Curious to hear some ideas on game planning for BJJ. A lot of people
swear this is the way to go while others adhere to more of a 'take it as it
comes' philosophy. Obviously all game plans don't work perfectly, but i
see guy slike Ryan Hall and Eddie Bravo having a ton of success with game
planning.
Very good idea.
I think they're a good idea, but hard to implement.
Like, if you see a (not complete) beginner who has just 1 guard pass down to a reasonable extent, I think they're more likely to pull it off than the 'intermediate' who has 6-7 'sort of' options from the same position. So once you 'know' (as in, haven't mastered) a lot of moves, I think it's hard to filter them down in your mind.
Maybe that comes down to how you go about it - I haven't really given them much of a go because I look at them as a mountain that is too high to climb, lol.
such a good idea, its not even debatable imo...
I think its a good idea as it helps narrow things in the 'vast ocean' of BJJ.
If you've got some good people to help you out with what works best for your body type and attitude and work on a couple of passes, couple of escapes, master specific submissions, etc... I think you'll progress through the early stages of BJJ (white to high blue level) a lot quicker than someone trying to do every random move they see.
Are you talking about just for competitions? I think it is the only way to go especially for beginners.
Made a big difference in my game. I used to just go with the flow, that
tends to put you in all kinds of crazy positons.
Game plans are key.
i try to break my gameplans in 2...Offensive..and defensive/counters.....in tournaments...i try to break my gameplans down to suit my opponents body type
If you want to be successful, you HAVE to have a gameplan. You also have to be able to adapt during the match in the event your A game doesn't work.
I have my whole game mapped out on a mindmap file and it is really good if you want to have a technical Jiu Jitsu which isn´t so much depending on attributes.
Take care
Björn
I think that a gameplan is very usefull too. but a specific game plan. For example:
you have to master two guard pass. But in my opinion two totaly different guard pass. If one doesnt work, you can use the other.
Later, you are in your partner open guard. You have to master two guard pass. Again two different. If one doesnt work, you have the other.
You are in his half guard. Here you have to master more things. Not only two half pass guard, but black belt details: how to press the partner neck, always fight for the underhook, balance, where you have to put your weight, etc etc. And from here, depending you are overhooked or underhooked, you can break down the game plan.
I think that it can help you from you are a white belt until you are a black belt. Even black belts have positions that they are not very confortable, so its the ideal moment to build a game plan for weakness positions.
One time one bb teacher said to me that for learning techniques very good, you have to train them a minimum of one month until you want to train another one. Only one position each month (or even two months). Once your partners know that you always use the same technique, you can change to another one. This way you force yourself to build a strong base.
anyone got a specific plan that works well and isn't top secret :) !??
good idea
On a certain level, all top level players have a gameplan.
No black belt is equally good at all positions or at all submissions. He or she will always have moves that they prefer, because they work better for that individual's strengths and weaknesses. Each of us has a different personality, body type, and experience, so each of us will develop different skills.
Yes, we all need to work on our weak areas. But as Roy Harris often points out, "you will ALWAYS have weak areas!" You will not master every escape to every position, or every counter to every submission. You will have techniques that work more effectively for you, and it is important that you develop those techniques that work well for you!
In football, some teams are running teams, while others are passing teams. It is better for a team to discover its strengths and to focus on using them effectively, rather than trying to be good at everything. In order to excel, athletes or teams MUST discover their strengths and then refine them to a very high degree!
After a student has developed a strong foundation by developing the basic movements and techniques of BJJ, training with a gameplan is one of the best training methods one can use to begin "strengthening his/her strengths".
~Chris
ttt
I'm just starting to figure this out, but here's what I am discovering:
First, start taking notes after class or the next day. Writing down techniques helps you remember what you learned; as you write them down you'll come across gaps in your ability to visualize the move, and those are the areas to work on next drilling session. Also, after a few months you won't be able to re-create a move you once knew, without the notes. Eddie Bravo's book Mastering Rubber Guard is a good example of organization.
Second, organize your moves into little "tool kits." A tool kit of attacks from guard for example. (Triange, arm bar, kimura, guillotine, arm triangle choke, collar choke.) A tool kit of breakdown techniques.
Next, start writing down combining attacks - how to turn a failed arm bar into a triangle, for example.
Write down counters and recounters. He uses the Gracie Gift pass, you start a triangle, he stacks, you ....
Write down transitions from one position to another, from one attack to another, from one defense to another.
Recognize areas where you don't have enough options and learn moves to cover the weak spots. Recognize where you might have too many options and are getting moves mixed up and simplify things, or drill more so you don't mix them up.
NOW you actually have enough raw materials for a "game plan."
I. Come up with a strategy for each aspect of a tournament match. For example, maybe you like to shoot for a double without tying up. You need to figure when you will go for the double - right away or after some initial back and forth - and from what distance. You need to map out what happens if you succed (how you are going to pass if you end up in his guard) and what happens if you fail (you are sprawled on and need to get out). That's OFFENSE. You also need a strategy if the other person shoots first and gets a double, or if they get a single, or if they try a judo throw, or if you are tied up....
II. You suddenly realize that there are so many permutations at each step, that until you have the ability to impose YOUR game on your opponent, you need a bunch of little "tool kits" for each situation more than a "game plan." Game plans work best if you have more control of the situation than your opponent and can keep taking your opponent BACK to YOUR game. If a match is more even, or you are the underdog, you actually need a LOT more options than if your game plan is simple.
For example, a classmate who had been an athletic wrestler realized that he was much better, at that stage, at takedowns than on the ground, so he initially worked on getting a takedown, and was willing to disengage and stand back up when opportunities presented themselves.
Late he added a good arm bar submission to his arsenal, and built on his take down/control the top position skills to have good submissions.
As he ran into better opponents, he wasn't always on top, but he still had better body awareness and ability to move, and could get guard - and used his athleticism to thrown on classically simple arm bars and triangles. Because he was quick, aggressive, and relentless, his opponents generally didn't have time to get good grips or good posture. He used his edge - his superior gas and burst strength - to impose his game.
But since he was a beginner, if he got taken out of his game, he didn't initially have a "tool kit" for each adverse situation and couldn't "defend" nearly as well as he could work his game.
I think most of us are "tool kit'ers." We are collecting bjj moves for each situation. We'd like to have a simple game (takedown, position, submission) based on simple, tried and true moves, but we don't have enough of an edge, in terms of strength, explosiveness, or gas, to impose our will on our opponents (with rare exceptions - the very athletic and former wrestlers/judoka who adapt well to bjj).
Thus begins the search for "secret" moves - moves most opponents haven't seen - in hopes we can impose our game because the edge we lack in terms of strength etc. is made up for by being "trickier" - for example, Ryan Hall's inverted guard/triangle combo, Eddie Bravo's Rubber Guard/Twister. Sometimes this can carry the practitioner a long way, since it takes a while for the general public to catch up, and by the time they do, the trickster's skill level is so high that even if you see it coming, it's still very hard to stop.
To summarize, I think a game plan can let a relative beginner excel by concentrating on simple strategies with "signature" moves, but in the long run it's better bjj to have a toolkit with a lot of options for each "situation." BUT you'll never develop a good toolkit unless you take time to learn the move well, understand the underlying principle of the move (the key point that makes it work), how to counter it (so you can avoid the counter), then write the move down in notes, visualize it as you write it down and at other times, practice it "dry run" without a partner, drill it a lot, take it into sparring sessions and, finally, use it at tourneys.
Can't imagine training w/o it.
manfromyard, everyone in my Gym devises a general Gameplan as a starting Point. It's akin to a QB devising the Plan/Routes in the Huddle. Then when everyone lines up, he reads the Line and adjusts by making Calls.
As you said, it may just be Semantics.
BTW, I asked before, not sure if you answered or not, but are you in Jamaica or Jamaican?
Want to see someone using a gameplan and being succesful, watch Jacare. He comes out against Marcello Garcia, jumps closed guard. This takes away Garcia's arm drag to the back and allows Jacare to use his height and size advantage to look for the tap. Against Roger, he keeps the match on the feet until he gets the chance to get a takedown with position, makes sure he doesn't get caught un Roger's closed guard. He knows its never a good idea to stay on the mat with Roger for too long. There is no way he decided to do these things on the fly, he assesed his skills in certain areas against his opponents strengths and decided where he could most likely win from.