Reading your opponent: In daily life we all learn to read the body language of people around us and make conjectures about what kind of person they are, what their intentions are and what they really think (often this can directly oppose what they are saying verbally). You have to learn to do the same thing in Jiu jitsu. The primary means of reading an opponents intentions is through their STANCE and motion, and by THEIR REACTIONS TO FEINTS AND FAKES that we threaten them with. Use the time you have as you stand or kneel in front of an opponent to read them – the more accurate information you have about their intentions the easier the task of countering their intentions and asserting your own. Here, Garry Tonon approaches Renato Canuto – both athletes are firebrands with dangerous standing attacks, so reading what traps and attacks they had for each other was very important. Any time you are in neutral positions with distance between you, you have a chance to read the other fellows intentions – you got very good at it in daily life – you can get good at it in Jiu jitsu too!
