Importance of the non-obvious

One of the habits I have developed through more than a quarter of a century of BJJ practise - is to better appreciate and understand the critical importance of the non-obvious.

When we think about it - the ‘non-obvious’ is what most-often separates the great from the ordinary. If the secrets of those who out-perform the average were obvious and easy to see - then EVERYONE WOULD BE EQUALLY SUCCESSFUL. Clearly this is not the case - and so reasoning tells us that people who are achieving extraordinary resulted (in almost any fields imaginable) MUST, by definition, be doing NON-OBVIOUS things.

Jiu Jitsu is replete with these non-obvious treasures. I want to discover these treasures - and because I teach for a living - I want to tell my students all about them. The Jiu Jitsu outliers, those true prodigies of the art we share and love, are all collectors and masters of the non-obvious. The problem we come up against is this - they often don’t realise themselves, what non-obvious behaviours they are using to drive them toward the success they enjoy. To recognise (and keep track of) all those nuances in behaviour that elevate us beyond the ordinary, takes an exceptional mind - another (non-obvious trait) in itself.

The embodiment of the non-obvious is EXACTLY what separates there great form the ordinary. We need to keep our eyes and minds open to spotting these behaviours - and over time - we can begin our own collection of treasures! JBW