JACK OF ALL TRADES???

Often when a student begins Jiu-Jitsu they encounter “technique overload.” They get a taste of the power of “The Gentle Art”, and try to seek out everything about it. Searching for techniques via YouTube or the internet, or buying up dvds/apps from the latest and greatest. This often leads a student to being overwhelmed and getting off-track.

Bottom line, you don’t have to know, or do, every single technique you see or learn. Trying to do everything you learn will actually begin to slow your growth. Your instructor will show you many different principles, concepts and techniques. However, it doesn’t mean you need to lock them all down right away. Jiu-Jitsu is a “sipping” art.

Instead focus on something specific for the game you’re trying to build, and do this sooner rather than later. If your coach says how important a certain movement is to improving overall skill, maybe incorporating that into your game would be a better option than the new trick technique that some high-level competitive black belt is currently showing and is all the rave.

When you find something that you like to do most…do it often…and from different situations. Remember, it doesn’t always have to be an offense-type of technique either. Sometimes learning and doing things defensively against other’s games can go a long way in developing yourself into a formidable opponent as well. Bottom line…sometimes a Jack of all Trades is a Master of None, and mastering nothing can leave you vulnerable and confused.

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Bruce Lee

Learn. Drill. Roll. TRANSFORM!