"Silly Rabbit, Tricks are for Kids"

    As you been hearing around the gym, how do you get out of that thing or do that thing, ie 50/50, spider guard, inverted guard etc. Here is the thing, people want  tricks to help them out of their sticky situations, and learning these types of tricks can actually be ineffective and can hinder your growth in BJJ.  Uh oh here we go again, Coach is saying stick with the basics, drill, drill drill. I know, I know I don't need to hear about sticking to the basics.  But I think we all do.  But I love tricks  ask anyone who is around me on the mat for one or two rounds you can tell I'm into tricks, but I am not making the blanket statement just to train the basics and that its. What I am saying is that you need to have a firm grasp on the fundamentals before venturing off the path.  But what is Basic, what are tricks?  I think for me when I think basic I think of what we teach here in those first critical 11 basic classes, things that are going to work and have been time tested, fight tested both sport and self defence.  You can apply these to almost  every position every situation. These are the basics.   And as far as those tricks go. I like to compare new students to a kid-no offence to the kids! here is what I mean:  Kids are excited by shiny newthings, and so are the new students  to jiu jitsu. Here is the question I get all the time, Hey how do you do that thing I saw the other night on Youtube, UFC the Mudials etc. which are probably a one time thing they did in the specific time to make it out of the position or finish.  The problem with this is  learning these tricks, is that a new students have a limited frame of reference for applying the sound basic principles to them. Tricks are fine and fun if you can pick apart the principles at play within them and make them work. My recommendation for everyone is to take a look at something that is considered "trick" and break down the basic principles behind it that make it work and train them.  You don't have to write off a move or a position because it is diffenrent or deviates from the basic curriculum,  just understand the basic principals behind them.  Have fun and evolve.  

 

Coach Durfee

Here is my favorite trick move!

 

Comments

[$izzle]

This video is exactly why I prefer no gi. Sure you can throw your ki energy all day when wearing pajamas but without lapels and sleeves it is useless.