BJJ Norcal

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Did you ever go to a class, watch the instructor demonstrate a technique, and notice the one detail you've been missing?  It happens to me all the time.  Nearly every class I have at least one slap myself on the forehead moment -  one of those, "That is what I am forgetting" or "Now I see why that <insert technique here> isn't working" experience.  I am sure it is a common occurrence for anyone who has trained in jits for any length of time.

Last night Dave taught mount escapes.  This is one of many areas that I need a lot of work.  My current escape when under pressure seems to be to push on their knees hard enough to get my knee inside for leverage.  It works ok, but it is not exactly great technique and it's sloppiness has always bothered me.  My goal is to have a quiet escape game.   Nothing is more beautiful than smooth, technical jiu-jitsu.

I have a belief that if I can't defeat someone smoothly then I am missing something.  Of course if I am rolling against someone better this does not apply, but I believe that if I was mounted on Rickson he would get out at will, smoothly, without bucking wildly.  That tells me I have a gap in my technical game...

Upon reflection, I concluded that the real impediment to my own development (personally speaking) is that I forget what I am shown - every class is like new again. Take last night as an example. Dave covered some pretty standard mount escapes (upa, elbow, and foot drag) - nothing new conceptually - nothing I hadn't seen at some level. If I remember correctly, these are also the same escapes covered in Roy Dean's excellent Blue Belt DVD. Of course both Roy and Dave have their own fantastic details on how to do these moves, but when I get to rolling, I seem to forget the specifics.

The real question is, how do I avoid having the same eureka moment the next time Dave teaches mount escapes?  How do I really learn what was shown last night and make it a reflexive part of my game.  The big revelation for me was my realization that I have already seen everything I need to know, but I haven't learned it. I haven't made it a part of who I am and the automatic game I use on the mat.

As I reflect on this experience, I have come to the prescription that I need to do reps.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of drilling and rolling as well - they are 100% essential and I do them every single class.  I just feel that personally I have neglected reps in my development (to my detriment).  The main reason is that they are not fun.  Do pianists like doing scales?  Do boxers like hitting the speed bag?  Everyone would rather play Mozart, spar or roll, but the great ones grind out those grueling, solitary reps.

Here is an approach I think may work, and one I intend to try to see if I can begin to piece together a game.

1. Go to class (this is where I learn proper technique and that is where it all begins).

2. Write notes from the class (make sure I have the details right).

3. Get a day, or even two, of reps in on the moves worked in class (outside of class, no resistance, smart and helpful partner)

4. Do a drill day with the least technical partner I can find after doing some pure reps to warm up. (this is the drilling portion)

5. Continue drilling the position with better people as my skills improve.(ladder up)

As this process goes on, of course I will also be doing regular rolling in class.  In those sessions, I will try to actively put myself in the position I am working.  Let people get there.  Stay calm.  Work the technique.  If it fails that is ok.  Think about what went wrong.  The ego is what gets in the way here, but I know inside I am working to learn, not win -  the road is rough, but it will smooth out in time if I trust the process.

 "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  -George Santayana

I'll let you know if I can execute on this model and if it helps my game over the coming months.

Paul