Have you reached a point in your Jiu Jitsu journey where you have a game/system when you are rolling? What factors contributed to developing it? Has it remained the same or has it changed as your experience has changed? 

Question of the week.  If you could push the reset button and go back to the very beginning of your jiu Jitsu training. What if anything would you do differently?

I would make it a point to practice the technique’s being taught each week on both sides Meaning the dominant side where we are most comfortable executing the technique and than switching to the less dominant side which for me was always a struggle. 

What IS WORKING for you?

It seems like lots of time we ask for advice on how to fill in gaps in our game, but rarely do we ask what is going well. Rather than be determined to force our way down a specific path, maybe there are paths to consider. 

I’ve been having success by focusing on attacking to dictate a specific response in order to control my opponent’s reaction and use that response to control their posture. This opens up so many possibilities without focusing on a specific guard or submission. 

Question of the week! Do you have a specific pathway in your mind you are trying to follow when you start a roll with someone? For me lately it’s been trying to get back takes from any and all positions I find myself in. I find that when I have my partner in back control this is where I find the most success in controlling and ultimately submitting my partner. What about you? 

If you walked in to class and Professor asked you to pick the topic to work on, what would you choose? 

For me, it would be anything takedown related. I’ve been very focused on stand up grappling for the past couple of months and loving it! Anything to learn or drill from judo or wrestling is fine by me. 

What’s the most unexpected lesson/skill jiu jitsu has taught you—on or off the mats?

Mine would the ability to talk in front of people.   Always hated that growing up and would do anything to avoid that situation.  Slowly transitioned to teaching and now don't even think about that in front of a class.   

What is your strategy on how you set goal post for tracking progress/improvements? For higher belts, has this process continued to evolve or has it remained the same? Is there anyone who just approaches each drill, each training an each roll as they occur and just live with the results vs looking for progress? 

Jesse made me think today about if thinking about progress and working towards it actually hinders our ability to maximize the moment?

Question of the week! Is it ever a mental challenge to train hard with someone you are friendly with? How do you find that balance between pushing yourself and others while still being a good training partner?