Editor’s note: Professor Mark Genco is also the author of “Inner Jiu Jitsu: Become Unbreakable, Focused, and Ready to Win in Any Situation by Mastering Your Inner Game.”
Space…the final frontier. Oh sorry, that’s a quote from Star Trek. But on a serious note, space is a concept that all Jiu Jitsu people need to understand in order to become better at it.
If you look at any Jiu Jitsu match, or fight, it quickly becomes apparent that the person who masters the space (and you can sometimes substitute the words “range” or “distance” here) becomes the winner of that match. Why?
In nearly every move of Jiu Jitsu, we see a player trying to dominate or influence space in small but hugely consequential ways. Look at the following situations:
- Shrimping from bottom side control.
- Inserting the knee in the space between one’s elbow and knee area when the opponent is in a turtle position.
- Not allowing space in the neck area when submitting someone in a triangle.
- Closing the distance from the punch block series and clinching with them.
Take bottom side control, for example.
The person on the bottom is getting pinned down in some way. If he can give an explosive bump and momentarily create enough space between the opponent’s body and himself, he can gain a potential advantage where he can then reverse the position or at least be in a better spot (i.e. the guard.)
[Creating Space in the Face of Pressure]
Space in all aspects of life
Space doesn’t just represent an important concept in martial arts; it also becomes a key concept in all aspects of life.
We usually think of space as something empty, lacking substance or form. For example, an empty room has a lot of space in it. But space doesn’t just represent the lack of something; it also has a living quality more akin to sheer “potentiality.” This potentiality is everywhere, present at all times.
Think about the space between your eyes reading the text and the text itself. This space isn’t just an inert lack of substance, but actually a potentiality that allows for the act of seeing to work — just like the usefulness of a cup lies in its empty space. And it’s in the space of our minds where creativity finds its source.
You need space, or emptiness, for things to operate in life — like a creational vortex. If you can find ways to master the space in life’s circumstances, you can better optimize life on your terms.
The same concept is always present in Jiu Jitsu. The faster you manipulate and control space in a match, the quicker you dominate the opponent. Jiu Jitsu masters the process of creating momentary space in a situation with intention and then filling the space in a way that helps you create the most influence. The person with the most influence wins.
[From Martial Arts Passion to Career: Find a Space and Fill It]
The zen of space
If we could substitute the word “space” with “emptiness,” we find a similar concept in Zen Buddhism, which expresses Emptiness as something like: Emptiness is Form, Form is Emptiness.
This doesn’t mean that all things are “empty,” like some dead inert space, but more like everything has a living, open quality of interpretation. Life gives us an infinite amount of variables and situations, but they’re all empty of a particular framing until you apply one.
How you frame a situation in your mind will determine your reality.
If your interpretation of a situation is negative and super solid, you’ll pay the price and consequences for having such a mindset. Yet, the opposite is also true! So be mindful; pick a positive and pragmatic frame of mind that will allow you to master your situation of spaciousness.
Become a master of space in Jiu Jitsu, and apply the metaphor and become a master in life!
