First and foremost a HUGE congratulations to Alex, Craig, Marie and Jared. Each received the first stripe on their white belts a few classes back. We had quite a few matches and they all looked really good and worked really hard. So big kuddo’s to them! Like our instructor says “Always earned, never given.”
Moving on to some things that have been going on with my game. I’ve lately had some time to reflect on my last few rolls. I’ve had a couple with Thiago lately and it always seems like I can get into a good position and then I lose it, or I gas myself out trying to match strength with a guy who is much stronger than me. This leaves me tired and very sloppy.
So, I’ve been trying to think about what it means to use less strength and more technique, and that lead me to this question. What does technique mean in the context Brazilian Jiu Jitsu??? I’ve been playing guitar since I was twelve years old and that learning process (at least in my point of view) is very similar to how a person learns BJJ. But! When you’re playing guitar there is a very clear mission, as far as your technique is concerned, and that is MAKE IT SOUND GOOD! So you make adjustments to how you pick a string, how you place your fingers on the fretboard, how you set the EQ on your amp, and other things that make you sound better. That always seemed second nature to me, everything on a guitar just makes sense. All the things I need to make myself better are literally at my fingertips.
With Jiu Jitsu though it is just so much more encompassing. You’re not concerning yourself with one part of your body, but all parts of your body. I try to tell myself during rolls not to use my strength, not to wear myself out, and then what happens? I can’t find that ever elusive technique that is supposed to save me. I inevitably end up gassing myself out because I am not technical enough, and I don’t know what that means. I understand having a flow during your rolls, or having a plan of attack are all important elements, but HOW do you develop that technique? I guess that answer is simply mat time. However I have been thinking that it is more than that. I think I need a clear and concise idea of what I need to do to be better. Basically what I’m saying with my Jiu Jitsu right now, I can’t hear or feel what I am doing wrong. Please weigh in on this topic, I would like to hear everyone’s thoughts!
-Coxy
