One of the most used terms in jiu jitsu is leverage. As previously noted, leverage is applied asymmetry. In jiu jitsu, a small and weak person can defend and even win against a stronger, bigger opponent.

Getting the right grip leads to better technique initiation, which leads to better leverage and execution. In sparring, whomever gets the best grips usually has advantageous leverage.

Just as there is no techniques without grips, there is no throw or sweep without kuzushi.  Kuzushi has multiple roles from offensive, defensive, facilitation and energy expenditure minimization roles. 

To really understand positions, it is important to view them not as static but dynamic structures. Positioning is action. Nothing regarding human body is static but in constant flux. Thus, positions are mere points in transitions.  

The guard is the most influential element in jiu jitsu. The guard anchors the structure of the fight and creates a path to a sweep or submission. By anchoring, a guard stabilizes and stops the attack of an opponent.

Due to complex its involvement of complex muscular efforts, jiu jitsu demands high cardio performance to sustain control in sparring. A controlled, deep breathing pattern is essential.

Leverage technicality is the core of jiu jitsu training. Leverage technicality refers to one’s grips, positioning, and transitions that can annihilate any attempt of the opponent to gain positional advantage, creating the opportunity to apply submissions with minimum effort.

Awareness is the active, continuous integration of signals into a larger context. It is being consciously in touch with any and all changes in a situation, especially the details of those changes. We make decisions and act based on our awareness, and the success of those decisions and actions are dependent on the quality of awareness.

In jiu jitsu and judo, altering the center or the base of the opponent makes it difficult for them to exert leverage and efficiently apply techniques. When the opponent’s base is altered, they need to reestablish base before properly launching an attack or defense.

The attacks in jiu jitsu and judo should be like the flow of the ocean waves. The opponent should not see how they form or where they come from. The more movement the ocean has, the more deceiving its waves are.

Body will always follow the mind. However, the body can influence the mind as well.  Just we need to control our breathing for efficient oxygen intake, we also need to be aware of our mindset and emotional status. A reactive mind or panic are expressed through reckless actions. A calm mind is more perceptive, which enhances awareness.  Both influence how we perform. 

The two most important cognitive processes happening during sparring are perception and intuition. These two cognitive processes are the ones that kick in first during a fight -- they are the roots of all of our sparring reactions.

Good passing requires the following qualities: pressure, joint control, and posture. It also requires understanding of the three qualities of guard: hip position, hip mobility, and grips.

The highest level of a skill relies on the simplicity of its expression. The simpler the expression, the higher the skill. The great sculptor Constantin Brancusi defined simplicity as nothing but resolved complexity. Brancusi hints that to solve complexities or simplify is to rely on what is essential. Once the essence of any complexities is understood its expression becomes simple.