From my recent research and study I have come to the conclusion, that majority of jiu-jitsu practitioners do not practice correctly. Let me explain. The definition of practice is a systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency. The key word being systematic. Drilling is practice. Specifics is practice. Rolling could be practice, but most of the time is not! Now I know what you're saying...he has lost it, but keep reading.
The first thing we have to look at is, is our "practice" specifically designed to improve performance? Lets take a look at the class structure. Every day there is usually a fundamentals or advanced class specifically designed by the professor. During this segment of the class he/she presents a move, demonstrates it, then instructs the class to drill it. The keyword in the question is designed. The professor has designed this program, and when you are drilling the move he/she walks around and tells you what you are doing wrong. You cannot see yourself while rolling, the person you are rolling with cannot see you...and 9 times out of 10 nobody else can see you because they are also rolling.
The number 1 comment I receive after rolling with a higher belt is, you're moving really well. Rolling does not provide you with in depth analysis of your weaknesses especially at the lower levels. It is unrealistic to say that you can honestly make a clear assessment of your performance on a daily basis...and if you could, at this level you would not be able to design the best practice activity for that moment in your development.
Question: How many times have you been able to remember what you did wrong after a roll?
Practice is meant to stretch you beyond your current abilities and with the right tools and methods, development will steadily rise and go beyond what you thought was your peak. As obvious as that may sound, most of us do not practice this way...including me. We get on the mats after fundamentals class and we spar, using the same stale game...wondering why we haven't gotten any better. Remaining at the level of performance we reached months ago, and for some of you...years!
Deliberate practice first requires the individual to pin point his weakness, then work intently on them. This in our sport is called specifics. A good method to use before starting your specific training would be to draw three circles; labeling each comfort zone (middle), learning zone (outer), and panic zone (outer). In each circle write where you feel comfortable at, in the learning zone what you can improve, and in the panic zone where you feel the worst at. The learning zone is in your control...here you can put yourself in these positions and figure out ways to remove yourself from them. You should force yourself to stay in this zone continually till a light bulb goes of or you say Eureka! The comfort zone should be avoided completely, and the panic zone should be saved for privates or when your professor has time to work with you on these things.
When we practice, what is the number one thing we are trying to accomplish? Becoming proficient in BJJ, right? So in order to become proficient what do we have to do...rinse? No. Wash? No. Repeat? Yea man! But most of us really don't get exactly what repetition is, and it ends up wasting time and being highly ineffective. Take the example I used earlier. You drive your car everyday, up and down the highway...you zoom, you brake, you even hit corners hella fast just to scare your girlfriend. But does that mean you're ready to go qualify for the Indy 500? Hell no. Same thing applies to jiu-jitsu. Majority of the time when we do roll we are only working on what we normally do day in and day out. Very rarely are you repeating any technique at high volumes and very rarely are you focused on doing anything in particular other than rolling. Yes you are repeating this activity, but it is not the repetition you need in order to be successful.
The number one gripe I hear with new white belts and even some blues is that they aren't getting better. When I hear this I ask a few questions to help them figure out what the problem is. The questions I ask are; are you asking questions and are you asking people to watch your rolls or technique? If the answer is no, I say there lies your problem. There is a famous quote that says "practicing without feedback is like bowling through a curtain that hangs downs to knee level". You can work on technique all you like, but if you can't see the effects...you won't get any better. You can only rely on yourself for so long in jiu-jitsu. One day you will either get tired of sucking or you will open your mouth. The feedback from teachers and higher belts is just as important as repetition of technique. At some point in time you will need a sharp eye to help you identify the most minute detail in your technique. On some things you might be able to lift the curtain and see all the pins fall, but most of the time you will sit wondering why you never get a strike...and the answer is often times sitting right next to you.
What makes jiu-jitsu so fun is that we think the practice aspect of it is fun. Everyone looks at rolling and sparring as practice, but the way we do it makes it just plain ol' fun. Swimming is fun until you have to swim laps. Basketball is fun until you have to shoot 100 jump shots. Jiu-Jitsu is fun until you have to drill arm bars. See where I am going. Doing things we know how to do well is enjoyable. Practice is not inherently fun, it is doing the most painful and difficult task imaginable and repeating it over and over and over again...until it becomes fun. Then you move on. So a rule of thumb is, if you're having fun on the mats, you need to be doing something else.
Part 2 will be available after the Revolution this weekend....
