Gui Mendes recently sparked a debate within the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community with his candid take on the “ecological approach” to training.
Responding to a question about the increasingly popular methodology, Mendes brushed aside the complex terminology with characteristic bluntness:
You guys and these crazy names.
Just say “drilling with reaction”.We use this training style since the days we were living in Brazil.
While Mendes’ response might appear dismissive at first glance, it reflects a broader critique of the ecological approach and its growing influence in grappling circles.
The ecological approach, often described as a constraints-led methodology, emphasizes discovery-based learning.
Instead of focusing on repetitive drilling, athletes are encouraged to explore techniques in dynamic, live scenarios that mimic real grappling situations.
However, many critics of the method view the dense terminology as unnecessarily complicated, detracting from the practical applications of training.
This sentiment was echoed by one community member who commented:
I love training eco, but I cannot listen to Greg (Souders – one of the leading experts on the subject) talk about it.
He comes off as if he’s throwing around random words he read in a research paper once to try and sound smart.
Sloth Jiu-Jitsu: you can be slow and unathletic and still kick butt in Jiu-Jitsu.
