Some guys I train with are constantly trying to work on whatever the hottest new move on YouTube is instead of keeping their fundamentals sharp. I have noticed the regression in their training and competitions they do. Have any of you seen something similar like this? For example, one of my training partners who isn't flexible enough consistently plays rubber guard very poorly. I think YouTube can be a powerful tool when used correctly.
I think just adding techs from YouTube anx always looking for "new stuff" can screw people up
But on the flipside, the 2 biggest jumps I made in my bjj training were from when I was mginaction for a year and than again from joining mendesbrothers online
My ability to sweep and fight for top position went way up from watching and drilling the butterfly sweep stuff on mginaction. I also do a lot of wrestling so it kind of went hand in hand.
The downside is I get caught in submissions a lot more while scrambling. Which is fine, the get to the top or die trying fits my personality better than a defensive style.
So, I feel I got better at something's, worse at others 
Videos are a tool. Sometimes they can be a helpful supplement to mat time. Sometimes not. Depends on the video in question and the person watching. Some info cannot be communicated via video - e.g., the feel of weight, pressure, balance, etc. That info is absolutely critical in BJJ and why you cannot rely solely on videos for instruction IMO.
BTW, I can help but feel that this thread was an invitation to me to post my latest meme. Yay!
This actually touches on an interesting point about online training. So much of jiujitsu is about the transitions, entrances, and if/thens, that are only really picked up by rolling.
It really points out the fallacy of the 37 techniques or 119 skills mindset or whatever I hear bandied about lately and how that leads to the RexKwonDo situation of "grab my wrist, no my other wrist. It didn't work because you grabbed me wrong." Whereas all the nuances picked up by rolling rather than rote memorization are what make jiujitsu what it is.
More on point with the instructional I think is that I've seen some people do excellently with instructionals (be they DVD or youTube). Those individuals have the judgement to fit the pieces into their game and pick and choose from quality material. At the other end of the spectrum, I've seen middle aged purple belts come in and decide to refocus their game around Donkey Guard and end up mystified that it isn't working well for them after seeing clips of Jeff Glover (I kid you not).
I won't even get into whites and blues watching Submission 101 and trying to bring that material into their game.
I am all for online training supplementing your regular training, I think the quality sites like mg, mb and others add a lot, just grabbing random techniques isn't going to help Mick IMO
Eddie has a good one for his 10th guys also
EvilGumby - This actually touches on an interesting point about online training. So much of jiujitsu is about the transitions, entrances, and if/thens, that are only really picked up by rolling.
It really points out the fallacy of the 37 techniques or 119 skills mindset or whatever I hear bandied about lately and how that leads to the RexKwonDo situation of "grab my wrist, no my other wrist. It didn't work because you grabbed me wrong." Whereas all the nuances picked up by rolling rather than rote memorization are what make jiujitsu what it is.
More on point with the instructional I think is that I've seen some people do excellently with instructionals (be they DVD or youTube). Those individuals have the judgement to fit the pieces into their game and pick and choose from quality material. At the other end of the spectrum, I've seen middle aged purple belts come in and decide to refocus their game around Donkey Guard and end up mystified that it isn't working well for them after seeing clips of Jeff Glover (I kid you not).
I won't even get into whites and blues watching Submission 101 and trying to bring that material into their game.
When I was a white I tapped a black belt with a rolling toe hold after watching submissions 101. I went strictly to online training after that. Nine years later and I have just about promoted myself to black.
OSS
Dumb copycats.
Yay!
I don't use youtube tutorials any more i watch fights and take shit from there (currently i'm using the kimura as a positional tool like a shitty version of saku). I think watching a fuck tonne of videos or trying to learn a new style purely by youtube is a poor idea but if you see something and go hmm that's interesting i say go nuts
dunc -Did you used to be known on here as Jordan Tabor???EvilGumby - This actually touches on an interesting point about online training. So much of jiujitsu is about the transitions, entrances, and if/thens, that are only really picked up by rolling.
It really points out the fallacy of the 37 techniques or 119 skills mindset or whatever I hear bandied about lately and how that leads to the RexKwonDo situation of "grab my wrist, no my other wrist. It didn't work because you grabbed me wrong." Whereas all the nuances picked up by rolling rather than rote memorization are what make jiujitsu what it is.
More on point with the instructional I think is that I've seen some people do excellently with instructionals (be they DVD or youTube). Those individuals have the judgement to fit the pieces into their game and pick and choose from quality material. At the other end of the spectrum, I've seen middle aged purple belts come in and decide to refocus their game around Donkey Guard and end up mystified that it isn't working well for them after seeing clips of Jeff Glover (I kid you not).
I won't even get into whites and blues watching Submission 101 and trying to bring that material into their game.
When I was a white I tapped a black belt with a rolling toe hold after watching submissions 101. I went strictly to online training after that. Nine years later and I have just about promoted myself to black.
OSS
The hottest new move on YouTube is usually what the good looking brown belt from my gym invented. He just keeps coming up with these crazy moves from insane angles with mad setups. It'll drive you nuts rolling with him. 
Beezer -dunc -Did you used to be known on here as Jordan Tabor???EvilGumby - This actually touches on an interesting point about online training. So much of jiujitsu is about the transitions, entrances, and if/thens, that are only really picked up by rolling.
It really points out the fallacy of the 37 techniques or 119 skills mindset or whatever I hear bandied about lately and how that leads to the RexKwonDo situation of "grab my wrist, no my other wrist. It didn't work because you grabbed me wrong." Whereas all the nuances picked up by rolling rather than rote memorization are what make jiujitsu what it is.
More on point with the instructional I think is that I've seen some people do excellently with instructionals (be they DVD or youTube). Those individuals have the judgement to fit the pieces into their game and pick and choose from quality material. At the other end of the spectrum, I've seen middle aged purple belts come in and decide to refocus their game around Donkey Guard and end up mystified that it isn't working well for them after seeing clips of Jeff Glover (I kid you not).
I won't even get into whites and blues watching Submission 101 and trying to bring that material into their game.
When I was a white I tapped a black belt with a rolling toe hold after watching submissions 101. I went strictly to online training after that. Nine years later and I have just about promoted myself to black.
OSS
Absolutely not but we share many of the same philosophies. Jordan Tabor is LEGIT!
The People's Knee -
BTW, I can help but feel that this thread was an invitation to me to post my latest meme. Yay!
Uh oh..... A certain someone is overdosing on cute pills again. Yay!
ChipW - My ability to sweep and fight for top position went way up from watching and drilling the butterfly sweep stuff on mginaction. I also do a lot of wrestling so it kind of went hand in hand.
The downside is I get caught in submissions a lot more while scrambling. Which is fine, the get to the top or die trying fits my personality better than a defensive style.
So, I feel I got better at something's, worse at others
This doesn't sound like anything that I am seeing. I see people trying to fit square pegs in round holes essential. They are playing games based on the hottest new technique as opposed to what works for them. Yay!
EvilGumby - This actually touches on an interesting point about online training. So much of jiujitsu is about the transitions, entrances, and if/thens, that are only really picked up by rolling.
It really points out the fallacy of the 37 techniques or 119 skills mindset or whatever I hear bandied about lately and how that leads to the RexKwonDo situation of "grab my wrist, no my other wrist. It didn't work because you grabbed me wrong." Whereas all the nuances picked up by rolling rather than rote memorization are what make jiujitsu what it is.
More on point with the instructional I think is that I've seen some people do excellently with instructionals (be they DVD or youTube). Those individuals have the judgement to fit the pieces into their game and pick and choose from quality material. At the other end of the spectrum, I've seen middle aged purple belts come in and decide to refocus their game around Donkey Guard and end up mystified that it isn't working well for them after seeing clips of Jeff Glover (I kid you not).
I won't even get into whites and blues watching Submission 101 and trying to bring that material into their game.
I've seen middle aged purple belts come in and decide to refocus their game around Donkey Guard and end up mystified that it isn't working well for them after seeing clips of Jeff Glover (I kid you not).
lolololololol pretty much this.... yay!
This is like the black belt discussion. Worry less about other people's progress and more about your own. My guess is that they are frustrating you by "learning" new techniques. At the end of the day, if youtube isn't working for them they will stop relying on it.
And it isn't just youtube. I've rolled with students (blues and purples mostly) from other schools who focus on the sport / competition of jiu jitsu and I think a lot of their fundamentals are weak. But that's because the ruleset doesn't always favor rational decisions (for jiu jitsu as a whole). Explosiveness and athleticism is favored over calmness and posture. By the time they all get to black belt the competence level shouldn't be a problem. We all get there our own way.
JosephConnolly - This is like the black belt discussion. Worry less about other people's progress and more about your own. My guess is that they are frustrating you by "learning" new techniques. At the end of the day, if youtube isn't working for them they will stop relying on it.
And it isn't just youtube. I've rolled with students (blues and purples mostly) from other schools who focus on the sport / competition of jiu jitsu and I think a lot of their fundamentals are weak. But that's because the ruleset doesn't always favor rational decisions (for jiu jitsu as a whole). Explosiveness and athleticism is favored over calmness and posture. By the time they all get to black belt the competence level shouldn't be a problem. We all get there our own way.
What if you teach classes these people are in and coach them at tournaments? Should I not try and correct behaviour that is clearly making them worse? Just worrying about myself seems a little selfish in that case or at the very least that I am not meeting my job responsibilities.
"Selfish"? Do you think they don't know what is working or not working for them? You can try to help, but if they don't want to listen you shouldn't bang your head against the wall about it.
Also i'm not a believer in a one size fits all per gym. If I tried playing the game I was taught, I probably wouldn't be as good as I am and I definitely would have quit a long time ago. I've been lucky to have the instructors I've had.
If they are competing and losing, that's on them. You can explain over and over again, but you can't force them to listen or change. I've seen higher belts teaching lower belts the fanciest techniques, and then when I roll with the lower belts they have no idea. So, the ideas don't just come from youtube. I tell them to focus on escaping using the basics and they're busy trying to take the back from half-guard using a 12 step escape. Yeah it's frustrating oh well.
I agree most people ignore the fundamentals. But you have to wonder why you have all of these students going astray.
JosephConnolly - "Selfish"? Do you think they don't know what is working or not working for them? You can try to help, but if they don't want to listen you shouldn't bang your head against the wall about it.
Also i'm not a believer in a one size fits all per gym. If I tried playing the game I was taught, I probably wouldn't be as good as I am and I definitely would have quit a long time ago. I've been lucky to have the instructors I've had.
If they are competing and losing, that's on them. You can explain over and over again, but you can't force them to listen or change. I've seen higher belts teaching lower belts the fanciest techniques, and then when I roll with the lower belts they have no idea. So, the ideas don't just come from youtube. I tell them to focus on escaping using the basics and they're busy trying to take the back from half-guard using a 12 step escape. Yeah it's frustrating oh well.
I agree most people ignore the fundamentals. But you have to wonder why you have all of these students going astray.
"Selfish"? Do you think they don't know what is working or not working for them? You can try to help, but if they don't want to listen you shouldn't bang your head against the wall about it.
Yes worrying about only my journey and having an instructor role is the definition of selfish. Yes, sometimes I think they are generally confused as why people who focus on basics and fundamentals instead of the newest trend in BJJ are rocketing past them. I think there is a difference between banging my head in to the wall and giving up.
Also i'm not a believer in a one size fits all per gym. If I tried playing the game I was taught, I probably wouldn't be as good as I am and I definitely would have quit a long time ago. I've been lucky to have the instructors I've had.
I am not advocating for a one size fits all gym, that being said many basics/fundamentals are pretty univeral and generally should be a part of most BJJ practionsers aresenals. Nobody is restricting growth or experimantion.
If they are competing and losing, that's on them. You can explain over and over again, but you can't force them to listen or change. I've seen higher belts teaching lower belts the fanciest techniques, and then when I roll with the lower belts they have no idea. So, the ideas don't just come from youtube. I tell them to focus on escaping using the basics and they're busy trying to take the back from half-guard using a 12 step escape. Yeah it's frustrating oh well.
I feel like it is on us and will continue to try and help them be sucessful no matter what. If they don't ever listen or change than so be it, I will have tried. We focus on simple basic BJJ centered on fundamentals and being efficient/effective.
I agree most people ignore the fundamentals. But you have to wonder why you have all of these students going astray.
It isn't an epidemic at the academy and I suspect the ones that do go astray are doing so because they find the hot new trends sexier than the basics/fundamentals.