This was the tip of the week at www.grapplearts.com, but I thought I'd share it with the BJJ community on this forum as well:
DON'T BE AFRAID (OF MAKING YOUR STUDENTS BETTER THAN YOU)
Normally when I give BJJ advice I try to help you tap other people out, or at the very least make it more difficult for others to tap you out. This week's advice will result in you getting tapped out MORE often, not less, but you'll be a better grappler because of it.
Let me start with an example. Recently I taught a sparring partner a new choke to attack the half guard (see the 'Brabo' choke at www.grapplearts.com/Brabo-No-Gi-Choke.htm). This guy is perfectly suited for the Brabo choke - strong like gorilla, long arms like chimp, smart like orangutan. If he ever catches anyone in this choke I bet they'll be in a world of hurt.
I know for a fact that if he keeps on practicing this choke he WILL eventually catch me in it, despite the fact that he is only a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Will it suck to get caught in a choke I taught him myself? Certainly! The upside is that if he is always attacking me with the Brabo choke then my awareness of this submission, and counters to this submission, will improve tremendously. The bottom line is that I'd much prefer getting caught with this choke in class, sparring with a friend, than in a competition.
So give your students and sparring partners all the tools they need to kick your ass, counter all your techniques, pass your guard and shut down your game. This will force you to evolve as a grappler: you will develop new setups for your techniques, discover counters to their counters, and generally accelerate your game. Don't get caught in the ego trap: accept ahead of time that you are going to get tapped out as a result of helping others, and rest secure in the knowledge that it will only improve your own game.
I totally agree with this. In fact, this is one of my mottos. Teaching my students to beat me is one of the best ways for ME to get better. So in a way, you could actually say that I'm selfish by doing this ;)
Thanks for a great last year, Stephan, and have a happy new year!
I have never understood how people could be upset if their student beats them...it's only a testament to their skill as an instructor IMO.
I'm in no way an instructor but I had showed a fresher bluebelt than myself a bunch of leg lock/footlock attacks. Well the guy is always trying to leglock me but usually uses the standard straight achilles lock and I'm always getting out of it.
Then one day my foot passes in front of his face in the course of our sparring and boom he catches me with a the footlock(hand on top of the foot, other arm around leg grabbing your own wrist). It was perfect and I told him so...he then turned to me and said "You showed me all that stuff!"
I have to admit I felt a great deal of pride when he told me that.
If someone has short arms, is that choke more difficult to do? I seem to have problems with it, and have short arms...is there some sort of adjustments I should be making?
Yes this choke is much more difficult if you have short arms. You might be able to pull it off against smaller opponents (where it will be very tight and powerful) or you might be able to use the gi version (www.grapplearts.com/Brabo-Gi-Choke.htm)
ttt, definately agree with this one. That's why I teach jiu-jitsu, so I have people to push me harder. If you hold back technique you're only hurting yourself.
