Rhythm in JiuJitsu

My obsession with rhythm initially began with my practice in Jiujitsu. I’ve been practicing jiujitsu for about four and a half years. Over those years I’ve struggled with body pain. Recently I have been able to create my own techne that allows me to practice in such a way that does minimal damage to my body. I believe that this type of grappling comes from being especially attuned to the relationship between me and my partner. I don’t necessarily move based on technique but rely on what my opponent has to offer. If his energy is taking me backward, then we go backward. If he’s pulling me toward him, I go toward him. I trust that when the moment arises I will be attuned enough to respond in an effective way. In jiujitsu there is a saying “Be Like Water,” which I consider to be a characteristic of mastery — attunement to the kairotic moments to a point in which you’re constantly moving/responding. As an instructor of jiujitsu, I wanted to find a way in which beginners to jiujitsu could tap in to a rhythm that would teach them to be attuned to those moments of invention.

The two videos below show one lesson I planned based on my theory of rhythm. I was teaching my students to begin moving in a specific way (a side shrimp) if their opponent started to pass their guard (a guard is a position in which a person’s feet are in front of her, protecting her. The opponent’s goal is to pass the feet — pass the guard). The goal was to create a rhythm out of the micromovements that would allow students to recognize the kairotic moment in which they could respond. I do not tell the students how to respond after they start moving. As you can see in the videos, the response is not predictable and each person responds differently depending on conditions. Some students recover guard, getting their feet in front of them again. Other students are able to get to their knees or get out and take the back. I tend to roll the person or recover a specialized guard. I believe that more experience in establishing this sort of rhythm creates even more effective responses, but the response and invention are not limited to experienced practitioners.

This type of exercise allows students to invent their own response based on their skill level and abilities. The response is not predictable but is still effective in that it draws upon each person’s attunement to the environment.
This is another short clip of me teaching an escape principle based on micromovements and attunement to the other.

The following videos are just for fun, so you can see jiujitsu live and watch me choke out my opponent (which didn’t happen until about 30 minutes into the match, so this is just the ending)

Toward the end of this match I sweep my opponent over and end up on top. I spend a lot of time on top with half of a gi choke sunk in (a gi choke is when you use the fabric of the gi to cut off blood circulation through the carotid artery). I’m basically waiting for him to react. When he finally tries to roll me, I lift my other hand to the opposite side and cut off the circulation to his other artery, thus completing the match by submission.

The following video is a brief match we had after wearing ourselves out with the first 30 minute match. I’m embedding this video just so you can see a live rolling session in case you’re curious about what that looks like.

Often times matches go for about 5 minutes if coaches have students on timers. In competitions the matches range from 5 minutes at the white belt level to 10 minutes for black belts. So when I say brief, I mean…brief for practicing.