Expressing who you are through Jiu jitsu: Jiu Jitsu offers a veritable ocean of moves to its practitioners. You could live ten lifetimes and not master them all. It's important then, that you focus on those which best suit your body type and personality. When you first begin study you need to simply learn the basic moves as best you can, but in time you will begin to notice that certain moves come more natural you than others. By the time you are a black belt your distinctive game will reflect who you are as clearly as your finger prints. Don't try to force this process. Don't start off with a statement that this or that move will be your favorite – it will happen organically over time as naturally as your features change with age. Though I teach a program that has a distinctive look among all my students – beginning with cast iron defense and submission offense around the whole body with a heavy emphasis on legs and back – I make sure I teach a large number of moves and tactics and leave lots of room for individual experimentation so that within the commonalities of my students there are many different interpretations to suit their individual body types and personalities. In the early stages the moves of Jiu jitsu must be given out under the control of the teacher, but as you develop over time they must be offered as a smorgasbord that allows the students to pick and choose those which best suit what they want and need. I always tell my students – i am a dictator on the fundamentals of Jiu jitsu – there is no choice on those, they have to be learned – but I am a libertarian on the rest of the game. As you practice keep a note of those moves that seem to come more naturally to you than others. Research how successful/high percentage they are in top level competition. Perhaps one day they will become the defining feature of your game
