Learning To Use Technique vs. Muscle
This Article comes from Arcanum Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Blog
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What is it that makes relying on muscle in jiu-jitsu such a hard habit to break? Learning to relax and use technique over muscle is a constant topic of discussion and analysis in BJJ (especially among lower belt ranks) – and usually it applies to big tankers who are built like a Brahma bull. But I’m here to tell you it applies to tall lanky guys as well. I’ve been doing better with this, butfter working on half mount position this morning my coach informed me that I am still too often muscling my way through positions that I know the techniques for. To make matters worse, I have apparently driven away one newbie by accidentally hurting him during training. I feel bad about that, because I honestly do my best to be nice to new people. Being an MMA gym, our school can be a little intimidating for people who are not “tough guys” and are there because they want to learn and have fun, and getting physically injured on your first day by some hot shot is not a good way to start out.
So, here’s my self-directed lecture for the day:
Take a look at these two pictures. On the top, we have Tiger Woods, and on the bottom, we have a young Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Now, who would you say is the stronger of these two…um…dare I say gentlemen?
If you picked young Arnie, you would be correct.
But let’s compare these chaps again, in a different light. Who can drive a golf ball further?
The answer, of course, is Tiger Woods. Although not necessarily the stronger of the two (we’re talking young Arnold, not the Governator), Tiger has technique behind the muscle. If we were to go further and stick them together at a driving range, big, strong Arnold would actually end up looking pretty silly.
That’s not to say muscle isn’t a good thing. Bursts of power in BJJ can help you cinch in the submission, and technique being equal, strength and weight can tip the balances. But at the end of the day, technique fuels the BJJ engine. I’ve personally felt technique used against me by much smaller and weaker opponents.
Unfortunately, talking about it does not automatically make me a better grappler.
Here’s the problem I’m facing (and I’d love to hear your input on this, especially those of you with more experience who have gone through this phase):
I know I need to relax more during training and focus on technique rather than muscle. How do I train this way without being a pushover? When I initially tried to focus on this, I felt like people were actually having an easier time getting the upper hand on me, which led me back the gut reaction of using muscle to defend myself.
Does learning to relax mean going through a phase of being tapped over and over until you learn to rely on technique?
And most of all, what methods do you use to remain calm while training in order to focus on technique?
I’ll start by relating what my coach has advised, which is to perform the technique as if you were training with a child – someone who you don’t want to hurt accidentally by applying too much muscle. I’m going to try thinking this way as I train this week.
Please, comment away.
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