, the opponent’s reaction, and the pathway we are trying to follow.
That is why this work should not be memorized as a fixed sequence only.
It should be studied as a relationship between control, movement, reaction, and opportunity.
Listening to the Partner’s Body
One of the most important lessons in this video is learning to recognize what the partner’s body is telling you.
If the arm straightens, that tells you something.
If the elbow bends, that tells you something.
If the shoulder comes up, that tells you something.
If the hand plants on the floor, that tells you something.
If the opponent turns in, flattens out, hides the arm, or tries to escape, each one of those responses creates a new pathway.
This is where grappling begins to mature.
Instead of forcing one technique, the student learns to follow the path that is being offered.
The Elbow Drag
The elbow drag is one of the tools used in this flow to create the next opportunity.
Sometimes the opponent is too flat to drag easily. In that case, the body may need to be rolled, cut, or turned slightly to create the space needed to move the arm. The elbow drag can create enough angle to begin opening up attacks, changing control, or accessing the back side of the arm.
This is also where the student begins to understand that submission work is not only about the joint being attacked.
It is about the body position that makes the attack possible.
Studying the Pathway
In the video, Alan makes an important point: sometimes people go to a seminar, learn a cool submission, go home, try it, and realize it does not work the same way.
That usually happens because they learned the finish but not the pathway.
The finish is the last piece.
The pathway is what gets you there.
This is what Alan calls the gap art.
The gap art is the part between the position and the submission. It includes the grip, the angle, the movement, the pressure, the reaction, the transition, and the timing.
That is often the missing piece.
A person may know the submission. They may know what the final shape looks like. But they do not know how to get there when the other person is resisting.
That is why we study pathways.
The Judo Lesson
A useful comparison is high-level judo.
An Olympic-level judoka may only be famous for a small number of throws. But they know many pathways into those throws.
They can enter from different grips, different pressures, different reactions, different directions, and different moments.
That is why the technique works.
It is not because they know a thousand throws. It is because they deeply understand how to get to the ones they own.
The same principle applies to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
You may have a favorite submission. You may like limb-up attacks, limb-down attacks, Americana variations, straight arm locks, wrist locks, or shoulder locks.
The question is:
How many ways do you know how to get there?
Limb Down, Turkey Wing, Straight Arm, and V Arm Lock
This lesson explores a series of attacks that follow the path of the arm.
The arm has structure. It has joints. It has predictable lines of movement. When you understand that path, you begin to see how one submission can lead into another.
If the arm bends, one option appears.
If it straightens, another option appears.
If the hand plants, another option appears.
If the elbow drops, another option appears.
If the shoulder comes up, another option appears.
This is why the student should not only memorize names. The name is useful, but the real understanding is in the path the limb follows.
In the video, Alan works through several options, including limb-down attacks, turkey wing positions, straight arm locks, V arm locks, Americana variations, wrist locks, and shoulder control positions.
The purpose is not to collect a long list of submissions.
The purpose is to understand how one control point can create a chain.
Moving the Person Over the Hand
One of the important details shown in the lesson is what happens when the opponent plants their hand.
Sometimes you cannot move the hand.
But you may be able to move the person.
That is a major principle.
If the hand is fixed to the mat, the body can be moved over the hand. This changes the relationship between the wrist, elbow, shoulder, and torso. In some systems, especially Shooto-style grappling, this kind of movement is used often to create pressure, expose the joint, and force the person to respond.
This is another example of not fighting the strongest part of the structure.
If the hand is planted and cannot be removed, change the body around it.
Control Before Finish
Throughout the lesson, Alan continues returning to control.
Control of the elbow.
Control of the shoulder.
Control of the head.
Control of the body angle.
Control of the escape route.
This matters because a submission is only as good as the control supporting it.
If you attack too early, the opponent escapes.
If you chase the finish without controlling the structure, you lose the pathway.
If you control the pathway, the submission begins to appear.
This is one of the differences between beginner-level submission hunting and more mature grappling development.
The beginner looks for the move.
The experienced grappler controls the path.
The Role of Flow Drills
The flow drill shown in the video comes from Master Erik Paulson and is used to introduce students to these pathways.
Flow drills are valuable because they let the student feel the relationship between positions. They are not meant to be dead patterns. They are meant to create recognition.
The student begins to feel:
When the arm straightens.
When the elbow bends.
When the shoulder comes up.
When the hand plants.
When the partner turns.
When the next control is available.
When the next submission begins to appear.
That kind of awareness is what makes technique usable.
The Larger Principle
The deeper lesson in this video is simple:
Do not only study the submission. Study the pathway.
The pathway is where the art lives.
It is where the grips, reactions, angles, controls, and transitions connect. It is where you learn to listen to your partner’s body instead of trying to force your favorite move against resistance.
This is how a student becomes more capable.
They do not just collect techniques.
They learn how to think inside the position.
They learn how to follow the body.
They learn how to control the path.
And eventually, the submission becomes less like a trick and more like a consequence.
That is the real work.
Shift Your Perspective, Take Action, And Create Change
Gentleman in Conduct. Scholar in Thought. Savage in Action.
~ Sifu Alan ┃ www.sifualan.com ┃ www.civtaccoach.com┃www.prtinstructor.com
Sifu Alan Baker is a nationally respected authority in Defensive Tactics Program Development, High-Performance Coaching, and martial arts, with over 45 years of training experience across multiple systems. As a lifelong martial artist and tactical instructor, Alan has dedicated his career to creating practical, adaptable, and effective training systems for real-world application. He has worked extensively with law enforcement agencies, military units, and private security professionals, designing programs that emphasize scenario-based training, everyday carry (EDC) integration, and combative efficiency under pressure.
Alan’s client list includes elite organizations such as the Executive Protection Institute, Vehicle Dynamics Institute, The Warrior Poet Society, ALIVE Active Shooter Training, Tactical 21, and Retired Navy SEAL Jason Redman, among many others. He is the creator of both the C-Tac® (Civilian Tactical Training Association) and Protection Response Tactics (PRT) programs—two widely respected systems that provide realistic, principle-based training for civilians and professionals operating in high-risk environments.
In addition to his tactical and martial arts work, Alan is the founder of the Warrior’s Path Physical Culture Program, a holistic approach to strength, mobility, and long-term health rooted in traditional martial arts and the historic principles of physical culture. This program integrates breathwork, structural alignment, joint expansion, strength training, and mental discipline, offering a complete framework for building a resilient body and a powerful mindset. Drawing from his training in Chinese Kung Fu, Filipino Martial Arts, Indonesian Silat, Burmese systems, and more, Alan combines decades of experience into a method that is both modern and deeply rooted in timeless warrior traditions.
Alan is also the architect of multiple online video academies, giving students worldwide access to in-depth training in his systems, including Living Mechanics Jiu-Jitsu, C-Tac® Combatives, breathwork, functional mobility, and weapons integration. These platforms allow for structured, self-paced learning while connecting students to a growing global community of practitioners.
Beyond physical training, Alan is a sought-after Self-Leadership Coach, working with high performers, professionals, and individuals on personal growth journeys. His coaching emphasizes clarity, discipline, focus, and accountability, helping people break through mental limitations and align their daily actions with long-term goals. His work is built on the belief that true mastery begins with the ability to lead oneself first, and through that, to lead others more effectively.
Alan is also the author of three books that encapsulate his philosophy and approach: The Warrior’s Path, which outlines the mindset and habits necessary for self-leadership and personal mastery; The Universal Principles of Change, a practical guide for creating lasting transformation; and Morning Mastery, a structured approach to building a powerful daily routine grounded in physical culture and discipline.
To explore Alan’s books, digital academies, live training opportunities, or to inquire about seminars and speaking events, visit his official website and take the next step on your path toward strength, resilience, and mastery.