Angles and Vectors

BJJ is a complex and interesting art - no doubt about that. In fact, it is it's complexity that keeps me addicted to trying to untangle and solve the myriad of puzzles it presents every time I hit the mat. Another subtle angle, another way to achieve a big result with a little effort - these sorts of small milestones are what keeps me moving forward with my practise.
Watch this short video clip where I offer an example of some not-so-obvious 'angle work' that affords a big relt.
Hope you like it,
JBW

The Levels of Leverage

Many martial arts systems, BJJ in particular, are built on an understanding and application of the principles of leverage. What does this mean though? For years I thought I could answer that question – but the more I knew, the more aware I became that I didn’t really know. So let me take you through a sped-up version of how I came to understand what I currently know about leverage …
Firstly, I knew the word. I could use the word ‘Leverage’ in a sentence that made sense. At this point, I had absolutely no idea of what it really mean’t. I had some vague picture in my head of a guy trying to move the earth with a giant lever – who knows what he was using as a fulcrum, or where he was standing at the time???
Then, at some point, I realised that leverage had to do with ‘levers’. Slowly, ever so slowly, it dawned on me that the art of applying leverage was about achieving a lot with a little, about moving a larger object with a smaller object through some arcane use of these things called levers.
After quite a long time (in BJJ practice) I began to understand that the levers we are using (in that art) are in actual fact – the bones. I began to understand that in trying to move an elbow, I was pulling or pushing on the end of a lever known as the ‘humerus’. I also began to realise that if we wanted to move a lever, we had to apply the force to the ‘end’ of it – and not the middle of it. Basic stuff I know – but still, I admit this took me a long time to truly understand.
Slowly I began to understand how to more effectively apply force to, and move, the levers that were the opponents ‘bones’ – on the mat. My Jiu Jitsu life became easier.
Now, if we get that leverage is ultimately about getting a maximal result from a minimal effort – then it becomes easier to look at the broader aspects of our lives ‘off the mat’ and seek out opportunities to apply leverage there – in our relationships, with our finances, in fly-fishing for trout, etc. Are we getting the best result for the effort we are putting in? I hope so – because this is a natural application of one of the skills we learn on the mat – at work in the larger part of our life. Leverage …. so much more, than just a word.
JBW

Angles, Weight and Zebra's ...

Here's a small clip taken by George Adams during a seminar I conducted last weekend at Steve Perceval's place in Sydney. George's handy Flip Camcorder strikes again. In the clip I illustrate several points concerning angles and use of weight - some of the topics I have covered in recent posts. I also talk briefly about the importance of keeping the opponents hand separated from the rest of his body when trying to apply the "kimura'. I hope you like it.
Best wishes all,
JBW

Once again into the breech ...

It’s been three weeks since my knee surgery and I am happy top be back into light rolling. Getting back into training as soon as possible is important to me … it keeps my mind ‘on the job’ but also, as long as I don’t re-injure, accelerates recovery.
In fact, speaking to one of my students today about it, I recalled an old training concept that Rigan Machado used to employ. He would nominate, before each bout, a limb that we weren’t allowed to use. Eg: Don’t use the left leg, right leg, left arm or the right arm. The interesting thing about this kind of training is that is specifically prepares you for when you need to fight injured. But on a more subtly level, it changes the way you fight. Your normal strategies, techniques and ‘go to’ moves are temporarily put on the shelf and you need to adapt, be creative and try new things. And that – is always healthy.
When ‘actually’ injured, or recovering from injury, it is important to not ‘re-injure’. We can choose to stay away from training/rolling for a safe period (say 6 weeks post knee-op) but in my case, I don’t want to go that route. I want to get back into ‘modified’ training/rolling as soon as it is practical to do so. I am not giving advice here – I am just sharing what I tend to do. The doctor/surgeon says six weeks – I say three. I am fairly certain that the six-week timeframe has a fair amount of ‘leeway’ built into it. I am Not an overweight office-worker; I AM motivated to get back to work; I DO understand my body and know how to use it; so I am trimming the ‘leeway’ and getting back into the fray. In fcat, I have just returned from teaching in Sydney all weekend.
On friday night I trained with Joe Ingrati and his son Chris at Maroubra - Joe runs a very successful TKD school and he and his boy are keen to add some of the BJJ principles into their regimen. The Ingrati's don't have an interest in running a BJJ school, but are nevertheless committed and passionate martial artists who are professional enough to stay in touch with what is going on in the larger martial arts environment. Nice.
After our session, Sam Dignam who had driven up from Wollongong, took me back down and to my hotel. The next morning, I worked with Sam and his students, and had pleasure in seeing a blue belt and purple belt awarded to two long-training students. After Wollongong, Sam took me back up to Sydney where I got together with martial arts legend Rick Spain. We worked out for a couple of hours before Sam continued his epic chauffeuring and drove me to BArgo where I trained with David and Jacqui Suker. After a fantastic session, Jacqui cooked up a storm and we all had dinner - Steve Perceval and Richard Sargeant (both BJJ Black BElts and great friends) had made the trip from Penrith!
I said my goodbyes to Sam and Steve and Richard drove me back to Penrith. After a night there, I taught Steve's students until lunchtime. We had a really good session, with Richard Sargeant joining in fresh of a 35 kilometre run which he started at 4:30am that morning. Legend! George Adams, who had driven over to join us, then drove me to Rick Spains again where I gave a two hour seminar on BAck Control. We had a great time, working on the technical aspects of that particular game. After that, it was back to the airport for the late flight home. After a monday off - I am back into it at my school this week.

Stay well all
JBW

The '33 flavours' problem ...

I was in Canberra earlier this year, giving a talk over breakfast to fifty odd movers and shakers. I feel privileged to have been asked back to talk at the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) to deliver the talk again to the team of Australian Olympic coaches. One of the fifteen odd topics I covered was the idea of ‘pulling the trigger’, taking action vs procrastination. This, along with all of the other life-lessons I chatted about, was gleaned long ago from my martial arts practise.
One of the problems that martial artists can face during real-life confrontation is that of having to make decisions under stressful circumstances that rarely exist in the training environment. Knowing what to do and flipping that internal switch that allows us to take action are two very different things. This is a phenomenon that can influence our lives both on and off the mat. Consider the amount of people who pay good money to attend a property investment seminar or the like yet fail to take action afterward. One may read all the books, know all the right things but at the end of the day, action needs to be taken if we are to reap a result. Taking action, or pulling the trigger can be harder to do that what we would like to think. In the martial arts environment for instance, especially the traditional martial arts environment, students are often trained to NOT do anything until they are commanded to do so; in the real world this can translate into a ‘stall’ at a critical juncture, when taking action may have saved the day.
Another problem we have today is that of having 'too much' choice. I like to cite the Baskin and Robbins experience. I contend that having thirty-two flavours of ice-cream to choose from does not necessarily enhance my ice-cream buying experience. It’s not too hard to imagine that after pondering over the vast array of choices, it may sometimes seem easier to walk out and go buy an apple instead. And then there’s the increased opportunity for greater regret that too much choice offers. Eventually you make a choice, and buy yourself a cone of pistachio; but a hundred metres down the road, the pistachio devoured, you wonder if the rum and raisin might have been the better choice.
This manifests on the mat in the form of 'having too many technical solutions' to a given problem. A 'game' should be developed systemically; meaning that we have a 'go to' move/technique for any given situation and other moves/options that we practice flow/evolve from the opponents reactions/response to our initial move. Many people fall into the trap of collecting too many techniques for a single 'given situation' - rather then one well-suited response, backed-up by other techniques that are all dependant on the opponents reaction. I have probably over-explained the obvious - but there it is ... I hope it helps. Sometimes, 'less' is better.
Best wishes
JBW

Aspirations arn't enough ..

We can aspire to anything - but it doesn't automatically follow that we will get there. I learned long ago that wanting is not enough you had to either 'have skills' or if not, then you had to 'get skills'. When we are children, we need to learn lots of things. We need acquire language for example, so that we had a means to express ourselves and thereby begin to shape our world. But often, as adults, the need to learn, the need to acquire new skill sets, is simply not as powerful as it was when we were young - but if we want to continue to shape the world we live in, then 'learning new skills' (particularly nowadays) is simply a must.
I love learning new things; for me is is not so much that I really 'need' the new skills as much as it is the enjoyment I get from cultivating them. For me, the mental exercise of learning new things and acquiring new skills keeps my mind in shape ... just as the physical exercise I get from grappling and martial arts practice keeps me in physical shape.
Aspirations are not enough ... we need to learn, understand, acquire new skills and take action to better shape the world we live in. Moving from thought (daydreaming/musing) to taking action is a very significant step.
I built a model of my dream home out of a set of kids blocks way before I found the money to build it. I made a mock up copy of Blitz magazine from a scrapbook and glue before I even got a quote on printing what has now become Australia's only martial arts magazine. I designed the covers of my Rogue Black Belt book series before I had even typed the first word. Taking small, seemingly insignificant actions can lead to big things. Learning about new things is fun and is a natural process - to be creative and to enjoying being that way is the natural way of carving out a landscape that we are excited to live in. On or off the mat ...
Best wishes
JBW

Slow learning - deep learning

In response to my good friend Dave Meyer's comment on the last post, I thought I'd elaborate on that topic.
Firstly, I want to be clear, I was talking in general terms and not about myself specifically. From my own point of view, I do agree with David, and I have always tried to 'teach' myself a technique that I have already been shown (or taught). I have my own learning style, as we all do I guess. I was, at one time in my dim past, diagnosedas a 'slow' learner' - and I am sure I know why some of my kindergarten teachers thought this ...
I never really 'took' to an idea until I thoroughly understood it and found a way to connect it to my world view. This process; obviously takes time - hence the 'slow-learner' ;abel. Once though, I had tipped the idea on it's head, and looked at it from every angle, and had found 'it's place' in the grand scheme of things, I felt that my understanding of that idea was deeper than most. And so at another time of my life (less-dim past) I was diagnosed as a genius. Can't these people make up their uncertain minds? And that didn't help either, because I was then stuck in a special 'bright-boy' class and fed high-math (yuck) and multiple languages (yum) and other stuff that would, no doubt, allow me to stretch myself as a student. That didn't work all that well because, well .. I wasn't all that interested in school - strange that! My point here is that we are all different, all unique, and each have our own learning styles and different types of things that interest and arouse our curiosity. In short, people cannot that easily be categorised in any meaningful way without cheapening who we are and what we are capable of.
My learning style is a slow to start (because I need to see and understand all the angle; all the point sof view, before I start processing the subject. I look at combative strategies and techniques this way; I like to really get in there and kick the tyres and lift the hood before I get to work on it ... slow learning can sometimes mean, deep learning.
I remembering having to know the alphabet forwards and backwards before I could get a handle on it - this frustrated my teachers but not me. I like to look at a techniques from every angle (that I can think of, understand the mechanics of it, the timings of each part of it and where it fits into the overall picture - for me, this IS the fun of learning. Not everyone takes this approach - nor should they - how boring would the world be if we all learned and found joy in the same way. Diversity provides a rich environment for development and newly evolving ideas ...
Best wishes
JBW