Friday, February 26, 2010

Taking Your BJJ Skills In The Right Direction In 2010.

It's funny but the beginning of every year has many people making all kinds of resolutions about making improvements in their lives.

Most of these resolutions never go anywhere. I think that's because people get themselves all worked up and motivated to make changes in the new year but they don't take the most important step to that change which is to consistently DO something differently than what they did or the way they did it the year before.

We're not going to make that mistake with our BJJ skills.

This year my BJJ training goals include improving my endurance, further improving my attacking skills by solidifying all my most dangerous combinations, as well as taking my escapes and position control to world class levels.

How about you?

Are you clear on what you need to work to take your skills in the right direction this year?

Examine where you're having the most problems, record yourself sparring or ask your training partners but find out what you need to work and get organized. Write down your areas of weakness or ask your instructor for help, that's what he's there for.

It's still early and this is the best time to plan your year.
Remember if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

A Different Kind Of Post...

Hi, 2010 has been extremely busy for me as I'm looking to make huge improvements in both my martial arts training, fitness and life, can you relate?

If so great, because I'd like to take this post in a different direction than I've ever written about before, in that I will be asking a series of questions that are critical to improving your game and I will be answering some of them over the next few weeks.

First off, I'd like you to ask yourself how your training went in 2009?

Was it everything you wanted it to be?

Did you make the progress that you had planned?

Do you think you will improve more this year?

If you were forced to, what could you do right now that would take your skills further in the right direction?

Are you willing to commit to doing it this year with every training session you put in on the mat?
If you are willing to commit to it 100%, will you take a few minutes and write down your training goals for 2010 right now, so you don’t forget?

Is there anything that you regularly do in your training that holds you back?
Why do you think you do it?
Is it fear if getting injured, embarassed or submitted?
Do you see how putting yourself on the line (within reason) can help you improve faster, as long as you learn from where you went wrong?

If you had to choose, would you say it’s a fear of failure, or a fear of success?

Could it just be a bad habit that needs to be broken?

If you are being held back by bad habits in your training would you be willing to create new habits to replace the bad habits even if it means to add extra time to your training each week to identify and break the bad habits?

If so, can you commit to doing that one thing that’ll create a newer habit on the mat that will improve your game?

Do you think this is an interesting experiment so far?

Do you realize the value in it?

Have you ever stopped and thought about what techniques you are already good at?

Can you imagine how different your BJJ game would be if you applied everything you are already good at?

Do you realize that the solutions to most of the problems you're having in your training right now are at your disposal?
By either just identifying the problem and solving it yourself or through your training partners and instructor?

Do you see how much more effective this approach would be than just waiting for improvement or someone else to point out the holes in your game?

Do you know more about the problems your training partners experience than they do? Don’t you think you do, considering you are rolling against them regularly?

Don't you think that they can also help you discover the flaws in your technique and game?
Do you think that developing this type of training relationship with them where you help each other improve would help accelerate both of your progress?

Would you like to know how I learn more about holes in my game and how I develop solutions?

Also if you would like to share some common problems you have in your game in the comments section or let me know what you would like covered in further posts in the blog, do you realize how this could directly help you and others improve?

I know that's alot of questions, but don't you think this approach will help make 2010 your best training year yet?