This past week I again had the privilege and honor to train with/learn from Master Ze Mario Sperry, when he came in to train at Rio Fighters. Watching Ze Mario roll and having him perform techniques on me I was again amazed by his maintaing of considerable pressure throughout smoothly transitioning from one move to the next. On the way back to Connection Rio after training I began to reflect on my 3 years here living in a BJJ Hostel and training in the Cradle of Jiujitsu. After seeing scores of juijiteiros come through CR and seeing what their thoughts of training the Arte Sauve in was, I have realized that for many practitioners of BJJ that term has become lost in translation.
If I type 'arte suave' into google translate the first translation is "soft art" (other options include "gentle art", "mild art", and "tender art"). Now anyone who has used translation apps in a foreign country knows that those apps aren't always the most reliable; you could for instance find yourself at a bakery asking for Hungarian penis when what you want is cinnamon bread (that actually happened to someone at the local bakery). After three years here in Rio I have had the opportunity to consistently train with world class martial artists and I have picked up on Portuguese, and I have come to realize the true translation of the 'arte suave' is the "smooth art".
I think a lot of people miss this or think that smooth and soft are in fact the same thing. Rolling with high level guys in Rio you quickly realize there is very little that is soft in there game, but they seamlessly transfer from one position to the next in such a way that their movements seem effortless. There may be some who might be quick to point out that guys like Ze Mario are bigger and "old school" and many of my training partners are MMA focused so of course there is a heavy emphasis on pressure so they just have a more "smashing style". Well ok I can see where you are coming from...
BUT---- Many people who come stay at Connection Rio at one point or another check out Academia Terere. Terere is not a big guy and is known for a very dynamic style, but the two things that CR guests who roll with him comment on are his smooth transitions and his unending pressure both on top and on bottom. I also have the privilege to frequently train with CJ Murdock, who is a black belt and CR sponsored athlete here in the house. CJ, who weighs slightly less than me, is a true student of BJJ. He doesn't use much strength, he snatches openings and works to systematically eliminate your options positionally to guide you to where he wants you to be. As a said above CJ uses VERY little strength but to call his game soft or gentle is a huge misstatement--he is calculated and works to stifle any offense you try to mount, he is SMOOTH.
In closing I would like to reiterate, I am not saying you have to use a "HULK SMASH" mentality or a hyper aggressive style of BJJ, but you don't have to approach it as a if you were carrying antique vase worth $50,000 either. Focus on making things smooth, through economy of motion your movements from the outside will look like there is little pressure or manipulation happening, but the person you are rolling with will know better. Above all enjoy the Arte Suave, have fun, and keep it sssssmmmmmmoooooooooooooottttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhh.
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