To many, accumulating new techniques is often seen as the apex of Jiu Jitsu. Keenan Cornelius, a noted black belt, recently stated that Helio Gracie, widely credited as the founder of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, would now only be a purple belt—such is the advancement of modern technique.
In contrast, Helio’s most famous son, Rickson Gracie, doesn’t even emphasise techniques (applied to opponents as suggested by Keenan), as the foundation of Jiu Jitsu improvement. Rickson places breathwork at the very foundation of his Jiu Jitsu methodology. Rickson argues that breathwork not only helps your Jiu Jitsu and fighting practice, but it also improves your general life, from sleep to dealing with stress, to general mental well being. Furthermore, Rickson then argues that base—how you connect your body to the ground—is the next most important factor in learning and building your Jiu Jitsu game.
Keenan’s approach suggests that techniques, and ways of applying them to your opponent, is the source of constant advancement in your Jiu Jitsu approach. Whilst Rickson Gracie has certainly advanced techniques since his father’s day, with examples including weight distribution and the application of connection both internal and external, the contrast in philosophies is stark.
Henry Akins, a 3rd degree black belt under Rickson has stated several times that relaxation in practice, which is clearly connected to breathwork, is perhaps at the apex of advanced jiu jitsu. Henry’s position appears to be that truly advanced practitioners are able to relax during rolling, even during competitive rolls or competitions themselves, thus saving energy but also making them feel far heavier on their opponent. This feeling is described by SBG Founder Matt Thornton as acting like a wet blanket. This approach takes space away from the opponent regardless of the specific technique being applied and can be applied by practitioners at any age.
There will of course continue to be debates on how Jiu Jitsu evolves and what defines the apex of the art. However, it would appear that such zenith’s are not achieved by tricks or new gambit methods, as the very top competitive players rarely stray into unknown techniques. The techniques are broadly the same as what has been used previously, what differs is when they are used (timing) and how efficiently they are applied.
