A couple of years ago, I wrote an article, The Psychology of Jiu-Jitsu. It got re-posted on a couple of other blogs and social network sites, but I had nearly forgotten about it. That is until I received an email from Brian Alleman, a four-stripe blue belt under Renato Tavares.
I thought his email made a lot of sense and was worth sharing, so asked Brian for permission to post it here.
"Hey I just read your article on the psychology of BJJ from a couple years ago. It was a great article that hit some really good points. I just thought I would add my $0.02. I think that in the early psychological stages of learning BJJ there are two types of students: Muscles and Spazzes. Muscles tend to be the naturally athletic guys who always excelled at sports where being stronger/faster than your opponent (football, wrestling, etc); while Spazzes tend to be guys (like me) who don't really have an athletic background but got interested in BJJ because they wanted a fun way to exercise and also an intellectual challenge. In the end I think it is better to be a Spaz than a Muscle. Being a Spaz is mostly a mental thing, you've never really been in anything even remotely resembling a grappling match so when you have a guy on top of you, your brain just yells "FREAK OUT!" But Muscles are falling back on a lifetime of experience where forcing an opponent with superior strength has always worked. For a Spaz it's a matter of gaining experience to quiet the mind to stay calm and focused. Meanwhile Muscles are doing what they have always done that led success in other sports, so dammit why isn't it working now?!
Secondly, I think that the big jump between the upper early/lower mid-level stages and the upper mid-level/advanced stages is when a student stops trying to learn techniques. Instead they want to know why and how sweeps and positions work, they want to learn the theories. Instead of seeking to learn a new butterfly sweep they want to know about controlling an opponent's weight and creating a dead angle. Once a student can start to master these ideas they don't need to learn a technique in order to know it. Instead they find themselves in a position and realize "hey wait a sec, if I put my foot here and get an overhook I've got a dead angle!" Next thing you know...SWEEP! This leads to the ability to adapt and improvise, and that is key to being competitive against high level guys.
Anyway those are my thoughts!"
8/27/10
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6 comments:
OMG, I am such a Spaz! Thank you for sharing this Conan, I think Brian's observations are dead on.
Yeah, I'm most definitely a spaz too. It's really nice to learn "spaz" techniques, and we all know which ones those are, because those are the weird ones that work for no apparent reason no matter how tired you are.
I like this post and I agree with some of it, however I disagree with the overall argument. I dont think it really matters what type of green jiu-jitsu fighter or grappler you are. Proper coaching and true commitment will excel any day. Roseberry's MMA offers a great Jiu-Jitsu program for any level fighter whether green or with highly qualified backgrounds. With true commitment Sensei Conan will offer any fighter a true opportunity to excel to the level that they objectively desire. 'Jiu-Jitsu' is like water, let it flow' is one proverb that Sensei Conan preaches, and if one is able to follow his instructions it is irrelevant to the type of green fighter you begin as. Secondly, I think it would be difficult to give a better Jiu-Jitsu class that Sensei Conan teaches. Technique is extremely important and I believe this class is determined on it. At Roseberry's, Sensei teaches nearly a full hour on completely practical technique that should be focused greatly during that period and the time afterwards for free-rolling. Yes, I believe sometimes you should just let it flow, but this is a period of understanding one's mind when it has become to bunched up, otherwise it is not compettion and you are only there to learn and grow, so why not be as practical and possible choose to focus as much as possible on the technique allotted during both periods? All in all, I say this, Roseberry's MMA offers a great opportunity for anyone trying to pursue a complete Jiu-Jitsu game, Sensei Conan is a great instructor, Sensei Ray is top notch also, and they have helped to develop a room that can compete on a high level. Thanks.
I think that when a fighter is able to mesh the muscle and spaz into one that is when they become a complete jiu jitsu fighter. I totally started out as a "Muscle" but I have begun to work my body away from just power moves and start to convert my body to be able to be flexable to do "spaz" moves. I think it is a beautiful thing when you see a muscular big guy bust out an oma plata or reverse triangle!
James, I agree with you when you say that it doesn't matter what you start out as. When Brian said that it's better to be a spaz, I simply think he meant that it is easier to learn some of these things without having to "unlearn" previous training and muscle memory. It's the same thing in our Karate class, when a student comes in with a belt in another art, they frequently having a harder time adjusting to the way we do things, as opposed to a student who comes in knowing nothing.
There are good points and bad points to being either one. The key is to identify which one you are, and work toward becoming the right blend of both, as Aaron said.
spazzes rule! team spaz or team muscle?
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