When I think back to my early BJJ classes, one of the biggest errors I made (there were a great deal) was just concentrating on discovering submissions. If their were 500 total, I desired to know them all since I thought that would make me a dangerous player.
There is a quote by Bruce Lee that I wish I would've understood when I was getting going. Well, really I most likely would've neglected it back then, nonetheless it rings plainly today: "I fear not the guy who has practiced 10,000 kicks, I fear the guy who has really practiced one kick 10,000 times." By attempting to discover every step out there, I would just have time for a handful of repetitions. When you don't put in the reps, you are seldom able to maximize submissions in competition. I remember sparring and try to remember when I would utilize a move, but while I was trying to walk through the steps, my opposition would've transitioned out of danger.
Take guard for example: If you spent a complete year pulling guard at the beginning of every match, worked to keep the position, and finishing from off your back, how excellent would your guard get? You've invested your time playing guard, or playing protection- and guard might be considered a protective position. Your buddy who has maybe passes the guard 1-2 times per match, or you with a guard you've spent 100+ hours establishing? After you put your time in developing your guard, now you can start branching out. You now have the ability to really check out these various other positions where the worst thing that's going to occur is that someone will work an escape and more than likely, end up in your guard.
By attempting to learn every submission available, I would limit my time with each step to a handful of repetitions. When you don't put in the reps, you are rarely able to take advantage of submissions in matches. I keep in mind sparring and seeing when I would use a step, but while I was attempting to keep in mind steps 1-6, my challenger would've escaped. Now I realize the value of establishing an A game. It's a contingency plan while training. You wish to branch out and try out your BJJ, however having that A game- where you could just end a match when it's passed too long or you find yourself in problem- is NICE to have in your toolbox.
After you put your time in establishing your guard, now you could start branching out. You now have the capacity to actually check out these various other positions where the worst thing that's going to happen is that somebody will work an escape and even more than likely, end up in your guard. Guard is just an instance for this write-up. If you are a larger individual and ending up in a dominate position is almost a guarantee, focus on that. The important things is simply taking the time to develop an A game and not attempting to master every little thing in your first year. Once this A game is established, you can explore various other positions with the self-confidence that originates from understanding you could end a match at anytime if required.
When I think back to my early bjj days, one of the most significant mistakes I made (there were a lot) was simply focusing on learning submissions. The key is to remember there is more important things to focus on when you are starting out. Positioning is huge, and being a threat from one position is much better than not being a solid threat from anywhere.
There is a quote by Bruce Lee that I wish I would've understood when I was getting going. Well, really I most likely would've neglected it back then, nonetheless it rings plainly today: "I fear not the guy who has practiced 10,000 kicks, I fear the guy who has really practiced one kick 10,000 times." By attempting to discover every step out there, I would just have time for a handful of repetitions. When you don't put in the reps, you are seldom able to maximize submissions in competition. I remember sparring and try to remember when I would utilize a move, but while I was trying to walk through the steps, my opposition would've transitioned out of danger.
Take guard for example: If you spent a complete year pulling guard at the beginning of every match, worked to keep the position, and finishing from off your back, how excellent would your guard get? You've invested your time playing guard, or playing protection- and guard might be considered a protective position. Your buddy who has maybe passes the guard 1-2 times per match, or you with a guard you've spent 100+ hours establishing? After you put your time in developing your guard, now you can start branching out. You now have the ability to really check out these various other positions where the worst thing that's going to occur is that someone will work an escape and more than likely, end up in your guard.
By attempting to learn every submission available, I would limit my time with each step to a handful of repetitions. When you don't put in the reps, you are rarely able to take advantage of submissions in matches. I keep in mind sparring and seeing when I would use a step, but while I was attempting to keep in mind steps 1-6, my challenger would've escaped. Now I realize the value of establishing an A game. It's a contingency plan while training. You wish to branch out and try out your BJJ, however having that A game- where you could just end a match when it's passed too long or you find yourself in problem- is NICE to have in your toolbox.
After you put your time in establishing your guard, now you could start branching out. You now have the capacity to actually check out these various other positions where the worst thing that's going to happen is that somebody will work an escape and even more than likely, end up in your guard. Guard is just an instance for this write-up. If you are a larger individual and ending up in a dominate position is almost a guarantee, focus on that. The important things is simply taking the time to develop an A game and not attempting to master every little thing in your first year. Once this A game is established, you can explore various other positions with the self-confidence that originates from understanding you could end a match at anytime if required.
When I think back to my early bjj days, one of the most significant mistakes I made (there were a lot) was simply focusing on learning submissions. The key is to remember there is more important things to focus on when you are starting out. Positioning is huge, and being a threat from one position is much better than not being a solid threat from anywhere.
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