episode pub. Aug 6, 2026
Steve Kwan examines jiu-jitsu's scattered naming conventions and argues that labels aren't neutral: they shape how techniques evolve (as with "the guard") and can become thought-terminating clichés. He offers a three-part checklist for coining a new term: is it easy to understand, is it a real improvement over the existing name, and can it avoid being misinterpreted.