In sports you very rarely see someone who is good at all positions. The ones that are, usually get forced to play one or two roles. That's it. In jiu-jitsu you are not forced to play one role, but most of the time you tend to lean towards one style or position and you work from there. Still being a baby in the sport, I have just realized how bad this is and have tried to come up with a rule that I should follow in my jiu-jitsu life that will make me a more versatile player. Last week in my "remedial" math class we were talking about percentages. This prompted me to make the graphs that I did for my post last week. Then I began thinking about if I improved every position gradually (by a small percentage), how much would my total overall game improve?
In most sports, the difference between winning and losing is a matter of seconds...a team in the NBA may wish that they had 1 more minute to turn the tables. But in jiu-jitsu it is about mat time, understanding, and muscle memory. There are no secrets to jiu-jitsu. Lately I have found this to be true because most people don't even know why they do certain shiet. When you see a black belt you see a mastery of fundamentals giving them the ability to run damn near on auto-pilot.
What I have observed in my short time of training is that the 1% rule actually works....but is not used properly. When you look from belt to belt, you notice that the only that is changing is timing and miniscule details. The same moves are being applied that you learned as a white belt, but with all the details. This can be proven when you ask a purple belt a question, then you ask a black belt right after. Answers are totally different! The 1% rule applied correctly will have your game go from guard player/back specialist to threatening from all positions.
The thing is you have to start small, and 1% is the perfect number. If you try to improve your game by 10-20% you will probably burn out and get sick of it. Just trying to improve little by little making sure to pay attention to the details in every position will allow you to always be ahead of the competition. An issue I was having was always relying on spider guard to transition to a dominant position. I had gotten so used to being on my back I damn near forgot what it was like to be anywhere else. This was because I was always working on and trying to improve my spider guard, that I neglected all other positions. If I had used the 1% rule, I would have definitely been a much more versatile and dominant player.
Now...what if as white belt you got this theory and actually used it? How dangerous would you be when you were finally promoted to blue belt? I was talking to a veteran in the sport about this and he said that most people grow into their belt. At times when a person is promoted it is a challenge. The professor is saying I've seen you fight at this level before, now work! I take this as maybe you have a blue belt gaurd and blue belt understanding, but your timing is still on white belt level...now step it up. Now imagine as a white belt you worked at every position, you would be one dangerous blue and stepping up to the plate would not be as hard!
I have been to a few gyms in the last 8 months, and the only people I see with good overall games are black belts. The rest of the gym always have a weak spot, and it is never a small one. Is it impossible to improve every position gradually? Is it better to specialize in a couple of positions? I'm interested in hearing feedback, but for now I'm following this plan.
Gradual improvement in every position, is a helluva lot better than being a specialist in one.
How to apply the 1% rule to your training:
1. Drill like a mad man. Mat time makes your game shine! Geoff Colvin wrote in his book "Talent is Overrated" that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to gain true mastery.
2. Put yourself in uncomfortable positions when sparring. Start out in half guard or side control sometimes, then work.
3. Don't get comfortable. You roll with the same guys everyday, if you can submit them 100% of the time from your money move, drop the money move.
4. Pay attention to the details. Sometimes when we roll we get sloppy submissions, and call it a day. Even if you have to call a timeout and do a "redo" do it, because it will make you that much better next time.
5. Get a second opinion on positions so you know how to do them correctly.
6. Compete. It's the only way you'll know if you've gotten better.
Thanks for reading everyone...
