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Invisible Jiu Jitsu
Invisible Jiu Jitsu. I heard this term for the first time about a year and a half ago on the Fightworks Podcast when they were interviewing non other than Rickson Gracie. Since that time I have heard it come up a few other times but most people never address it or speak of it, why you say, well because many might simply say, what the hell is it. I believe like most metaphysical things that one can not touch, hear, smell or see it with there own senses, that it is up to the individual to determine what “IT” is.
I liken it to an analogy which involves sports highlights. Stay with me here for a minute. It came to me as I was catching a ESPN top ten greatest plays, you know the ones where Lebron spins through 5 guys from 20 feet out and with his back turned to the basket falling in the opposite direction, without looking puts the ball up, over, and between two 7 foot tall defenders and into the basket for two and usually an and 1 or the receiver who shakes the relentless defensive back only to have to leap into the air moving in the opposite direction as the ball, reaches back across his body one handed bringing the ball in by his fingertips, than manges to spot the landing, which is a quarter of an inch from the side line, reverse his momentum to stay in bounds, get his feet underneath him and gracefully at near unimaginable speed burst down the sideline into the endzone for 6.
Many might say, wow what luck that was that those guys pulled that off, I say luck had nothing to do with it. It was body awareness, and countless hours of drilling, YES there is drilling outside of Jiu Jitsu. I am gonna start with the drilling concept first. Drilling as monotonous as it may be refines technique, creates muscle memory, strengthens muscles and coordination, speeds up timing and improves your overall flow. All these benefits or added attributes gained from drilling increases your body awareness. What I mean by body awareness is knowing where you are at any given moment during the rolling session. An example might be knowing where you want your weight, grips, and leverage weather you are in the guard, playing guard, or even inverted. It is not enough to not only know where you are at any given moment but more importantly where you are going to be next, whether this is by your intentions or that of your training partner or opponent.
I believe that as your technique develops and grows so will your Jiu Jitsu vision, seeing the invisible by feeling the invisible. As you continue to drill your technique either by solo, partner or flow drills you will not only see and feel what “IS” there, you will be able to see, sense and feel the gaps which are not visible to the eye because it those spaces are ingrained into you higher conscious from countless hours of drilling and training, the same way the basketball player can put the ball into the air with his back turned the basket with confidence seeing what he cannot physically see because he knows where his body is at that given moment in relation to his teammates, his opponents and the objective.
Something that works for me and may not be for you, is to roll from time to time with my eyes closed. This drill forces me to flow and makes it so that I can not react to what is visible and instead I can only react to what is felt at that specific moment. I am able to feel the opponents weight and balance, I know when they are going to move or shift, so that I can be a head of them in the loop. For me invisible Jiu Jitsu is seeing those parts or unseen gaps in the art which can only be anticipated and felt. This is something that I will continue to develop throughout my Jiu Jitsu journey. My money says that through drilling and more drilling, with a side of drilling for added effect you will develop your own meaning of invisible Jiu Jitsu and at the very least become a monster on the mats.
