Both traditional Japanese jiu jitsu and the Brazilian jiu jitsu practice in mixed martial arts include powerful and complex locks, throws and combinations. Each of these movements is built from the same basic concepts. In much the same way that a poet arranges words in an effective order, the jiu jitsu stylist applies these basics in a combination that works on the mat.
Center of Balance
The throws and controlling locks of jiu jitsu rely on controlling and manipulating an opponent's center of balance. A person is only as powerful as he is aligned -- meaning that his shoulders and knees are in a straight line, with his center of balance at the middle. If you can move an opponent's body so that this line is disrupted, he loses his power and is easier to throw or control. A hip throw, for example, immobilizes the center of balance while flinging the lower body and upper body in opposite directions.
Space -- the Enemy
A jiu jitsu lock works, in large part, in direct proportion to how much room it leaves for the opponent to move. The precise locks require the joints and bones to line up in a specific manner. An opponent who changes the angles even slightly can spoil the technique. To prevent this, a jiu jitsu student learns early in training that space is the enemy. He practices applying his locks with as little space as possible between any part of the opponent's limb and the parts of his own body used in the technique.
Bone Manipulation
Jiu jitsu moves rely on manipulating the position of an opponent's joints and bones. An arm bar, for example, immobilizes the elbow and shoulder and then uses the leverage of the forearm against that joint. Practicing jiu jitsu means learning about that anatomy, how it functions and how different body parts can be moved in combination to control a human body.
Check-Hitting
This basic technique is known by several different names, but "check-hitting" is common among English speakers. The basic idea of the check-hit is to use a short, fast strike to distract an opponent so as to make better use of a throw or lock. When executing a basic throw, for example, a traditional jiu jitsu fighter might punch his opponent in the ribs before going in for a triangle choke. When executing a check-hit, a jiu jitsu stylist goes for maximum speed and pain. The hit is not intended to harm, only to momentarily change an attacker's focus of attention.
References
- Phil Porter; 10th-Degree Jujitsu Black Belt; US Martial Arts Association; Citrus Heights, California
- "USJA Basic JuJutsu Manual"; Phillip Porter; 1996
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