Leverage & Feel Concept



I think one of the most important concepts in BJJ is Rickson Gracies ideas on leverage and feel. I still don’t have a good grasp on this theory. Hopefully I'll gain some insight when I attend Ricksons seminar early next year.

When I roll I try to keep leverage in mind rather than brute force and strength. I'm 110kg right now so I'm along way from a little dude but I try to play the roll of the smaller guy in training. I nearly always start on bottom when sparring. I worked out early on in my journey that battling on the knees is a bit redundant. So I play guard a lot, and try to use leverage to get a sweep or sub.

My knowledge of leverage is very small but if I keep it in my mind while I roll it helps me out a lot. I often gain an easy sweep by just thinking of the angle where my opponent has no post and simply pushing or pulling in that direction.

Every time that I can't make the technique work that I'm going for it is nearly always due to not having the leverage. I can try to muscle it and may be I'll get it but only because I was a bit stronger or bigger than the dude I'm applying it to. Which is really poor form, and will lead me to not doing well in comps when I'm up against dudes my size.



“Technical knowledge is not enough. One must transcend techniques so that the art becomes an artless art, growing out of the unconscious”
Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, Japanese Zen Buddhist Scholar



I also try to use feel and sensitivity to help my flowing game. I try to preempt my opponents’ movements by feeling what his body wants to do next, but sometimes my body goes to react and then my mind stops it. Which sounds stupid, but it really happens.

Either my mind tells my body that I'm too tired to move or it might even tell it to move a different direction then I was going in. I'm kind of second guessing my self.

Saulo Ribeiro has a saying

"If you think, you are late. If you are late, you use strength. If you use strength, you tire. And if you tire, you die!"

I think that nails what I'm doing; thinking too much. I strive to roll with no mind and only reaction.

I reckon mastering these concepts is the key to becoming truly fluent in jits.

C u on the mat,

Rex.

P.S. Six of my team mates are fighting this Friday night in Caloundra. I'm so pumped up for it I think a little bit of pee just came out. They have all been training like animals in preparation. The sacrifice that they go through to be ready for there fight and even to just make weight is inspirational. One team mate is even taking a fight on 3days notice. They all deserve the glory of victory but they all already have my up most respect.

WAR ADVANCESC!!

This is the fight card.