Misalignment

Grappling is much easier if you can make the other person’s hips and shoulders do opposing things. Guard passing, getting to mount, taking the back, and playing guard all utilize spine misalignment as part of effective application. It is why cross faces, leg drags, body locks, and under hooks all work so well. By twisting the spine, turning the head, pinning the hips or otherwise immobilizing our opposition we increase our chances of success and decrease theirs. Remember this is a zero-sum game, we must keep them from doing things to us and optimize our offense against them.