Learning is always the goal in martial arts, whether you are teaching a student or being taught yourself, you are always learning. As martial artists, especially jiu-jitsu and grappling martial artists, we are always fascinated with “learning new techniques”. We want to know how to counter the last technique we just learned and then how to counter the counter we just learned, and so on and so on. Technique is the basis of martial arts training. We are teaching our mind and bodies to execute a series of movements that we will later be able to utilize in a fight. The problem is that sometimes we focus so much on learning new techniques, that we are missing the true lessons behind the technique. The techniques are actually just a tool to increase our knowledge.
I’ve recently had a self-discovery, though I don’t know why it suddenly came about, nor can I give a specific time that it actually came about, but I noticed a shift in my thinking. As I embarked on my journey to discover and enhance “my grappling guard” – I was originally obsessed with certain sweeps, submissions and “moves” that I could do from guard. I thought that if I built up my arsenal of techniques, I would in the process learn guard. Unfortunately, this did not happen.
As I started to utilize my guard more, I noticed that learning an elaborate series of techniques didn’t work for me. “Put you foot here, move this arm there, etc. etc”. I would learn the technique, but would NEVER use it. I wanted to use it – but they never “made sense to me”. I would finally discover that the problem wasn’t necessarily the technique or my in-ability to learn and execute the technique, the problem was – I didn’t understand “Why the Technique”. Or in other words – I didn’t understand the principles behind the technique and how it related to everything else.
As I said before, I’m not sure what triggered it, but when I stopped focusing on a certain technique, but looked at grappling as a puzzle to solve OR as a website to program, things started to change. For example – I am pure self-taught in web marketing, website programming and design, yet I work professional as a web marketer and do very well. I also have my own business based upon web marketing. The way I discovered and increased my talents for the web was by problem solving. For example, say I wanted to show random posts on the home page of this blog. I know there is a way to do it, I just don’t know how to do it yet. So I would research and learn a way to get random post and then apply it to my home page….
I applied that philosophy to jiu-jitsu and That was the way I started to train and improve>.
Using the same example about the random posts above, once I learned how to randomize posts, I am able to use that EVERYWHERE. Not just my home page, not just for one instance, but it becomes a core set technical abilities I have that I can use to generate a website. The same goes for jiu-jitsu. Let me give you another example.
Like I said before, I have been on a quest to improve my guard for years. I tried learning specific techniques, but failed. So the way I started to approach the training, was by problem solving. One of the first problems I discovered is getting passed very easily by good to advanced grapplers to one side when I opened up my “scissor or knee-across guard’. It would frustrate the crap out of me. Maybe you could have shown me some pass counters or some fancy technique to pull of while my opponent is passing, but that wouldn’t have helped. What DID help was being told that when in guard I need to be constantly moving, attacking and creating angles. When I was in that scissor guard I would just sit there and wait…. for what I don’t know. I was probably hoping they would tap from my awesomeness. Once I realized I needed to keep moving and flowing, other techniques now started to open up and made sense. It was the key principle of movement that changed things.
The next problem I faced at the same time was dealing with half-guard. My opponent would pass to my half-guard then quickly pass further. Again, if you taught me some sweeps or whatever it would not have worked…. yet. But what I did learn again hip-movement, and being on a hip, creating angles, getting your underhook, getting deeper, etc. Once I learned the principles of how to fight in half-guard (though I’m not great at it), I was able to then look at techniques and understand them and learn them. But, at the same time, I am not restricted by them either – since I know and have begun to understand the principles of the position.
It’s a lame old comment, but it fits here. Don’t just learn a technique (fish),
learn the principles and concepts behind the position of the technique and how the technique effects and relates to your overall fight game.
Happy fishing – LAME!!
