What is the single most important thing you should learn in Jiu Jitsu?
It isn’t a technique or a bunch of techniques. It is one simple concept. Without this one concept, your techniques wouldn’t be as effective. Everything would take a lot more explosiveness, strength and speed.
The single most important thing to learn and focus on in Jiu Jitsu is the Art of Connecting your own body to that of your opponent.
By using grips (hands), hooks (feet) and form-tension you can latch on to your opponent, creating one unit with his or her body.
Once we are properly connected, the opponent loses the ability to move independent of your body; you effectively slowed down the fight and took away the ability of your opponent to use his physical attributes to their maximum advantage.
When the opponent moves, he has to move the unit as a whole.
An opponent trying to muscle out or break free will at the very least spend a lot of energy.
More experienced grapplers, will be able to see and use the movement of the opponent as opportunities for favorable transitions.
RicksonGracie is famous for his concept of Connection.
Why You Should Know About Rickson Gracie’s Connection Principle
Dave Kama, a 4th degree black belt under Rickson Gracie (One of the original Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Dirty Dozen, and one of Rickson Gracie’s Top Black Belts).
In this video, Dave Kama shows two different examples of how to have a connection to your partner with 2 different techniques.
