THE PRINCIPLES OF BJJ – TIPS ON HOW TO ADVANCE THROUGH THE RANKSWhat is the difference between a blue belt and a black belt … or even a brown belt and a black belt?
Do you think it is the repertoire of moves? When you watch black belts at the highest level of competition, how many different “techniques” do you see?
It’s not the number of moves that matters – it’s their use of a few moves in accordance with the principles of BJJ that makes them black belts and strong competitors.
Remember, BJJ is designed so that smaller, weaker people can overcome and submit larger and stronger opponents. Competition sometimes undermines this, however, because every competitor does cardio, strength training, etc. Thus, the contest becomes a question of strength and endurance.
But honestly, whenever you see someone “straining” against his opponent, he is violating the basic principles of BJJ. When properly executed, BJJ techniques are easy. The opponent feels “light”. A child could sweep or throw him.
THE SECRET REVEALEDSo what is the secret?
When you start to fall, what’s your first response? You throw out your hands to break your fall. If someone throws a punch at your face, you flinch away from the punch.
What do we have here? Action … and reaction.
BJJ takes advantage of the natural reaction of an opponent to use it against him.
What does your opponent do when you grabs his wrist, force it to the mat and start to sit up to apply a kimura? He start to try to pull his arm away and moves away from you. That slight shift in weight then allows you to easily sweep your opponent. Action … and reaction.
You want to throw an opponent? Do you pull him toward you? No! You push him. And what does he do? He pushes back, allowing you to then easily to pull him into your hip and throw him. Action … and reaction.
These are simplistic examples, but even complex techniques in BJJ are centered on this simple principle. Incite a reaction and then take advantage of that reaction.
BLACK BELTS ARE LESS DYNAMIC
Black belt matches are often less dynamic than those of the lower belts simply because it is hard at this level to get the “reaction” one wants. Why? A black belt is wary of over committing to a specific reaction.
Eduardo Telles took a defensive position, the turtle, and made it an offensive position. He “gave his back” to get a victory. Now in competition when he turtles, no one wants to come near him, because they know how devastating he can be in that supposedly “weak” position. But isn’t this just another example of action-reaction?
Thus, the real difference between an blue and a black belt is not how many moves they know, but how many action-reaction they can “see” ahead. From purple to brown to black, it is the development of this ability to entice the opponent and letting him think he’s “winning” in order to submit him and defeat him.
THE PATH TO SUCCESS
As you develop your game, try to start thinking this way: “What do I need to do to provoke the reaction I want in order to execute the submission?”
This requires not just an understanding of a technique, but how that technique “fits” into the way an opponent reacts.
And that is what BJJ is really all about — why it doesn’t rely on physical strength and why smaller competitors can beat larger ones.
By Carlos Valente (Ultimate Grappling Magazine, July 2008)
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