Since I started training jiu jitsu, I've found this to be particularly true. At our academy, we focus as much (perhaps more) on drilling as sparring. We try to get reps in. Over and over and over. I've been through the curriculum so many times that I've lost count. I've never had a moment where I noticed things suddenly click, but I have had moments where I realize I am doing things without thinking that used to cause me a lot of problems; arm-across sweeps, holding mount, and lately omoplatas.
So, the more we train the better we get. This is not an earth-shattering concept. But BJJ is a rough sport, even when you are learning it at a courteous and friendly gym -- there's really no way around how sore you are going to be after being cross-faced repeatedly. I've talked about learning the difference between an ouchie and an injury, but seriously, Coach Tim, how often should someone starting out train? How much training time should be devoted to sparring? How much to drilling?
In addition to trying to figure out exactly how much training I should be doing weekly, I've noticed that my issues with being consistent/inconsistent seem to center around the following:
(1) I can only train at night, because of my work schedule. I often find myself completely gassed out or starving by the time class starts. If I've had one of my really bad days, I will forgo training in order to eat. I've yet to figure out the how/what/when to eat before I get on the mat. In general, I (and lots of students) have a hard time figuring out how to train consistently when work is going nuts.
(2) Soreness. If I am sore, I just do not want to do it. I've sort of solved this by having the 3-5 week rule, since that puts about one day in between sessions, but I still struggle with it.
(3) Learning plateau. There will be months where I feel like I'm not getting better at anything at all, and that tends to discourage me from getting on the mat. I usually get over it by reminding myself that if I'm not having fun, I'm not doing BJJ.
(3) Mental block. I've struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life, and sometimes it is just plain hard for me to get myself out there. Some days the last thing I want is to be in close proximity to another person -- let alone being smashed by one. I've managed to get past this hurdle by reminding myself how good I feel after a roll, that I can sit out if I'm starting to panic, and that often just getting on the gi and stepping on the mat is the hardest part.
Since I've had such a hard time with consistency lately, I asked Coach Tim to weigh-in and give some tips on the optimum amount of training for a newbie and how to stay consistent.
Coach Tim's Advice:
To quickly address one end of the spectrum - can one train too much?
You cannot over-train, only under-recover. If diet, sleep, and stress are under control, do not fear two or three training sessions per day.
One caveat: often students are very enthusiastic about their training from the beginning and set lofty goals for themselves. They train twice a day, everyday, for two weeks. This is great, except that if they miss a class during week 3, they feel like a loser. Had they set a more modest tempo to their training, this would have never been an issue.
Managing Expectations:
The issues Veronica set out above are related to this key component of training: expectations. If we don't meet our own expectations, we are more likely to stop, giving in to the fear of failure. Instead of measuring training in number of days per week, it is often more productive to measure it in number of hours.
The solution: set a number of hours you would like to commit to training at the beginning of the week and stick to it. Let's say we want to commit to six hours per week. This is approximately 3 classes, if we include the time spent lingering around after class (sitting in traffic doesn't count! Otherwise we all effectively train full-time just living in Los Angeles!).
Now, lets say you are extra sore from a hard session, or a work issue comes up, or you become ill, etc. Instead of meeting that six hour goal in class alone, come to a open mat and make up a hour drilling, watch a hour of high-level competition footage, take notes during a class instead of training that day, and try and fit in two 30-minute sessions of conditioning (obviously this varies depending on what is preventing you from coming to class). These are just examples of how we can adjust very quickly when we modify our expectation to measure hours, not classes.
Of course, not all hours spent are equally productive, but the same can be said of class time. The crux of this method is to remember that when life shifts our priorities, the dedicated individual sees a new challenge to be overcome - how to make use of the 24 hours in a day that we are allotted, and tries to find a workable path.
Find a Way to Train
The worst injury I have incurred in grappling was to my left shoulder - it so painful that I could not get out of bed without using my leg as a pendulum to swing up, clench my teeth and accept the pain. I could not spar for approximately 3 months. I was competing at every tournament in California and trying to accelerate my progress so I could move up to the black belt level, and here I was, stuck. At this point I was a brown belt and I had no understanding or application of the leg drag. I was determined to not let the injury stifle me, so I began drilling a technique that I could do without further injuring my shoulder: the leg drag. Over and over. And then some more. Then, some more. Then, more. More. I timed myself and I could complete 100 leg drags in 7 and a half minutes. I would aim for 500 a day, then 750, then 1000. By the time I could spar I was leg dragging like it was my best guard pass!
