Grappling and code

I did some BJJ at the weekend (check me grinning like a goon over on their insta), and compared to the other more striking-focused combat sports stuff I've been doing lately I found it a particularly satisfying experience. I did judo for many years as a child but I don't think I was really able to "get it"; most of the moves felt forced or just didn't seem to flow—like I was always doing everything a step at a time. Doing BJJ, once I've got the sequence of motions down: arm here, leg there, shift my bodyweight—it feels smooth and, while obviously somewhat effortful, like the outcome follows from my actions. In a way, actually, it feels like coding in a very familiar language: the same loop of identify problem -> determine solution -> execute solution -> it-just-works. It's also like coding in that I can see the output of my action right there. Striking is fun, but there's way less direct feedback. If you hit someone, they're usually trying not to show it. If you've swept someone, you know. (Maybe this is why so many nerds love BJJ.)