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Fundamentals
The vocabulary of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Posture, base, grips, falling, breathing, and the small decisions early practitioners often overlook. Fundamentals are not beginner content, they are the material advanced players are still refining twenty years in.
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The Certainty Beginners Want, The Freedom Veterans Miss
Beginners often want the certainty of experience. Veterans sometimes miss the freedom of uncertainty. A Simplex Motus piece on what rank gives you, what it quietly asks you to give up, and why neither stage deserves to be romanticized.
· 4 min read
More in Fundamentals (16)
Appearance Is Not Evidence: Testing Jiu-Jitsu Under Resistance
A technique can look flawless in drilling and still fall apart the moment someone refuses to cooperate. This is an exploration of what separates the two, and why the difference has nothing to do with how a movement looks.
· 4 min read
The Quiet Mind in the Crushing Frame: The Contradiction of Combat Sports Clarity
It looks like chaos, but to the person on the mat, it is surprisingly quiet. Live combat sports force an absolute focus on the present moment, and the physical difficulty temporarily silences the noise of everyday life.
· 4 min read
Why Mastering One Technique Beats Ten Half-Learned Moves
A technique is never truly yours just because you have seen it executed or drilled it compliantly. True ownership only occurs when you understand a movement deeply enough to deploy it under immense pressure, adjust when it fails, and trust it when the chaos begins.
· 4 min read
Respect the Tap: Why Jiu-Jitsu's Most Dangerous Lesson Is Responsibility
The danger is not the lesson. The danger is the reason the lesson exists. And the lesson is responsibility.
· 8 min read
The First Battle in Jiu-Jitsu: Choosing the Right Gym
Most beginners think the real fight begins the moment they step on the mat. They imagine the first roll, the first submission attempt, or the first time they survive a choke. But…
· 5 min read
Connection Beats Technique in BJJ: How to Become Unstoppable on the Mat
Ask most beginners what they think wins fights in Jiu-Jitsu, and they will almost always say "technique." Makes sense, right? BJJ is built on technique. But here is what nobody…
· 4 min read
Breathing: The Most Overlooked Skill in Jiu-Jitsu
Most people train Jiu-Jitsu with a focus on technique, timing, and strength. They drill takedowns. They practice sweeps. They spend hours on passing and submissions. But one thing…
· 4 min read
Correct. Effective. Efficient. The Three Pillars of Smart Training and Living
In a world obsessed with doing more, faster, louder, we often forget to ask one important question: Are we doing it right? When it comes to training, growth, or any kind of…
· 3 min read
How to Fall: The Life Skill You Didn’t Know You Needed
Most people don’t think about falling until it’s too late. One minute you’re standing. The next, you're on the ground. Maybe it's a patch of water in a grocery store, a misstep on…
· 5 min read
Closed Guard for Beginners: What Top and Bottom Really Mean in BJJ
When you’re new to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the word “guard” gets thrown around a lot. “Pull guard.” “Break the guard.” “Work from your guard.” But no one tells you right away what…
· 5 min read
Why Fundamentals Are the Hidden Superpower of Jiu-Jitsu
In the world of Jiu-Jitsu today, it's easy to get distracted. Scroll through Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube and you’ll find a flood of flying armbars, inverted triangles, and…
· 4 min read
10 Types of Rolls in BJJ: What They Are and Why They Matter
When people think of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, most picture high-intensity sparring, two bodies tangled in a chess match of grips and sweeps, trying to tap or survive. But what many…
· 4 min read
Fundamentals: The Hidden Strength Behind Success in Jiu-Jitsu and Life
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), as in life, there’s an important truth: while the fundamentals might seem a little dull at times, they are absolutely essential. Think of them like…
· 3 min read
BJJ for the Over 40s: Benefits, Risks, and Smart Training Tips
If you're past 40 and considering taking up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), you're on the brink of embarking on a journey that offers numerous physical and mental rewards. However,…
· 3 min read
Unlocking the Power of the Gable Grip in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Welcome, new students of the gentle art! As beginners in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), you are embarking on a journey filled with learning and growth. A vital component of this…
· 3 min read
The Art of Falling: Why Learning to Fall in BJJ is Crucial for Beginners
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art that strongly emphasizes grappling and ground fighting techniques. While the goal of BJJ is to dominate and submit your opponent, it's…
· 3 min read
Method and Books on Fundamentals
The principles and books that treat this topic in depth.
- Principle 01Structure before techniquePosture, alignment, and frames are the grammar. Techniques are only sentences written in it.Read
- Principle 02Position before submissionThe finish is downstream of the fight for space, angle, and control.Read
- Principle 03Understanding before memorizationA memorized sequence collapses the first time an opponent refuses to cooperate.Read
- Principle 04Simplicity before complexityThe best move is the simplest one that works. Complexity is a tax.Read
- BookSimplex Motus: Movement Before TechniqueThe book that names the philosophy. How movement quality precedes technique, and why principles outlast patterns.Read
- BookThe 12 Principles of Jiu-Jitsu MovementThe 12 principles that anchor the Simplex Motus curriculum. A practical framework for training, coaching, and understanding the mat.Read
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