Tim-

Can you give a sense of the primary postural/positional points you keep in mind when escaping/preventing pins or control holds?

That is, both in how you organize your own body and what you make your opponent do?

Interesting question. I think the most basic rule is to prevent total domination of the hips. If you can move your hips even a little (including turning the hips in place), you have a chance to escape any pin or submission hold. At least one leg should be able to apply force against either the ground or the opponent.

If the hips are pinned or controlled, the upper body (chest, arms and shoulders) need to initiate the movements of escape. As much as possible, the force of the body should be coordinated into a coherent, unitary flow of force.

It is important also to avoid head control whenever possible, not only headlocks or the opponenet underhooking the head, but also the head's alignment is relation to the torso. I often initiate submissions by misaligning my opponent's head to weaken his ability to resist.

Elbows, in most cases should be kept close to your own torso.

Whenever I feel I am totally locked down, I relax as much as possible and try to use the kinesthetic sense in my entire body to feel my opponent's pressure and movement. The instant I feel release of pressure or movement, I move to escape.

I also apply pressure sometimes as a feint, when my opponent reacts I apply my force in a different direction for the escape.

As a last resort, I sometimes present an opening for my opponent to attack and then defend the submission and escape.

I think the pin tends to be where the sense of connectedness, and of the proper use of power becomes more difficult due to the pressure and the position.

Using the leg on the floor or the attacker, are you conscious at all of the Taiji power wave (feet-knees-waist-shoulders-arms) or do you think about it differently due to the position?

It seems with pins, sometimes, you have to move the body in pieces before you can move the body as a whole, provided you have already screwed up and he's secured a pin.

I think an interesting DvD or book (hint, hint) would be applying internal postural principles and efficient movement discipline during ground grappling at all phases. Effortless Combat Throws deals with it standing, but Passing the Guard is really the only one that talks in any depth about posture during ground grappling, and it is a vitally important aspect - including when you are on your back!!