the secret ingredient

I am fortunate to be able to train BJJ with some great people, both as instructors and as training partners. The more experience I get rolling with high level people, the deeper my perception of BJJ becomes. One of the things I am finally understanding is that, in my opinion, the most important attribute in BJJ is balance. I am talking about the ability to control your body and tell it what to do no matter what freaky position you find yourself in. After watching the ADCC 2005 tournament, that lesson is only clearer. Really, the difference I keep seeing between a winner and loser is very often who had the better balance. At that level, the technique is fairly even, as are most other physical attributes, but the person who has better balance tends to come out on top. Watch any of the matches from AD 2005 involving Marcelo Garcia, Jacare, Roger Gracie, or Kyra Gracie. They all have amazing balance.

I noticed it myself last year when I was preparing to go compete in Brazil. I trained with an athletic performance coach, and one of the things he had me do was different balance exercises with different pieces of equipment. The elevation of my game on the mat was even more noticeable to me than from losing weight or adding strength. Even better cardio took a backseat to what improved balance did for me.

There are many ways to improve your balance. They range from simple methods anyone can do immediately, to using expensive and complex pieces of equipment. Do searches on the web to find ideas for you, and DO IT! You will thank me later.