BJJ Norcal

Photo Credit: Manastorm

In class last night, Roscoe asked Dave what he defined as "having a game". I'll paraphrase, but essentially Dave defined it as having "go to" moves in each of the six primary jiu-jitsu positions. No matter where you are, you are going for something - you have a plan - you have a game.

I really like this philosophy and it has helped me a lot over the last few months. It has guided me to really work on areas of fogginess. The goal being to get clarity. Let me give you an example. For a long time I had no idea what to do from open guard top. I would start by perhaps grabbing the ankles or the knees and then running around until something happened. In most cases I would end up just doing the bullfighter pass. Some success, some failure - no plan.

On the one hand I could argue that I was "in the flow" or say things like "you can't predict what you will do before hand". That way I could continue to ignore my lack of a game plan, but I would be missing out. The truth is that I need an approach that I work towards.

To use an analogy, imagine when you roll you have a GPS attached to you. It tells you perfectly where you are: say half guard top. That is useful information, but not as useful as telling you where to go. A plan gives me a destination. Get the underhook, block the full guard, head on the mat - etc. The specifics of half guard are not the point - we'll all have different set-ups and moves - the idea is that you are actively working towards something.  For me, it has changed my game 100%

Another value to the plan, is that it allows you to impose your game. Having an agenda puts your opponent on the defense - a good thing. If you don't have a clear game plan, or as Dave says, "go to moves", how can you impose any game at all?   You are simply waiting for a mistake and the chance that you can make something happen in your favor, at some point.  If they are good, that day never comes.

So I continue to work my clouduy positions. Dave has helped a lot with open guard top and bottom (previously very rough spots for me). I am just now starting on closed guard and then will move onto turtle in a few months. I think these two are my weakest positions today - but I plan to make them my strongest - it is continuous evolution - a shifting in competancy as the universe of positions moves again and again.