An example of a class 3 level in BJJ is a scissor sweep from guard. The opponents contact point on the floor (foot/knee), the force is your contact on their body, and the load is the pull/drag you create on their upper body.
If you are a keen observer, you will notice that load and force are somewhat interchangeable. Since the class of levers applies to both the attacker and defender positions, the mechanical advantage is dynamic. Additionally, the fulcrum needs to be well-placed in order to gain this advantage. To add more complexity to the issue, the fulcrum can be moved along the lever arm to adjust location of force application.
Other observations include both the attacker and defender act as levers. In the arm bar example above, while the defenders arm is a class 1 lever, the attackers body is behaving like a class 3 lever (blue arrows, gold text). The fulcrum is the attackers shoulders (wheels of a wheelbarrow), the effort is the hips (bucket of wheelbarrow) and the load (handles of wheelbarrow) is the defenders elbow.
The majority of attacks utilizing lever arms is fairly well understood in jiu jitsu. In no-gi, limbs provide mechanical advantages; in the gi, we can use tools (the gi), to create a lot more advantages. The way I like to think of the gi as a tool is to minimize the number of limbs it takes me to control the maximum amount of my opponents limbs. For example, if you control an opponents lapel in the Worm guard position, you can use a single hand to manage their posture (upper body), hips (center of gravity), knees and ankle.
Similar attacks and defense with the lapel can be made in standing, top or bottom guard. The best use of the gi will free up your hands and limit your opponents movement.
To recap:
The goal of jiu jistu then, is to gain a tactical advantage over your opponent while minimizing risk and maximizing reward. The more you’re able to control your opponent and the less of your body you need to use to do so, the greater the advantage.
An example of a type 2 lever in BJJ submissions is an omoplata. Force is applied at the wrist/hand, load is applied to the shoulder (as close to the joint as possible) and the fulcrum is the shoulder joint.
An example of a class 3 level in BJJ is a scissor sweep from guard. The opponents contact point on the floor (foot/knee), the force is your contact on their body, and the load is the pull/drag you create on their upper body.
If you are a keen observer, you will notice that load and force are somewhat interchangeable. Since the class of levers applies to both the attacker and defender positions, the mechanical advantage is dynamic. Additionally, the fulcrum needs to be well-placed in order to gain this advantage. To add more complexity to the issue, the fulcrum can be moved along the lever arm to adjust location of force application.
Other observations include both the attacker and defender act as levers. In the arm bar example above, while the defenders arm is a class 1 lever, the attackers body is behaving like a class 3 lever (blue arrows, gold text). The fulcrum is the attackers shoulders (wheels of a wheelbarrow), the effort is the hips (bucket of wheelbarrow) and the load (handles of wheelbarrow) is the defenders elbow.
The majority of attacks utilizing lever arms is fairly well understood in jiu jitsu. In no-gi, limbs provide mechanical advantages; in the gi, we can use tools (the gi), to create a lot more advantages. The way I like to think of the gi as a tool is to minimize the number of limbs it takes me to control the maximum amount of my opponents limbs. For example, if you control an opponents lapel in the Worm guard position, you can use a single hand to manage their posture (upper body), hips (center of gravity), knees and ankle.
Similar attacks and defense with the lapel can be made in standing, top or bottom guard. The best use of the gi will free up your hands and limit your opponents movement.
To recap:
The goal of jiu jistu then, is to gain a tactical advantage over your opponent while minimizing risk and maximizing reward. The more you’re able to control your opponent and the less of your body you need to use to do so, the greater the advantage.
We can manipulate the effort (muscular force), fulcrum placement and to some degree, the load (opponents weight, or force) to create an asymmetrical advantage. The fulcrum is best understood as the point of contact that will “break” on an opponent.
An example of a type 1 lever in BJJ submissions is an arm bar. Force is applied at the wrist (effort), with the fulcrum at the elbow and the load applied at the opponents shoulder.
An example of a type 2 lever in BJJ submissions is an omoplata. Force is applied at the wrist/hand, load is applied to the shoulder (as close to the joint as possible) and the fulcrum is the shoulder joint.
An example of a class 3 level in BJJ is a scissor sweep from guard. The opponents contact point on the floor (foot/knee), the force is your contact on their body, and the load is the pull/drag you create on their upper body.
If you are a keen observer, you will notice that load and force are somewhat interchangeable. Since the class of levers applies to both the attacker and defender positions, the mechanical advantage is dynamic. Additionally, the fulcrum needs to be well-placed in order to gain this advantage. To add more complexity to the issue, the fulcrum can be moved along the lever arm to adjust location of force application.
Other observations include both the attacker and defender act as levers. In the arm bar example above, while the defenders arm is a class 1 lever, the attackers body is behaving like a class 3 lever (blue arrows, gold text). The fulcrum is the attackers shoulders (wheels of a wheelbarrow), the effort is the hips (bucket of wheelbarrow) and the load (handles of wheelbarrow) is the defenders elbow.
The majority of attacks utilizing lever arms is fairly well understood in jiu jitsu. In no-gi, limbs provide mechanical advantages; in the gi, we can use tools (the gi), to create a lot more advantages. The way I like to think of the gi as a tool is to minimize the number of limbs it takes me to control the maximum amount of my opponents limbs. For example, if you control an opponents lapel in the Worm guard position, you can use a single hand to manage their posture (upper body), hips (center of gravity), knees and ankle.
Similar attacks and defense with the lapel can be made in standing, top or bottom guard. The best use of the gi will free up your hands and limit your opponents movement.
To recap:
The goal of jiu jistu then, is to gain a tactical advantage over your opponent while minimizing risk and maximizing reward. The more you’re able to control your opponent and the less of your body you need to use to do so, the greater the advantage.
A well-condition athlete with the requisite knowledge of “mat sense” can begin to dominate an opponent to work towards a submission. Let’s take a closer look at how mechanical advantages are gained. With the goal of maximizing submission completion and minimizing risk, we can look at the body as a system of levers, fulcrum and forces to achieve this aim. To have a better understanding of this system, we will review the three types of levers, how fulcrums function, and the minimal application of force to create positional advantages.
In first class levers, the fulcrum is between the force and the object to be manipulated. Examples in the real world include seesaws, crowbars or a hammer to remove a nail from a piece of wood.
In second class levers, the fulcrum and levers are at opposite ends with the manipulated object between. Examples include wheelbarrows and doors.
In third class levers, the fulcrum is at one end, force is applied in the middle and the manipulated object at the other end. Examples include sweeping or hitting a baseball with a bat.
We can manipulate the effort (muscular force), fulcrum placement and to some degree, the load (opponents weight, or force) to create an asymmetrical advantage. The fulcrum is best understood as the point of contact that will “break” on an opponent.
An example of a type 1 lever in BJJ submissions is an arm bar. Force is applied at the wrist (effort), with the fulcrum at the elbow and the load applied at the opponents shoulder.
An example of a type 2 lever in BJJ submissions is an omoplata. Force is applied at the wrist/hand, load is applied to the shoulder (as close to the joint as possible) and the fulcrum is the shoulder joint.
An example of a class 3 level in BJJ is a scissor sweep from guard. The opponents contact point on the floor (foot/knee), the force is your contact on their body, and the load is the pull/drag you create on their upper body.
If you are a keen observer, you will notice that load and force are somewhat interchangeable. Since the class of levers applies to both the attacker and defender positions, the mechanical advantage is dynamic. Additionally, the fulcrum needs to be well-placed in order to gain this advantage. To add more complexity to the issue, the fulcrum can be moved along the lever arm to adjust location of force application.
Other observations include both the attacker and defender act as levers. In the arm bar example above, while the defenders arm is a class 1 lever, the attackers body is behaving like a class 3 lever (blue arrows, gold text). The fulcrum is the attackers shoulders (wheels of a wheelbarrow), the effort is the hips (bucket of wheelbarrow) and the load (handles of wheelbarrow) is the defenders elbow.
The majority of attacks utilizing lever arms is fairly well understood in jiu jitsu. In no-gi, limbs provide mechanical advantages; in the gi, we can use tools (the gi), to create a lot more advantages. The way I like to think of the gi as a tool is to minimize the number of limbs it takes me to control the maximum amount of my opponents limbs. For example, if you control an opponents lapel in the Worm guard position, you can use a single hand to manage their posture (upper body), hips (center of gravity), knees and ankle.
Similar attacks and defense with the lapel can be made in standing, top or bottom guard. The best use of the gi will free up your hands and limit your opponents movement.
To recap:
The goal of jiu jistu then, is to gain a tactical advantage over your opponent while minimizing risk and maximizing reward. The more you’re able to control your opponent and the less of your body you need to use to do so, the greater the advantage.