fighting for advantage: One of the central premises of jiu jitsu is this – ALWAYS GAIN SOME FORM OF PRIOR ADVANTAGE BEFORE COMMITTING TO AN attack. The most widely understood form of advantage in jiu jitsu is positional advantage, but there are many other forms as well. Adherence to this fundamental principle is probably the single biggest and most important commitment the student can make. It is so easy to focus upon the moves that comprise the actual attack, and fail to pay attention to gaining the initial advantage that makes it possible against a knowledgeable and resisting opponent. The higher you go in the sport, the stronger your adherence to this essential axiom of the sport must become, for at the highest levels, EVERYONE KNOWS ALL THE MAJOR MOVES AND ALL THE MAJOR counters TO THEM – victory will go to the athlete who gains sufficient initial advantage that his his opponent cannot stop it, despite knowing what it is and how, in theory, to stop it. Here, Garry Tonon works hard to gain advantage in the standing position against the powerful Yuri Simoes in an open weight EBI event.
