The importance of drilling

[the count of monte cristo]

I have noticed alot of people, where i train, say that they can never remember the moves and " oh i think this is normal because it takes two years to learn that move etc" but these people you never see them drilling moves. When i say drilling i'm talking about 150 reps minium.

This for me is the way forward. I often ask myself, after analysing my performance in class, why didn't i do that or why didn't i do this. It's because i am doing a technique in class. That the instructor will show two times. Will do it with partner about for 4 minutes. Then will roll. Then next class do something different. So how can i expect to remember something i'm doing or drilling for 5 mins once every two months? I think thats a difficult feat for anybody... The result the guy who starts to spar may try that new technique doesent work and goes back to what he can do best.

My plan for improvement is: say you train three- four times a week. When you get home write the moves down that the instructor tells you and if you can drill them each 150 reps or more. If you can't find a training partner: Do what i do i have a like a giant tiger thing..(well its not mine but my girlfreinds) put the gi around it and drill. It doesent work for every postion but for example it works for lot of chokes because his neck is same size as humans. Or just do it mentally as well.

There comes a time in you training when you say if somethings not working then try something different. If you are happy to just say oh it takes years and i'll never be great, i started too later. Be my guest but from now on im going to drill...drill ..drilll!

by the way i am not asuming you dont drill alot just talking about my experiance. And oviously for a detailed article on drilling muscle memory just look online.

Cheers

[Simon Hayes]

You're right.

It takes me more than one class to learn a technique.
As a white belt/blue belt it probably took me 4 or 5 classes on a technique to really learn it properly.
If i had drilled in my spare time i would have learn't the techniques quicker.

As a teacher i tend to teach the same group of techniques for a couple of weeks in the hope that everyone,even the slower learners actually commit them to memory.

We all learn at different speeds,some guys only need be shown a technique once and they 'get' it.Thats not me though!

In Japan at the Kodokan (world center of Judo) the Judoka there do literally
thousands of repetitions of their throws every morning.Its called 'Uchi Komi'

Every competition Judoka who i have trained BJJ with has asked 'Why don't you guys do Uchi-Komi?".

Dickie Martin's classes contain BJJ Uchi Komi drills of BJJ techniques.He teaches BJJ drills as if they are Judo.

In our lineage we have a strong link to Oswaldo Alves (BJJ Encyclopedia and
Judo Black Belt who spent a lot of time in Japan).He had a lot of the Gracie Family sent to him as teenagers to learn his style (Roll's included).
Amaury Bitetti also trained a lot with him as a child before Carlson.Oswaldo also taught using repetitive drills.Here's an example-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adOueUoWS4Q

[Simon Hayes]

Double post

[marc goddard]

fear not the man who practices 1000 techniques once, fear the man who practices one technique 1000 times.

cliched but oh so true, look at roger gracie - the greatest grappler ever ?
wins by the most technically correct, tight basics in the world. armbars chockes and triangles, amazing to watch. of course you get more un-orthadox world champs like braulio etc, but they have some very peculiar and special attributes.

basics win fights, they really really do. i am a very firm believer, advocate and teacher of this. if you have a set amount of "go to" moves and you can hit them from pretty much anywhere after years of constant repetition then you are half way there. if certain positions are not for you due to body type, size, flexability etc then you move on and try something new that you can get down time and time again and call your own.

No gimmicks, no tricks no "latest system" just tried and tested proven techniques time after time.

just my thoughts.

ps - what the hell am i doin in the bjj forum ? ;-)

[piratebrido]

Completely agree, and I am thinking about seeing if I can gather some people to meet up once a week to just drill technique. One or two techniques and lots of reps.

[Simon Hayes]

fear not the man who practices 1000 techniques once, fear the man who practices one technique 1000 times.

cliched but oh so true, look at roger gracie - the greatest grappler ever ?
wins by the most technically correct, tight basics in the world. armbars chockes and triangles, amazing to watch. of course you get more un-orthadox world champs like braulio etc, but they have some very peculiar and special attributes.

basics win fights, they really really do. i am a very firm believer, advocate and teacher of this. if you have a set amount of "go to" moves and you can hit them from pretty much anywhere after years of constant repetition then you are half way there. if certain positions are not for you due to body type, size, flexability etc then you move on and try something new that you can get down time and time again and call your own.

No gimmicks, no tricks no "latest system" just tried and tested proven techniques time after time.

just my thoughts.

ps - what the hell am i doin in the bjj forum ? ;-)

Great Post Marc,this forum benefits greatly from your post's and is it a strange coincidence that the really experienced guys all agree so often
on issues such as 'basics win fights'.

Perhaps the internet 'crackhead control' players may sit up and listen sooner or later

[marc goddard]

Great Post Marc,this forum benefits greatly from your post's and is it a strange coincidence that the really experienced guys all agree so often
on issues such as 'basics win fights'.

Perhaps the internet 'crackhead control' players may sit up and listen sooner or later

Thanks mate, as always !

I have my own opinions on the other "systems" but I dont want to be mission controlled into a meathook and then jiu claw through the....... [ insert any two words together ]

[rjd]

Professor how do you deal with the repetitive nature of driling the same set of techniques for a few lessons on the trot. We do this alot at my camp however the beginners have started to piss and moan about it and have even asked prof bruno why hes doing it and can he show new techniques.. a couple of guys have left and when asked have told me they are not paying for the same techniques over and over again... sad I know but its happening

[piratebrido]

Thanks mate, as always !

I have my own opinions on the other "systems" but I dont want to be mission controlled into a meathook and then jiu claw through the....... [ insert any two words together ]

Shatners Bassoon.

[piratebrido]

Professor how do you deal with the repetitive nature of driling the same set of techniques for a few lessons on the trot. We do this alot at my camp however the beginners have started to piss and moan about it and have even asked prof bruno why hes doing it and can he show new techniques.. a couple of guys have left and when asked have told me they are not paying for the same techniques over and over again... sad I know but its happening

What can you do? There isn't any easy way about it. I am currently looking at a pass I must have learned in my first few months. I am trying to get to grips with a different aspect of the pass though, to make the whole pass better.

An armbar is an armbar. Some people are good at it, some not so good. I can almost guarantee the ones who are good at it have done the armbar many many more times than the ones who are not so good at it.

Braulio won recently with a 'flashy' reverse triangle. Bet the same people would piss and moan about drilling that technique if they drilled it even a 10th of the number of times Braulio probably drilled it.

There are no shortcuts. That's why I like BJJ, it's honest that way.