Where you're strong and where you're weak: As long as your elbows are tight to your torso and pointing down towards your hips, your arms will feel very strong – even if you aren't normally considered a strong person. As soon as your elbows are taken out of position over your shoulders and away from the torso and pointing away from the hips – you will feel weak even if normally you're considered a very strong person. What we call strength on the mat is mostly due to stance and positioning. What we perceive as weakness is most due to failures or imperfections in stance and positioning. The goal in Jiu jitsu then, is always to break an opponent's stance and take them out of position so that knees and elbows are extended away from the torso and neck turned or tilted; whilst at the same time preserving your own stance and positioning. Raw strength is a good thing, but it can be greatly increased by stance and positioning and greatly decreased by the destruction of these
