Starting an business can be very similar to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and fighting in general. So let’s say you are a little guy. You will need a lot of technique or skill. A small person with a lot of skill can beat a large person with low skill. These skills can be broken down into categories of Mass, Leverage, Speed, Timing, Momentum, Pattern Recognition, and Flow.
Mass: First, to do BJJ you must first have a body, or another way to think of it is to have mass. Without mass you don’t really have much to work with. You have to start with a mass of some kind. The more mass you have, the less skill you require. In business mass could be your body of work. It could be your online collection of videos, blog posts, music or whatever you create. It could be your product ideas, patents or software designs.
Leverage: Can you beat 10 people in a fight? Never try to do all the work yourself, hire people. Use tools to give you leverage, like picking up a lead pipe, don’t start creating only on your own website, create on huge platforms like Linkedin Groups that already have a large audience, create for others’ websites. Figure out ways to share with huge audiences. Build up your mass and go and use the leverage that is out there.
Speed: Speed wins fights, If you have a new idea, don’t let it sit around for a year, strike first, execute it before someone else thinks of it. Make it happen quickly to beat the competition. A flurry of moves will overwhelm them. Finish often, finish fast.
Timing: Even the best techniques fail if the timing is not right. Attempting an Armbar while your opponent is starting to bend his arm will fail. Wait until he is about to straighten it. If you want to interview an author, wait until they are releasing and promoting a new book, they will be more open to your offer. Good timing requires keen observation. Posting your Youtube video on Friday evening might be better than posting it on Monday morning.
Momentum: The more mass you have the more momentum you will get. If you only have one blog post or song that goes viral and no others your business will fall flat, but if you have a bunch more to keep people on your site you will have earned true fans and the momentum will keep going. Build your mass and enjoy momentum.
Pattern Recognition: Watching your opponents in BJJ will tell you how they like to fight, their favorite moves, and how they react to certain situations. Observe websites, leaders, your idols and see what they are doing. What is working for them, how have they failed. What tools are they using? Who are they following and learning from? What groups are they part of? Study them closely.
Flow: Sometimes in BJJ you are attempting a move or technique and it is just not working. You could push harder or instead you could flow in a new direction. If your business is struggling or you just don’t enjoy it anymore why not flow in a new direction. If you have a Sheet Metal business why not invent a new tool, or design software for other Sheet Metal workers to use. Look at how google has branched off into so many directions. What is stopping you from doing the same. Flow!
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