How Santa Claus Would Beat You in Jiu Jitsu... (Principle #10: Framing)

 

Recommendation:  Watch "Principle #10: Framing" on GracieUniversity.com

(Disclaimer: I am not being paid/sponsored in any way to promote "Gracie University". I have found their "The 32 Principles" videos incredibly helpful and I hope you do too. It's not necessary to watch these videos to benefit from this blog.)

Would you roll with Santa Claus? I guess that depends if you want to be on his good list, right?

As we get older, and Santa Claus looks more and more familiar in the mirror, this is going to be one of the key principles that keeps you rolling. As an older competitor myself, this principle of Framing has increasing value to me to use it as much as possible in my rolling.

What is Framing?

Framing is when you use your skeletal structure to hold your opponent in position or simply block them from moving to a different position. It's a great substitute for muscular strength, especially when you are up against a larger and stronger opponent.

Frames are amazing, take little energy, and can be used by almost any part of your body (not just your arms or legs). It primarily works as a blocking mechanism to the movement of your opponent.

Here's an example of Framing:

You are rolling with an opponent who outweighs you by at least 100 pounds. They are taller and stronger, and by sheer weight alone have a huge advantage. 

They take mount, and you are trying to prevent them from going north on you and climbing up your torso with their knees. So, what's your move? You pin your arms to your sides, and place your elbows on their knees, to block them from moving up. The sheer skeletal structure of your arm will block them, even though they are much bigger and stronger than you. That's the principle of Framing in action.

Turn the corner...

How do we apply the principle of Framing to our spiritual lives?

Answer = BE HUMBLE.

Humility is in short supply everywhere we go. In each of our lives, we definitely need more and more humility.

Ernest Hemingway once said, "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."

Pastor and Author Rick Warren put it this way, "True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less."

A friend of mine once said, "You can humble yourself out of any problem you face..." There's a lot of truth to that. Humility may not fix the problem, but it will keep the problem from defining you.

In James 4:10, it says "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."

This means that when we face pressure, humble ourselves.

When we face temptation, humble ourselves (think about it this way: when we give into to temptation, it's a form of greed, an act of "getting more of what I want". That's the OPPOSITE of practicing humility).

Humility to counteract temptation is a great way to use Framing to beat those strong desires that can suddenly come upon us, especially when we're tired and not wanting to fight them.

But humility is like practicing Framing. It's basically saying, "Instead of being greedy, and giving into this temptation to get more of the things that I want, I will be humble, and let God give me the things He wants me to have without remorse our guilt."

If you were really sparring with the Devil, be assured of this: he's got a lot more practice than you, and knows most of the moves you like to do before you even do them. In that sense, he's stronger than you. Strength on strength, and you lose.

But if you practice Framing, by choosing the path of humility, you can stop him from having his way with you. You can use your humility before the Lord to stand firm. 

Add Framing to your Jiu Jitsu arsenal on and off the mat and see yourself roll more and more like the champion you are becoming. Every day is a new day to begin again, practice Framing, and get better.

Keep Rolling,

Brian