STUCK AT BLUE BELT? DO THIS!

After they've been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for some time, many Jiujiteiros start creating their games on several techniques and moves. Soon, they build off of this base and form a whole system of submission setups. This, of course, is a natural course of events, and it's something that should happen if the athlete wishes to continue making progress.

There's a catch, however. Just as you're building your skills in this fashion, you slowly stop thinking of other possibilities... What's more, you begin to believe that some things are not entirely possible, that they're out of your reach or useless, and that, therefore, you should stick to what you already know.

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE: YOU JUST NEED TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND

Undoubtedly, there are significant benefits to becoming a master of a few setups, especially after reaching a certain level (say, purple belt) where you need to build your repertoire by using the setups and submissions that you already know. By this time, you've probably figured out what works and what doesn't work for you, and your progress in other areas of the game is consigned into oblivion. 

The problem with this kind of approach is that your road to the Black belt will be BORING! Don't allow our already acquired knowledge to limit your openness to new things! If you limit yourself in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you're not only more likely to lose the passion for the sport down the line; but you're also severely minimizing the chances of reaching your full potential. Try things out that you haven't tried out before. Experiment and play with the knowledge you've gained. Allow yourself to grow beyond your confines. Attempt something that is a bit unorthodox and which other people may not be "brave "enough to try out.

Yes, even the moves that your instructor claims make no sense – or the ones you haven't even seen performed all that often! 

AN UNORTHODOX TECHNIQUE

An example of a series of techniques that few people are using is the Lotus Lockdown. The concept of using a Lockdown in a Gi can sound pretty strange, but not because of its lack of effectiveness. Magnus Hansson, head instructor at 10th Planet Stockholm, explains that this is simply because the technique generally isn't taught by other instructors. And if the instructor isn't going to teach you a technique, how are you supposed to find out its advantages?

And there are a lot of advantages to using the Lockdown in a Gi as opposed to No-Gi. Magnus elaborates that simply "due to the increased friction from the Gi, this Lockdown variation is a lot more useful than its No-Gi counterpart. After all, when watching Eddie Bravo's competition footage, do you notice what he's wearing?

That's right, he wears his Gi pants; being the one who popularized the technique in Jiu-Jitsu, Eddie Bravo certainly understood the importance of added friction. If you knew that the Lotus Lockdown in the Gi is not just a technique to learn but a whole system of endless possibilities and solutions. You would be surprised how fast you can actually expand and skyrocket your knowledge in Jiu-Jitsu. All it takes is an open mind and a will to try something new. 

www.grapplinginstructionals.com/store