Playing to learn - not to win
I keep on coming back to this idea in class. I think it sits at the core of what we do at Revolution and at the core of an egoless training approach.
Not everyone is training for competition and we need to look at how training can be most useful for most people. We see a common pattern of behaviour with all new students… they roll and spar as hard as they possibly can, gas after 30 seconds and want to go and be sick.
It can’t be fun but everyone does it when they first start training. It normally takes a good few months of repeatedly telling people to chill out before they do. All the senior students roll and spar to be controlled, fluid and technical. But leading by example alone doesn't do the trick. So we re-iterate the same message… ‘Roll to learn not to win.’
Once people have learnt to relax and stopped listening to the ego-voice in their heads they are more able to train in a positive and productive way. It is tough to do, as a beginner training can be overwhelming and the easiest response is to try and impose your will to keep yourself safe.
However, the best response is to trust your training partners. The more experienced students and coaches will work with you. So you don’t need to work against them. Trust is the key. If everyone is working to learn then no-one is working to win and everyone is safer.
A safe training environment with a focus on development is built on the actions of everyone involved.
Labels: coaching tips
posted by Phil Wright
13 Comments:
Today’s loses are tomorrows victories. So as well as practicing your reverse-rolling omo platas and cobra death grip you need to practice your tapping technique, if you want to progress.
'No se vive celebrando victorias, sino superando derrotas.'
‘One does not live celebrating victories, but overcoming defeats.’
(Ernesto 'Che' Guevara)
2:03 AM
Adam ‘El Filósofo’ Adshead in the house.
9:48 AM
It's hard to follow a quote from the man himself but I'll stick my 2 pence worth in here as well.
The biggest advantage I have found with rolling to learn and not to win is that it has allowed me to put my own spin on my grappling game and I believe that this is at the heart of not only making a good grappler but also having fun while rolloing.
It's not until you invest a little time and thought into a move that you can truly make it your own and there is no way to do this if your only concern is getting the move right the first time so you win and get your ego boost. If you're looking for an ego boost than nothing is more satisfying than catching someone with your own variation of a move, a move that is for all intents and purposes your own.
No matter how ego driven you are no 'moment of pride' can match the hours and hours of fun you have when you stop trying to win and start rolling to expand and experiment.
10:34 AM
Excellent point. The focus on training should be developing game. A game is individual and will become consistent. In comparison to this wins are fleeting moments.
Empirical evidence in the club points out that the best grapplers, on whatever measure you use, are the ones who play an individual game based on experimentation and understanding of basic principles. The people who don't play to win are the ones most able to and least needy in that regard.
11:16 AM
cool posts guys, all true. i especially like dougs comments about nailing a move that is 'yours' really leaves your mark id say, still struggling to think of mine though :(
5:01 PM
Following from Adam's post, I'd say my cobra death grip and tapping technique get lots of practice, its everything in between those two that I need to work on :D
2:23 PM
That wasn't aimed at you bryan but on a pure linguistic angle it is a great name for the wide ranging umbrella of uncouth rolling.
4:25 PM
I know mate, just thought I'd share my thoughts on it ;-D
Not much to add, except that as soon as you stop going all out to get that guillotine, and take time to ask advice from the person you're rolling with about what other options are available to you. Then you've started the maturing process, leaving the n00b tag behind.
4:46 PM
Well put Bryan, what you are saying personifies what phil was talking about in an earlier blog about game plan thinking and the 4 stages of progression:
Coach dependent - Inter-dependent -Codepenent - Independent
You game is now clearly in the inter-dependent stage. You should harness your farmyard grip for good and not evil. Then you will be even more a handful than you are now. I want to see you start nailing that rolling kimura from the back I showed you.
But seriously, When I roll with you now if you lock up any kind of figure four with your arms. I think - gotta get out of here otherwise I am gonna. As you are mixing grip with other techniques. Before I never felt really threatened - mainly as I couldn't move!
Its good to see you 'Come over from the NARK side' (Best darth vader impression)
I just made that up and can't decide if its really corny and rubbish or sublimely brilliant.
You decide.
11:35 PM
Cheers for the feedback, written feedback is really useful, being able to re-read comments over again helps it to sink in more.
Sublimely corny I think, lol.
BTW, I'm now up to gearbox no.4, after breaking another this week.
11:53 AM
must be those sublime reversing skills bry, lol. or maybe the nosebleed-speed bumps.
anyway i agree about having written or any kind of physical feedback, the ability to revisit it is an excellent tool.
2:11 PM
Well put guys. It's good to see more people commenting on hear now.
Gear box number 4! God Bryan you go through them faster than I have my haircut. I am guessing thats why you wasn't at training last week. Hope to see you down this week.
12:25 PM
Bah, to many stupid reasons why I've not been able to get down, gearbox being one of them. I need to get training sorted asap, especially as chico is over this weekend!
3:51 PM
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