Open mat

[georgwilhelm**]

how do you get most out of it?

obviously rolling is the most fun part of bjj. but how can you maximize the training effect of an open mat session?

 

[Dogstarman]

against higher ranked guys you need to just try and survive. Against lower ranked guys you need to work on technique and positions. Against guys your rank then just train your game.

 

[Gia]

I get alot out of rolling with a higher belt and noticing something during the roll that I want to know more about then asking about it afterwards.

Most of the guys at our gym are more than happy to show it afterwards then let you drill it a couple of times. More often than not they'll show a few variations as well.

 

[Phreaxer]

I get alot out of rolling with a higher belt and noticing something during the roll that I want to know more about then asking about it afterwards.

Most of the guys at our gym are more than happy to show it afterwards then let you drill it a couple of times. More often than not they'll show a few variations as well.

This. When I'm feeling good and 'smart' I can get into places with higher level belts where I can ID what sub would be a good idea before getting swept or sub'd myself... I tend to ask a lot of questions while/after rolling with higher levels and I've never had anyone get upset or annoyed with it.

 

[Balto]

If you want the real answer, the answer is don't spend open mat rolling.

Yeah it's fun, but if your regular class is already 50% rolling, you don't really need more of that. You need time to drill and practice your core moves seriously.

If you can find someone who is willing to just shut up and drill with you for 30-60 minutes straight, that is gold.

 

[flowroller]

1) Find a partner
2) Drill, drill & drill
3) Positional sparring (but don't go too hard) just try to ingrain the sub/escape/pass/transition you drilled into muscle memory when faced with resistance

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

Best way to maximize your time is a good training partner and a plan for what you want to drill. Pick something you need to work on, and maybe a technique you learned recently, and get tons of repetitions.

 

[karma2burn]

If you want the real answer, the answer is don't spend open mat rolling.

Yeah it's fun, but if your regular class is already 50% rolling, you don't really need more of that. You need time to drill and practice your core moves seriously.

If you can find someone who is willing to just shut up and drill with you for 30-60 minutes straight, that is gold.

I'm just a 4 stripe white but I've been going to open mat a lot in the past two months and I think it's helping my game immensely.

Usually I'll pair up with one of the higher belts initially and they'll give me some tips on positions I am working on. Then I will try to find someone a little closer to my skill level and then work those positions. The good thing is that there have been people looking to work exactly the opposite of what I need to work on, ie I have been working on breaking posture in closed guard and then working on my open guard when it's broken. Couple guys just want to work on guard passing so it's worked out well.

To me the biggest benefit of open mat is that there is no class structure so you can take your time and really break things down in fine detail. I've found those details make a lot of difference in whether a technique is working or not.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

Besides doing lots of sparring, I like to bounce ideas around with other people and do a lot of positional sparring.

I also try to pick my instructor's brain a little or ask him questions I've had that given week.

 

[mixmaster staph]

Roll with an intent. I know people seem to think drilling is the ultimate training tool, but I disagree with that entirely. If you're an intelligent person and you understand what you want your game to be, just roll. I think that the way I approach open mats is the primary reason I got my purple belt in 2 years.

 

[Calibur]

Lol. Man drilling is so rare.

Anyhow, these days I've been doing a bunch of flow rolling. When I flow roll I keep a couple of guards in my head and try to explore every transition from there.

I get more from that than I do from "learning" new techniques.

 

[Balto]

Lol. Man drilling is so rare.

Anyhow, these days I've been doing a bunch of flow rolling. When I flow roll I keep a couple of guards in my head and try to explore every transition from there.

I get more from that than I do from "learning" new techniques.

I think some of the rarity comes from the fact that you can't really drill a new move. You can practice it, but you can't actually drill it at a good pace until you are at least somewhat decent with it.

For me, the order is not learn it, drill it, hit it in rolling. It's either learn it, hit in rolling, drill it or hit it in rolling, learn it, drill it. But the drilling is last because I don't want to spend time ingraining something that I can't use effectively in rolling or that I'm missing a ton of details on and will probably change up big time in a few months.

 

[Calibur]

I think you can do Uchikomi type drills with subs and sweeps you just learned. A big problem I have is to set up a particular counter drill I have to rely on my opponent making an appropriate response. Getting to the next level of performing drilling is tough because your partner needs to not only be at a similar level, bust has to understand the basic counters of your game. If not you just spend drill time teaching your partner to do a move you're trying to beat.

 

[bjjaz]

Focused drilling and positional sparring.

 

[Ice 9 Cobra]

I think it's important to just roll and have fun, you don't always need to be laser focused on maximizing your training time. Hobbies should be fun first

 

[Balto]

I think it's important to just roll and have fun, you don't always need to be laser focused on maximizing your training time. Hobbies should be fun first

I happen to think getting better is fun though so maximizing my training time and having fun go hand in hand.

 

[Ice 9 Cobra]

Lol, you have a different perspective than me then. I love rolling but hate drilling. Same thing with every other sports I've played, loved playing hated drilling. Doesn't mean you don't drill, just don't forget to have fun

 

[KGB256]

For open mats, I roll with specific objectives in mind. Moves that I want to work, goals for survival & escape against higher belts, etc. If I'm getting to work with lower belts, I'll limit what submissions I allow myself to use or I'll target a specific limb to attack.

The culture of open mat being rolling-oriented is just too ingrained. I could do situational drills with someone if I had willing consistent partners, but there's a group of us that get together on our own for that another day of the week.

 

[Balto]

I think you can do Uchikomi type drills with subs and sweeps you just learned. A big problem I have is to set up a particular counter drill I have to rely on my opponent making an appropriate response. Getting to the next level of performing drilling is tough because your partner needs to not only be at a similar level, bust has to understand the basic counters of your game. If not you just spend drill time teaching your partner to do a move you're trying to beat.

The issue I have with spending a lot of time drilling something new is that almost everything new kind of sucks until you've been doing it for a while. I don't really believe that it is possible to learn something the right way immediately. It takes a lot of trial and error, tweaking little things here and there, experimenting with different details, etc.

I use drilling to make things relatively permanent and burn them in. It takes things that I am already kind of good at and brings them into the realm of things that I absolutely own. So I want to wait until I mostly have the kinks worked out and it is somewhat proven before I burn it in.

Obviously even the burned in stuff will have to change eventually, but the change slows down a lot after period of a few months of using it successfully. I think it's like a logarithmic curve.

I think of drilling as hitting the same move over and over again, with no changes (and no talking really), continuously for like 30-60 minutes back and forth. If I'm doing it one way for a few reps, making a tweak, trying it that way for a few reps, asking my partner for feedback on which one was better, I consider that to be the learning phase rather than the drilling phase.

 

[Balto]

Lol, you have a different perspective than me then. I love rolling but hate drilling. Same thing with every other sports I've played, loved playing hated drilling. Doesn't mean you don't drill, just don't forget to have fun

Yeah I think having fun is very important. I mean really if you don't want to be there, why are you there? Life is too short for that.

Drilling can be boring sometimes, but I think when you keep focused on the long term and realize that you are making yourself better, that helps keep it fun.