In the endless pursuit of progress on the mats, many grapplers fall into the same trap — believing that the fastest way forward is to constantly learn new techniques.
Yet according to John Danaher, real improvement often comes not from expanding your arsenal, but from sharpening what you already know.
In a recent social media post, Danaher broke down a principle that applies to every level of training – when time is limited, focus on refinement, not reinvention:
Be aware that if you have only a short amount of time in which to make progress, it’s often wise to focus on refining moves you already employ and use well, rather than try to learn an entirely new move or set of moves.
Starting something new requires building from the ground up — a process that’s slow, mentally demanding, and often frustrating.
On the other hand, taking a familiar move and improving its timing, setup, or connection to another technique can yield almost the same level of progress at a fraction of the effort:
You’d be amazed by how much you can add to one of your favorite moves, just by adding a new set up, or combining it with another move in a new combination.
Danaher’s advice serves as a reminder that true mastery isn’t about constantly seeking novelty — it’s about extracting more power from the familiar:
If you’re looking for maximum “bang for the buck” in upgrading your game.
Start by refining or adding to what you already have
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