04 Aug What is your focus?
A thought that came to mind while we were finishing class last Thursday night was: “What is your focus while training?”
I decided to ask some of the students on the mat what they thought. I made sure to let them know there really isn’t too much of a right or wrong answer, but that I was very interested in what everyone had to say. Here are the answers I received:
“Breathing”
“Staying Calm”
“Not using strength”
“Facing my fears when choosing the most skillful partners in the room”
“Getting the advantage of the scramble”- I asked if I could rephrase this as “mastering and utilizing the techniques within the transitions”- He agreed that was a correct assessment.
“Exploring and trying out new things”
“Using the Fundamentals”
“Mastering the position. The defensive and offensive aspect of the position we are focusing on.”
I love asking these philosophical questions. The varying focuses really intrigues me. I found that on a micro or macro scale we are all on the same path, with the goal of mastering the techniques, principles, and philosophy of the art. That is a beautiful thing. It’s like we are all focusing on the different aspects of the art, with the idea in mind that we will improve . I’m glad we have the opportunity to focus on certain positions for a month at a time. It gives us time to learn and explore the ins and outs of what we are looking at. It gives us ample time to drill the offensive, defensive, and transitional techniques of the given position. Within this format, it also gives us the opportunity to learn to switch gears.
The philosophy of Jiu Jitsu can be boiled down to “the triumph of intelligence over brute strength”. This can only be done when training the moves within the philosophy of the art. Energy efficiency, effectiveness in each situation, and masterful defence in all positions must be paramount. Aggression, athletic prowess, and unique physical attributes should be secondary to technical, effective, relaxed, perfect technique while we are learning. I feel that each day we are living this mission which is in alignment with the philosophy and mission of the masters before us. Grand Masters Carlos and Helio would be proud! Thank you team.