Catch and Release

One of the many life lessons I've learned over the years as a pleasant side-effect of training in martial arts is the concept of  "catch and release". Originally, I used this when sparring with people to improve my timing. I would seek holds and openings to hit, and then not take them. Training for timing over speed or strength. Great learning tool. I then started to notice this concept in other forms. MMA fighters losing a lock and desperately chasing it to the point of opening themselves up for hits or a boxer trying too hard to force an opening for a big haymaker. It usually doesn't end well for these guys. Take the chance when it's there and pass on it if you missed it. When I started to follow the legends in the world of CACC (Catch-As-Catch-Can) wrestling, I noticed this was never an issue here. These guys were constantly picking off limbs and the second the other would start to counter, they'd just let go and move on to the next pick. It was like watching chess. Everyone seemed so sure that the next opportunity would and that eventually there will be no more counters. Confident. This would later become a life-concept that I would spend many hours meditating on (and still do).

In Training
Great learning tool for training. Strength and speed are great, but when we're tired, injured or simply older, these attributes are the first to go. Timing only goes away when you stop practicing it. So playing a little catch and release game when you're sparring goes a long way when you're tested under hard pressure. It's like hunting without chasing. Find that window of opportunity and let it shut on you. There will be another one if you just stay a little calm and patient. This is particularly great if you're working with someone who is new in your dojo or that you know can't challenge you as much as you'd like. I practice this way all the time (especially with more dangerous locks and hits) and I can feel the difference when I'm fighting.

In Sport
I'm sure any fight fan can think of a fight where they saw someone lose a hold and couldn't stop chasing it. It probably cost them the fight (and some brain cells). So, for example, a fighter attempts an armbar, almost has it and at the last second the other fighter slips free. The first fighter refuses to let go of the wrist and keeps forcing, despite the fact that everyone can see that the opportunity is gone. He then spends all of his energy and attention on this and the other fighter knocks him out with his free hand. I've seen this play out (or some kind of variation) many times. Failure to release something that is lost tells us two things about this fighter: they aren't confident that they can "catch" them again and that they've lost their focus. Stay present. When the moment passes, move with it. The best fighters in the world constantly let one chance after another come and go, eventually landing the one that works. Think of any fight you've seen that "should have been over right there" several times before it ended.

In Fighting
Now here, by "fighting", I actually just mean anything that isn't training or a combat sport. This whole "catch and release" attitude is important in any self defense or street fighting scenario as well. I remember seeing a fight break out in a bar, where one guy got hit really hard and was obviously half-unconscious right away. He fell to the ground and, like most primates in a confused panic, he grabbed his attackers leg with both hands. He tried to pull him down too, but the attacker stood strong and clearly wasn't going anywhere. Other people jumped in and this poor guy was getting hit from all over the place, but he never let go of the leg (brain clearly regressed to a single-goal mode...tunnel vision). He could have protected himself or even maybe get back to his feet if he just released. Fear made him hang on. No matter how bad it got, deep down inside he must have thought that it would just get worse if he let go. This kind of narrow vision prevented him from getting back on his feet or even seeing the other attackers join in. In real combat, you need your head on a swivel because anything can and will happen. Stay sharp.
(Side note: the guy ended up with a zillion minor injuries, but nothing life threatening)

Catch and Release Lifestyle
As with many things I've learned on the mats, this is really becoming a way of life (no, not when it comes to dating). I used to go through life chasing goals blindly, convinced that I just had this or that. As I started to incorporate this concept in training, I noticed more and more opportunities to apply this to my life. I'd be offered a job that I always thought I wanted and it would occur to me that it would just result in more stress and hours for pretty much the same pay. A woman I always had a crush on agreed to go on a date and I realized that we didn't share any of the same values or interests. People will sometimes think you're crazy, but trust your gut and let things pass you by sometimes. Just because something becomes available, doesn't mean it's for you. Pursue a lifestyle you love, around the people you love and let the rest come to you. Trust me, the things that matter will.

Jordan Bill
Fight or Die

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