The MOST Effective Way to Learn Jiu Jitsu ( Eco x Specific )

Summary

This video script delves into the debate between drilling and ecological approaches in martial arts training. The speaker advocates for a balanced use of all training tools, including specific sparring, constraint-led training, and low-resistance drilling, to optimize technique development. They emphasize the importance of adapting training to individual weaknesses and the value of slow, reflective practice for technical discovery. The script also touches on the role of video study and journaling in enhancing understanding and retention of techniques.

Takeaways

• 🤼‍♂️ The ultimate goal of developing technique is to effectively use it against a highly skilled, fully resisting opponent under stress.
• 🛠️ It's not about choosing between drilling or ecological approach, but using a combination of all available training tools for optimal development.
• 🎯 Emphasizes the importance of using specific sparring or constraint-led training to develop an intuitive understanding of positions and techniques.
• 🔍 Specific sparring involves starting in a detailed scenario and adjusting the rules to target weaknesses and improve understanding.
• 📚 Discusses the value of not overloading students with information, allowing them to discover positions themselves for better retention.
• 🔄 Highlights the benefit of resetting after mistakes in constraint-led training to focus on and resolve specific issues effectively.
• 🧠 Mentions the importance of 'R&D' in martial arts training, where discovering the correct way to perform a move is as critical as refining an already known technique.
• 💡 Advocates for low-resistance drilling for detailed technical development, especially when physical training volume is high and recovery is needed.
• 🎥 Stresses the role of video study, journaling, and reflection in achieving 'aha' moments and major improvements in technique.
• 🤝 Introduces the concept of 'sweep and pass rotation' as a training method to encourage open game play and experimentation without the pressure of winning.
• 🚧 Suggests that while constraint-led training is beneficial, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution and should be part of a diverse training regimen.

Q & A

What is the main point of discussion in the video script?

The main point of discussion is the comparison and analysis of different training methods in martial arts, specifically focusing on drilling, ecological approach or constraint-led training, and their effectiveness in developing techniques for real sparring situations.

What does the speaker believe is the ultimate end goal of developing a technique?

The ultimate end goal, according to the speaker, is being able to use the technique against a highly skilled opponent who is resisting 100% under stress, such as in a tournament or sparring match.

What is the ecological approach or constraint-led training as mentioned in the script?

The ecological approach or constraint-led training is a method where the focus is less on teaching specific positions or techniques and more on the 'games' played within a position, allowing students to spar within a position and develop an intuitive feeling for it.

What is the speaker's opinion on using only one type of training method?

The speaker believes that using only one type of training method is suboptimal. Instead, they advocate for using a combination of all available tools, such as specific sparring, constraint-led training, less resistance drilling, watching competition footage, and more.

What does the speaker mean by 'specific sparring'?

Specific sparring, as described by the speaker, involves starting in a very specific scenario and then adjusting the rules and parameters to target specific weaknesses or points of confusion for the practitioner.

How does the speaker view the role of information in learning a new position?

The speaker believes in a balanced approach where students are allowed to discover positions themselves but are also guided with information when they struggle, providing context and aiding retention.

What is the advantage of constraint-led training or specific sparring according to the script?

The advantage of constraint-led training or specific sparring is that it allows practitioners to constantly reset when they make a mistake, focusing on one problem at a time, which can lead to faster progress.

What are the two major variables in technique development that the speaker discusses?

The two major variables discussed are 'R&D', which refers to the research and development of new techniques or understanding of correct movements, and 'physical overload', which pertains to the physical capacity to train and the potential for wear and tear on the body.

How does the speaker feel about less resistance drilling?

The speaker has changed their opinion on less resistance drilling and now sees its value, especially for discovering fine details in techniques and for low-impact, high-volume training that can be beneficial for technical development without physical strain.

What role does video study, journaling, and reflection play in the speaker's training philosophy?

Video study, journaling, and reflection play a significant role in the speaker's training philosophy as they can lead to 'aha' moments of understanding and discovery, which are critical for major improvements in technique.

What is the 'sweep and pass' training method mentioned by the speaker?

The 'sweep and pass' method is an exercise where partners take turns sweeping and passing each other, allowing for a relaxed environment to try new techniques and ideas without the pressure of constant resistance.

Outlines

00:00

🤼‍♂️ The Debate on Drilling vs. Ecological Approach

The speaker begins by addressing the online discussions about drilling versus the ecological approach, also known as constraint-led training, in martial arts. They express their belief in the importance of using a variety of training methods to optimize technique development. The ultimate goal is to be able to apply techniques under high stress against a resisting opponent. The speaker emphasizes that neither drilling nor ecological training should be exclusively relied upon, but rather both should be part of a comprehensive training regimen. They also mention using other tools such as watching competition footage, instructional videos, and journaling to achieve a well-rounded skill set.

05:01

🧩 Developing Intuition and Knowledge in Positions

This paragraph delves into the specifics of constraint-led training, where the focus is on the 'game' played within a position rather than on the techniques themselves. The speaker shares their understanding of this approach, which encourages students to discover and retain techniques through their own experiences. They also discuss the concept of 'specific sparring,' which involves starting in a particular scenario and adjusting the rules to target specific weaknesses. The speaker believes that this method allows for rapid progress by continuously resetting and practicing mistakes, but acknowledges that it may not be as effective for 'R&D' (research and development) of new techniques or for managing physical overload in training.

10:02

🏋️‍♂️ Balancing Technical Development with Physical Demands

The speaker discusses the limitations of constraint-led training in terms of physical overload and the importance of low-resistance drilling for technical development, especially when the body is fatigued. They argue that while high-intensity sparring can lead to quick exhaustion, slow and deliberate practice allows for detailed exploration of techniques without excessive physical strain. The speaker also highlights the value of video study, journaling, and reflection in identifying key principles and making significant improvements in their game. They conclude by advocating for a mix of training methods, including specific sparring, drilling, and other techniques like 'sweep and pass' rotations, to maintain a balanced and effective training routine.

Keywords

💡Drilling

Drilling refers to the repetitive practice of a specific technique or movement in martial arts, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), without full resistance from an opponent. In the video, the speaker discusses the pros and cons of drilling, suggesting that while it was once seen as less effective, it can be useful for refining techniques and for high-rep training to improve endurance and explosiveness in a position.

💡Ecological Approach

The ecological approach, also known as constraint-led training, emphasizes learning through exploration and discovery within a given context or position. The speaker mentions that this approach is less focused on teaching specific techniques and more on allowing students to develop an intuitive understanding of positions through gameplay and self-discovery, which can lead to better retention and understanding.

💡Specific Sparring

Specific sparring is a training method where practitioners start from a particular position and engage in a controlled sparring scenario with adjusted rules to target specific weaknesses or areas of improvement. The speaker describes it as a way to focus on certain aspects of a position, allowing for real-time adjustments and re-evaluations during training to address confusion points and enhance understanding.

💡Technique Development

Technique development involves the process of learning and perfecting martial arts moves. The video emphasizes the importance of technique development under high stress and resistance to ensure that the techniques can be effectively used against a skilled opponent. The speaker suggests using a combination of training methods, including drilling, ecological approach, and specific sparring, to optimize technique development.

💡High Stress

High stress in the context of the video refers to the pressure and resistance encountered during real sparring or tournament situations. The speaker argues that the ultimate goal of training is to be able to apply techniques under these high-stress conditions, which means that training methods should prepare practitioners for the intensity and challenges of actual combat.

💡Resistance

Resistance in training denotes the opposition or counteractions provided by a training partner to simulate real combat scenarios. The script discusses the importance of resistance in learning and the potential downsides of resistance-less drilling, but also acknowledges that low-resistance drilling can be beneficial for technical discovery and body preservation.

💡R&D (Research and Development)

In the video, R&D refers to the exploration and discovery aspect of learning new techniques. The speaker mentions that a significant part of progress in martial arts comes from increasing one's knowledge base about where and how to apply techniques, which is different from refining already known moves. R&D is crucial for understanding the 'what' before the 'how' of a technique.

💡Physical Overload

Physical overload refers to the state where the intensity or volume of training surpasses an individual's capacity to recover, potentially leading to fatigue or injury. The speaker warns against the risks of constant intense sparring in one position without rest, which can lead to physical overload and hinder the discovery of fine-tuned details necessary for technique perfection.

💡Socratic Method

The Socratic method, as used in the context of the video, involves a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue that stimulates critical thinking and idea exploration. The speaker describes using a Socratic-like approach in low-resistance drilling, where they engage in a conversation with their training partner to test and refine techniques slowly and thoughtfully.

💡Video Study

Video study involves analyzing footage, often of oneself or other practitioners, to identify patterns, techniques, and areas for improvement. The speaker highlights the importance of video study in conjunction with other training methods, as it can lead to 'aha' moments of understanding and can guide the rest of the training by revealing core principles and details.

💡Journaling

Journaling is the practice of keeping a written record of one's thoughts, experiences, and reflections. In the video, the speaker advocates for journaling as a tool for enhancing understanding and retention of martial arts techniques. It allows practitioners to distill core principles and reflect on their training, leading to deeper insights and improvements.

Highlights

The importance of being able to use techniques against a highly skilled, fully resisting opponent under stress.

The ultimate end goal of a position is its applicability in real sparring situations.

The necessity of using a combination of training tools rather than relying solely on one method.

The debate between drilling and ecological (constraint-led) training and the author's opinion on using both.

The explanation of constraint-led training focusing on games within a position rather than specific techniques.

The benefits of allowing students to discover techniques themselves through spar-based learning.

The author's personal approach to specific sparring, adjusting rules and parameters to target weaknesses.

The concept of not overloading students with information to allow for self-discovery in positions.

The balance between allowing discovery and providing guidance to avoid redundancy in learning.

The advantage of specific training in allowing for constant resets and focused practice on mistakes.

The limitations of specific training in terms of R&D (research and development) of techniques.

The role of physical overload in training routines and its impact on technique development.

The author's change of perspective on the value of low-resistance drilling for technique refinement.

The use of slow-motion drilling as a method for detailed technical development without physical strain.

The importance of video study, journaling, and reflection in achieving 'aha' moments in training.

The concept of 'sweep and pass' training as a way to relax and explore techniques without the pressure of winning.

The idea that constraint-led training is not inherently bad, but should be part of a mixed training approach.

The encouragement for practitioners to use a combination of training methods for optimal improvement.

Transcripts

so I see a lot of people online nowadays

talking pretty negatively about drilling

a lot of people are discussing uh

constraint Le training or some people

refer to it as the ecological approach

so I wanted to give my general opinions

both around drilling the ecological

approach in my kind of views on what the

best way to optimize developing

technique and your training is so before

getting into the specifics on the pros

and cons of different types of training

formats I want to talk about the core

Bedrock of what you're trying to do when

you develop technique in my opinion the

ultimate end goal of a position is being

able to use it versus a highly skilled

opponent who's resisting 100% under

stress meaning in a tournament or in a

sparring match if you can just drill and

talk about a technique but you can't

actually use it then in some sense you

don't have a true depth of understanding

so all of the different training types I

talk about from here on out we'll be

discussing what is the best way to

optimize getting your yourself to a

point that you can use the techniques

and positions under high stress in real

sparring so up front a lot of people are

debating between drilling versus

ecological approach versus specific

sparring uh in my opinion the ultimate

thing is to use all of the tools in Your

Arsenal it is not a question of should

you do ecological training or drilling

you should use both and I'm going to

talk about the pros and cons of each one

but locking yourself into this is how I

train is in my opinion a subop optimal

way to do it you want to get to the

point that you can use techniques in

positions versus a fully resisting

opponent under high stress so I will use

specific sparring or constraint Le

training I will use resistan less

drilling I will use watching competition

footage I will use washing

instructionals I will use journaling I

will use all tools in my Arsenal to

accomplish that goal and I don't think

that only using one of those will be the

best way to maximize your improvement

all right so first off let's get into

discussing the constraint Le training or

specific sparring or the ecological

approach so um I don't deeply understand

everything that is being referred to as

the ecological approach I just talked to

my friend Andress who's a big fan of it

and we had a long conversation about it

so I'll do my best to reflect as I

understand it feel free to comment if

you think there's more Nuance that I

missed so a lot of people are referring

to constraint Le training is kind of

less focused on showing positions or

techniques more focused on games you

play in a position so for example if you

start in xard you could make a game like

okay I want to off-balance my opponent

and get make them put their hands on the

mat and my opponent wants to try to keep

their balance and get out without going

too involved into the specific details

of the position you allow the student to

kind of Spar in the position and kind of

develop a general intuitive feeling that

helps them discover things and helps

them retain things better because they

discovered it themselves in my opinion

that is an extremely great way to

develop knowledge in a position um I

think to me personally what I've always

referred to as specific sparring is

actually that right so I think there's

somewhat of a semantics thing going on

with what you refer to as specific

sparring for some people specific

sparring is as simple as start and mount

and try to get out but for me specific

sparring is starting in an extremely

specific scenario and then adjusting the

rules and the parameters of what doing

to try to Target spots that I feel I'm

weak so for example if I'm in Mount and

I'm trying to hold my opponent down and

I'm trying to go for a submission and I

notice they keep getting on their

shoulder I might rewind the position and

go wait a second can you start here with

this hand position and Spar from here

and I want you to try as hard as you can

to get onto your shoulders right and

I'll kind of like real time in the

specific sparring stop pause with my

partner and adjust the positions and

constantly re evaluate what we're doing

and I can set all sorts of different

parameters in the specific sparring

because of course we can say Mount but

then there's mount with your opponent

already on their side there's mount with

you having a crossface mount with you

having two double underhooks on their

arms and I'm going to mix and match all

those together to try to clear up the

confusion points that I have when I'm in

the mount position and that is somewhat

subjective because each person has

different points that they're confused

on so I'm trying to use all of that

specific specific training to uh to

Target my weaknesses and lacks of

understanding so some people will refer

to that as specific sparing some people

call that constraint L training to me

it's objectively the same idea another

idea with this that people often talk

about is if you're teaching in running a

class is the idea of not giving your

students too much information to

overload them so that they can discover

the position themself um I use this all

the time but I don't think it's a black

and white thing I think there's gray

area um if if I have someone start in

spider guard for example uh I do think

there's a utility in having them start

there and letting them spar with no

advice in discovering the position fors

that being said I do think at a certain

point it's a bit redundant to force them

to reinvent the wheel so I will allow

them discover the positions but when

they struggle for a bit I might go hey

if you grab that sleeve uh and hold it

like this it'll be harder for them to

Loop and that kind of allows them to

struggle and then when I give them an

answer it gives them context and it does

stick with them better so I don't think

you have to be black and white about

give them no information or you know

give them all the information um I

certainly think overloading people with

tons of technique info before getting

sparring the position is definitely

detrimental so I do like the idea of

getting into some form of resistance uh

very early another great thing with

specific training or constraint Le

training is that it allows you to

constantly reset when you make a mistake

if I'm in a match and I'm trying to

learn spider guard and I mess up

immediately and then they put me in side

control and I spend the rest of the

match in side control I can't really

learn much about the spider guard so

every time you mess up you get to go

back and repeat and that consistency

staying on one problem I think makes it

much easier to progress fast so now I

want to talk about two other major

variables in your development that I

think specific training or constraint Le

training can be slightly less effective

than some other forms of training for

developing the two big factors that you

have to consider

one I just refer to is R&D and the other

one is physical overload on your

training routine like how much can you

physically work out in a week so

regarding R&D what I mean by that is

there's really two types of skill in a

sport so one type of skill is like if

you take for example something like pool

I generally understand the idea in pool

of where I'm supposed to hit the Q ball

and where I'm supposed to hit the ball

to put it in a pocket uh but I cannot do

it it's there's a fine-tuning of being

able to precisely do the thing you know

you want to do that is a form of skill

but there's another kind of maybe

knowledge is a better word for it and

that is knowing where to put your hand

to do a specific type of technique and

when you're developing your Jiu-Jitsu a

lot of times you won't know what the

right move is right so if I'm developing

a new technique I don't know if I should

put my hand here if I should put it

there I can watch an instructional but

maybe they left some info out so a lot

of my training time isn't necessarily to

refine and already perfected move it is

to actually discover what is the correct

way to do the move so that is a slightly

different thing but it is very critical

because most of your big progress in

your development will be from the R&D

component increasing your knowledge base

of knowing where to be at certain times

it's not just about being able to do the

thing it's about discovering what the

thing you need to do actually is and

that is another thing that I think more

drilling can be useful for and I'll get

into that in a second keep in mind that

most of my career I've been very

negative on resistan less drilling I was

always big on specific sparring for

developing because you need to have that

full resistance to learn but I've

actually changed my opinion on this a

bit more recently another point that I

think constraint Le training can limit

with is the idea of physical overload if

I'm starting in a position and sparring

in a position it can be very intense and

often sometimes more intense than normal

sparring because you keep Rel looping a

position and don't have rest periods

because you keep going back to the same

spot so because of that if I'm trying to

discover what is the best way to finish

this ankle lock for example um sometimes

just sparring over and over and over

there in an hour I can completely wear

myself out especially if I'm doing

something physical like working on my

torandoo pass and often the reason the

tond pass isn't working is some

extremely fine-tuned small thing like

grabbing the pants on the outside so

their leg can't Loop over or the angle

of my shoulder trajectory when I'm going

in and if I just repeat cycle sparring

in that position over and over and over

I have done that for decades and

positions and put so much wear and tear

on my body and ultimately what made the

big difference was the discovery of one

or two small but major details and

that's where sometimes constraint Le

training doesn't elicit that detail as

much sometimes to develop on a tond

actually going very very slow with my

partner telling them to basically do no

resistance and I start in the position

and I can tell them freeze okay I'm

gonna tondo here super slow motion and I

can kind of feel like okay can you

resist now here can you do this and it's

extremely slow and easy on my body and

what that does is on days that I'm

overloaded in my training I can actually

get like two hours of effective

technical development at a low Pace that

allows my body to recover so I can still

strength Trin later in the day or do

hard rounds later in the day or push the

following day sometimes only doing the

sparring format can actually diminish

your body and then you don't have the

you don't get enough training volume to

make the technical discoveries so that's

where I find that having that lower

resistance drilling again it depends on

how you define low resistance drilling I

kind of do it more in like a Socratic

method where I'm sitting there and

having conversation with my partner and

testing and feeling ideas and and going

slow with it it's it's not the same

thing as brain off taking a technique

from an instructional and drilling it

1,000 times without any thought I do

think that's basically useless um the

only benefit I could maybe say with

something like that is if you're closer

to a tournament and you want to Peak

your cardio it could be beneficial to

high rep drill a technique you do a

bunch to get your heart rate really high

in a safer way than normal sparring cuz

sometimes normal sparring really close

to a turn

uh you know Randomness can happen you

can get an injury or something but if I

try to drill my tond as many times as I

possibly can in 3 minutes that can burn

my cardio out in a safe way and sharpen

a move that I already know but again

that's different than developing the

technique that's more uh pushing for

endurance and explosivity in the

position and I think this also ties into

another major component of my training

which is using video study and using

journaling and notes and reflection

right so again I feel most of your major

Improvement in your game will come when

you have those aha moments right and

that doesn't necessarily result from

tons of hours of training sometimes you

can get that aha moment in the first 30

minutes of training instead of 5 years

and if I can get it in the first 30

minutes I will always take that so a lot

of the major developments in my game

have been from watching competition

footage and reflecting and thinking in

journaling on positions things like the

idea of foot denial when I pass the

guard understanding that the main

priority is to deflect the feet to

finish or the idea of chest to back when

doing a bolo or the idea of chest to

chest pressure to keep the shoulder

blades pin these are things that didn't

necessarily occur to me in sparring it

was taking time to reflect after the

fact and think things like what must be

true for me to have the back well do I

have the back without hooks I absolutely

can but can I have the back with no

connection to their back with my torso

no technically I can't so things like

that they can actually distill out these

core principles to help guide the rest

of your training and that's where things

like slower training slower lower

resistance training can be very

beneficial for helping to still those

things out because it's almost like you

can have a realtime Socratic

conversation with yourself while having

a partner there to kind of test and feel

out your hypotheses right so that being

said I'm not saying that the straint Le

training or is bad it's I think most

people probably need a lot more of it

right but what I'm saying is also don't

take this mindset that drilling is

stupid it's all this most things it's a

gray area it's not all drilling it's not

all specific sparring SL eological

training uh it it's it's not all regular

sparring it's a mix of things uh another

major training I use I'm not going to go

too involved in it on this video I'll

probably do a future one on it is the

idea of this sweep and pastoral I do

with esmen all the time and it's

basically where I my I go with a partner

and I sweep them once and pass them once

and then it's their turn they sweep me

once and pass me once and now we

alternate and we can still resist but we

know whose turn it is ultimately so if

it's my opponents turn to sweep me I'm

never going to pass them they ultimately

sweep me but I still try things and it

allows Mo both people to kind of relax

their ego and open their game up and try

things they wouldn't normally train

again I'll go much more in depth on it

another video I did I felt like it was

too long to add into this one but I just

wanted to give kind of perspective on

constraint Le training specific sparring

drilling video and kind of how it all

culminates together I hope you guys

found this useful be sure to leave a

comment and let me know if there's other

training conceptual topics you'd like to

hear me discuss or any positions You'

like to see me do a technique video on

and as always if you guys like the

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