3 Fundamental Concepts of Jiu Jitsu
Down the rabbit hole We Go…
Connection is the holy grail of grappling.
Connection is the ability to fix yourself to your opponents body so that they can move however they want and you stay in the same place relative to their body.
If you can do this, then it does not matter how much faster or stronger they are than you. Since you are fixed to them they will move you through space with them, you can move from place to place on their body at the pace of a sloth if you desire, or use the connection to off balance or attack them at will. Any defensive action on their part will first requite that they break the connection… which requires an understanding of it. The deeper the understanding, the stronger the connection and the easier it is to manipulate it.
Connection is closed loop(s) of tension, traveling both directions from one point of contact to another encompassing both bodies.
-Douglas Cuomo
01
Follow the Spirals
All natural movement in the human body is 8 sets of 2 opposing spirals, there is no linear movement that isn’t compensatory. Following these spirals in movement will ensure that the body is balanced at all times, able to move explosively without further preparation, is deeply connected with itself and is perfectly aligned. All this translates to supple, effortless strength. This is not specific to Jiu Jitsu but a necessary guide in order to understand how to move appropriately, especially important in any combat sport. Managing the tension of connection in our body requires the ability to recruit and engage the or fascia appropriately, which is only possible while following the spirals. In deviating from the spiral pattern in movement the fascia will begin to guard your body by reducing mobility to prevent injury. Since this is fundamental to the human body, everything we do, including Jiu Jitsu is built upon it.
02
Maintain a stronger Mechanical Body Structure
This means that a person must hold their elbows, hands, knees and feet closer to their own torso relative to where their opponent’s are in relation to their torso. In doing this, the structure of a persons body will naturally be stronger than the structure of their opponents body. Maintaining this positional advantage as a person engages their opponent lead to arriving first at inside positions, creating an initial advantage that can be quite considerable when one is aware of it’s approach.
03
Connection
To create connection a person must subtly spread their points of contact on their opponents body, strength is achieved through structural alignment. It has to be subtle, too much force and a person will be forced to add inputs into the connection blindly while fighting their opponents movement. With subtlety a person will receive feedback through the connection that allows precise inputs which are incredible beneficial in manipulating their opponents movements by lightly adding effort to their opponents movement creating a perpetual off balancing as they are trapped in a scenario where every movement the opponent makes is an over commitment. In the beginning, a person can think about one grip to another grip, spread them lightly. This would be two lines running in opposing directions. Add one foot into the mix. Now the potential is 6 lines of tension: right hand to left hand, right hand to foot, left hand to foot. Now two hands and two feet, the potential is 12 lines of tension. But many areas of the body come into contact in any grappling scenario, and point of contact can be used to create two lines tension, even if briefly. The more lines of tension through your opponents body the stronger the connection. Maintaining two stable loops of tension virtually guarantees victory as person can use one loop of tension to off balance their opponent as the opponent threatens the other loop of tension. Notice the terms lines of tension and loops of tension, the distinction is important. Lines of tension are created from the spreading of points of contact on the opponents body, the lines runs through the opponents body. But the spreading of the grips to create tension in the opponents body is only half of the closed loop of tension that creates connection, a person must also create tension in their own body from point of contact to point of contact and that will form two closed loops. Once connection is established, maintaining connection takes priority in all movement, because with uninterupted connection victory is inevitable.
