In competitive sports, especially in BJJ where the number of techniques is vast, knowing your opponent is of great importance.
But what happens when your opponent knows you and has the knowledge to counter every move you make? That’s a frightening scenario that surely every competitor has faced.
Just think back to the fight between Gordon Ryan and Pene and the way Pena took his back and won.
However, the strategic approach used by the majority of top-level competitors in Jiu-Jitsu is setting traps.
This very concept of setting traps is explained by John Danaher. He explains how setting traps is one of the most important concepts that can easily tilt the fight in your favor.
Basing the entire concept on the fact that at the pinnacle of the sport, competitors possess a very deep understanding of each other’s tactics. Often in fights, both sides are afraid to make certain moves out of fear of counters. However, Danaher reveals the key to breaking this deadlock, which is to induce the opponent to take risks.
According to Danaher, setting traps is done by feigning weaknesses and creating an illusion, thereby luring the opponent into a false sense of security, and convincing them to do something that seems like a great opportunity. It’s at that moment that they unwittingly fall into your trap, allowing you to initiate the counter-attack you’ve prepared.
This tactic is particularly effective against opponents who have a keen awareness of potential dangers. When fighting against an opponent who is very skilled in defense, you must use their attacks against them because no one can defend and attack at the same time super effectively.
Danaher emphasizes that subtlety is one of the most important aspects of this approach. Instead of relentlessly attacking your opponent, you need to use strategic deception.
This way of thinking reminds us that success in sports is not just about physical strength, conditioning, and knowledge of technique because all of that can be easily equalized at the very top.
Therefore, we conclude that setting traps is just as important as everything else and is what truly makes the difference. Try training and thinking in this way, and you will see how quickly you progress in this aspect because it is precisely by setting traps that competitors can surpass the limitations imposed by the techniques themselves.
