Vegetables before dessert!

We have probably all heard at one time or another from our parents to eat your vegetables first, then dessert. This is a common way to reward children on doing something pertinent to their growth and development. Most children do not like this, and often try to find ways to get around eating them. When we look at it from a kid's point of view though, it's not really hard to understand. Vegetables, no matter how you cook them are not really all that tasty. Yet, a donut could be left under a sofa cushion for 4 months and still taste delicious. The facts: A kid isn't worried about diabetes or heart attacks when they are 40, they just want what is good.

This same concept can be applied to jiu-jitsu when talking about drilling. Nobody wants to do it, and will often find ways to avoid it (show up to class late, turn drilling time into a sparring match). I know I am not lying when I say that majority of people come to training everyday just to spar. Don't kid yourself naysayer, be real.

It's an epidemic, just like the little fat kids running around these days who don't eat their vegetables. People need to drill, and if you don't, you shouldn't be surprised why you have not been improving in jiu-jitsu all these years. Drilling, just like eating your vegetables, is crucial to your development in BJJ and will often times deliver faster results in a shorter amount of time than just sparring. If you don't think I am telling the truth ask all the medalist in major competitions.

We all hear the word muscle memory thrown around a lot, but looking at the state the average gym is in, it is obvious nobody has gotten it yet. I have probably only been asked to drill a handful of times, but everyone always asks to roll. Let me tell you what rolling does for your bjj when you don't couple it with drilling.......nothing. It makes you hesitant, sloppy, and you eventually develop bad habits. Most of the time I see people rolling with no direction, they get something kinda cool and can never duplicate it again. What's the point in that? Aren't you trying to improve your game?

The benefits of drilling are endless, and can save you a lot of heartache when you reach the higher belts. People who get this concept early, excel! I don't need an extra paragraph for you to know that. So do yourself a favor and eat your veggies before dessert. Thirty minutes to an hour of drilling a night before sparring will go a long way in helping you develop a more technical and confident game. Thanks for reading. Shout out to Georgette for inspiring this post!