A hallmark of jiu-jitsu is that the ordinary athlete can interact with and directly learn from the world's greatest practitioners. 

I'm lucky enough to have finagled the creation of an entire series entitled "Fix My Game,"  which is essentially a private lesson I get to participate in, that is filmed for your viewing pleasure (it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it).

Over the past 12 months of the show's existence, I've learned a few things about crafting the perfect private lesson, and I'm here now to share a few of those tips so you can maximize the value of your next experience. 

Do Your Homework Before The Lesson

Without question, the most productive lessons occurred when I had a firm idea of the athlete's strengths and specialized weapons. Prior experimentation with said techniques and positions allowed me to ask better questions and retain more minute details than learning something from scratch.

In the case of Edwin Najmi: I knew that he had one of the very best darce chokes in the game today and that it was something I wanted to learn from him. He showed me a key grip sequence that quickly allows him to roll for a darce or anaconda choke based on his opponent's reaction to the headlock.

Fix My Game With Edwin Najmi

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

The gripping sequence is a relatively simple movement that I was able to commit to memory immediately, but if I had been revamping my entire darce game from scratch, I probably wouldn't have realized just how this minor adjustment would impact my game. 

In the same episode, Edwin shows me a simple grip he learned from Samuel Braga to help initiate a berimbolo; this is literally changed my entire bolo game and I'm 100 percent more confident with the position. 

The same could be said for Geo Martinez: I had a general idea of ways to enter the truck, but the 10th Planet king pin expedited some quick tips on how to make the position infinitely stronger. 

What About Impromptu Opportunities?

In a perfect world, we'd all have time to scour of hours of footage and be able to put in the work at the academy ahead of our private lessons; but a perfect world, it is not.

Sometimes we get notice of a visiting athlete coming to down just days or hours in advance; maybe we are traveling and realize we're in range of a top-level competitor or coach; the possible reasons why we become aware of a short nice private lesson are infinite, but should we bite the bullet? 

Yes, absolutely. 

A key example here is my very first Episode of FMG with World Champion Shane Jamil Hill-Taylor.

The TLI competitor was visiting FloGrappling HQ in Austin, and we brainstormed a few ideas just days before; we knew a "Pro versus Average Joe" segment would probably result in something awesome, but the actual structure of the piece came together as we were in shooting in the gym. 

Jamil's game is exceptionally technical, and we primarily focused on the modern lasso guard game in our segment — something I had experimented very, very little with at that time.

The resulting lesson was a little over my head, but it opened my eyes to an entire world of possibilities and I began experiment voraciously the lasso guards since his visit (to the great irritation of my teammates, to be sure). I've learned several things rewatching the piece after experimenting with the concepts for a few months, which brings me to my next tip . . .

Fix My Game: Jamil Hill-Taylor

If Possible, Film Your Lessons

Some coaches/athletes are not always so keen to have their private lessons filmed, which is totally acceptable, but if they are OK with it then you should take advantage of this.  

There are two reasons it is especially valuable to film your private: first, a verbatim record of all the necessary details as explained by the instructor will be available, and second, those minor adjustments and corrections the instructor makes as they guide you through the technique will also be recorded.

This second part may seem like a minor thing, but it can actually reveal deeper holes in your game and bad habits that we've adopted. Switching a weak grip to a more optimal one can be the difference-maker in fixing a position.  

If you can't film your session, make it a point to repeatedly ask what could be better or improved about your game/understanding so you can ingrain those details to memory.

Ask For Drills

I've only made this a priority in the last few months, but requesting a specific drill for the techniques you're working on is one of the most valuable assets you can take away from a private.

At the end of each technique segment, ask for a quick drill so you can help memorize the proper sequence to completing a technique. 

An example of a particularly useful drilled I picked up in a private is Josh Hinger's rolling guillotine. As you will see below, the drill encompasses all the skills required for a good chin strap guillotine finish:

1. Neck Exposure
2. Proper Chinstrap Control
3. Shoulder placement and 
4. Countering the Escape
5. The Finish

Even if I can't execute all of the techniques involved in the drill perfectly,  knowing the proper order allows easy practice and refinement on my own time.

So there you have it! The four main things that I've found to be the most helpful for retaining the information learned in my private lessons!