It’s all about the fundamentals of the art

Jiu-jitsu Fundamentals

Listen: I’m a conceptual learner, and one thing I realized early is that technique is formed from fusing concept and movement.

That seems like such a simple idea. In fact, you’re probably saying, “ahh, that’s obvious”. For me though, it was revolutionary. It changed how I thought about technique. And it had a significant effect on how I learned the art.

Now the process of taking that idea and transforming it into a system of education. And I’m going to share some of the milestones in that journey with you starting with this post.

First though, let’s step back and answer a few questions.

What are the Fundamentals of Jiu-jitsu

Concepts. Movements. That’s it.

There’s a difference between common technique and fundamental knowledge. It’s sometimes hard to see that difference, but it does, indeed, exist.

There’s this idea that certain techniques like the armbar from closed guard or the cross choke from mount are fundamental. They’re not. They’re common. There’s a difference.

They have been in the art for so long that it’s likely that they will be taught early. You’re also more likely to have them attempted on you early. But students struggle with learning them all the time. They each have many steps and many variations.

They also require movements that aren’t common.

Why Does the Concept Matter

The concept is the why.

When you learn any technique, ask yourself why does it work. Answering that question will reveal the concept. And just so this doesn’t stay too general, I’ll give you a quick example.

Why does the armbar work?

Well, someone realized at some point (in the very distant past) that there was a limit to the mobility of the arm. Taking it past that point (hyper-extension) caused damage. And they also realized leverage can be used to generate significant force without significant strength. That was the beginning.

From there, details were added:

  • The Principle of the Thumb – The thumb always points in the opposite direction of the back of the elbow, so the thumb can be used a compass to tell you where to apply pressure.
  • Closed Chain – If the wrist or shoulder is mobile, it is possible to change the position of the elbow and minimize the threat of the submission. So both the wrist and shoulder must be immobilized in order to ensure the finish.
  • Triggers of Vulnerability – Whenever there is space between the elbow and the ribs, there is opportunity to isolate and attack the arm.

That’s a brief summary of the principles that form the foundation of the armbar. And the applications are countless. Once you understand why it works, you can make it work in numerous ways. Hell, I find ways to do new armbars all the time, just from knowing the concept.

How Does Movement Effect Learning Speed

If you break down a significant amount of technique into their individual components, you’ll notice that certain movements are repeated often. Those movements can be hard to learn as a beginner (because Jiu-jitsu is unlike anything they’ve ever done).

For example, I’ve seen students struggle at all ages with the basic movements like the forward roll, backward roll and shrimp (that’s why I changed how I teach them). I’ve also seen students struggle hard with doing the basic armbar from closed guard. They’ve seen it. They know how it should look. But they haven’t taught their bodies how to move in that way yet.

Movement limits their ability to perform technique.

I remember once I had a student say something that upset me. After struggling with a technique, he said, “Man, I’m just not good at this”. Whoa. It was like his second day in class, and he was already judging himself and his ability to learn. It saddens me when I see that because I know it’s not true.

The movement can be learned. The art can be mastered. And anyone can do it if they have the right mindset.

Focusing on the Jiu-jitsu Fundamentals

I consider the starting point of Jiu-jitsu to be a concept. Specifically, the concept of positions. It’s the idea that certain positions hold inherent advantages. That’s why I’ve been focusing on the positional hierarchy lately at Randori. Understanding it is important. It gives you a framework for making sense of Jiu-jitsu.

And here’s a simplified version. It’s stripped down to bare essentials.

Simplified Positional Hierarchy

  • Rear Mount (Top = Dominant / Bottom = Vulnerable)
  • Mount (Top = Dominant / Bottom = Vulnerable)
  • Side Control (Top = Dominant / Bottom = Vulnerable)
  • Guard (Top = Neutral / Bottom = Neutral )
  • Standing (Neutral)

From that, you can create specific learning objectives that leave room for diversity. It acknowledges the fact that different people have different attributes, and what may be easy for one person will not be easy for another.

Learning Objectives

  • Rear Mount
    • Top
      • Submission
      • Positional Control
      • Transition
    • Bottom
      • Escape
      • Defensive Posture
  • Mount
    • Top
      • Submission
      • Positional Control
      • Transition
    • Bottom
      • Escape
      • Defensive Posture
  • Side Control
    • Top
      • Submission
      • Positional Control
      • Transition
    • Bottom
      • Escape
      • Defensive Posture
  • Guard
    • Top
      • Submission
      • Positional Control
      • Pass
    • Bottom
      • Submission
      • Positional Control
      • Sweep
      • Backtake
  • Standing
    • Grip Fighting
    • Takedown
    • Guard Pull

If you learn at least one technique that fulfills each one of those objectives, you will have a strong foundation in Jiu-jitsu.

It will also help you to think about the technique as a fusion of concepts and movements. That way you’ll not only learn technique, but you’ll also develop your fundamental knowledge.

That will speed up your progress.