Jiu Jitsu Meditation
Owner & Head Instructor, Ground Rules Academy
Jiu jitsu can be a very effective practice in moving meditation. I’m not an expert on the topic of meditation, but I understand that there are a variety of meditation methods and techniques with various goals and outcomes. A method I’ve dabbled with involves assuming a comfortable position, choosing a focus for your thoughts (like breathing), and kindly refocusing your thoughts every time they stray. Bringing your thoughts back to your focus when they inevitably stray is like a “rep” in the gym, and with practice you become stronger at channeling your thoughts. This skill can keep you from indulging in thoughts that lead you down an emotional roller coaster. When rehashing an old argument or thoughts of how you would confront that bully start to get your blood pumping, you can nip them in the bud by changing your focus early.
Moving meditation is the same practice, except you can do it during any activity throughout the day. And it’s simple — focus entirely on what you’re doing. You’ll be strengthening your “focus muscles”, and you’ll do a better job at your task. I found that jiu jitsu is a fantastic time to practice strengthening your focus.
I discovered this for myself as a purple belt. I vividly remember being in bottom full guard, gassed out after repeated rounds, and fighting to keep a 260 pound man-beast from improving his position. The stakes were dire. If he made it passed my guard then I might be tempted to do the unthinkable and tap to exhaustion.
Being that tired is very distracting. Your best chance at survival is to think about making good decisions — frame placement, hip movement, off-balancing, probing for openings to sweep or submit — but your body sends alarm signals every 5 seconds to tell you that you’re running out of oxygen and fuel. The moment you give into thoughts of fatigue your muscles reflexively go limp and the hulk makes progress. Now it will take even more energy to recover from this further compromised position. Your best chance at survival is to change your focus every time thoughts of fatigue barge in. Simply tell yourself to refocus on technique. This is easier said than done, but it is a practice that improves with time.
There are other situations on the mats when you can deliberately practice focus. A common beginner mistake when applying a submission is to grip and rip. Most grapplers are familiar with the trigger panic you feel when you get into a near-finishing position. The urgency to finish your opponent is overwhelming so you clench your jaws and squeeze with all of your might. Sometimes it works, but more often your position was a little off and your opponent just waits for your arms to burn out before going on the counterattack.
Instead of giving into the killer instinct prematurely — pause. Hold the position. Trust that your opponent is feeling the pressure. Wait for them to adjust and incrementally improve your bite. Proceed with with patience and wait for that sense of hopelessness that your opponent will exude when they realize there is no way out. Then squeeze.
This type of patience, or discipline of technique, applies all over in jiu jitsu. Don’t rush the half-guard pass before fully securing the head and shoulders, or it will fail. Don’t rush the mount escape until your opponent’s balance is compromised, or it will fail.
Beginners might have trouble relating to this topic for now. As humans we usually need to make a mistake at least once before we even know it is a mistake. Experience is the best teacher and it takes time and energy to accumulate it.
But once you’ve collected enough data, you need focus on technique in the face of biological urges, thoughts of winning or losing, and other distractions. You need discipline of technique to effectively apply the skills and instincts you worked so hard to acquire. Then, cast iron focus can be the result of a practice in jiu jitsu meditation.
Russ Jensen, PhD is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and the founder of Ground Rules Academy in Pleasanton. With a PhD in physical chemistry from MIT, he brings a unique, science-based approach to teaching technique on the mats. He is the author of Ground Rules: Simple Physics for the Grappling Arts.