Photo: Hywel Teague
Written by Guillaume “Gile” Huni
They say that that in order to improve in BJJ, you should always learn something new after each training session. One effective way, I’ve found to do this is to film and analyse all of my training rolls (sparring). Basically I ask somebody to film me while I roll with my training partners and then re-watch and analyse the whole roll when I get back home. The benefit of video is that you can catch all the small details and play the video back as much as you want until you understand a set technique:
Things I look for are:
- My placement and grips and how I could improve them in set situations. For example: I look at how a small readjustment of a grip or of my base would have a changed a situation.
- Moves, sweeps and submissions that my training partners place on me. For example, yesterday I got swept by a awesome move from half guard, and played the film about 10 times to understand the timing and details of the move that my partner did. I now know how to apply that move and to defend it as well.
The important thing is to then to Re-adjust and fine tune your game for the next practice session and avoid making the same mistakes again. You can also show your instructor the video and ask him for advice as to what to do in such a situation. Give it a try and see the improvement in your game.
