DIRECT VS INDIRECT CONTROL

This short blog is an important topic and has to do with the difference between having a direct control of your opponent, or having indirect control of them.

Direct Control is any time you have control of a limb or body part of your opponent without the use of the equipment they may be wearing at the time.

Indirect Control (aka Proxy Control) is anything that has contact with your opponent through a piece of equipment or their Gi (i.e. sleeve, lapel, pant, belt, etc.).

Often times one form of control will be superior over another. For example, a sleeve grip nullifying an opponent’s ability to obtain a sleeve, wrist or pant grip on you, such as when you have the Spider Guard. This would be an example of Indirect or Proxy Control. Or say you have the X Guard, like in the picture above, and have control of the your opponent's leg. Definitely an example of Direct Control.

So which form is better? Is one really superior over the other? It's really a matter of context. However, being that there are many examples of this, the only way to determine if one method is better than another in any given situation is through research, training and rolling. There are no shortcuts.

LEARN. DRILL. ROLL. TRANSFORM!