Craig Jones doesn’t hold back when discussing what separates those who evolve in jiu-jitsu from those who stagnate. According to the Australian grappler, the biggest obstacle to reaching your full potential isn’t a lack of talent, it’s willful ignorance and an unwillingness to explore new techniques.
“Jiu-jitsu is an arms race,”
Jones explains.
“Our weapons are gay, often autistic, but unmistakably gay. You have to be brave enough to explore that side of you. If you don’t, you will be left behind.”
Jones reflects on his own journey, remembering when he first learned cutting-edge techniques like Eddie Cummings‘ butterfly elevation to cross ashi.
“When I was younger, every time I saw a new technique, I thought, ‘That’s it. That’s the move. If I learn this one thing, I’ll absolutely destroy everyone in my gym.'”
The breakthrough came with heel hooks—a technique that allowed him to compete at the highest levels.
“Without that technique, in no world would I ever beat that legend, Leandro Low,”
Jones admits.
“Fear innovates faster than curiosity ever will.”
Jones criticizes the jiu-jitsu community’s resistance to change, pointing out how techniques like the berimbolo, deep half guard, and 50/50 were initially dismissed.
“Experts don’t reject new ideas because they’re bad. They reject them because these ideas don’t fit the language they already speak,”
he says, referencing art critic Robert Hughes’ concept of the sh0ck of the new.
He challenges the traditional Gracie approach, which emphasized static positional hierarchy and safety through closed and half guard. While effective for no-time-limit matches, Jones argues this mindset becomes limiting under modern rule sets.
“Bottom players cope. Top players win rounds. Top players conserve energy.”
The key revelation Jones offers is about movement over position.
“Most people training six days a week at that age are single anyways. They aren’t tied down in life, so their jiu-jitsu shouldn’t be either.”
He advocates for perpetual motion and scrambling rather than accepting static bottom positions.
“The beauty of jiu-jitsu is not control. In my opinion, it’s transition,”
Jones states.
“We are not here to carry body weight while our opponent rests. We tilt the plane. We force reaction. We create movement.”
His message is clear: reaching your full potential requires humility, openness to innovation, and the courage to abandon outdated patterns.
“If my opponent’s hands are busy pinning me, they can’t strike or submit me. Forward pressure creates opportunity. Their chase is my advantage.”
In one last interesting nugget, Jones adds:
“Does my younger brother really have to have intercourse with my wife for me to reach my full potential? Very observant. If you’re asking that question, congratulations. You are now aware of systemized sharing.”
Craig’s new instructional Octopus 2.0 is available. (This isn’t an affiliate link, it’s just a link to help you find it because they filed it under Adam Wardzinski)
