Making Connections

I believe we are all connected. Or in the words of Genki Sudo "We Are All One". I think our sub-conscious minds are somehow all linked up. You know the feeling you get when you walk in to a seedy pub or club full of sus dudes and a wave of gloom just washes over you. Or when you are at a music festival and everyone is so in to the music and having such a rad time a wave of euphoria comes over you. I think those waves are the collective sub conscious of the group connecting with your own. Yeah it's official, I'm a hippie.  

I think we can somewhat recreate those positive connections consciously. When ever I get to hang with a new mate I always try to look for that connection. Usually it's music. I love metal but I also listen to lots of other shit. I like hip-hop, break beat, punk, grunge, 80s cock rock, blues, folk, even some country. It's all good except for heartless pop and mindless trance.

BJJ is another way to make connections. If you both have trained for a while then you have heaps in common. I think that's why my blog gets a lot of traffic. Any one who has trained for a few months can totally relate/connect with what I'm banging on about.

At a philosophical level I could talk to a fellow Jits practitioner for hours. But actually rolling is the best way to get on the same page and communicate. The moment I slap hands it's possible to make those sub conscious connections again. Sometimes in the roll the art of bjj takes over and guides the collective sub conscious towards being totally immersed. But in the same way as when you walk in to a seedy pub, the roll can go bad when the energy is just off.

My coach has been working hard on getting everyone in the gym to roll with control and flow through all of our techniques. His philosophy on BJJ is very similar to Roy Deans ideas in the video clip below.

There are some guys in the gym I have some great conversations(rolls) with, back and forth and very stimulating. Some times I listen too much and should be a little more ascertive and some times I get in to yelling matches. But as in life off the mat, it's always better to try to listen and respond in equal amounts with people if you want to make some meaningful connections. I try to use as much etiquette and decorum as possible but I also try to add a little bit of my own accent and cool where I can.

Jits is not only a great way to keep fit, stimulate your mind and learn one of the most effective martial arts on the planet. It's also a great way to meet some most excellent individuals and make some rock solid connections.

C u on the mat

Rex