Sometimes there's a lot going on when it seems like there's nothing going on: A strange thing about jiu jitsu is that there can be periods where the two athletes seem inactive, but underneath both are engaged in a tight contest for advantage that few can see even though it's all happening in front of them. It is very much a sport only those who've spent a lot of time in similar situations can understand that both are vying for advantage even though it appears to the casual observer that nothing is happening. Sometimes can be something like a battle for inside head position, or top hand position – elements that don't look like much but which have a big impact on who will dominate the next scoring exchange. Learning to see the importance of these small battles within a larger war is a good sign of your technical progress. Remember always that Jiu jitsu is like life – the quality of your start in any endeavor has a big impact on the degree of difficulty of a successful finish – so don't be afraid to take your time in these seemingly inactive periods – establish your advantage first and THEN go into the big moves.
