With the corona crisis in jiu jitsu most practitioners are forced to stay off the mats. Many companies are now offering free dvd’s and instructionals so we can keep improving. But how should you use those instructionals? I’m going to teach you how to optimize your learning from them.

1. Watch & make notes

Pay attention to the position of both bodies. Not just the person instructing the move. That way you can coach your drilling partner to give you the proper reactions. The more difficulty you have understanding the move, the more you need to write down.

2. Visualize

This is usually the moment you can find me lying down on the floor wiggling my hands and feet around.

3. Watch the moves in practice.

This is usually something I do to take little breaks between the instructions, but also see how the moves look in practice.
From here on out you would actually need some mats and a training partner.

4. Drill.

Make sure you take all your notes with you to the mats. Be strict to your drilling partner, at first make him act exactly like the uke the instructor used and tell him to not use any resistance. Only when you feel confident applying the move against a non-resisting opponent giving you proper reactions, you can add resistance.

Also read:

Top Competitor Advises To Study More BJJ And Train Less

5. Specific sparring

When I’m learning something entirely new, I like to start with a low resistance, say 30%. From there I work my way up to complete resistance from the position.

6. Free sparring

Now you’ve applied to move in specific sparring, it’s time to see if you can get to the position in real sparring and apply the move successfully.