To drill or not to drill…..

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu there is a common misconception that in order to get better you need to train full speed every time you are at the academy.  Some practitioners think that if they spend all of their time training in a live environment, they will be better because they will be practicing at the same speed that they fight or compete. While training full speed is a very important part of improving your jiu jitsu, drilling isolated positions and techniques is equally as important when talking about improving one’s overall game.

Drilling positions and techniques along with training in a live environment is the most efficient way to improve your jiu jitsu. The truth is, it will allow you to get a better “feel” for the position and will make you more proficient in executing the technique. The “feel” involved with learning the technique allows you to react at the right time and in the correct way in order to make the move work. When the time is slowed down to 25% or 50%, it allows the practitioner to understand the position better, where rolling with a 100% resisting opponent doesn’t always allow you to execute the technique. Slowing the pace makes bridging the gap between practicing at no resistance to training in a live environment much easier. This also allows you to go a step further and tell your partner to react a certain way, to see if you can adapt to their movements, making you a more versatile grappler.    

The importance of drilling does not end once you are able to hit the technique in live training also. In order to keep the technique sharp, you need to constantly reinforce what you have learned in the past. Because there is so much information to learn, there is also a great chance that certain details on basic moves may be forgetten. This is actually very common among students.     

Drilling can also allow you to come up with transitions and combinations that you may not have seen in a live roll. This is due to the fact that you now have a greater understanding of the position, as opposed to just having a “tough”
guard to pass, or relentless pressure on top. Being able to have these seemless transitions between techniques is the key to reaching the next level in jiu jitsu. These seemless transitions are often improved during “flow rolling,” where students roll lighter, simulating a live roll, but with limited resistance.

Whether you are a new white belt student, or a world class Black Belt competitor, drilling should be a regular part of your training regimine. If it is not, you are severly limiting your potential as a martial artist. So drill, drill, drill, and once you are tired of drilling….. drill some more. There will always be plenty of time to roll hard and get a great workout.