MOMENTUM & CENTER OF GRAVITY

Today’s blog post will be a short and simple message: Changes in momentum help to exploit one’s center of gravity. Obviously this can be either done by you or done to you. Another way to look at it is this can be created by you to your opponent, or it can be given to you by your opponent. Let’s look at this a little deeper.

Remember, that momentum is simply mass in motion. Furthermore, center of gravity is where the greatest amount of weight, in a given body, is distributed. Therefore, shifting the center of gravity directly affects weight distribution within the limbs.

In Judo, these principles are applied over and over when trying to throw the opponent. Exploiting a person’s center of gravity via direct or indirect momentum is paramount to produce the end result. However, when it comes to Jiu-Jitsu, this idea is never more relevant then when we are trying to sweep our opponent. Utilizing momentum to change our opponent’s center of gravity is exactly how to make their limbs lighter. Once a limb becomes lighter the ability to apply a sweep using a lever (i.e. leg) is substantially increased.

Tap into this simple concept and you’ll be cleaning house (sweeping pun intended).

LEARN. DRILL. ROLL. TRANSFORM!