BJJ Drilling | BJJ in Edmonton & Area

When it comes to applying technique, there are two sets of BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU fighters: pattern fighters and adaptive fighters. A fighter who has a pattern will usually learn techniques, use them well, and transition with them well. Some BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU fighters are great at this, but an adaptive fighter is one who may not just know the patterns but can adjust and adapt to the situation at hand.

I understand it is always great to have a coach for support and technical guidance. But I think being an independent, adaptive BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU fighter is of utmost importance and it is truly what leads you to understanding your game. Your coach is just there to help you along but should not always hold your hand.

Let’s look at it like birds. When a bird leaves its nest it has to spread its wings and fly on its own; it will be hard for another bird to simply carry it. You want to fly on your own. When it is your time to spread your wings, you should spread them your way. And when you are in mid-flight you may need to adjust your speed, distance, and height. If you are hurt or have a broken wing, you may have to adjust your path to survive. If your game is intelligent and you are a calm fighter, you will find the right movement. If your positions are not working and you run out of movements, you have to use what you do know to create something useful to advance your game.

You can also take a look at Russian wrestler Buvasaer Saitiev. He is a not a big, quick, or particularly strong athlete. He is a just an exceptionally technical athlete. He has competed in four Olympics and is a nine time World Champion (including three Olympic gold medals). I think this says something for his longevity and the type of athlete he is. He is a cerebral wrestler. He uses his mind and understanding of his technique to adapt and win. He is certainly tough in many ways, but what makes him so special is his wrestling skill coupled with his adaptive tendencies. He is present in his matches; when something difficult or complex happens against him, he reacts quickly and creates countering methods on the spot that turn into his offense.

When you tap someone during sparring, do not brag about the tap or tell your friends who you tapped. Often, this person wasn’t going 150% against you anyway because sparring in the gym is not a competition, so bragging that you ‘beat’ a guy who was going easy on you makes you look foolish and puts you in line to get a rude awakening later on. And don’t keep score every time you roll, people will get annoyed at this type of behavior—just have fun.

Come down to Arashi Do and try out one of our great Brazilian programs like Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14. All those and you get a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL! What are you waiting for?

Call or text us at 780-220-5425 or email us at myackulic@ArashiDo.com

If you want to train when you are 80, start today. – Carley Gracie

In reality, sparring is not always about who is better or who is tougher. Sparring is a great way to learn and get better at BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU. Sparring is something many schools will offer from the start. However, some schools may make you learn a certain set of skills before you spar. Developmental skills programs are slowly becoming the trend; you may in fact choose a school that makes you take a beginner course before you engage in sparring. Sparring should always be at your instructor’s discretion.

Here is what an instructor wrote on a forum: “My approach, and the choice I was given, was to be ‘thrown into the fire’ from the beginning. What I mean by this is that I sparred with everyone, no matter what rank or level they were at. I enjoyed this approach because I am competitive by nature, but I understand it is not for everyone and it can be dangerous. Some may feel discouraged when getting tapped or beaten from the outset. Discouragement from the outset can be detrimental to a student and they may quit. This is a common mistake I made when I started teaching: I did not introduce BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU to people properly, and I did not explain it well enough to make them understand how difficult it was to just come in off the street and be good at it.”

Like anything else, it takes time and effort to develop your skills. No matter which approach you take or what approach is thrown upon you, do take sparring seriously because a lot of learning can take place during sparring if you are not just using thoughtless energy.

I also advise you to try something called “flow rolling.” Flow rolling is going about 50-70% while actually sparring. It is a smooth way to train without putting your ego on the line in terms of who submits whom or who dominates which positions.

Sparring is a time to learn, not always to compete. When you spar with the goal of increasing technical awareness, you will often learn more long-term, and that is the focus: to get better technically and to be more efficient for when you do have to go 100%. Don’t always overcompensate for your lack of technique by using strength. It happens; just make it happen less—your body will be thankful.

Again, I am not suggesting that being strong or athletic is inherently negative in sparring or for any aspect of BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU. In fact, it can obviously be a huge advantage. Anyone can get stronger, but to get better technically happens in BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU class and that takes a long time. Basically, you are learning BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU to learn BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU; many of the movements are not strength-based.

Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton North and try out one of our great Brazilian programs like Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14. All those and you get a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL! What are you waiting for? Call or text us at 780-220-5425 or email us at myackulic@ArashiDo.com