When did you find your "game"?

[spirez]

How long has it taken you to find yourself a specific game that you rely on the majority of the time? I've been grappling around 18 months now, 9 at a top club and feel i'm just beginning to fall into a specific series of techniques that i always look for.

The problem is i dont see it so much as a game but more of a rut that i'm stuck in as i realise i'm still new to grappling but only seem to be looking for this one sequence. I'm getting better at the moment though and am definitely working my top game but at such a low level i feel i'm neglecting my guard too much.

I'm debating if i should ditch the top game that i'm using at the moment and just work more from guard until i begin to nail it.

If it makes any difference, i'm trying to gear my style more towards MMA than BJJ comps.

 

[hayliks]

I found out pretty quickly (within a year) on what I was good at and what my body could do. I took a few techniques from each position I liked, and continued to build off those techniques with variations and other moves, and the more I learned the more I was able to add on. Just think of bjj like sculpting. You sculpt a half guard, then you see you need to add on a hook game to your half guard so you do that, then you see you need to add the other leg as an x guard, then you see that and then you see their leg is ripe for the taking and add on a single leg, etc...

 

[Farnsworth]

Your instructor should be instrumental in helping you find your game. I know mine was.

 

[Happy Boy]

Ehmm, through comps I found what techniques I could rely on the most when the chips were down and I needed to pull it out of the bag. Then in training I found those same ones werethe ones I could get the better guys with, and through that I just practiced them more and more and more to perfect them. It doesnt mean you are a narrow player, you use what works for you.

Time wise, couple of years Id say.

 

[Q mystic]

About a few years after quitting. Honest.

For instance, heres the thing about that if anyone is interested.

During my last few years at judo I was working more and more my Koga-esque type seoinage. I never got it where I could do it at all during a fight even after hundreds of attempts. Then, after quitting for a while(couple years) I went back and it is great right off the bat. Works now and to exact form that I wanted. That to me is quite mysterious. Serious.

I 'think' it all came to when I just so happened to go for and eri-seoinage and it went...then just went ippon seoi and it 'fit'. I almost feel like my old 'tried and true' doesnt work so well.LOL

 

[Happy Boy]

About a few years after quitting. Honest.

For instance, heres the thing about that if anyone is interested.

During my last few years at judo I was working more and more my Koga-esque type seoinage. I never got it where I could do it at all during a fight even after hundreds of attempts. Then, after quitting for a while(couple years) I went back and it is great right off the bat. Works now and to exact form that I wanted. That to me is quite mysterious. Serious.

I had that with yoko-tomoe-nage, couldnt for the life of me get that and then out of nowhere in one of my most important comp fights I nailed one with 20 seconds to go, like Id never done it before. This was about a year after Id given up trying to do it. Weird, made me laugh as I was walking off, got my opponent pissed as he thought I was being a w*nker laughing at him.

 

[Q mystic]

I had that with yoko-tomoe-nage, couldnt for the life of me get that and then out of nowhere in one of my most important comp fights I nailed one with 20 seconds to go, like Id never done it before. This was about a year after Id given up trying to do it. Weird, made me laugh as I was walking off, got my opponent pissed as he thought I was being a w*nker laughing at him.

Don't wanna be 'bummy' but it really does seem like the 'let go' part of relaxation eh? You do something soo many times it will become 'reflex' when you quit trying. I do believe that, but when looking back it sure seems to take too long.LOL

On top of that, it seems that was how I learnt my kouchi gari as well. Couldn't do it worth shit as a junior although my junior coach forced me to work it, but seemed to come to me as a senior w/o learning it again...just feeling that 1/2 step and BAM it goes from a 'never would work' and 'outta my life' to a 'go to' tech.

 

[DaRuckus337]

About a few years after quitting. Honest.

For instance, heres the thing about that if anyone is interested.

During my last few years at judo I was working more and more my Koga-esque type seoinage. I never got it where I could do it at all during a fight even after hundreds of attempts. Then, after quitting for a while(couple years) I went back and it is great right off the bat. Works now and to exact form that I wanted. That to me is quite mysterious. Serious.

I 'think' it all came to when I just so happened to go for and eri-seoinage and it went...then just went ippon seoi and it 'fit'. I almost feel like my old 'tried and true' doesnt work so well.LOL

^ I've had this happen from time to time after breaks in training (off-seasons, injury, switching gyms etc.). Sometimes, a little time off the mats thinking about the sport, watching it, explaining/teaching it and so on gives you new perspective on the movements needed to execute a series of techniques. I think something about using your analytical left brain instead of your intuitive right brain when seeing things from a 3rd person perspective teaches you in ways that repetitive drilling alone cannot.

 

[Happy Boy]

Watching can really help you as well. I had 3 months off before with a serious calf injury and was watching a lot of comp judo on tv, as well as Jeon's instructional, first day back I buried my instructor with a drop-morote (Jeon styleee) having never tried it once before in my entire life.

 

[Q mystic]

^ I've had this happen from time to time after breaks in training (off-seasons, injury, switching gyms etc.). Sometimes, a little time off the mats thinking about the sport, watching it, explaining/teaching it and so on gives you new perspective on the movements needed to execute a series of techniques. I think something about using your analytical left brain instead of your intuitive right brain when seeing things from a 3rd person perspective teaches you in ways that repetitive drilling alone cannot.

Word. I was thinking that the no pressure of high comp for a while can allow you to change up w/o having to 'win' everytime thing but I think you are more closer to the reality of it. If you're not hammering down the same neuromuscular pathway everytime, others might open up. And I think that was it. Trying to force my 'crouch' seoinage into it when going hard it seems. Take a break to really recover and it all opens up maybe. 'Cept the fitness.LOL.

 

[Q mystic]

Watching can really help you as well. I had 3 months off before with a serious calf injury and was watching a lot of comp judo on tv, as well as Jeon's instructional, first day back I buried my instructor with a drop-morote (Jeon styleee) having never tried it once before in my entire life.

Mimicing>all.(in the big picture)

 

[Happy Boy]

It doesnt seem to last all that well though, I cant really do drops that well now but I had about sessions where I was a drop machine. Now that Im thinking about it its harder, before it was turn in and I was under every time. A lot to be said for mindless fighting!!

 

[cockysprinter]

id say it took me about a year, but im still building. so i havent figured it all out yet in 2ish years.

 

[spirez]

One thing i do like is that i'm starting to use my attributes of speed and agility more than i did before. basically i've stopped being so lazy!