When in Doubt…Frame, Pivot, Overload

How these three principles can increase your understanding and application of Jiu-Jitsu

"Jiu-Jitsu is the art of expressing yourself with your body. It's a physical language where each movement is a word and each technique a sentence."

-Jean Jacques Machado

When I first began the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Master Cycle as a Combative’s Belt in Jiu-Jitsu I had a limited range of techniques that I could employ while sparring. In many respects, this limited range is similar to a grammar or a vocabulary. I was able to form very specific sentences or to complete very specific sentences.

The Combative Belt lets higher belts know that you have a limited number of moves within your mental arsenal. This helps reduce the chance of injury, but it also provides the basis to allow other students to help teach you. They know what range sentences you can make, if you will. These moves form the foundation of your Jiu-Jitsu. In Gracie Jiu-Jitsu there are 36 techniques that all white belts learn as part of their foundation. This is your base, your grammar from which you can build the rest of your Jiu-Jitsu lexis.

In learning about the principles behind the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu, there were three that stood out: frame, pivot and overload. Many moves in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be broken down into these three types of moves. In understanding these principles I was able to shift my understanding beyond just the techniques and see more deeply into the principles behind the techniques.

Knowing how and when to frame, pivot or overload is extremely valuable. It allows your body to react to a move, even if you do not know the exact counter to that move. By using a pivot, frame or overload, you can buy yourself time to set up a move or throw off your opponent’s timing or base.

Frame: create barriers and maintain distance

When framing in Jiu-Jitsu, you use your skeletal structure to prevent your opponent from advancing to maintain distance. The benefit of using your skeletal structure to frame is that it does not require any muscle exertion. This creates a more sustainable method for leveraging and controlling an opponent. Framing allows you to not only maintain distance as part of a defense, but you can also employ it to create space to push an opponent away for an escape or create space to implement a move more effectively.

Example: Headlock Escape - Standard Frame Escape

The Headlock Escape 1 - Standard Frame Escape is is a great example of using a frame within a technique. As your opponent traps you head in a headlock from Side Mount you position one of forewarms against their neck. Then reinforce the support for that arm by extending your arm and pushing against your wrist. This pushes against the opponent’s neck, weakening their leverage over you. The result from the frame is now opportunity to shift their base and wrap your leg around their head to then weaken their grip and break free.

Pivot: rotate your body to change angles and improve positions

Pivoting involves rotating your body around a specific point to modify an angle, create leverage or move into a more advantageous position. You can pivot on your hand, chest, head or other body part. Doing this makes it harder for your opponent to predict or counter your move. By pivoting, you can also reduce the leverage or pressure that an opponent has on your joints.

Example: pivoting on your chest when an opponent is on their side

A fun way to pivot from the back of your opponent to the front is to place your chest on your opponents shoulder while they are on their side. Push off with your feet to rotate 160 degrees on your chest towards the front of your opponent. If implemented properly, this sets you up for the D’arce or other side control techniques. Watch out that your opponent does not lift their arm to block your spin.

Overload: apply pressure to disrupt balance and force defensive reactions

Overloading involves the application of pressure to a specific point on your opponent by using more than one limb to apply that pressure. By doing this, you can force your opponent to react in a way that opens them up for you to escape or to attack. Think of two hands on one joint.

Example: Hand placement for Rear Naked Choke

A good example of overloading is using your hands and arms to overload the neck of your opponent while executing a Rear Naked Choke. Wrapping one arm under the neck of your opponent you complete the move by locking one hand on the bicep of your other arm, then place the forearm of that arm behind the neck of your opponent. Pressure from multiple sides overloads the neck and carotid arteries of your opponent.

In Closing

In thinking of the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu as a form of grammar, it may be useful to interpret frames, pivots and overloads as a type of punctuation to that grammar. As Rener Gracie says, “Every technique in Jiu-Jitsu is like a word. The more techniques you learn, the more words you have to form sentences and tell your story on the mat."

For more information about the principles of Jiu-Jitsu, see our 2 part series on the 32 Principles of Jiu-Jitsu.