For those that teach: How do you like to introduce new positions to (semi) experienced grapplers?

[fanboysareevil]

Generally speaking, I play a lot of butterfly/1LX/X complex, with some closed guard and berimbolo DLR stuff thrown in. At my academy, almost no one else plays any of those except closed.

I'm teaching a little more lately (when I'm not ill for the 19245th time) and I would like to cover these parts of my game as I go. The thing is, most of the students, even though most are blue belts, are pretty much unfamiliar with 1LX, only know what X guard looks like, and can maybe not even perform the fundamental butterfly sweep very well.

My original thoughts were to begin by making sure they all got down the basic butterfly sweep, as nothing else really matters in terms of inside hooks if you don't have that essential piece, but then I wondered if I would be better served by linking the positions to those they are already familiar with. I.E. how to transition for closed to butterfly guard, or an X/1LX entry from general collar and sleeve open guard

Thoughts on this? Do you guys find it more important to emphasize the core attacks in a system or the paths to get there? I would prefer to do the former myself, as I believe it's ultimately the more efficient route, but I worry that they will never try the stuff if they don't know how to get there in the first place.

 

[kpoz12]

Most of my adults are blues and purples.
With them, I tend to give lots of context and pathways and situations of how and when you may get to a certain position or technique, give them several options, and then let them decide what they personally like to do from there.

But, like I said, they are mostly all blues and above, so they already have a lot of their own style and game.

 

[RJ Green]

i appreciate a focus on context - strengths of the position, transitions in and out, common problems and solutions, etc.

people don't like to adapt a new game unless they can see how it compliments their existing game. shit seems too special-movey otherwise.

especially guards like x and dlr, not a whole lot of looks for those with the exception of certain gyms or focused drilling. usually people with DLR or SLX games have developed that on their own?

 

[SummerStriker]

I think core attacks against the position are the best introduction.

Like for butterfly guard, if someone leans forward, you can sprawl in them, injuring their rib, and then choke them. You also get the chin strap pass. If someone has hooks but no grips, you have another pass.

Once they know the attacks, they will listen to you when it comes to keeping the posture and how to initiate clinching and entering the guard.

So I think the best way is to show attacks against the guard, then the most basic moves, like the butterfly sweep and arm drag, and then finally how to enter from seated guard against someone kneeling, getting over under or some kind of grip before putting hooks in. (That's how I understand the guard. Tell me how I'm wrong if I am.) The they can do positional sparring where both people know what to do.

Once they get into positional sparring, they will develop their own questions on entries and exits, and also develop the context to understand what you are talking about when you show them the ones you know and like.

Edit: my belief with most martial arts is to make each bit of knowledge useful, where the student doesn't need faith to go on. They can see for themselves the truth about it.

Lesson 1: Sometimes you get a guy who is weak and stupid and they do this thing. This is how you beat them.

Lesson 2: Sometimes you are the guy in that bad spot. Here is how you conduct yourself if you trip and end up here, so that someone with that knowledge I gave you in lesson 1 doesn't hurt you.

Lesson 3: Sometimes when you are here, even against your will, the top guy is weak and stupid and allows you to do this.

Lesson 4: This is how both men should conduct themselves so that neither is vulnerable to lame tricks.

Lesson 5: From this bad position, against a good opponent, here is how you beat him.

Lesson 6: Here is how you defeat an opponent well versed in defense from this bad position.

Lesson 7: Critique on Play

Lesson 8: Strategy

 

[SummerStriker]

Eight Lessons on Side Mount

1 - Shoulder Lock Flow to Arm Bar
2 - Pummeling to Frame
3 - Regain Guard
4 - Maintaining Side Mount and Bottom Man Posture
5 - Escape to Knees
6 - Pummeling to Far Side Arm Bar or Rat Trap Americana
7 - Side Mount Positional Sparring with Different Starting Grips
8 - Passing to Side Mount or Escaping Side Mount during Transition to Mount

Edit: so the idea is that if someone has "some grappling knowledge" you can start farther up the list of lesson, depending on where they are.

Edit 2: Unfortunately, sometimes people with some grappling knowledge just don't know something fundamental to your ideas on the position and they might not learn it without being explicitly taught. If they are not naturally talented and have not had private lessons, you can't take for granted that they know the early lessons.

I've known guys who trained for multiple years, working on their blue belts, who couldn't hip escape, or didn't know how to pummel from side mount, or who are susceptible to the darce killer sweep because they habitually overhook constantly. Most guys can't pass my half guard because I know the darce killer sweep (honestly, most purple belts can only stop me because the kind of guy who gets his purple belt is strong enough to rip his arm out). They know all about half guard, but they missed that early lesson and don't know what to do.

It's not a knock. Grappling is hard and their is a lot to it. That's why I think the early lessons are so important. They take all the randomness and feeling that moves are just stunts out of the equation.

 

[Ivaylo Ivanov]

Start with gross movement exercises, narrow down to a drill, narrow again on variation, focus on certain variation, then demonstrate counters and how not to get countered. Drill the whole sequence. Do positional sparring, where one of the players have to execute the sequence and the other one defends.

 

[lechien]

I usually teach single x guard twice a year to the blue belts. Should like 4 times but I am not that consistent.

 

[fanboysareevil]

Ivanov, that brings up another point: I like to teach with the attack, defend, counter paradigm you're advocating (they already have most of the gross movements) for obvious reasons, and I'm a huge believer in the importance of positional sparring. However, many of the students there aren't used to positional sparring, and give me a "why don't we just roll?" look when I start messing with the timer. At some point I can tell them to shut up and drill, but I would really like for them to understand the value of what they're doing without having to just trust me.

 

[berimBOWLoh]

if you dont show ppl how to actually get there, showing them the position is pretty worthless.

you can show the best DHG, SLX sweeps ever known to man but if your students have no entries to either its a waste of time for everybody. They arent positions that come very often in the natural flow of grappling unless you are looking for them.

 

[Ivaylo Ivanov]

At some point I can tell them to shut up and drill, but I would really like for them to understand the value of what they're doing without having to just trust me.

This.
And a smack behind the neck
You can let them spar in the end of the training for 15 min, if they still have the energy for that. A good 45 min of hard drills and positional sparring should have drained them already, but if they really want to, let them spar for a few rounds and then do the cool down and stretch.