Some ways to look at BJJ ...

There are many ways to look at things. From the wider perspective - as if from above, taking in the big picture. From a narrow-deep-focussed perspective - scrutinising and analysing details and nuances that normally go unnoticed. From an inter-connectedness perspective - seeing how they interact or intersect with other things. From a personal perspective - looking at how how they interact on our own lives and the lives of others. These are just a few examples …

We can look at BJJ … in one, some or all of these ways (and others) to enjoy some level of understanding of it. 

Let’s look at it using the lens (as suggested) in my first example: from the wider perspective …

It may help to think of BJJ as a kind of a tree or bush. We can visualise any particular element of it (say ‘omaplata’) for example - as if it started out as a seed. That is, there was a singular idea (or application) of omaplata that first ‘took hold’. More than likely, that first seed or idea/application was a fairly robust one, as it had to ‘take root’ and grow/develop/evolve into the myriad of forms/applications/set-ups/variations that we see expressed at this present time.

So to put it simply - there was a ‘first omaplata’ - a first ‘spider guard’ application - a first ‘closed guard technique’, etc. 

Any such ‘seeds’ - if sufficiently robust - and planted in a sufficiently rich environment, can grow, develop and eventually blossom into a ‘tree’ in their own right. This is how BJJ was developed. (and cooking, and architecture for that matter)

And so, if we back away and look from afar (and through time) we see BJJ as a large and highly complex tree - with many branches, sub-branches, sub-sub-branches and so on …. sprouting new buds (and potentially new branches) at many points throughout it’s complex structure.

Prune it back if you like (a good exercise) - or graft some new ideas onto an existing branch - taste some of the fruit or just climb around and through it’s branches … there are satisfying pursuits aplenty - for all of us. JBW