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Introducing Kyuzo Members Groups
A Way to Advance your Jiu Jitsu Training
I've just launched a new way of enhacing your training if you are a member here at Kyuzo. Kyuzo Groups is a follow on from our Applied Jiu Jitsu programme, and goes across 4 different topics. There are the things that I believe every Jiu Jitsu athlete, regardless of their goals, need to work on to fulfil their potential.
There's also a 4th group- Tournaments and Standards. This one deals with how we compete- not just at the event itself in terms of our sporting performance, but also our standards of behaviour at the events and online. It's an unfortunate thing that all of our sporting cultures are under attack from the online world, and it's really important to have a method of retaining your own culture while also accepting that you have to deal with the outside world too!
Technical Skills
Everyone wants to improve their skills, but how do you do it? Particularly when you're becoming more and more advanced. The truth is that everyone will have a unique style of learning, and what suits some, may not suit others. We also have individual body type, personal qualities, ages, and athletic qulities that mean what works for one person, may not work for another.
While Jiu Jitsu contains some fundamental skills that everyone must master, it's also important to build your own library of techniques, skills, and strategies that are successful for you. That's what the Technical Skills group is all about.
Physical Conditioning
The second thing we all need is Conditioning. We need to be able to carry a full match without getting fatigued and "Tapping to tiredness". This is important. Straight away, you probably have images of fighters pushing sleds, and going to puke levels of cardio in a highlight reel. That's sometimes it, when you're training for a big event for example.
But what's more important is to maintain a healthy and robust body that can avoid injury and strain. If you can be mobile and stable enough to make sure that you can train injury free for a concerted period of time, that is the best way to improve. Sometimes that can even mean avoiding those aggressive gym sessions in favour of smarter, less cool looking work.
This group focuses on your physical conditioning to maximise your time on the mat, regardless of whether you're a hobbiest grappler, or a serious competitor.
Mental Skills
When we think about Mental Skills, we probably think about Sports Psychology, and some complex proecess of motivating, visualising, or something we hear top athletes do.
But what about simpler things like preparation? being prepared for events and training is a simple life skill that a lot of people struggle to master. I've lost count of the number of people I've coached who have effected the result of a match by forgeting a mouthguard, or their belt, or who show up at training wihout the equipment they need. A mental skill could be something as simple as planning your route to the event in advance to avoid stress on the day.
And what about Goal Setting? We can achieve so much when we set manageable goals that stretch our abilities and help us grow.
Progress in Jiu Jitsu
This is me from an interview I did about 10 years ago-
"I set my goal to be a black belt in 3 more years. Then I sat down and looked at what it would take to do that. I settled on guaranteed training 3 times a week, every week that I could, and set small targets like training outside my gym once a month at a camp, seminar, or with mates. Sometimes I'd train 6 times a week, other times with injury or family, just once a week. 18 months later, I was a black belt, so well ahead of time.
The key thing I did wasn't setting the goal- Black Belt- what made the difference was defining the process that would get me there. I figured out that I was missing a lot of training with small injuries, so I started to manage my load a bit better and avoided training in certain ways. That process was also really enjoyable, and it allowed me to let go of the idea of the final goal as a pressure, and just enjoy training knowing that in the end, it would work. After time on the mat is the only thing that ever really works!"
Lessons and Experience
The goal of Kyuzo Groups is to enhance your training through planning and coordination, and to use the vast experience within our gym to help guide you. That can be from me, from other members, or even sometimes just through the process of discussion and writing it down.
I'm looking forward to working with you all! If you're a member of the gym, or a parent of a member, you can request to join now.
See you on the mat,
Barry
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