The octopus is an alien like creature that resides under rocks and crevices amongst our beaches. It’s quite ugly, incredibly intelligent, and it tastes delicious.

It moves with the grace of a bellydancer, as each of its’ eight elastic tentacles move in various directions. Each arm has a brain of its’ own and they’re all doing and feeling for different things. With their very own nociceptors along each limb, they sense pain, predict danger, grab, hold, and pull what and as they please.

It’s how this creature navigates through it’s environment, changes colour and adjusts itself to the changing tides. It goes with the flow, on alert for potential predators, grips like a vice, and is ready to throw down if ever the situation arises. On the mats, be an octopus.

Be Aware of Yourself

Use your own 4 limbs and your entire self to connect to the environment around you. Feel the ground, and scan your opponent. Know where you are in space, and activate your suction caps whenever possible, in order to connect like glue to their skeleton.

Move yourself in order to mould around the opponent. Understand your body, so that you can be soft, not stiff, and able to move in any direction without hesitation or preparation. That way anywhere the prey goes you are able to follow.

Keep your prey in your hands and stay free and away from danger. And with the right technique, and at the right time, latch onto them and divulge them for good.

Don’t Chase

There are massive sharks, and dolphins, and so many prey hunting for you. If you chase after your prey, you will become the prey. When you chase you expose yourself to the dangers around you too, and usually the risk/benefit ratio is out of your favour.

That’s why you linger in safe hiding spots, camouflage into the abyss, set up traps, and wait for your prey to come to you. All the while you stay safe, and away from harm.

You focus on defence, and patiently wait for your prey to fall into your numerous said traps.

Be Intelligent

This is the jiu jitsu you ought to aspire to. There’s bigger, stronger, faster predators around and you can try to keep up with them but eventually you’ll tire and die.

Sometimes it’s fun to feel like a shark. But even then the shark runs into battles it can’t win.

Instead, play the defensive game, pick and choose your battles, and wait patiently for your partners to fall into your traps. This way of training will allow you to live your days safe, and free from pain and injuries. And best of all you’ll have fun, learn effectively, and enjoy your practice of jiu jitsu for years to come.

Many Ways – Choice Is Yours

You can choose to play the short game and do works for you now, without thinking about what is to come. Or you can invest in your future self now, so that you can live a long prosperous life on the mats and off.

This is your choice, nobody else’s.

You decide.