### Collar Grip Technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu #### Overview The collar grip is a fundamental control technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and is used to establish control, initiate sweeps, passes, submissions, and apply pressure on the opponent. This grip provides a significant level of leverage, making it a versatile tool in various positions. #### Possible Position(s) - **Closed Guard** - **Open Guard** - **Standing** - **Butterfly Guard** #### Japanese Name - **N/A** #### Instructions **1. Establishing the Grip:** - **Position:** Closed Guard or Standing - Begin with your opponent in your guard or standing directly in front of you. - Reach up with one hand and firmly grasp your opponent's collar using a deep grip, ideally with your thumb inside the collar and fingers wrapping around the outside. **2. Breaking Posture (if in guard):** - **Position:** Closed Guard - Using the established grip, pull your opponent's upper body forward while simultaneously elevating your hips slightly to break their posture. **3. Creating Angle (if applicable):** - **Position:** Butterfly or Open Guard - With the collar secured, use your opposite hand or foot to seek additional control (such as grasping the sleeve or hooking a leg). Adjust your body to the side to create angles that can facilitate sweeps or submissions. **4. Applying Pressure (if standing):** - **Position:** Standing - Stand tall, and with the grip established, use it to pull the opponent slightly towards you while maintaining posture. This keeps their balance checked and opens opportunities for throws or takedowns. **5. Transition to Submissions or Sweeps (if desired):** - **Position:** Closed Guard or Open Guard - From a collar grip in closed guard, open your guard, use your free hand to cross your opponent's arm, and transition to submissions like the triangle choke or sweeps such as the scissor sweep. - In open guard settings, you can shift to arm-drags, cross-collar chokes, or omoplata setups. **6. Post-Grip Transition:** - Relinquish the collar grip once you have successful control of the position or have transitioned to a more dominant position such as mount or side control. #### Tips - Ensure the collar grip is deep and firm to maximize control over the opponent's posture and balance. - Use the collar grip intelligently to maintain pressure and dictate the flow of movement. - Be mindful of your wrist position while gripping to avoid unnecessary fatigue or injury.