By Josh Hinger

When I started training jiu-jitsu I already had four years of wrestling experience. Naturally, I used my wrestling abilities to dominate other white belts with a certain disregard for truly learning how to execute proper jiu-jitsu. 

Granted, I was training at an MMA-based no-gi jiu-jitsu academy where being on top and controlling dominant position is far more important than learning how to butterfly sweep someone, particularly when that person is trying to punch you. 

The mistake I made is that I continued to run with this strategy for years, even when I wasn’t under threat of being punched. I always fought to stay on top, smash pass, mount, and submit. And, as a beginner, I fought to win instead of fighting to learn. 

Broadening your horizons 

It wasn’t until I was a purple belt that I made a decision to focus on my guard work. I decided that I would only pull butterfly guard on all my training partners and work on executing X-guard sweeps and triangles. 

For around two years I left my comfort zone and focused on the weaker side of my jiu-jitsu. It was one of the best decisions I ever made for my own development as a jiu-jitsu practitioner.

However — and to this day — the tunnel vision I had as a beginner haunts me. I still have an imbalanced top and bottom game. My advice to those who are still in their first few years of jiu-jitsu development is NOT to play your A-game strategy all day, every day. 

Take every opportunity to try new styles of guard and attempt different wrestling or judo takedowns, new leglocks, or different ways to pass the guard. Don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone. 

Photo: Grapple.tv

When (and when not) to train your A-game 

Of course there is a time and a place for sharpening your A-game strategies and techniques. I would suggest that people preparing for a competition start focusing on their A-game 3-5 weeks out. 

However, when there isn’t a major competition looming just around the corner, take advantage of that time to diversify your jiu-jitsu toolbox. The same is true for those who feel they have technical imbalance between gi and no-gi jiu-jitsu. 

Take advantage of the jiu-jitsu seasons to strengthen your weaker style of jiu-jitsu. Generally speaking, the major gi competition season is between January and June, and then the no-gi season lies between June and December. Personally, I focus on each style in their respective seasons. And usually, by the end of one season, I am sick and tired of that style and ready to switch back to the other. One week out from the IBJJF no-gi worlds, I can tell you that I am looking forward to training in a gi again. 

Understandably, working on jiu-jitsu techniques that are not your strong suit can be very frustrating. It can be easy to cloud your mind with frustration and self-doubt as you fail to execute techniques that are not your best. It’s important to remember that training is just that — training. You are training yourself to be a better grappler. 

The power of small goals

One strategy that I constantly use to overcome anything I am struggling with is to make small achievable goals for myself. I use this strategy every day. For example, I hate running more than anything. Whenever I need to run, I just tell myself I’m gonna run for 10 or 15 minutes to get warmed up. Once I hit 10 minutes, the last five is easy. Once I hit 15, I’m already warmed up and cruising along. I tell myself to do just five more minutes. At 20 minutes, I tell myself to do just five more and so on and so forth until I get to around 40-45 minutes. I do this when I sit in the sauna or steam room also but in two-minute increments. I do it with weight training also. I set a goal for a certain number of reps, and once I hit that number, I do two more. 

In training, I do it with my black and brown belt partners. No matter how tired I am, I convince myself to grab one more tough black belt training partner. Just one more, and then one more, until training is over. 

The same can be done in all types of jiu-jitsu scenarios. It can be overwhelming to think about the daunting task of becoming a black belt world champion. It’s much easier to set small achievable goals that take you closer and closer to your respective world title goals. 

When you find yourself working on a training strategy that isn’t your A-game, try to set small goals for yourself. If you don’t like lasso guard, try to set small goals for yourself. If you don’t like takedowns, set some easily achievable takedown goals for yourself. 

A few years ago, my goal was simply to win an IBJJF Open tournament. Once I won the weight class, I set a new goal: the open class. After winning double gold at an international open, set a new goal: American Nationals, Brazilian Nationals, or Europeans. 

Once those goals are realized, the world title doesn’t seem so far away. 

Stronger, sharper, better

If you make the same mistake that I made in my earlier years of jiu-jitsu and neglect the parts of jiu-jitsu that are not your strongest points, it may have a ripple effect that you will have to deal with for the rest of your jiu-jitsu life.

Sharpening your A-game is important, and during a competition training camp it is imperative to sharpen your tools to surgical precision. But, don’t neglect the weaker side of your jiu-jitsu. The most dangerous grapplers are those who are comfortable in all positions and scenarios.

Josh Hinger will compete in the 2017 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship. Watch it live or on demand only on FloGrappling