Metaphors and more

How is it possible to understand or make sense of the process involved in securing a submission. When I was in Toronto recently one of the blackbelts suggested that the end to which we work in BJJ is analogous to joke telling. 

Bare with me, I think there may be something here. If we consider jokes or joking we are immediately struck by the centrality of surprise. If we tell a joke in which the punch line is a foregone conclusion, then the joke ceases to be funny and bleeds into the realm of story or narrative. For a joke to be funny, to elicit the desired response (laughter), requires that incongruities be resolved in a fresh and unique way. 

The same, it seems, applies to BJJ. If I told you with my body language or whatever else that I was intent on securing an armlock, most would be able to defend it. When I am rolling with white belts, I'll often tell that what I'm after - say a choke - to see if they can defend it and to help hone both mine and their skills. At higher levels - purple and above - this tack becomes futile such that it will lead nowhere. Rather, at higher levels we attempt to lead our opponent down one path so that we may surprise them with something else - something they did not see coming. 

For instance, I was rolling with one of our more accomplished blue belts recently. I am working on wrist locks so my goal for the day was to see how many different ways and directions I could set them up. MS tips the scales at 240 or 250 and moves quite well. We started rolling and I passed his guard - recall that I weigh about 170lbs., so I do not play bottom with guys this big! After establishing technical (as John Danaher maintains - what's so technical about it?) mount I grabbed his collar as if setting up a hell choke. He defended by grabbing his collar, which brought his elbow away from his side and exposed his arm. I locked it with my arm. Thinking I was going to spin for an armlock, he defended by grabbing his elbow, which then exposed his hand for the wrist lock. I secured his hand and (gently) put on the lock. When he realized what was happening he let out a quick yelp. I quickly asked if he was ok and whether I hurt him. He said, no, not at all, only that I surprised the "shit" out of him.

He hadn't expected the wrist lock that I set up initially with the choke and then the armlock. Is this how we are to do BJJ - to tell jokes with our body? To surprise our opponents/training partners with incongruities?

Bryan

bjjstudy@gmail.com