A video about the “core” of Jiu Jitsu.

Thanks to Brad for showing me the video.

Last night, after some deliberation, I skipped class. I’ll make it up soon enough.

I attend class about 3 times a week, but I aim for 4. Sometimes it’s only 2. The number of classes I attend depend on the usual things: work, I how I physically feel, etc. No surprises there.

When I think about class attendance I remember I conversation I had with another student about five months ago. His point was that you should never “over do it” when I comes to attending class: you should go to class as you want to and when you feel like it. Not following his advice, it was argued, can lead to burnout or injury.

He gave multiple examples from his Jiu Jitsu career of people who would sign up, start training, and get pumped. Very pumped. These people attended class whenever they could (5 times a week or more) and usually advance quickly. But unfortunately, after their first belt, or even as soon as 8 months into training, they would begin to burn out, their attendance would decline, and most of them would quit. Exceptions abound, of course, but this was the pattern he observed.

He also discussed how Jiu Jitsu should be fun. When it stops being fun, you should take a look at yourself and your training. In even some of the highest levels of athleticism (the Olympics, for example), trainers often ensure their pupils are having fun and enjoying themselves because it can be a key factor to not only their happiness but their success in the sport. Jiu Jitsu should be no different.

I tend to strongly agree, and this philosophy largely guides my attendance decisions. Jiu Jitsu is too fun, interesting, and empowering for me to give up, and I plan on doing it for a long time. I follow these guidelines because I don’t want to get sick of, stop liking, or get burnt out on the martial art.

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/