Safety Net …

n the world of the trapeze artists, the safety net allows them to push the envelope and try new tricks; with no fear of dying if it all goes wrong.

Take the safety net away - and the behaviour and learning curve would change dramatically.

In business, a safety net my be a wealthy benefactor who can come to your rescue if your idea goes wrong.

On the social landscape, your safety net might be a small circle of friends who you can confide in and rely on.

There are many kinds of safety nets - but they all have one function in common - they allow us to push the envelope - to test our limits - to try without needing to overly worry about the consequences of failure.

In BJJ - our safety net can - in a broader sense, relate to the presiding culture on the mat. But in a more tactical sense, it is built on our ability to be comfortable in ‘bad’ situations. Our ability to be comfortable in bad situations, or further, our ability to ‘turn the tables’ or escape from bad situations, is our ‘safety net’. The more confident we are in such abilities, the more likely we are to take risks and attack when conditions are less than ideal.

Safety nets - allow us the luxury of taking risks. And risk-taking leads to new discoveries and learning.