#199 Jiu Jitsu is your own

Due to the complexity of Jiu Jitsu, there comes a point where one absorbs so much knowledge to the point that it becomes overwhelming. What seemed like an advantage at the lower stages is now confusing you and making it difficult to connect the myriad of techniques which you have diligently worked to add to your arsenal.

Rest assured, this is completely natural and often inevitable for many students in their path towards Jiu Jitsu mastery. Understand that as you continue to grow and learn, you will begin to take knowledge from many places. Fighters you admire on YouTube, BJJ Fanatics instructionals you bought, senseis and instructors from other academies, etc.

I speak from experience when I tell you that as a beginner it doesn’t take long to understand that the more you know about fighting, the better you typically fare against those who know less. This essentially begins an arms race between you and your opponent for information. It is no secret that knowing more than your opponent is almost always a good thing.

There is however, one caveat to this fact. This is when your accumulation of knowledge starts to detract from your essence as a fighter. You see, Jiu Jitsu is not only adapted to many different types of bodies with certain techniques favoring a tall fighter and others shorter fighters, but most importantly it is YOUR OWN expression of the fighting arts.

As a martial artist your thirst for knowledge must never cease, but what you can never allow is your Jiu Jitsu to take on a confined approach based on what others do or tell you to do. Of course this must be balanced with being a good student and learning and applying everything you can but at the end of the day YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE to go out and make it happen.

“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” -Bruce Lee