It has always been interesting to me how with more knowledge, training and experience a person’s eyes can change to what they are looking at in a more refined way. As I gained more experience in Gracie Jiu Jitsu, how I perceived a real fight happening changed quickly. During that time I could watch the earlier UFC‘s and quickly see who was effective in grappling and ground fighting. On the other hand, it was difficult for me to view the intricacies of punching and kicking.
It was very common at that time when I went to different martial arts schools and let the instructor know that I was a Gracie Jiu Jitsu student that he would start showing Grappling techniques in his class. The class was excited because this was not the normal curriculum. The technique taught was often many times a roundhouse kick, catch the leg, tripped the leg other leg and transition to a half Boston crab submission. Very Saturday morning pro wrestling during a time where UFC was starting to get a big buzz and the Internet was starting.
I always got disgusted and wanted to show the instructor the nuances and details of Jiu Jitsu when I observed these demonstrations. However, as time would go on and I matured I would get less concerned with what other people were doing and focused on my development. I wanted to contribute to Jiu Jitsu; not what everyone else was teaching.
Today living in Japan I can see a lot of high-level Judo. Everything from what new students are taught in the fundamentals of Judo to seeing the experience players practice and perform techniques. Also with having modern technology and a smartphone in my hand, I’m able to watch what other schools around the world are doing. It’s very common for me to watch Tuesday night takedowns or Thursday night throws class at such and such JIU-JITSU ACADEMY in the United States. I have to tell you that I’m shocked at the type of throwing technique that I’m seeing. In a certain way, I feel like I am a Jiu Jitsu student going into a karate school and then all of a sudden they do Tuesday night Grappling. So much is being missed. The biggest complaint that I can have at this moment is these are Jiu Jitsu schools doing takedowns and throws that are not modeling excellence.
It’s easy to say that from watching these videos that I’m not there to see the full class over some time. What I could be observing is just something taught during the very introductory class. But my focus is on what exactly is being explored in the video. I see that the problem can be twofold. Firstly, I do not like seeing Wrestling takedowns shown in Gi. If you’re going to teach wrestling takedown use it in the context of no gi or luta livre. This type of context should be taught by an experienced Jiu Jitsu practitioner and instructor that has a wrestling background.
Secondly, I almost cringe when I watch Judo-style throws being taught with wrestling handles with a student wearing a kimono. If you’re going to teach the throw have an experienced Judoka teach the technique. We can’t have Judo practitioners and instructors teaching wrestling nor can we have wrestling practitioners and instructors teaching Judo all under the context of a JIU-JITSU ACADEMY.
The students will be (are) learning habits that are flawed. I’m seeing this every week that I turn on my cell phone to watch a class. While at the same time, in Tokyo there are children, teens and new students learning Judo at a very high-level. Why can’t this be the norm for Tuesday or Thursday night take-downs in JIU-JITSU ACADEMY’s in the United States?
In a few years hopefully, all this will improve just like the karate instructors back in the 90s that learned Jiu Jitsu. Also, I will mature into my mid and late 40s to be less concerned about what other JIU-JITSU ACADEMY’s are learning in their four walls. But I have to tell you there are a lot of bad habits being explored and taught because wrestlers teach Judo and Judo instructors teach Wrestling in BJJ academies.
Time to go back to the drawing board and rethink how curriculums are being designed, implemented and evaluated with having someone that specializes in the particular skill set that should be teaching on a Tuesday and Thursday night. The other suggestion is to bring in a specialized coach that has a normal class schedule or have your students leave your Academy and go to a different Dojo or wrestling club to learn said skill sets.
– Prof. “little” Tony Pacenski
Yokota Air Base – Tokyo Japan
www.tonypacenski.com
