Most grapplers treat the short break between rounds as nothing more than recovery time.
But according to John Danaher, that small window might actually be one of the most valuable learning opportunities in an entire training session.
He recommends a quick mental review of the previous round…
Instead of immediately moving on, students should actively analyze what just happened.
Start with a quick mental debriefing of the previous round. What worked? What failed? Why?
What can you differently this next round that will make failure less likely?What different challenges does the next partner present? How will you adapt to overcome those challenges?
Danaher also encourages setting intentions before engagement:
What skills do you want to emphasize? What have you learned from previous failures that you hope to improve upon now?
What changes will you make to achieve this improvement?
For him, progress in jiu-jitsu is tied directly to awareness:
How much you get from each round will always be dependent on how much attention and focus you bring into the round – and that starts with your mindset.
Don’t just walk around with a blank stare – the next round starts in your mind before you even make contact with your training partner.
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