When we first begin our BJJ adventure - it seems quite natural to try our best to inflict our will on our opponent. What we lack in technique and strategy, we try to make up for with strength and athleticism. As we progress through the ranks and gain understanding, we begin to ‘swap out’ some of that reliance on strength and athleticism for technique and strategy. This comes with the realisation that although we might have our own ‘agenda’ - so too, does our opponent; and we need to respect and understand that! Of course, we all want to apply our technique and ultimately, attack our opponent - but it is very important to understand that he/she has exactly the same thing in mind. We need to be of two minds - one part of us attends to what our opponent is trying to do to us - and the other part is constantly on the lookout for the opportunity to do do what we want to do to them. Defence and Attack go hand in hand - as one student of mine puts it ‘Rolling is a conversation … not an argument’. It takes two to tango! JBW
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