Is it wrong to consistantly train your strengths during competition-based sparring?

[Snar]

Mike, nothing wrong with an aggressive top game, thats what omar teaches. You just need to find how to survive in the gaurd. In that senese you need to focus on a weakness, one that exists within your strength (which makes it a bit easier). So put on the gi and and jump into someones gaurd and just chill there letting them throw subs at you left right and center. In 4 weeks and you will be in good shape for KA tourney.

 

[TheMadOne]

I've learned this myself. I try to slow down and work on things that I'm not so good at. I already know I can get Kimuras and Americana's from side control, so now I work on other things. But it is hard to go 50% when a dude attacks you and trys to work you over. I usually go at the speed my partner goes at.

 

[Mr_Kimura]

You sound like a Catch Wrestler which is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm starting to train in Catch Wrestling and there is some guard work but it emphasises top position! You should look into it, it's pretty cool! I know some BJJ guys who i've grappled with said I didn't do what they expected and I held my own! It's a different mindset but if you want to grapple that way then it's up to you. If the person can't handle it then you are a better grappler but someone who is good in all areas will usually beat somebody who is very strong in a just a few!

 

[ShanghaiBJJ]

You raise an interesting question DaRuckus. I'm not really sure there is a right answer. I think it's important to take one or two areas and focus on them for months at a time -- the only real way to improve in my book. My current projects consist of butterfly guard and escapes. Open guard is my A game, and escapes are my F game. So I focus on both ends of the spectrum.

But I think there are lots of ways you can do it, and everybody learns differently. For me, I make the fastest progress when I work on my weakest areas. And I find that BJJ is really interconnected, so that working on butterfly guard has *hugely* helped me in takedowns and half guard, for example.

So I hear what you're saying, and I'm interested in how other people approach it. My own thought is that you want to work an A game and your weakest game at the same time.

BJJ is weird because of how skillsets work. Sometimes one guy will develop some super-powered game and start trouncing others left and right. Other times that guy who has been working the same mundane game for three years will start catching people with it, and then suddenly nobody can stop him from succeeding. His basic skill set has become an unstoppable skill set.

I find myself struggling with the same approach you have Zankou. Got my blue a year and a half ago, but haven't been training as religiously as before because of Uni. Thank god that is over soon.

So what happens in class is that I have trouble handling the physically stronger whitebelts that are close to blue when they go all out.

At which point I have to make a choice: Fight hard to look good, or stay with my approach of working specific areas and maybe give up a tap or 2.

I am a firm believer that you will turn into a much better jiu jitsu guy in the long run by consistently working on your weaknesses and adressing ALL parts of the jiu jitsu game.

The downside is that you will most likely suffer defeat in the mid-term to those people focused on their strength with competition type games.

But my faith is strong that at the end of the day, 5 years down the road, there will be nothing they can throw at you, while you can fire at them from all angles.

I'm in it for the long run, so it is much more important to mee how good I can get in 5 years, not 5 weeks.

 

[ijustwannasurf]

I should have made the thread question "Is it wrong to consistantly push for attaining top position, if it mean forfeiting conventional bottom-submission attempts?"

NO it is not wrong. Fundamentally, jiujitsu is about ascending position while maintaining control of your opponent to limit the damage he causes you, and ending the fight in a way that cripples his ability to hurt you, ie submissions.

I've never wrestled a day in my life, and I play the top game all day. You know who else does so?
Jacare.
But when he was getting clowned for not having a guard game, what does he do? Hits Abu Dhabi and submits Marcelo Garcia. From the bottom.

Playing on your strengths never hurts, but plugging leaks in your game is always a good idea. However, as stated in the thread title- If you are about to compete, drill your game plan to no end, which in your case seems to be takedown, pass, break arm. Do the damn thing.

 

[Devil Johnny]

It's a different kind of training. Positioning is your forte? Why are you working on your forte? Do you really need to work so much on your double legs? Aren't they already pretty good?

People go soft in BJJ to work on technique. Guys who fight hard and try to win each time usually end up .... limited.

You sound like a guy who does have ego issues, in the sense that you can't force yourself to work on your weaknesses. A wrestler who hits double legs, tries to make every match a physical contest, and scrambles away from guard? Haven't seen that before. Sounds less like "pushing the action" and more like "clinging to my strengths."

I've got ego issues myself I'm trying to overcome right now, as I want to work on my escapes, which are weak. But it takes a determined act of will to let a blue or white belt take side control, mount, or back control on you, when it's so easy to prevent if you try. I know I'll never improve my escapes unless I put myself in that position tho. Gotta suck it up. If I just go all-out with my A game, I'm never going to get a chance to develop a strong escapes game.

It's not wrong to be forceful as long as you are doing it to improve your technique. And you want to go hard fairly frequently. But most people are forceful because they are bringing their A game and trying to "win." The other guy usually reacts with his A game. And neither gets to branch out.

/thread.

I learned from this response as well, when I spar in my Muay thai class I rally on my aggressiveness and strength, i hate when I spar counter strikers because its hard to be aggressive without getting tagged every 5 seconds. i should slowdown and work on technique

 

[Gsoares2***]

Simple Answer: Respect how some people want to train. Some guys are injured, old, retarded.. and just dont want to train at the level you do.

Find guys in the gym that are more competition oriented, or find another gym. Those are the guys you can train full on with.. Go as hard as you want, as much as you want.. just take it easy near the end of the submission to lower the chance of injury, so you can keep training.

 

[UrbanSavage**]

You're not wrestling anymore, so don't wrestle while you're supposed to be training BJJ. What you're really asking is, "Is it ok for me to consistently use my athleticism and superior wrestling to avoid learning more BJJ and never actually evolve my game?". The answer is basically, you're going to do what you want but as people have stated, it's going to be hard to get better doing what you're doing.

Through your past posts and sigs, though, I can see you still think of yourself as a wrestler who respects wrestling more than BJJ and you want to do your own thing, so keep doing it but don't get mad when guys start tapping you that you used to throw all over the place and smash into the ground.

 

[Q mystic]

After a big tourny you should randori a more technical game using newer more creative techs than you had and try to fit them in with your usual strength game. As your next comp gets closer, use them in heavier randori at speed to see how they work, with others doing the same.

 

[Darkslide632]

I think anyone who does anything BUT build their game around their strengths is silly. When you're training for a tournament, work on your game, which is going to be the stuff you're the best at. When you're not training for a tournament, work on the stuff you're weak at.

 

[James.Jitsu**]

War Lapalme

 

[Jinzumkei]

sounds to me like your trying to wrestle in a jiujitsu class.

Wrestling is great.. but doesnt that kind of defeat the purpose?

when your on the bottom, play the guard.. learn to use it..

Dont just use the position to stand up and get back to wrestling.

agreed, if you're going to BJJ then do BJJ. If you want to improve that is.