Reader: “There is just a small “but” : the instructor is, as I was advised by some new “mates”, very slow in giving trust to anyone who was not fully “formed” by him.
I think I could give a huge help for what concerns the standup, I was never one of the greatest technicians but I was training for 12 years under one of the best coaches
in the whole of Europe and I learned a lot about analysis, method and programming.
The only “small” problem is that I have no idea on how to deal with the matter and how to be considered a “resource”.”
Jiu-jitsu Times: As many schools of Brazilian jiu-jitsu are lacking in the standup training, you could indeed be a valuable resource to the members at your bjj school!
You must however tread carefully in this area as the head instructor of the bjj academy must be responsible for running the program and supervising the information being taught.
My advice would be to:
1) Be patient in offering to share your judo expertise. It takes time to build a trust relationship in any business and the head instructor may have had poor experiences in the past.
After all, he is the one carrying the responsibility for the safety of the students and teaching the curriculum that the paying students expect.
Moving too fast on an offer to help coach standup could be seen negatively.
Move slowly.
2) It is common for experienced athletes from other martial arts to put on the white belt in bjj and have an open attitude and humility.
Even multiple time World Bjj Champion Xande Ribeiro out on a white belt when he started training judo to strengthen his standup.
That said, it is a positive sign if the instructor has an open attitude towards your valuable experience and recognizes how his students could benefit from your judo.
That open attitude should stay with all of us throughout our entire training careers.
3) Spend some time to familiarize yourself with the rule differences between Olympic judo and IBJJF bjj rules.
Due to rule differences, the strategy in standup (tachi waza) can be quite different!
There are FAR fewer restrictive rules (example gripping rules and attacking the legs) in bjj than sport judo.
For example: in Bjj the referee won’t restart the match standing if your drop seionage fails and your opponent climbs on your back!
Judo for bjj is different than judo for sport judo competition rules.
4) By the time most students reach purple belt, they are mostly self directing their training.
That is to say they know what they want to work on and frequently drill their “A Game” with other more experienced belts.
If you do some sparring from standup, your skill will quickly become evident.
Sharing your takedown expertise one on one with other advanced students – who want to improve their standup – would be the best way to establish your credibility in the academy.
At some point one of those students will say “Why don’t you teach us some more judo at Saturday’s open mat?”
That could be the open door for you to share your valuable experience.
I had a 2nd degree black belt in judo join my bjj classes.
I quickly could see that he was far more proficient in many standup techniques than my own experience (I am a briown belt in judo).
I invited students who had questions about throws that were beyond my knowledge to ask him directly and he would show them his judo.
It allowed him to feel a part of the bjj class and the students got to benefit from his knowledge.
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The post A Reader Question: One student has come to bjj from an extensive back ground in judo and is happy to be on the mats again. appeared first on Jiu-Jitsu Times.