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Dec
29
Creating space is crucial in jiu-jitsu. The ability to create space is something we all need to master in order to elevate our game. Space is freedom. There are three tenets we must remember when we think about space: 1) create space, but then immediately fill the void, 2) create space to attack the base, and 3) the timing of creating space is crucial; create space during movement.
I think I’ll break this up into three different posts, so today I’ll talk about 1) creating space but then immediately filling the void. So imagine being on the bottom in cross body position (side mount). You shrimp away from your opponent to create space, but that’s not enough. Creating space is not enough. Creating space creates a void, and that void is either going to be filled by your opponent or filled by you. To create space and then leave the new space unfilled is a mistake.
After you’ve created space you must fill that space with something. To get back to our example, we might want to slide our knee into the space we’ve just created. We want distance between us and our opponent and a knee or shin works as a good barrier. It will allow us to create even more space between us, and that space allows us enough room to put our guard in, or get to our knees, or at least get half-guard.
So tenet number one simply states that if you create space, you need to fill that new space before your opponent does; this will help you to create more space to improve your position.
Space Invader and Space Creator all rolled in one. Those are signature mnemonics of yours. I’ll never forget them.
I know the space invader/creator thing is a little cheesey, but that’s why you’ll remeber them. For those of you who don’t know, when you’re on the bottom you should be a space creator, and when you’re on top you should be a space invader.