I think every one of us at some point has to take responsibility for our development in bjj.  I have found having an instructor invaluable, but in the end, they can only do so much.  They have to tailor classes for a broad group of people and keep the content fresh.  Additionally, they will never know as well as you where you are weak or strong.

As I have stated many times before, I am a big proponent of using time effectively.  I can only speak personally, but I don't have 5x a week to train.  I have a job, a family, and other things I like to do besides bjj.  So the few hours I get on the mat need to be used well.  It is very similar to working out.  Some people like to go for hours and chat it up - I'd rather get my 40 minutes in and head outside.

Currently, I train 3x a week.  Two days in formal class with Dave and then one day of open mat and rolling with a few friends.  This works well and  I think both of these are very important.   The part that I find missing in my current approach is volume drilling (ie. outside of class).

So in order to work all the aspects of my game completely I am going to set up a kind of Drill Club.  Just an hour a week where me and a few buddies can drill moves.  Not roll - just drill.  No formal instruction, nothing fancy.  A few friends on a mat working hard on every area of the game.

So the big question is, what do we do, and how do we do it?  Now, I am a huge fan of SBGi for their training methods.  They were the first I saw talking in detail not just about drilling in general, but about HOW to do it.  I still think the "I Method" is as good as it gets and represents the pinnacle of training methodology.

Here are my 5 simple rules I plan to use with our drill club:

1. There is always a primary person - The drill is for both people of course, but there is a primary person.  If you are drilling side control bottom, the focus is on the bottom guy working that aspect of their game.  It does not mean the guy on top isn't trying or is a dead fish - it just means that the goal is to help the other person work their escapes.
2. The objective is binary - I like to keep it simple.  Options like escape or finish are clear and don't require too much thought. 
3. More than two people is preferred - I have found that if I drill moves with one person we get bored easily and end up rolling pretty quickly.  If we have guys rotate in we will get different energies.  We will also keep the group more focused on the stated purpose - drilling.
4. Mandatory debrief sessions - After a round or two we should pause to see what is working or not working.  The idea is to share what success we have had to make everyone smarter and better over time.
5. Separate Attacks and Postures - Allowing people to just focus on posture is great.  Then allow people to attack.  This gives people a couple of different feelings and let's them really feel the posture before getting overwhelmed by defending 17 different attacks.

Ok so here is what I was thinking of doing for a position like Closed Guard.

• Round 1: Posture from Broken Down
• Round 2: Maintain Posture from Good
• Round 3: Open Legs to Safety (combat base or framework)

Do three rounds @ 2m each with no attacking allowed.

Repeat the above but allow for attacks (ie. subs or sweeps)

Ask the group what worked and what didn't.  Share successes and failures.

If anyone wants to stay and roll, do it from the closed guard to start.

That's it and it will fill about an hour!  I would love to have a rotating schedule that repeats say every 2-3 months.  Maybe Closed Guard, Open Guard, Side Control, Mount, etc, etc.

Hopefully we can get this going soon.  If you are training with Dave and want to be a part of it, let me know...

 

Over the last two years we have covered a lot of ground in our club, from the variety of material to the class times, to class formats, and even the occasional in house seminars.  We have done some things right and others wrong.  The key is keep evaluating, keep testing, and keep improving.  In that effort, I have decided to make some changes in how we operate our training sessions.  These changes are the accumulation of what I have seen work in our club and some important lessons learned from watching successful coaches run their gyms. 

Positional Focus

Every SBGi location has a focus on fundamentals that is driven from the top down.  We have been the same since our beginning, and will continue as such, but with renewed vigor.  It is easy to get lost in working attacks and I want to be sure that we all spend more time in the coming months on solid, fundamental escapes.  This means that you can expect a higher percentage of drilling and a much stronger emphasis on positional work than submission work.  A strong ability to hold a position and to escape that same position is something I want us all to feel very comfortable with from everywhere (mount, side control, head and arm, etc).    I was reminded of how important positional escapes and positional dominance was in watching how Matt tested Collin for his blue.  Matt was clearly looking at those skills (as opposed to say,  subs).  A good emphasis for everyone at every level, but especially for us given our stage in development.

Only Two or Three Moves Per Class
Looking back on all of the classes we have held over the past several years, sometimes I have found the content (ex. number of techniques) to be too much for the group.  Conversely, I have rarely found too little content.  When our group was new I tended to show more information than was probably best.  This made sure I filled the class time with information.  Upon reflection, I probably did this out of my own personal fear of not having enough to cover or some insecurity about my depth in technical knowledge.  Through the course of experience, it has become very clear that more than 2 or 3 techniques in a single class is just too much for anyone to remember, or learn effectively in an hour class.  I made this adjustment a while back now, but I wanted to call it out as a clear and conscious decision.  I should also note that no one has ever come up and asked for more information, but people have said that less was better for their retention.  More evidence that the change is right.

Two Week Cycles
In my experience, covering a single topic, say side control, each week is just too abrupt.  It really only gives two classes in our current format to cover the topic (ex. escaping side control).  Jumping around each class or even each week just seemed a little cursory, resulting in people becoming lost in techniques without being able to really put the position together.  On the flip side, I find that three weeks is too long and people become anxious, wanting to move onto other areas.  This is why we will go with a two week lesson plan.   Each two weeks we'll cover a new area like guard passing, mount escapes, etc.  I already have a list of topics that I have pulled together from various sources (principally Matt T) that represents a solid curriculum, and we'll work through that material two weeks at a time.

The beauty of this is also that people can know what they missed should they skip a class.  Personally speaking, it allows me to go deeper into a position and find where my knowledge gaps really are.  By finding that edge, it will help push me to learn and force me to reach out to my coaches for answers to continue to evolve our understanding of the game.

Postures First, Techniques Second
One of the challenges with BJJ is the sheer volume of positions and material to understand.  This is overwhelming for everyone, but especially for people new to the art.  In order to address this, we are going to spend most of our time on postures and pressures.  Only once these are understood mentally and physically, then will we move to "moves".  I have seen some of my favorite teachers like Matt Thornton and Dave Camarillo move in this direction more and more over the years. 

For example, rather than show 3 techniques for passing half guard, we will spend a lot of time on the proper posture in that position from top and bottom.  Making sure we drill it so it becomes automatic.  Of course once we have the postures down, we will move to techniques, but without a base of posture, techniques become meaningless and difficult to connect.  I find that when I roll with high level belts, it is their posture that beats me, not a specific technique.  We want the same emphasis in our club.

Focus of the Month (optional)
Each month we will pick one thing to focus on for 30 days.   This can be a single submission like the triangle or kimura or it could be a theoretical concept like relaxation (sagging your body) or controlling your breathing.  The idea is that each month we will have something to focus on for our rolls.  This is completely optional, but I have heard from several black belts that this type of focus helps their game.  If you want to pay attention to the monthly focus it's pretty simple.  Every time you roll that month, just remind yourself quietly of the focus.  If it is breathing, really try to pay attention to your breath throughout the roll.  It's that simple.

I am confident these changes will improve the quality of our training sessions and increase the pace of learning for everyone. 

What do you think.  Are these good changes?  Are there other changes you'd like to see?

 

 

From Matt.

Join the forum. 

One of the main things that attracted me to SBGi a few years ago was the idea of isolation training.  I firmly believe that the “i method” used at all SBG gyms is the most effective way to learn any sport, particularly bjj.  We use it every class and it is not only effective, but fun.

Anyone interested in coaching others (and we are all coaches), should read this great article by Matt on the i-method and his perspective on drills and coaching.  Very insightful.

Posted to MMA.tv to rave reviews! 

Posted to JJGear Forum as well. 

Everyone wants to improve.   Whether our goal is for a black belt, to stay in shape, or to simply learn a few moves for self-defense.  No matter the end goal, a progression forward is required.  Since most people are looking to improve at BJJ, let’s look at how that is best accomplished.

The reality is that many newcomers to the art are overwhelmed with its complexity.  Every move has is 4 or 5 steps and just when you think you’ve got it, someone shows you the counter, and the counter to the counter.  It is daunting and seems like there is no firm ground to stand on.  In truth, there are counters to every move - this is a reality.  However, there is a clear path to improvement.

When the beginner runs into this reality, the immediately think they need to learn more moves that the next guy to stay one step ahead.  I would argue that the answer is not in knowing more moves, but rather, perfection in the simple moves we all know.  Think back to the last 4 or 5 matches you have seen in sport bjj or mma.  How many were won by a crucifix?  Now think, how many were won by a rear naked choke, or an armbar?  

Even at the high levels, the basic moves apply.  The only difference is the ability of the practitioner to execute them against resistance.  So we return to our original question, how does one get better.  Simply stated. it is by correctly learning the fundamental movements and drilling them over and over against resistance.  

It is for this reason that in our classes we cover only the basics.  We learn 2-3 moves per class (oftentimes a refresher on something already taught), and we drill that position against resistance.  Every class ends with rolling to integrate the material into an overall game, but to skip the drills is a mistake that costs years of time to the practitioner.

Why is that?

Many of us have been at schools where the class follows the following format:  
(1) Instructor showing a move, say an armbar from the guard
(2) Class practices this slowly
(3) Repeat for a few more unrelated moves
(4) Everybody rolls

The issue with the above format is that everyone in the class has an ego.  Even if you try to suppress it, it lives on.  So when you roll, you are competitive with everyone.  Additionally, you know everyones game to some extent and have a mental track record of wins and losses.  You know what you can pull off and what you can’t.  So most people roll the same way every time in order to not lose.  No one is going to try the new armbar and give up a great position - they’ll return to their tried and true moves.  

Now fast forward a few weeks.  At this point you haven’t used the new move since it was taught, your game is about the same as it was, and worse yet, you likely forgot the moves you were just shown.  The good news it that you’ll probably be shown it again in a few months so you can re-”learn” it.

Now, contrast this to learning a move slowly and then drilling that for a few minutes using progressive resistance.  Done well, there is no ego, its new to everyone.  You can try without risk of failure.  After all, if you go for it and lose position, you just start over - big deal.  You now have a chance to try out a move, feel how it works, and see if it works for you.  At this point you are much more likely to try it in sparring should it arise, since you have started to fold it into your game already.  As a final benefit, you actually spend more time working positions instead of scrambling in a roll.  

So in our classes we cover a few things for each position.
1. Holding (principles)
2. Escapes (typically 3 high percentage moves)
3. Attacks (typically 3 high percentage moves)

This may not seem like much, but the beauty is that these are the bread and butter fundamentals that you will go to all the time.  This is not to say new moves aren’t great, but without a firm foundation in the above, you are wasting your time working on the wrong things.  Even black belts drill elbow escape and warm up with shrimp drills.  There is a reason.

See you on the mat.