#198 Having a plan for BJJ
As BJJ artists, we will all inevitably find ourselves in times where our focused becomes one hundred percent dedicated towards improvement.
Perhaps it was a disappointing loss, an injury, frustration that you are not progressing at the rate you feel you should, all of which resulting in an opportunity for you to step back and consider whether or not your efforts are actually bringing you farther or closer to the goal.
If you have participated in BJJ for some time, you know that just working hard does not equate to the results you seek. It doesn’t take an expert to understand that jumping rope for an hour straight will equate to victories on the mat whereas more specific means that translate to grappling might.
Nonetheless, rather than getting discouraged, it’s important to use these moments to evaluate what you are doing and how it relates to your long term goal. If you are losing by takedowns constantly a poor approach would be to continue training primarily on the ground while knowing full and well where your weakness lies.
A helpful tip can be to seek the advice of fellow practitioners if not your coach or coaches. They will often provide a more objective view of where your faults might be which you may then look to improve upon in your upcoming training sessions.
In BJJ there are endless amounts of areas to improve so start by looking to improve the ones you find yourself in constantly. Maybe you are constantly being mounted which demands a need for mount escapes and guard retention to prevent from being mounted in the first place. Only with a plan that is based on where your current weaknesses lie will you start to see actual improvement in your BJJ performance. The mistake many competitors and hobbyists make is to show up to class and go through the motions. This will result in improvements but not always in the areas you seek. As my friend and mentor says “Make a plan, follow the plan!” then will you begin to see your BJJ take on an evolution that will see you winning the positions you used to lose in.