14 May Slow is Smooth, and Smooth is Fast- Sam Gray

During this week’s Monday morning class, I had the pleasure of experiencing Marc verbalize a philosophy of Jiu-Jitsu that I have been trying to put my finger on for weeks. Here’s what it looks like:

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

I call it’s “Marc’s Windowless Philosophy of Jiu-Jitsu.” Now let me break it down.

Before Jiu-Jitsu, I was used to reaching in my life. To best understand what I’m referring to, let’s use the example of reaching for a cup at the back of the cupboard. While I usually snag the cup destruction free, the entire process is a lot more stressful than I realize at the time.

I’m up on my tippy toes, holding my breath, usually taking up to a minute to navigate its safe removal amongst the other cups. The process, if I actually take a second to be think honestly about it, is quite a stressful one. By the time I’m at the table drinking my water, I usually don’t realize it, but my subconscious is still calming down from the near-disaster I just experienced.

Jiu-Jitsu has taught me to get a stool. Or a chair. To breathe the entire time. Maybe the process takes two minutes instead of one, but it’s relaxing, it’s easy – it’s without any window for stress to creep in.

At no point am i worried about knocking any cup over, since I’ve taken the time to set myself up properly. I can actually  take my time getting the cup, which is a lot easier since I can see where my hand is, where the other cups are, and the clear path of pulling the cup out of the cupboard.

Essentially, a stress-full process has become a stress-free process, and all that had to change was my approach.

This isn’t what I’ve been used to in my life at all. I’ve been longing for less stress as long as I can remember. See, I’m used to always reaching for things, always stretching myself and stretching some more.

Thanks to Jiu-Jitsu, It’s just now that I’m starting to become aware of this theme in my life. Relationships I squeeze onto (that fall away), finances I stretch too thin, my body I exercise to the point of exhaustion – and then some, and the list goes on. Now, it’s clear that most of this stress is unnecessary – it’s all the consequence of speed.

Rushing makes it seem like the only way to go faster is to, well, move faster. But if slow is smooth and smooth is fast then rushing in any capacity is the slowest option of all.

When Marc explained it this week, being the visual learning I am, a very clear image came to me that made this idea easy to understand. Imagine a snakes and ladders board with one ladder connecting the first square to the last. Working to be smooth first in Jiu-Jitsu – this is the fastest way to win the game.

We spend every class going through the game regularly, sometimes hitting small ladders with a funny tip (that actually works) from Ray, a small hack from Simon, or an advanced detail from Bobby. Other days we forget to practice a technique and realize we forgot some knowledge, sliding down a pesky snake.

But eventually, after making it through the entire board enough times, the ladders start to add up, and we start to see just how it might be possible to beat the game using just one ladder.

And when we do get there, as Marc likes it say, “it’s a beautiful thing.” Because it truly is a beautiful thing to be able to travel across all those squares with one single ladder. It’s like all those little motions – the little squares on the board – become connected into one big motion for your brain.

Literally, Jiu-Jitsu is building new neural pathways for your nervous system to remember. And after enough practice, you won’t be able to help yourself from being able to make your way through a move quickly, if you’ve taken the time to be smooth along the way.

Smooth along the way looks like leaving no windows of space for a snake to slither onto one of our rungs and pull us off the ladder. It means keeping the elbows tucked, our grip firm yet relaxed, and being able to do a move slowly – and quickly.

In summary, most stressful situations in Jiu-jitsu, your kitchen, snakes and ladders, and life are entirely avoidable with better planning. This better planning looks like aiming for slowness and smoothness in the beginning and sticking with it. It’s having no tolerance for rushing and actually believing the phrase: Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

Thank you Marc for your continued work to share the beautiful art of Jiu-Jitsu with the north shore and these ladder-building, stress-relieving techniques with the world. We’re all better for it!

Guest Blogger Sam Gray