The Question Behind Every Move

Jiu-jitsu is a language of problems and solutions. Every technique exists because someone, somewhere, encountered resistance. 

The technique is simply the answer. But if you don't understand the question, the response has limited meaning.

This is why drilling often fails to translate into performance. When you drill without understanding, you are copying shapes. Everything works when your partner cooperates, only to collapse when they resist because you memorized the solution without a mechanical context.

A beginner attempting a triangle might know the sequence. The leg comes over the shoulder, the angle shifts, and the legs lock. But they don’t see what makes the triangle possible. They don’t recognize posture, alignment, or the relationship between their hips and their opponent’s spine. As soon as that relationship shifts, even slightly, the technique crumbles. Not because the steps were wrong, but because they were repeating motions instead of solving a problem.

An experienced practitioner sees something very different. Before the triangle is applied, the posture is already compromised. The head is disconnected from the spine. The angle is established. The finish feels inevitable because it is the natural consequence of correct structure. There is no rush. No force. Only timing and geometry.

Once this is understood, the technique transforms. You are no longer attached to a specific entry or grip. You immediately recognize problems; their frame is too strong at this angle, and you adjust your entry, attacking from a different vector. They start to turn into you? You see the issue, and you delay your advance until the position is truly controlled.

This is the difference between doing jiu-jitsu and understanding jiu-jitsu.

You are practicing as someone who understands a position at a structural level. You are not reacting; you are anticipating.

So before you drill another rep, ask yourself: What problem does this solve? What resistance does it overcome? What alignment does it require? What structural failure does it exploit? If you can’t answer those questions, repetition will only build false confidence.