Specialist or Well Rounded approach to BJJ (Good or Bad?)

[Shooto Panama]

first of all, I´ve been always a true believer that basic jiu-jitsu is the core of all practitioner but also I noticed that particular schools or groups approach Jiu Jitsu in a different way to develop their own style and wonder if this approach is good or not for students in general.

Like for example, AOJ students follow a lot of the Mendes bros´approach to Jiu-Jitsu (double under pass, berimbolos, de la riva,etc) and last night watching EBI 6 when Matheus Diniz was fighting, at several points through the match the commentators mentioned how his game reflect MG school style of jiu-jitsu (sitting or butterfly guard, low side mount, guillotines chokes, etc). Same goes with Gordon Ryan, Tonon and Cummings who are all leglockers mostly and train together under Danaher.

Now, don´t get me wrong. I know most of these people training at those places know all the basics but eventually they all switch into their own schools or group styles so I wonder how good it could be for students or people running groups or small schools to imitate this approach where you focus on few things rather than try to embrace it all.

Thoughts?

 

[SummerStriker]

I think specialization is a luxury for big schools that have an influx of experts from other places and a thriving white - blue competition circuit.

If Kim's Karate / Monday & Wednesday BJJ team spent too much time on one thing, it would just create a hole in their game.

Smaller schools need a broad view, and individuals have to use open mat time and private lessons to nail down their own styles.

 

[yetanother]

AOJ teaches a well rounded game.

 

[Shot]

I'll sunmerize something John Danaher said one day after class.

Everyone is a specialist to a point. There simply isn't enough time in a day to become ruthlessly efficient with every technique in jiu jitsu, so you sharpen a few specialized techniques and add them to your repertoire.

Every top level competitor has maybe a dozen or so moves that are almost like signatures. Rogers mount, cross choke, ect. Marcelo's butterfly guard, guillotine, ect.

Obviously you need to know how to do fundamental jiu jitsu, but when you're talking about developing really high level techniques that you can use on really high level competitors, it gets tricky.

 

[Machote]

You need to have the all rounded basic game but at some point you will have to specialize at something. You cant be an expert in every aspect of the game, its impossible. Every legit school will teach the basic closed guard sweep, DLR sweeps, x-guard sweeps, torreando , knee slide etc. You need to know them to be able to defend them, even if you are not going to use them yourself.

 

[CYKO]

I think JJM said that the more he learns, the less he uses. That's probably what's happening. People learn a bunch, then narrow down to the ones that work for them. I think that's partially what the lower belt levels are for, to experiment and "find" your game and then start tightening up the details as you move up.

The thing about the school style issue that I suppose it's possible that the school's style holds a person back. For example, can every body-type, mentality, whatever do MG's game? or Mendes game? or Roger's game? And let's say you spend 5 years doing a game that maybe isn't optimal for you.... then find a new game and need to change over. I guess that could happen, but I wouldn't think it's common.

 

[Forceof1]

I fully accept being a jack of all trades and a master of none in BJJ. It makes training fun for me and keeps it fresh. I'll spend a month on deep half guard, then see a cool RDLR sweep and do that for a month. I have a few favorite techniques I use a lot, but purposefully try to vary my game.

As a purple belt, I have fairly solid fundamentals - but variety is the spice of life for me. It is not ideal for competition, but with wife, kids, house, job- BJJ competition doesn't climb up high enough on the priority meter for me to worry about it.

 

[Shooto Panama]

From white to blue, I remember training time was sponge time. I was absorbing pretty much everything thrown my way but from purple and up I started to focus more on techniques I liked the most but always trying to keep an open mind about new stuff.

 

[jack36767]

I believe in a balance. Obviously if you're competing you need to specialize more and more dof the hif her the level of competition. But 95% of people aren't at that level.

I think everyone needs a set of go to things for each position. Where no matter what your partner/opponent does you have an answer even if you don't always get it. But you should also work on new things and put yourself in uncomfortable positions and get outside your comfort zone

 

[Uchi Mata]

You need a game plan for competition. To beat good guys, you need to be able to force the match into channels where you're better. But all the top guys have great fundamentals, and could beat the average Joe with their B games without any trouble. It's also not surprising that people take on the style of their school, if those moves are the ones your badass coach is using to dominate you, the ones he can teach and has the deepest understanding of, it's natural that you'd adopt them. Not to mention that at many of the top competition schools people seek those coaches out not least because they admire their games. Dillon Danis for instance came to Marcelo's as a brown belt, he could have gone to Renzo's or Unity but he chose Marcelo for a reason. Shouldn't be surprising that he adopts certain aspects of his game.