The deeper I get into the rabbit hole of bjj, the more I realize that time tested ideas of momentum, timing, off-balancing, and more are really the core of the art.  In fact, they are the core of every martial art.  Somewhere along the way I was drug off into the world of techniques.  It seems most go through this phase in their development - always seeking the next string of moves instead of seeing what is already there - an underlying current of similarity.

As I watch, and roll with Dave I see he uses very simple movements.  Nothing fancy.  Nothing that changes very much.  He grips and goes.  Interestingly, I have also noticed that a key part of his game is testing the water.  For example, in passing, if he moves to the right he will test your reaction.  Come at him hard and he moves the other way.  Don't resist and he moves deeper. 

This is powerful since he let's your reaction dictate the solution.  The problem is that you are always one step behind.  Eventually you can't keep up anymore.

After experiencing this for a bit, if you roll with a beginner you see the difference in bold strokes.  A beginner picks their approach and does not change.  The are going right, no matter what!  This makes it very easy to defend. 

Imagine you are playing baseball.  If they throw it right down the middle you can time it and really get behind it.  Now imagine a curve ball with some heavy movement - the game changes.  When you aren't sure of where your opponent will be, or how fast they are moving, life becomes much more challenging.

See you on the mat!

Paul

So don't pick a school based solely on the instructors medal count - It is a great indicator of their ability to apply the art, but it says nothing about their ability or desire to convey what they do. (for that, look to their students and the overall vibe) Of course, there are players who have it all - names like Saulo Ribeiro, Renzo Gracie, and Marcio Feitosa come to mind as a short list.  There are many, many more.  You should look at the whole picture, including the gym atmosphere and your potential training partners. 

I was reading the New York Times and ran across the above image of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and his coach Bob Bowman.  In BJJ, every coach I ever had could easily destroy me on the mat so it struck me that Mr. Bowman is not likely to be able to outswim Michael Phelps.  In fact, I am sure that at no time in his entire life was he even remotely close the the ability shown by his prodigy.  If you look up Bob Bowman in wikipedia you'll see he did some college swimming himself, but no major accolades like world champion, national champion, olympic medalist, etc.  He was just a swimmer who loved to coach, and a damn good coach he is.

Martial arts and particularly bjj are obsessed with performance.  Even people past their prime, black belts are expected to hang on to some magical ability, defying aging.  Imagine if in a few years a young, athletic brown belt tapped Rickson out.  That day is going to come, if it hasn't already.  Imagine yourself if you tapped your black belt coach out legitimally.  Would that change anything for you?  At some point, the teacher can indeed become the student. One of the weirdest days for me was actually beating my father in tennis when I was in high school.  Something I had worked hard to do had happened and the happiness I thought I would feel was simply not there.  The joy was in pursuit, not in winning.  In fact, winning represented an end of an era - the destruction of a mental icon.  It was not a celebration, it was a wake.

So what makes a good coach?  Is it the fact that they can best you on the mat?  Is the only personal trainer worth hiring the one that can bench press 500 pounds?  Of course not.

What makes a great coach is not a simple formula, but I have found a few things in common with the great coaches I have found.

• Genuine desire to help others.
• Willingness to share all that they know.
• Deep, experienced understanding of the subject matter.
• Excellent observational and communication skills.
• Interpersonal skills - knowing when to push or let you grow on your own (coaching should be tailored)

Can someone be a good coach, but not be a black belt?  Yep. 

Can someone be a black belt (or even world champion!) and not a good coach?  Yep.  Seen that too!

If you look at the list above you will realize that a coaching relationship is just that, a relationship.  Since most of us pay an instructor for bjj lessons, it is easy to miss that point and see it as a transaction.  The acquisition of insight for a monthly payment.  This misses the point.  You must treat it as personal and take responsibility for its success.

As a student you should put in some time with that coach.  That may be attending classes consistently or even doing private lessons.  The most important thing is to actually demonstrate committment to the art and the other person.  Your coach or instructor should do the same.  They should teach the classes or ensure you are in very capable hands.  They should treat you with respect and help you when you have problems.  They should never blame you for shortcomings in your game or tell you what you should be getting from the art.  We all have our own reasons for doing what we do.  For some it is self defense, others camraderie, others a workout, and still others to be the UFC champ.  To each their own.

In the end, like all relationships, it comes down to feel.  Relationships take time and energy.  You don't eat at every restaurant in your neighborhood, you aren't friends with everyone you ever met, and you absolutely won't want to be coached by some bjj players.  However, if you check out a few schools you'll see very quickly where you want to be.  You'll find the place that you feel at home.  When you find that, consider yourself lucky and have fun.

See you on the mat!

Paul

2009 ADCC Champion - Braulio Estima on his way to the victory!

When people talk of learning, they seem obsessed with failure.  We see this everywhere.  In business, people look on failures as a right of passage.  In BJJ we talk about testing things out on the mat.  I used to be one of these people as well, but a few things changed my mind.  First was an article I read by that challenged the whole notion.  The perspective was shocking to me so I began to question the common assumption.  I thought back to success I had found in various areas.  One was in the area of weight loss.  For years I payed no attention to diet and was way too heavy.  I tested out many ideas and finally landed on a sound system of exercise and diet.  I don't th

In BJJ I have found this especially true.  This does not mean experimentation is valid, it absolutely is, but I do not think it is the most effiecient path ahead.  Personally, my game has been pieced together over the years from various lessons, dvds, privates, etc.  Only since training with Dave consistently has it really improved dramatically.  I am sure a lot of factors are at play, but to me one of the main ones is simply this idea of certainly.  I know what I should be doing because he is telling me so.  If I give up top, he lets me know.  If I need to sprawl he tells me so.  The universe of options is becoming smaller.  If I lose a position now I know I lost it because of a small detail, not a major error.

Let me explain.  There are a lot of ways to hold side control.  Some better than others.  Without a coach you'll spend a lot of time playing with a bunch of various options.  Everything can be varied: hand position, upper body weight, knees up or down, hips low or high, etc, etc.

 

"Don't look where you fell but where you slipped." - African proverb

Note: Image has nothing to do with the post.  Just love the movie and we talked a lot about if after class last night.

Dave always says you need three types of rolls in your bjj career. 

1. Dominate

2. Get Dominated

3. Battles

I agree with these three, but I had an experience the other day that made me wonder about when each type of roll is most appropriate.   The experience was typical - rolling with Dave and getting absolutely dominated.  The good news is that this time, something was different.  In the past, I would be beat soundly but not know or why.  Now I noticed a lot more of what was going on.  For example, when he passed guard he would backstep a lot, frustrating my game and keeping me going in the wrong direction.  This is a small detail, but one that I can now take and try to work into my game or at least be ready for next time.

In the past I would have just been beat and moved on.  Learning little.

My sense is that when you are brand new, maybe white until early blue, you need battles more than anything, for the above reason.  Being beaten soundly won't give you much insight.  Also, beating people is not much of an option unless they are brand new and you can develop bad habits.  Naturally you will just find yourself here.

As you get to blue I would say that dominating people is the key thing.  It lets you work your attacks.  I know for me having a lot of time with lesser belts helped me at that stage.  Might not be for everyone.

Now at purple, I think I need more battles and more of just being beaten by much better players.  It will start to open my eyes to things I can't see if I am always winning.  In fact, I rolled with a newer white belt recently and found myself not getting a whole lot out of it.   Of course there are white belts that give me absolute wars, but in this case he was new and I was just bored.  It was weird.

I can't really speak for brown and black, but I know Matt once said that Brown is where you need to test yourself.  This means battling against people of your skill and better.  I bet it is the same for Black belts. 

If you read this, you might say that there is then no role for dominating as a black belt.  Or you may say there is no role for getting dominated as a white belt.  In my view it is about degree.  It is about focus.  As an example, I am sure black belts get something out of dominating a lesser belt.  Maybe they work their timing, perhaps quick finishes, maybe they work their off side, maybe they work a new move, maybe they get in a bad spot and work escapes. 

This is just a hypothesis and something to play with.  I know for me, I need battles and being dominated more than anything these days, so that is what I plan to work.   I am sure it will change over time.

She Knows Excellence: Penny Thomas BJJ World Champion

If you have been around bjj for any length of time, you begin to see its impact in every area of your life.  Personally, it has changed me mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  For example, let's look at the physical - There is something about knowing you absolutely have to be in decent shape else you are going to get manhandled.  I find it much better motivation than trying to look good on the beach.

However, the largest change I have seen in myself is an appreciation for what it takes to master anything.  Nothing in life that is worth anything comes easy or free.  BJJ has taught me what it takes to really walk a path of excellence, and I am by no means nearing the end of that journey - it has miles left to go.

IMHO, mastery is a process that everyone should experience in some way.  It can be guitar, painting, writing software - whatever.  There is so much value in actually walking the path towards excellence.  The truth is that you must buckle down and grind it out.  The ride is too long to be all ups.  In the words of Vincent from Pulp Fiction "This is a test of one's self".  In the words of Roy Dean, "Discover who you are".

The beauty is that if you have been there in one domain( like bjj), you know the route, you know the pitfalls and you are prepared for the emotional challenges ahead.  You can do it again if you want to.  If you have never been through it then you float from one pursuit to the next, riding on the high of the new, but never knowing the real high of self-knowledge. 

It took me years of hiding in the 80 to realize the joy of the 20.

See you on the mat where we all continue on the path.

Paul

Straight footlock.

Elbow Lock (armlock)

Both see what is not critical - leads to bad tech and long time unless a coach.