Train with a handicap to change things up

Do you have one really good technique on which you're relying too much? 

Imposing limitations on what you can do during a roll can make you a more resourceful BJJ fighter. As it turns out, Rickson Gracie has lots of ideas on the subject. Here are some of them:

"When you trap both hands, you're gonna see a lot of different angles on your shoulder movements, on your head movement, on your chin, on your hips, on your legs, to cope with needs for you to keep surviving. Doesn't mean you have to fight without the hands; but when you take your hands out, you have to develop other parts. 

"So, trying to fight with your legs crossed, not opening your legs on the guard, and trying to do everything you have to do to be on the offense and keep the guy without opening your legs. Try to keep your legs open and just work with your open guard. Try to stay with somebody mounted on you and be able to feel comfortable and not give him a chance to win. 

"So anything can be used in your favor, either to keep a position, either to escape from a position, either to control somebody, either to allow yourself to get in a triangle and see what you're gonna do from there. 

"And, of course, the first time, you're gonna tap quick. Maybe a hundred times after, you're gonna feel like the guy cannot make you tap, because you already put your chin at an angle and... 

"So the experience of being tempered in this kind of hot steel is important. And to increase those possibilities... If you limit yourself to say 'I'm gonna stay only on the bottom,' 'I'm gonna keep my hands on the belt,' 'I'm gonna blind myself,' 'I'm gonna sweep only to the left side,' 'I'm gonna just take your foot on the right leg'... Whatever limitations you add to your training will increase the focus and the ability for you to deal with that particular sequence. So I highly recommend... 

"Sometimes you annul some part of your body or some attitude, or some movement or some techniques, to start to play without this kind of element to see how you can increase the other elements in your game."