Positive and negative – the two faces of jiu jitsu: it is of the first importance to understand that in every aspect of jiu jitsu, there are two directions my game must push. One the one hand, I must do everything in my power to facilitate my ability to move freely in the directions I desire (presumably in the direction of control and submission). On the other hand, I must do everything in my power TO UNDERMINE MY OPPONENTS ABILITY TO DO THE SAME. Let us illustrate this point through the example of speed. Obviously physical speed is a desirable trait in almost all sports, especially combat sports. When we first think of speed, typically we think of our ability to move at speed, and compare this to the speed of others. In jiu jitsu however, our speed potential is not nearly as important as OUR ABILITY TO UNDERMINE OUR OPPONENTS ABILITY TO MOVE QUICKLY. To put it simply – I don't HAVE to move quickly if I have first immobilized you. My need for speed is proportional to my ability to tie up and immobilize my opponent. The better my skill at undermining my opponents ability to move, the less I will require physical attributes to succeed in sparring. THIS ABILITY TO INTERFERE WITH MY OPPONENTS PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES (the negative” side of the game) IS IN MY OPINION
