You know the Russian Dolls? The often elaborately painted decoration that screws open to reveal smaller and smaller dolls inside? Well, that's what I mean by "Boxes within boxes".

Every time you think you know a position in Jiu Jitsu, it changes. Someone does something or shows you something different. It's what's brilliant and frustrating about learning this martial art. Just when you think you know it, you discover that all you did was unlock the box. And what was inside? Another locked box.

My coach, Robert Drysdale, says that there are essentially 4 punches in boxing, and you spend your entire career trying to perfect them and discover ways of using them. Well, we can't count our "punches" in Jiu Jitsu. Every position has dozens of techniques that can be done in dozens of ways. Any mathematician worth their salt will tell you that this leads to thousands of potential combinations.

That's why I love it. And it's also what makes it so adaptable for size, shape, body type, age, strength level, personality, and any other human quality you can think of.

I keep wondering how small the next box will be. After 2 decades of training, I'm starting to think I'll never know.

See you on the mat,

Barry