Relax

So what is important in Jiu-Jitsu success on the mat?

I'd say the single biggest thing as a middle-level Blue Belt is relaxation.

Most people find that really hard to do, but Jiu-Jitsu is a battle of endurance. If you can't do it, you're in trouble.

Let me give you an illustration. Let's say you are rolling in class, and some big, strong guy gets you down and holds you there. If you respond by going nuts trying to get him off, you have about 2 or 3 minutes before you are so tired you can hardly move. You might just have to bide your time, surviving his aggression, avoiding submission, and relaxing; saving energy.

Most of the time it is quite possible to tire out a bigger opponent who pushes hard to submit you from above.

Let's look at another common occurrence. A new member of the advanced class is rolling with an old timer like me. Their typical response to every move I make is to clamp down hard; their entire body rigid with effort. Their bodies are so tense that they are actually restricting their own breathing.

It doesn't take long for them their faces to turn bright red, what with all the extra energy their muscles are consuming, and with restricted airflow.

We get reminded about relaxing for energy efficiency all the time, and sometimes also about remembering to breathe. I don't think I've heard a Jiu-Jitsu instructor mention the connection between muscle tension with chest constriction.

I don't think anybody in Jiu-Jitsu has ever brought up the third big advantage to relaxation. In Karate they talked about it all the time, perhaps to excess.

Let's say you need to move, and move quickly. Your muscles are very tense. You will move slowly.

Try it again; the situation is the same except your muscles are relaxed. You will move more quickly.

Do tennis players tense all their muscles as their opponent starts their serve, or do they bounce around relaxed? An image from combat that springs to mind was Ali in his prime. He was so fast that many other fighters literally could not touch him, and he moved without single constricted muscle.

So, in summary I know of three advantages to relaxation in Jiu-Jitsu. The first is energy conservation, the second is free breathing, and the third is greater speed of movement.

Relax your way to superior performance.

To bad is isn't as easy as it ought to be.