This is a post about experiments you can try in training. None are permanent. Do them for a day, a week, or a month, and see what happens.
- The Submission-Free Diet
I got this one from my teacher, Alex Stuart. When I was in a slump, he told me to stop hunting for submissions. Just roll. If a submission shows up, take it, maybe even catch and release, then keep going.
It takes the pressure off. You’re not trying to win every round. You notice more. You notice your body, your partner’s movement, the openings on both sides. And oddly, you’ll sometimes end up getting more submissions than before, because you’re paying attention.
- Teacher Mode
Pick a day where your goal is to make your partner better. That doesn’t mean coaching in the middle of a round. Nobody likes that.
It just means being the best training partner you can. Let lower belts tap you. Tell them your weaknesses. Give away the details you’ve been keeping to yourself. You’ll lose some rounds. Who cares? You’ll help your teammates improve, and because you’ll have better partners, you’ll get better.
- The One-Submission Project
Choose one submission and chase it for a while. Three months is a good period. Maybe it’s triangles, maybe cross collar chokes. Go for one thing every round.
At first you’ll fail constantly. Your grips will be wrong, your angles off, your elbows flared. That’s the point. Every bad rep teaches you something. Everyone wants to be the sniper who gets it clean the first time, but you only get there by missing a lot.
Note: Don’t Obsess Over Weaknesses
I don’t think it’s worth putting too much energy into techniques that don’t fit your body or won’t last over time. If you have short legs, triangles might never feel right. If you’re very tall, maybe X-Guard isn’t for you. And if you’re not already an inverted guard player, maybe you don’t need to start now. Flexibility only goes one way as you get older.
Training time is limited. Put your hours into things you can be effective with for the long run. These experiments are short-term. They’re to figure out what works for you, to bust out of slumps, and to keep things fun.
Remember. If it’s fun, you’ll train. If you train, you’ll improve. If you improve, it’s more fun. It’s a flywheel.