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The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

As a beginner it is very confusing where to start.
Everybody will tell you to start with “The Fundamentals“.

Yet nobody seems to be sure what these Fundamentals are.

Some coaches will teach you basic techniques eg…
armbar, triangle choke, scissor sweep, double under pass, double leg takedown, etc…

At first glance this seems like a good idea; these techniques are very common in Jiu Jitsu and get used all the time. So it would make sense to teach them first, doesn’t it?

Well, yes and no. It does make sense to start your journey in Jiu Jitsu with those techniques that are the most common.
But when you start thinking about it, there is nothing “basic” about any of foramentioned “moves”.

Every single Jiu Jitsu technique takes years and years to master. And even then the perfect execution can only be done in relation to what the opponent is doing.

To make your journey and the journey of everyone in Jiu Jitsu easier, we should first start with a proper definition of what is a “Fundamental”.

A Fundamental in my personal opinion, is a basic building block that is always used and present in every single human activity.

Zen Camp BJJ Globetrotters Wim Deputter The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

Zen Camp BJJ Globetrotters Wim Deputter The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

I said human activity, not motion, on purpose. The Fundamentals, the basic building blocks, are general for every single sport, be it football, swimming, walking, climbing, boxing, wrestling or Jiu Jitsu.

The most basic element of being alive, is breath. Your whole life literally starts with an inhale and ends with an exhale. The illusive moment in between both is a direct methaphor for life itself.

Therefor it stand to reason that the most basic Fundamental of any human activity starts with conscious and mindfull breathwork.

Mastering you breath, allows you to master your unconscious mind and through that your emotions and motions.

Next we have to define how the body moves.
To make sense of human motion, you have to define a default state. The default state of a body ready for action, should be the perfect middle between tension and relaxion.
This is what we call “Form Tension“.
In combination with mindfull breath, you can call the ideal default state “connection to one self“.

Once you are “connected to yourself“, you can be conscious about your connection in relation to gravity. This is your “weight distribution“.
Lastly, in the context of martial arts you want to be connected to your opponent.
The connection to your opponent happens in three layers.
From body to body connection to breath connection and through both connection of the mind.
When you are aware of your opponent’s breath and his motion, you can quite literally read his intentions and mind and in that sense accurately predict the next step.

Only through true mastery of your connection, can you both sense your opponent’s intention, while hiding your own.

Zen Camp BJJ Globetrotters Wim Deputter The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

Zen Camp BJJ Globetrotters Wim Deputter The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

After you understand connection, you have to understand the basics of human motion.
Every single human motion consists of a combination of four core motions:
-shoulder to hip and hip to shoulder rotation
-forward and backward hinge
-lateroflexion of the spine in relation to the hip
-pivot around a central axis point

These four core motion represent the four planes of movement.

Every single “technique” in Jiu Jitsu or Grappling consists of the following five steps that combine and become incremental:
-Attach to your opponent
-Rotate
-Hinge
-Lateroflex
-Pivot

Zen Camp BJJ Globetrotters Wim Deputter The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

Zen Camp BJJ Globetrotters Wim Deputter The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

Your rotation is chosen in relation to your partner and every subsequent step is choosen in relation to that initial rotation.
Every step when done right increases the compression of your opponent in case of “Offense” or decreases compression in case of “Defense”.
You only switch the rotation after your opponent switches his. The one who switches the rotation first, always loses a step in the proces.

This is the basis of the “Mirroring Principle“.
If you understand Jiu Jitsu in this way, every single “Technique” or altercation between two moving bodies becomes exactly the same. The only difference between “techniques” then becomes the initial attachment.
There are as many different “techniques” as there are possible ways to attach two human bodies.
Most likely not unlimited, but by all means incalculable.

We should therefor be very careful when naming “techniques”.
If every technique is defined by the initial attachments and the outcome decided by a set of parameters, then it stand to reason that there cannot be an exact definition of a technique. Every technique is therefor a spectrum. Just like the colors “red” or “blue” don’t exist, only the red and blue spectrum.
And when you name one shade of blue or red, you better name them all or people start to identify with one particular shade, start to consider the shade as the whole or attack the group(s) to got attached to a different shade.

In the Bible and Koran, Mozes considers it heresy and dangerous when he sees his fellow men constructed an idol of God in the shape of a cow.

How can you depict the “Whole” with just one part of it?
To define a dot on the Infinite Spectrum, is to risk forgetting The Whole.

Zen Camp BJJ Globetrotters Wim Deputter The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

Zen Camp BJJ Globetrotters Wim Deputter The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass

In the same sense we should be very careful in naming techniques. Or at least make sure that we understand that every technique is just an attachment with a spectrum of outcomes where both players can come out on top or bottom.

To give a concrete example.
There is often a distinction made between a front, sideways and rear triangle.
By giving three different names, one might consider them three different techniques instead of the same thing but with infinite angles.
In reality there is just the “Triangle Spectrum” with unlimited angles, where the frontal angle is the worst and the 45 degrees are the best.

In everything in reality, what is true for the small is true for the whole.
Every single “technique” can therefor be used to understand the whole of Jiu Jitsu, even the whole of human interactions and I dare to say the nature of reality itself.

To give you more sense of this all, I made this video “The True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu Masterclass“.

I consider it my best class ever and it would make me very happy if many people watch it and understand the point.
I believe Jiu Jitsu and the world could be better for it.

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True Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu

True Fundamentals

 

It ain’t what you do, it is the way that you do it.

 

Everybody in Jiu Jitsu agrees we should focus first and foremost on the fundamentals.

If you ask most practicioners what those fundamentals are, they will name you some basic “techniques”; kimura, americana, double leg, armbar, scissor sweep.

This answer will greatly be dependend on the way this person was taught and on his favorite set of techniques.

However, these are not the fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu. And this misunderstanding leads to a lot of injuries, frustration and slow improvement.

True fundamentals of jiu jitsu Wim Deputter BJJ Fundamentals

 

What are the Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu?

The Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu are the same Fundamentals as in any sport or human activity:

-Breathing

-structure

-muscle engagement

-integration of structure and engagement = posture

-angle

-weight distribution

-basic human core motions: hollow spine / curved spine, hip hinge / extension, lateroflexion, shoulder / hip rotation

-basic limb motions: flexion, extension, rotation

-basic grips

-integration of limb and core motion

The integration of all these basics form the “illusive” concept that is CONNECTION. At a first level connection with oneself, at a second level connection of oneself with the enivironement and a third level connection with the body, motion and breathing of your opponent.

Once you are understand that, you will realise that “techniques” are merely pathways to get from a certain point to another in the complex landscape that is Jiu Jitsu.

Always try to see “techniques” as examples or situations where you have to apply and learn your fundamentals. Every next step in Jiu Jitsu is determined first and foremost by the motion of your opponent and secondly by the situation.

If there is no time pressure, you can always just focus on the moment, on yourself and react when the opportunity arises because of the action of your opponent. This is Jiu Jitsu in ideal circumstances without time pressure. This is the setting in which “techniques” should be trained.

If the situation becomes stressed (self defense, last seconds of a lost match, submission getting tighter), there is not always time to wait for the ideal. In this setting you cannot wait for opportunities that present themselves. You have to act fast. Your basic fundamental training will kick in.

If you do not train and focus the proper on fundamentals, your “techniques” will be less effective, you will not see why they failed or succeeded, Jiu Jitsu will stay a a maze of infinite complexity and you will never be truly a safe training partner.

Don’t focus on basic techniques. Focus on the true FUNDAMENTALS.

I wish someone would have told me this when I was 6 and started with gymnastics, repeated it to me when I was 9 and started martial arts, mention it again when I was 18 and my mind a bit more mature, kept hammering it in till today and give me a slap every time I drifted from this path and lost focus on what is important.

 

 

 

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Complexity in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and The Unbreakable Arm

Complexity in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 

The Unbreakable Arm

 

When people talk about Posture in Jiu Jitsu, they usually mean “alignement of the spine and back engagement“.

In the following article I will talk about “Arm Posture“; how to engage and move your arm in order to make it seemingly “Unbreakable“.

Complexity in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu BJJ Wim Deputter The Mirroring Principle The Unbreakable Arm Armbar Defense

 

Jiu Jitsu is seemingly very complex.

 

Imagine all the possible motions a human-body can make. The number of possible motions, if not unlimited, is at least very high.
Now imagine the number of possible motions your body can make, combined with all the possible motions of another body.

That number is truly insane.

However, there is a way to break down this complexity in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Let’s use chess as an allegory.

 

Shannon's Number Chess BJJ Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Wim Deputter The Mirroring Principle

A conservative estimate of the amount of chess games possible, is 10^120.

This is more than the total amount of atoms in the visible universe! Shannon’s number.

Even though chess is so complex, it can be understood by breaking down the movements of each individual piece and the rules.

I would dare to argue that the total number of possible jiu jitsu matches is higher than the possible amount of chess games (possible infinite). 

And yet, all this complexity arises from just two “groups” (bodies) moving their “pieces” (head, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, hips / core, legs, feet and toes).

Just as chess, Jiu Jitsu is impossible to solve and completely fathom. 

Yet, it becomes easier to understand if we look at Jiu Jitsu in therms of the movement of our individual pieces / bodyparts.

First the movement of our bodyparts by themselves, then in combination with eachother and ultimately in combination with our opponents moving bodyparts.
To understand Jiu Jitsu and to be able to teach it better, The movement of the human body can be broken down in

core-, arm- and leg movement.

The core movements are quite easy to understand, and so are the arm and the leg movements.

Indivually, the movement of core, arms and legs are not that complex. But it is in the combination between the movement of our parts and those of our opponent that give rise to the complexity in Brazilian jiu jitsu (and all other movement arts).

In this video I will break down the motion of our arms and the relation between our arm motion and core movement (and hopefully give you an “unbreakable arm”).

In the second part of the video, I will show you how the arm and core motion relate to the armbar attack.

Understanding the armbar as an attack and how our arms and core can move individually and in relation to this attack, makes you both able to do, teach and explain late armbar escapes.
If you have very good late game armbar defense and armbar escapes, if not truly, your arm will at least seem “unbreakable” for all intents and purposes

In that sense “The Unbreakable Arm” is not an ultimate statement, merely a goal.

 

Want to learn more about the armbar?
Check out the following playlist!

Complexity in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the unbreakable arm

 

 

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The Path to Succes in Jiu Jitsu and in Life

The Path to Succes: Good things come to those who wait for their actions to take effect 

Succes takes time. Changes don’t happen overnight. If choice puts you on the Path to Succes, Commitment and Patience are the Keys.

“Good things come to those who wait” “Good things come to those who take action“.

Two nice sounding, but opposite expressions.

I believe, like with everything in life, the truth lies in the middle…

“Choose and commit to that choice by taking action.
Be patiënt, wait for your action to take effect.
Evaluate the effect, adjust your choice or action based on what you have learned.
Take action again and repeat this process until a desired outcome has been reached.
Always work towards something, you are either progressing or wasting valuable time.”

Path To Succes Good things come to does who wait for their actions to take effect Make a choice and commit to that choice by taking action Be patiënt, wait for your action to take effect Evaluate the effect, adjust your choice or action based on what you have learned Take action again and repeat this process until a desired outcome has been reached Always work towards something,you are either progeressing or wasting valuable time Wim Deputter Open Guard The Mirroring Principle Offensive Defense Jiu Jitsu Brazilian Jiu Jitsu BJJ Guard Sweep Pass

The Path to Succes: Good things come to those who wait for their actions to take effect

“Good things come to those who wait for their actions to take effect”.
Let me illustrate.

An average beginner will usually start the roll with throwing a random barrage of attacks at his opponent.
He doesn’t have any technical knowledge yet, so he attacks with what he instinctively thinks is right; grabbing the head, wildly pushing and pulling, lunging forward, etc.
He doesn’t know what techniques are out there, so his attacks are random. Therefor, victory (= succes) on his part will for a great part depend on luck and physical attributes.

He fails to CHOOSE.

After a few months a beginner will already have quite a set of techniques in his arsenal. He doesn’t have to resort to random, instinctive ideas anymore.
Typically, this person eagerly takes a certain grip and position in the beginning of the roll.

He makes a CHOICE.

From this position he will start attacking with learned techniques, but expecting immediate succes. Encountering resistance from his actively defending opponent, he abandons the attack he started and eagerly tries the next one and the next one while the opponent keeps blocking. In his eagerness, he lacks control and allows his opponent to take advantage and advance.
More importantly, this person will fail to see why his attack failed and therefor his ability to learn from his mistakes will be greatly hampered.
This person chooses, but in his eagerness he lacks the patience to wait for his technique to have the desired effect.

He fails to COMMIT to his choice.

Given the same knowledge and physical attributes, the difference between beginner and advanced in any field, is
the commitment to a certain choice and waiting for the desired effect before choosing again.

Even in failure the patient person has a better chance of reflecting on what happened. Thus, learning faster in the long run.

Be patient, on The Path to Succes

 

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