If you want to make a certain technique part of your game you can not learn it once in class and have it instantly ready for rolling.

It is going take some serious repetitions to burn that movement into your muscle memory. You wouldn’t go to a boxing class and after learning the jab, hit the bag 10 times and then say “Ok got it! Now show me another punch!” To get that jab where it needs to be is going to take hundreds, no..thousands of repetitions.

So it is the same with your favorite jiu-jitsu techniques. You need to devote time to drilling with a good training partner with the correct level of resistance to get the movement down.

A) How NOT to drill

– do 2 or 3 half hearted repetitions and then pause to discuss some variation and digress into a discussion of some new move that you saw on YouTube that is totally unrelated. Do 3 more reps before stopping to talk about this weekend’s plans.

– drill a mix of techniques from completely different positions

– drill the movement with a completely cooperative partner who reacts inan unrealistic manner.

B) How to drill correctly!

– you are there to get some serious repetitions in of a specific position. The is no substitute for getting your reps in! You are not there to constantly stop and talk. You are there to be focused and get your reps.

– try to keep the drilling confined to 1 or 2 movements. Volume of repetitions of a few movements that are similar in nature is more productive than jumping around and performing few repetitions of many different movements.

– drill with a good training partner who will give you the right level of resistance at the beginning and slowly increase it as you feel stronger with the movement.

What are your favorite drills?