This evening I was watching the film Blindness. There is a scene early on when two blind people get in a sort of tussle, a small fight. I thought immediately of Jiu Jitsu.

When I first started Jiu Jitsu there where some moments when I thought how successful one could be when rolling with their eyes closed. In fact, when I roll know, I often think about how much Jiu Jitsu relies on feeling. I contrasted this with my previous martial arts experience where “forms” (like Karate’s “katas”) were a primary form a learning. Obviously, these exercises, like other drills in most other martial arts, rely heavily on vision as you see what you do, and do it, in three dimensional space.

Jiu Jitsu – especially on the ground – is tremendously different. Feeling – more than any other martial art I can think of – has a tremendous role in what happens.

If you have rolled even once you probably understand this. You feel the person trying to manipulate your body and vice versa. Of course, vision has its importance in Jiu Jitsu, too.

Blind Rolling

The natural corollary of this is the idea of having drills or rolling sessions where both participants are blindfolded. It could be a fun experiment. Both participants would have an equal handicap – and both would have the opportunity to improve the “feeling” part of the game. Obviously, safety would need to be considered; having “ground rules” could make the experience safer.

Update (5/31/9): As this video from Jiu-jitsu 365 proves, perhaps “blind rolling” really does have its importance.

pic credit(s): http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewmcvickar/8021849/

I’m at a point in my training when I would like to get more taps. At tap-out here, a tap-out here – nothing revolutionary or dominant – but I’m consistently doing the vast majority of tapping whenever I roll. Still, I believe I’m progressing in-tune with the average student. I have learned so much in my training. It has been amazing.

I’m an analytical, thoughtful person. Because of this I have stepped back and taken high-level look at some ways I may be more successful when I roll.

When I talk with and learn from classmates and teachers, and take a high level look at everything that is said, there almost seems to be a “Jiu Jitsu Chi” – that if followed – leads to tap-outs. This “chi” seems to the combination of technique, timing (which may be part of technique), position (which also seems to be part of technique), patience… okay, so I guess it really does seem to boil down to technique.

This notion of of “Jiu Jitsu Chi” is only tongue-in-cheek. I don’t really think “Jiu Jitsu Chi” exists, but it does seem at this point in my training that technique is just about everything. Maybe we can call “Jiu Jitsu Chi” the successful application of technique.

I can analyze all I want, however, but it seems the key to winning is time on on the mats – after which winning will come more naturally. Via Aesopian:

How to get good isn’t a big secret. Get on the mats, get good instruction and do conditioning, drilling or sparring. Gameplans, flow charts, notebooks, journals and instructionals are gravy. Training is the meat and potatoes.

pic credit(s): http://www.flickr.com/photos/parrhesiastes/816843976/