Communication is the most important single activity of man. This quote by Stephen Covey demonstrates just how important it is that we give due attention to skills like communication, just like we give time and energy to practicing on the mats.

We’ve talked about it before in this series – communication is essential to the growth and strength of your school. As part of the GB Method, the top tier elements of Teaching and Training Practices and Teaching Vocabulary and Commands represent the undeniable value that strong communication brings to our team, and in this article we’re going to focus on the latter of these two.

Just What Are GB Teaching Vocabulary and Commands?

The Gracie Barra Teaching Vocabulary and Commands are communication strategies and techniques used to communicate essential class instructions and GB values to students.

Just like succeeding on the mats is about more than practicing a single set of moves, communicating effectively requires awareness of different communication components. You can consider the Teaching Vocabulary and Commands as the pipeline for your school. You have to keep moving lessons, techniques, feedback, and support through your school. Your staff and students need you to supply them with the information they need, in a way that reaches them most effectively. They also need you to be receptive to their feedback and questions.

The entire training experience you provide for your students can be disrupted if you are not communicating in line with the values of Gracie Barra and in line with the teaching style of Master Carlos Gracie Jr. Even the most caring instructor cannot help his/her students succeed without strong communication skills.

Rules of Three

Rule 1: Three things must happen in order for students to learn a JJ technique.

Notice the second component of this equation: Instructor Explains the Technique. This component is all about communication, and just like 1+1+1=3, all parts of this equation must exist in order to get the desired result.

Rule 2: Think about the way you communicate in three parts.

1. The words you use (Vocabulary)
2. The message you’re sending (Teaching Commands)
3. The way you’re delivering the message (Tonality, Physiology, and Physiognomy)

Continue reading the exclusive article The Power of Communication at vhq.graciebarra.com