In the world of Jiu Jitsu, understanding and mastering positional control is crucial. One key concept that stands out is the inside position. This term refers to maintaining your limbs (arms or legs) inside your opponent’s limbs, which can give you a tactical advantage. In this blog, we will explore the importance of inside position in Jiu Jitsu, how to achieve and maintain it, and the benefits it brings to your game.

What is Inside Position?

Inside position, also known as inside control, involves placing your limbs inside your opponent’s limbs. This strategic positioning allows you to manage distance, influence your opponent’s movements, maintain positional control, and effectively set up a variety of attacks and defenses.

Why Inside Position is Important

1. Control
   • Distance Management: Having inside position allows you to control the distance between you and your opponent. This control is crucial in both offense and defense.
   • Leverage and Balance: With inside control, you can better leverage your opponent’s balance and posture, making it easier to execute sweeps, submissions, and positional advancements.
2. Offensive Opportunities
   • Setting Up Submissions: Inside position provides a platform to initiate various submissions, such as armbars, triangles, and chokes, with greater efficiency. It is important to note that almost all control and application of submissions require some form of inside control.
   • Sweeps and Reversals: From inside control, you can execute sweeps and reversals more effectively, turning defensive positions into advantageous ones.
3. Defensive Benefits
   • Blocking Attacks: By maintaining inside control, you can block your opponent’s attempts to  acquire inside control, significantly reducing their offensive capabilities. The Panda system is based around this fundamental principle. Dominating your inside position defensively allows you to move and transition without being controlled by your opponent. This allows you to get back to an offensive position without having to produce an escape.
   • Escape Routes: Focusing on regaining your inside position offers better opportunities to create space and produce escapes once inside position is lost.

Drills to Enhance Inside Position

• Pummeling Drills
  • Objective: Develop hand fighting skills to achieve and maintain inside position.
  • Execution: Partner up and practice pummeling for inside control, focusing on smooth transitions and connection.
• Guard Retention Drills
  • Objective: Improve your ability to retain inside position while playing guard.
  • Execution: Practice guard retention drills, emphasizing keeping your legs and feet inside to block your opponent’s passes.
• Positional Sparring
  • Objective: Apply inside control concepts in live training.
  • Execution: Engage in positional sparring, focusing on inside position from both bottom and top for all positions (Side Control, Mount, Back Mount, Guard, Standing, and Turtle)
• Defensive Sparring (Panda System)
  • Objective: Apply defensive inside control concepts in live training.
  • Execution: Engage in positional sparring, focusing on inside position using the Panda System. See how long you can deny inside position from your opponent by only playing defensively. (Turtle, Hawking, Baby Bridge, Running man, and Panda)

Conclusion

Understanding and mastering the concept of inside position in Jiu Jitsu is fundamental to developing a well-rounded and effective game. Whether you are aiming to control your opponent, set up submissions, or defend against attacks, maintaining inside control gives you a significant advantage. By incorporating drills and techniques focused on achieving and maintaining inside position, you can enhance your overall performance and improve your skill on the mat.

Remember, consistency and practice are key. Regularly work on these concepts to make inside position an integral part of your Jiu Jitsu strategy. Embrace the journey, stay dedicated, and watch your skills grow.

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Sometimes you’ll hear someone yell out, “go Panda”. I’m often asked by beginners what this is and if they should be learning it. I always say yes, and it should be something you focus on and develop very early.

So what is Panda system?

It’s essentially six movements, each serving it’s own purpose during a roll. The six positions are Hawking, Panda, Baby Bridge, Turtle, Running man, and Stick. This makes no sense of course without seeing these positions demonstrated, but each position is designed to control your inside position. Inside position is the space between your hip and armpit. Almost all submissions and control come from this space being occupied by your opponent in some way. If this space is denied, no real control can be achieved. Understand this is not your entire game, it’s a small portion of it. It’s a defensive precaution taken when you have lost position, then using the system to recover your guard or top position (active).

The great thing about the panda system is you can train it whenever you want and it gives beginners a goal, a way to stay safe.

Because it is defensive, you can manufacture the challenges during a roll. Meaning, you can give your back or let someone pass your guard. See how long you can survive before losing inside position. The more you practice the better you get at it. The one tip I’ll give is to watch your transitions between the positions in panda. This is where you will lose control of inside position and now have to produce an escape.

This isn’t something that most Jiu-Jitsu players like to focus on of course, being offensive seems to take priority for most.

This is not wrong, you should always want your opponent having to defend or catch up. However, developing your defense in this way can be very frustrating for your opponent and give you a level of comfortability in positions that appear to be very uncomfortable. That being said, you develop this comfortability over time in the positions, they are indeed uncomfortable :).

We have panda class every Friday at V.O.W. and I highly recommend it for everyone.

Here is a link to a breakdown I did with someone using the panda system in a tournament and winning.

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