Principle #7: Velocity (always keep your opponent guessing!)
(Disclaimer: I am not being paid/sponsored in any way to promote "Gracie University". I have found their "The 32 Principles" videos incredibly beneficial and I hope you do too! But it's not necessary to watch these videos to benefit from this blog.)
Thoughts:
Whoever controls the distance in a fight, controls the damage. But whoever controls the pace, controls the fight.
This is why velocity is so important. You must keep your opponent guessing, not just about your next move, but at the speed in which you may (or may not) get there.
What is the best speed in a fight? It's the speed that makes your next move the hardest to predict! This makes it harder to prevent, and harder to control or neutralize.
The other day for my training, I was rolling with a fellow white belt, and I was learning a lot from her. I would break her closed guard, but without a quick knee slice, the victory was temporary because she would then quickly reset her closed guard on me.
As we rolled, I realized that I was being very methodical, almost monotone in my movements, and predictable. It was good practice, and I was trying to internalize a few specific moves. But after a few minutes we started being freer, and improvising to see who could get the submission.
With her stripes and experience, she definitely had the upper hand. But then the principle of velocity came into play, and things changed.
For a split second I found her on her side, getting ready to pivot and establish a side-mount on me. But before she could turn, I saw her back. And that was my moment!
I quickly took her back, and pulling out my legs for stability, was immediately able to establish a choke. To be honest, I'm not even sure what kind of choke it was, but the submission was applied, and she tapped out.
The key to my success in that moment was recognizing the opportunity, and then speedily taking it. In fact, it was abrupt, and I'm sure it surprised her!
The key with this principle is always to keep your opponent guessing.
Don't be monotone. Don't be predictable. Sometimes move fast, and sometimes move slow. Vary your speed and make the roll a melody instead of the predictable hum of a ceiling fan.
Let's turn the corner...
How does this help me with my faith in Christ?
When it comes to the principle of "Velocity", sometimes God does this with us.
Sometimes He moves incredibly fast, and it feels like lightning speed!
Sometimes He moves at glacial speeds, as if He has all the time in the world (and yes, He does have it all...).
Listen to what Peter says in 2 Peter 3:8, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."
This is the Principle of Velocity, and it was invented by God and He still uses it every day.
In your following of Jesus, this plays out in different ways:
1. Be patient with God (sometimes he moves quickly, and sometimes slowly), but the choice is up to Him
2. Be humble (sometimes you want to move fast, but God knows best, and wants you to slow down; or vice versa)
3. Be a learner (look for ways and patterns in which God works -- He gives us patterns as invitations to partner with Him in the process of doing His will)
The bottom line in our Jiu Jitsu is this: if you want to go faster, you must first slow down.
And the same holds true in our spiritual walk with Christ: if you want to go faster, you must firsts slow down. When we hurry the process, we miss out on His presence which makes all the difference in the world (take a fresh look at John 15:1-5 for more about this).
Keep Rolling,
Brian
Comments
Post a Comment