Ideally your not going to Pensador up until your within the fighting measure or just about at punching distance. Your using it as you come in to weather the storm as you crash the line. Pensadoring up and staying to the outside is pretty pointless ive found, as your telegraphing your intentions. Our hands go up as we shoot in, weathering the storm until we get to the inside. Then into the termination phase which involves working on the inside at trapping range or at an angle off your opponents centerline. Stuffing a takedown would with your arms up at your head would be messy. Its important to remember that with the Pensador you must be aggressive, your intercepting an attack with one of your own. Again nothing works 100% of the time. Ive spent probably close to to 200 actual hours working it and have found decent success like I said, but again thats just me. Stuffing a takedown is more hip action and weight distribution, your arms come into play but the majority of a good sprawl comes from the hips.Does that ironically work against you?
It is designed to close distance and grapple but forces your hands high preventing you from defending takedowns..
