Ive been debating with a couple of classmates what is it that we need in order to keep progressing, a choice thats on the table is to bring a brazilian black belt for a couple of months, we have a black belt, but the commun thought is to we need someone who knows more so our black belt and browns (they are all on the same technical level and the belts is more due to dedication and being the head of the academy than anything else) keep growing (and all of us). That will imply some serious bucks from us.
My thoughts are that we dont need that, while I agree that the ideal is to have a world class INSTRUCTOR (I dont think a world class athlete is necessary the best instructor), I am a big believer in that all we need is a solid training plan, at least for us, the lower belts, a good training system is way better than having some with a lot knowledge but not a good training system. I think, since we are based in a country where bjj was not is not and will not be popular, and with a sucky economy, high level coaches arent going to come any time soon, so we have to progress on our own. Lucky, there is the internet for that, out time, our money will be much more well invested if we take the time to learn by ourself, that means, yeah, paying different bjj sites and study videos and dvd as crazy, in order to collect info, and that apply it to a traning system.
Now, here is what I think is the most important part on the learning process, the training system. Ive seen countless of great instructors teach a class that consist in this.
Warm ups - techique/drilling (many times this is the same) - rolling.
I personally think this is flawed, I think every single class should have situational sparring, this exercise changes and improves dramatically the learning process. So I think the class should be. Warm up - technique/drilling - situational sparring (based on the techinque of the class) rolling... Now this sparring should also be structured, and this is what makes the difference, getting 2 guys to do situational roll based on a technique that it hasn't been done many times is just a waste of time, or at least the learning process will be too slow. I think a system, where the situational sparring is structured in this way, 30% 50% 70% 100% progressive resistance (100% is using technique to get out, the other is just to try to hang on and then try to muscle out) for X ammount of time is the best way, I think, implementing this system will get the student most of the times used to use the technique in a couple of classes.... I did a class on back control and RNC, to white belts with about 4 - 6 months of experience last week, I explain the concept of the positions, control, and every single step done in the RNC, then I proceeded to implement the drill, I could safely say that after a class of 2 hours, guys that couldnt RNCd him mom were now applying it pretty well... This guys have been taught several times how to do the RNC, but "knowing" how to lock your arms around someones neck is not the same to lock it in a real situation when someone is defending, and eventhough they had done some situational rolling from the back, still that did not do much for them because they were not being able to control nor lock the RNC since the other dude was defending from the start like crazy, and since most of the were not used to use the little details needed to make to move work, obviously they could not finish the move, this means the class was not a waste of time, but certainly not of much use... I believe this type of training could be used in most positions to train specifically each one of them...
So, basically, I think what we need is a good training system, well structured, a good curriculum, gather as much info as we can, and TRAIN smart. We dont need helio gracie to come tell us the secrets of bjj, while it could certainly help, is not a must, at least not for us that do not aspire to be world champs...
Any thoughts on the subject, will be glad to hear the different training systems drills exercises that you guys have gone through as well..
My thoughts are that we dont need that, while I agree that the ideal is to have a world class INSTRUCTOR (I dont think a world class athlete is necessary the best instructor), I am a big believer in that all we need is a solid training plan, at least for us, the lower belts, a good training system is way better than having some with a lot knowledge but not a good training system. I think, since we are based in a country where bjj was not is not and will not be popular, and with a sucky economy, high level coaches arent going to come any time soon, so we have to progress on our own. Lucky, there is the internet for that, out time, our money will be much more well invested if we take the time to learn by ourself, that means, yeah, paying different bjj sites and study videos and dvd as crazy, in order to collect info, and that apply it to a traning system.
Now, here is what I think is the most important part on the learning process, the training system. Ive seen countless of great instructors teach a class that consist in this.
Warm ups - techique/drilling (many times this is the same) - rolling.
I personally think this is flawed, I think every single class should have situational sparring, this exercise changes and improves dramatically the learning process. So I think the class should be. Warm up - technique/drilling - situational sparring (based on the techinque of the class) rolling... Now this sparring should also be structured, and this is what makes the difference, getting 2 guys to do situational roll based on a technique that it hasn't been done many times is just a waste of time, or at least the learning process will be too slow. I think a system, where the situational sparring is structured in this way, 30% 50% 70% 100% progressive resistance (100% is using technique to get out, the other is just to try to hang on and then try to muscle out) for X ammount of time is the best way, I think, implementing this system will get the student most of the times used to use the technique in a couple of classes.... I did a class on back control and RNC, to white belts with about 4 - 6 months of experience last week, I explain the concept of the positions, control, and every single step done in the RNC, then I proceeded to implement the drill, I could safely say that after a class of 2 hours, guys that couldnt RNCd him mom were now applying it pretty well... This guys have been taught several times how to do the RNC, but "knowing" how to lock your arms around someones neck is not the same to lock it in a real situation when someone is defending, and eventhough they had done some situational rolling from the back, still that did not do much for them because they were not being able to control nor lock the RNC since the other dude was defending from the start like crazy, and since most of the were not used to use the little details needed to make to move work, obviously they could not finish the move, this means the class was not a waste of time, but certainly not of much use... I believe this type of training could be used in most positions to train specifically each one of them...
So, basically, I think what we need is a good training system, well structured, a good curriculum, gather as much info as we can, and TRAIN smart. We dont need helio gracie to come tell us the secrets of bjj, while it could certainly help, is not a must, at least not for us that do not aspire to be world champs...
Any thoughts on the subject, will be glad to hear the different training systems drills exercises that you guys have gone through as well..