The Difference Between Skill and Technique in Jiu Jitsu

I dropped this saying to my Teens class on Saturday.

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad”.

You’ve probably heard that one before. I’ll tell you why I said it. But first, a couple more sayings.

“1000 blades. None of them sharp.”- anon

 Or let’s try the old martial arts classic:

“I don’t fear the man who has practices 10,000 kicks once. I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”.

That last one is from Bruce Lee. If you’re ever looking to win a martial arts argument, quote Bruce Lee.

The point is that Jiu Jitsu is about the thing you can do, live, when it matters. Not how much knowledge you’ve accumulated. It’s fun to learn these things, but it’s all about being effective.

The second part of what I was trying to get across to the Teens in my group was that you don’t have to be any particular size or shape. Some techniques will suit a tall person, others will suit a small person. You adapt as you go, and you figure out what works for you. Not too many sports are like that.

There’s pressure from social media to think you have to know everything in Jiu Jitsu. You don’t. Pick your strong suit and go with it. Build on your strengths, everyone has some.

And understand when to use a tomato.

See you on the mat,

Barry