BJJ/CHESS

The number of opening moves in a game of chess is 20. Of course, the number of ways in which your opponent can respond to your first move is the same number – 20; but after that, things get tricky. In fact, the number of different possible games of chess (the way in which it could unfold from beginning to end) is greater than the number of protons in the universe. Seriously. That is a large number!
It is easy to see the game of chess as a metaphor for life – the different pieces on the board can be thought of as representations of the different elements and forces at work in our lives – different situations require that we make different choices – favorable outcomes depend on good choices – sometimes we need to sacrifice something to gain something, etc.
BJJ has been likened to Chess – most often because it is similarly complex and you only need a little experience to be able to trounce someone who has no experience. BJJ though, is also like chess in that the goal is to restrict your opponent’s movements whilst giving ourselves the most options for movement (attack). All this is very obvious – but here is something that some of you may not have thought of – when you play chess (for those who don’t know the game) the object is to checkmate (kill the opponents king) – but in the actual playing of chess, the game comes to a conclusion the move before we actually take/kill the opponents king. In other words, we don’t need to grab their king and remove it from the board to have won the game – and in BJJ, we shouldn’t need to apply a submission to the point of pain before the opponent concedes defeat and we take the tap. If we think like this – and roll like this – we will have far less injuries on the mat.
JBW

In and Out of the box …

Thinking outside of the box is a concept my father fed me from a very young age. And I must have listened – as I have lived my life very much outside of the box for most of the 54 laps I have taken around our sun. I never really planned to live life out of the mainstream (at least not just for the sake of it) – it’s just that I have never been able to easily tolerate the path that others seems to walk so effortlessly; when I think of it – even when bushwalking – I abhor trails. I find joy in exploration, even though this comes at a price. No – living outside of the box is easy; it’s getting back into the box when life demands that we do – that’s the challenging part.
Of course, it’s easy to remain outside of the box, but this almost always comes at a price. I have known geniuses who have paid this price – people who are kind of proud of being highly functional at one thing, to the exclusion of everything else; for me though, real genius is about being able to ‘live well’ – being able to think about things in novel ways, come up with new and innovative shifts in thinking but then also being able to relate well to others, have a great marriage, arrange financial independence and enjoy life. Miyamoto Mushashi said it well ‘to know one thing is to know ten thousand things’.
Getting out of the box is the easy part – being able to get out and back in again at will – now that’s the real trick.
JBW

10,000 hours practise

I am very often asked where I learned to teach/coach? University? What books did I read? Etc, etc. I don't know if people quite believe me when I give them my simple answer - but it is in fact, the plain and simple truth - I have taught around 25,000 classes - and I imagine that most people, if they had taught 10,000 classes or more, would have worked out a lot of things about teaching.
there are several things that most (so-called) experts have in common, and one of those things is that have done at least 10,000 hours of focussed practise in their chosen area of expertise. Whether it be 10,000 hours working on fixing cars, 10,000 hours fishing for trout, 10,000 hours studying the stock-market or 10,000 hours teaching the martial arts - this is a very simple key to success and basic expertise. Couple that amount of practise with passion (you probably won't get to the 10,000 hour mark without passion) and desire, and you have yourself a simple but very WINNING formula ... so start your stop-watch and get to it. Time goes by whether we want it to or not - the rest is just about how you spend it. JBW

Our Strength is our Weakness

Human beings can tolerate just about anything … extreme heat, extreme cold, hunger, thirst, poverty … etc. In many ways, this is why we have survived, even thrived as a species. But this special adaptive strength that we have is also our weakness. Our ability to ‘put up with something’ is also a major obstacle to growth and development.
‘Oh – I can put up with being overweight’ – ‘I can put up with this job I don’t like’ – ‘I can put up with the abuser that others heap on me’ – true, we may be able to put up (cope) with these things – but our ability to cope comes with a huge price-tag; it can prevent us from taking action and moving away from these ‘oh so easily accepted’ paradigms.
If we couldn’t put up with these things, we would change – we would all move, grow, shift, develop. Our strength is also our weakness.
On the mat – perhaps we just resign ourselves to being squashed under side control – we can cope with it – we learn to adapt and more easily accept the situation – eventually the uncomfortable becomes comfortable. On the other hand – we can be a little less accepting of it and put more effort into developing our Guard or our escapes … our strength is our weakness – humans can adapt to almost anything; but should we?
JBW

Islands in an endless ocean

When people begin their journey in the BJJ world, they often feel a sense of frustration and helplessness – it’s my guess that most of the ones who keep going are the ones who recognize that others are feeling the same way – and besides, they look around and see proof that others have acquired real and demonstrable skills and therefore it might only be a matter of time before they too will acquire these skills.
I have had a lot of students over the years, ask for advice and direction on how they should proceed in the formative years of their training … and although everyone develops slightly differently (there is no specific cookie-cutter approach), there is a way to look at it that makes sense and seems to help a little …
How do we start – the answer is easy: one position at a time. We choose a position that we think is attainable (it may be the guard, sider control, mount … whatever) and we focus on getting there from as many situations as we can. We focus first on getting there – and then we focus on being able to maintain that position. Once we can get there, and keep it – we begin to build attack skills from there.
A simple analogy I sometimes use is to liken the start to being dropped onto a world that is entirely covered by water – you start treading water, learning to float until off on the horizon and island emerges. You make your way to the island – and once there, you are much, much better off – after a while, the island becomes familiar ground.
Eventually, other islands appear, some bigger than others, each offering unique opportunities. as we become more familiar with other islands, and we begin to develop the skill to get from one to the next, the world becomes a much more inhabitable place. Eventually, much of the water becomes replaced by familiar ground – although we may find ourselves in deep water from time to time, we are never that far from dry land.
BJJ is just like this – it takes time, it takes effort but eventually you mostly find yourself inhabiting familiar ground. So for those starting out on their BJJ journey – although you might be treading water right now – it won’t be long before you spot your very first island on the horizon. Everyone starts this way - you are not alone …
JBW

Interesting

I like interesting things. Who doesn’t? But what is it that makes something interesting? With full understanding comes familiarity, which is often followed by disinterest. Once we think we fully understand something, it loses something of it’s fascination. I love to be fascinated … in fact, I am more fascinated in more things now, than I was when I was 20 years old. The more closely we look at things, the more we see – the more we see – the more we realize that there’s even more we do not understand – and so our fascination grows; at least that’s how it is with me. Some things are immediately and obviously interesting – for me, puzzles are interesting – and the martial arts is like one huge constantly-evolving puzzle – way interesting. People are very interesting. Less interesting to me are things like, wine – I couldn’t taste the difference between cheap wine and the best wine – I have absolutely no palate for it (or any alcohol for that matter). I guess that’s what it comes down to – what is palatable for each of us ... and I suspect that an educated wine palate is capable of noticing subtle differences that other less-educated palates would not notice. I have a palate for martial arts and for living – but not for wine. Sometimes the most interesting things are those things that do not make immediate sense to us – we look at something/someone and something is a little whacky, a little off-center, a little unusual – interesting. All we need to do, to see something interesting, is pop our heads up – take a close look at our immediate world – it is replete with interesting things, phenomenon, people, behaviors, etc. BJJ is an extraordinarily interesting art (to my palate) which has layers of complexity sufficient to hold my attention. Way interesting.
JBW

Balance is a pivot point …

Something I have heard a lot talk about this past decade is the concept of Balance. The need to have balance in life, just the right amount of work, juxtapositioned against just the right amount of play, just the right amount of food, just the right amount of exercise, etc.

BORING! BORING! BORING!

I prefer to live my life orbiting the point of balance - rather than sitting on it. For me, a bit of hard work makes that time off all the more fulfilling and enjoyable. I could think of nothing worse than going out fly fishing every day, and every day catching a ten pound fish. Routine is good – in fact I am to a large extent, a creature of habit – but a little adventure and ‘out-of-balance’ – extreme – pushing-the-envelope action can be very rewarding also.
I think that BALANCE is a pivot point around which we swing and pendulum. In theory, it is exactly what we are looking for – in practice though, I think that perfect balance lacks MOMENTUM – lacks the high’s and lows, the hot and cold, the feasts and famines that propel us forward in our thinking and in our lives. What makes the ride fun - is what we feel as we whizz past the balance point. A see-saw that didn't give is the high's and low's - would be a pretty lame ride.
JBW

SQUELCH ...

Here it is: one of my biggest problem solving secrets … and although I have talked about this before, I want to elaborate here and explain the mechanics of this interesting phenomenon …
WHAT HOLDS PEOPLE BACK FROM SOLVING THEIR PROBLEMS? Want to lose weight, want to fix the financial problem, want to repair the relationship, want to escape a tight side-control? Can’t do it … perhaps you are asking the wrong question … when deep-in-the-shit most people ask the wrong question; they ask “CAN I FIX THIS?” – and the answer comes back, a resounding “NO WAY!”
MY ANSWER: Ask the right question – one that will give you a YES answer. And that question is this … “Can I improve my situation by 5%?” Answer: Well, yes .. I CAN do that!
So far so good … now for the tricky stuff …
Once you improve your situation by 5% - you need to RECOGNIZE that you did so; most people fail to do so – and so quickly revert to their sense of helplessness.
Imagine you want to lose 30 lbs: You ask the right question, which is “CAN I LOSE 2LBS? You get yourself a YES answer … of course you can do that! And so you do, in one day! But then you look in the mirror and what do you see? The same thing … the real tragedy here is that we don’t tend to notice the 5% gains – we look in the mirror and don’t notice the 2lbs are gone … so the hopeless mindset comes back and we drop back into our old habits. If we NOTICED the 5% improvement, we would be motivated to pursue another 5% improvement and suddenly the problem would melt away. The big thing here is that we FAIL TO NOTICE.

We fail to notice, for exactly the same reason that we fail to notice that first 5% step into decline that we take in the first place.
If we were only 2lbs overweight, we could easily remedy the problem in a single effort (step) – maybe over the weekend. The problem is that we FAIL TO NOTICE that we have put on 2lbs, (or are $1000 in debt – or that our relationship has formed cracks, or that our opponent is passing our Guard). Next time we pop our heads up to take a look – we are 30 lbs overweight – and it’s only then we ask the question – USUALLY THE WRONG QUESTION: “CAN WE FIX THIS … NOW – IN ONE GO?” Answer: Nope!
Imagine we are bushwalking: on solid, dry ground – then suddenly, SQUELCH! The ground has become soggy – but we fail to notice. Next thing, we are neck deep in the swamp – asking the wrong question. If we noticed the SQUELCH, we could step back onto dry land easily – problem averted! But we fail to notice these 5% declines … just like we fail to notice the 5% improvements.
Noticing the 5% declines – and noticing the 5% improvements – is a huge key to both avoiding drama and fixing drama. 5% is HUGE! Notice it … at both ends.

JBW

WHY I TRAIN: simplicity and complexity

This is a question I have answered in different ways at different times of my life. The reasons why I have continued to train have evolved and changed over the years – some are no longer valid others are continuing to mean more and more to me …
Once upon a time …. I was very much lacking in self-confidence; and so I turned to the martial arts, seeking super-powers and extra-ordinary athletic ability. As it turned out, these things seemed always just out of reach, and so either stubbornness or desperate hope, kept me at the game. Eventually, I became over-confident – my problem had swung the other way; and by that time, it was the physicality and athletic challenge of martial arts training that kept me there day after day, year after year. Slowly, I think my over-confidence gave way to a more balanced appraisal of my true self and I began to realize that I was in it for the adventure. Far-flung and exotic styles were as Christmas presents under the tree to an over-excited child; I couldn’t get enough of the adventure of it all. Slowly I settled, and organically developed a more steady and professional approach to training – in an effort to learn and develop, I found that I had to acquire skill-sets other than the purely physical. I became addicted to problem-solving, to unraveling the science that lies beneath extra-ordinary physical skill. It’s all been a process – and my own personal development as a human being has been underpinned by my approach to and practice of the martial arts.
Present Day: Now it is a paradoxical mix of the simplicity and complexity of the martial arts that holds my attention. I see parallels to life (and how to live) at every turn; the discovery of principles that cross over into the living of our lives as I believe they should be lived continues to rivet my attention.
The simplicity of the underlying techniques and strategies makes for highly effective martial arts practice and so satisfies my need for functionality; while the complexity of it all, as I peel back the layers of those techniques and strategies, keeps me there doing the work – every day.
I love it. And I love sharing it!
JBW

The lost art of the Jetti .... Vajramushti.

Every couple of months I receive an e-mail from India, usually from a scholar or a martial artist there who has an interest in the art called Vajramushti. I have written about this ancient art form and about the Jyesthimalla clan who practised it, on several occasions - the original article is available HERE.The Jetti's (as the Jyesthimalla family are now known) were an amazing group of people. They trace their history back nearly one thousand years; and over that time their sole occupation was professional fighting and bodyguard work, They have ben employed throughout the centuries by various kings and sultans in India as 'inner circle' bodyguards; they have also risen to high positions in various military groups and were known as exceptional athletes and teachers/trainers to the Kshatriya, India's warrior caste. The Jetti's were also well renowned for fighting with the Vajramushti, a knuckleduster worn strapped to the right hand; and they practised this art from a young age - it was their art, as far as I can ascertain, they were the only ones to develop and practise it as a family tradition.

I was fortunate in te extreme to have had an opportunity to train with some of the last practising Jyesthimalla's during a training trip to India in the 80's. Instead of a real Vajramushti (pictured here) we wore a cloth woven between the fingers of our right hands and dipped in red ochre - as a 'safer' way to train. The style was a submissionary wrestling style, with strikes being allowed. I recall one of the techniques I was taught, was an 'omoplata' (BJJ practitioners will know what I mean) from the open guard. Another was a fireman's carry after trapping the weapon-wielding arm. I remember feeling 'untalented' and 'goofy' trying to make it all work, even though my partner was only punching me slowly! But it was definitely the most fascinating martial art I had come across to that point.

Unfortunately, I trained with them before taking up BJJ so I was in no position to make technical comparisons - and I had very little ground skill to speak of (wish I had a time machine!!!) But it was amazing training and I dare say, I was probably the last person to train in that style as far as I am aware. Nowadays, a couple of old practitioners are wheeled at once a year to put on (from what I gather) a pre-rehearsed exhibition bout for the royal family of Mysore at the palace during the annual Dessera festival. Again from what I have gleaned from researching, this is a pale representation of the original practice. Who, after all, wants to embrace a form of MMA, where a knuckleduster replaces the glove? It's hard to make a living in this day and age, doing that! This is so sad for me personally; that such an amazing family is in the throes of completely losing the tradition that defined them as a people for nearly one thousand years. Who am I to feel this sadness? And why? I can't answer that - but I am! I had only a small taste of the amazing way these warriors used to live - and 'be' in the world - but it did effect me profoundly - and in many ways, drove me down the path I have walked since. So today, after two days of online research, I am inexplicably saddened. my old friend Ron O'brien, was there with me when I took on the Vajramushti training - but he has recently passed away; perhaps that is the source of my discontent. Time moves on, things fade into oblivion ... sad. Sorry folks!

Anyways ... over my reaearch of the past several days, trying to locate some surviving member of their caste who is interested in the preservation of their art (havn't found anyone as yet) - I came across this old account of the Jyesthimalla fights from James Scurry, who was in the late 1800's, a prisoner of the Sultan, Tipoo ... hope someone out their enjoys it.

“ The Jetti’s would be sent for, who always approached with their masters
at their head, and, after prostration, and making their grand salams, touching
the ground each time, they would be paired, one school against another. They
had on their right hands the wood-guamootie (vajramushti) of four steel talons,
which were fixed to each back joint of their fingers, and had a terrific
appearance when their fists were closed. Their heads were close shaved,
their bodies oiled, and they wore only a pair of short drawers. On being
matched, and the signal given from Tippu, they begin the combat, always by
throwing the flowers, which they wear round their necks, in each other’s faces ;
watching an opportunity for striking with the right hand, on which they wore
this mischievous weapon which never failed lacerating the flesh, and
drawing blood most copiously. Some pairs would close instantly, and no matter
which was under, for the gripe was the whole ; they were in general taught to suit
their holds to their opponent’s body, with every part of which, as far as concerned
them, they were well acquainted. If one got a hold against which his antagonist could
not guard, he would be the conqueror; they would frequently break each other’s legs
and arms."

HIGHLY MOTIVATED …

Throughout decades of teaching, I have noticed a couple of different types of motivation in effect on the mat … one seems to be more effective than the other; here’s my two cents …
The first kind starts out well but usually has a pretty short shelf-life; and that is the repellant kind of motivation. In other words, we feel motivated to move away from something – being overweight, being scared, being weak, etc. This starts out with a bang but the problem arises when we have successfully removed ourselves to some degree from the thing we are moving away from; for then, the motivational impetus tends to lose momentum. The further we remove ourselves from the picture/idea/feeling we are trying to escape then the weaker the motivational force becomes.
The other style of motivation (that I actually prefer) is when we moving TOWARD a new paradigm rather than away from one. The thing about this style of motivation is that when we begin seeing results (we are in fact getting in better shape, feeling more courageous, etc) the motivational force tends to become stronger; we build momentum and move closer to our goal.
This style of motivation is also a much more positive way to think but it does come with a few problems; the main one being that we don’t tend to recognize and applaud ourselves for those first small incremental gains. When we make small gains but fail to recognize that we have, we tend to mistake this for ‘wasted effort’. Eg: We lose one kilogram (out of 15 that we need to lose) but we fail to see a result in the mirror and so we may give up thinking that our efforts are wasted. This is a great pity, because the big secret to success is to aim for small incremental gains and recognize them when we achieve them. When we improve our situation by 5%, and we recognize that we have done this, we can more easily do it again and again until we begin to see obvious results – at that point in time, momentum takes over and our motivation increases exponentially.
Recognize your incremental achievements – roll on.
JBW