Thursday, September 06, 2007

Getting the Most From The Buzzer Class

The buzzer class is used as a way for you guys to practice the techniques you feel are most crucial to your improvement. If you really want an in depth look at how to approach and build a solid grappling game plan for yourself be sure to read the IJJ game plan blog. This article is less about the techniques you practice but how you practice them in the buzzer class. The idea for this class is for you to focus your attention on the moves that you think are most valuable to your game. You want to practice them, review them, analyze them and drill them. Let's take a look at some different ways you can drill your techniques. I will use an arm bar from the guard as an example.

1. Repetition Drills = Your goal through Rep. Drills is to learn muscle memory. You want create a drill that allows for you to repeat the same move over and over again in a fluid manner.

2. Alive Drills = After you have learned the mechanics of the arm bar it is good to practice it with aliveness. During an aliveness drill you will practice the move on a partner who is creating movement and posture but no real resistance. For instance while drilling the arm bar from the guard, I should be able to tap my partner repeatedly during an aliveness drill. He is simply creating common movements and making me see and set up the arm bar a little better.

3. Resistance Drills = In a resistance drill your partner is giving you full resistance. The purpose of this drill is for you to learn the things that can't be learned any other way...Control, Positional dominance, Leverage, Timing, Energy preservation...All though you can learn leverage and timing in other drills, you can't learn them in the same way that you can in a resistance drill. your timing has to be exact. your leverage has to overcome your partners strength or weight. Control and positional dominance can't be learned any other way than to have a partner truly trying to avoid and escape your positions or submissions. You also have to learn to preserve you energy in a Resistance drill or other wise you won't last very long. If we go back to the arm bar from the guard I can say to my partner, "I am going to try to tap you with an arm bar and I want you to resist." That's the drill. That's it! You could later say, "O.K., now try to resist and pass my guard at the same time." You can add what you want to make it more challenging and to also see the best times to attack for the arm bar. You might tell your partner to then go for leg locks to make it even more challenging.

4. All Around Drill = You can also take your arm bar and turn it into an all around drill by practicing drill 1,2 and 3 from every position. Review how to execute the arm bar in every position, practice it with aliveness in a grappling match, then add full resistance in a grappling match while your whole goal is still only to get the arm bar.

View Drills 1-4 right here!




In the buzzer class you have a lot of opportunity to improve your techniques through drills. You can really put in a lot of good hard work in an hour if your focused. Other than having focused drills on techniques you can also have more open drills to improve your over all grappling ability. Here are a few more drills that are great to practice.

1. Top Game = Have your partner on the bottom move all around while you follow and stay on top. Your partner does not try to escape the bottom but only creates a lot of movement for you. You should be working on flowing through all your top postilions in a fluid manner. Don't try to hold your partner down but keep and allow for a lot of movement.

2. Bottom Game = In the bottom game drill you start on your back in a butt scoot position and your partner starts standing. Again the purpose of the drill is movement. Your partner is going to run around you, cart wheel over you, work step through passes...For the most part he will always stay standing all though he may pop down for a moment. You will be trying to keep up with him, knock him off balance with your legs with sweeps, take down movements from your knees, knee bar attempts...The goal is movement and sense of direction. Great drill!

View Top & Bottom Game Drills Here!




3. Flow Drill = The flow drill is another movement drill. This time however you work every position, transition...Just grapple with your partner and create a lot of movement, don't hold any positions, you can do submissions but no tap out, let your partner escape and keep going and going...very light and fluid.

Check Out The Flow Drill Here!




4. Slow Motion Drill = Another Drill I like to do alot like the flow drill is the Slow Motion Drill. In this drill you just grapple like normal but in slow motion. You are trying to control your partner and even submit them but everything must be done in slow motion by both partners. If one partner speeds up to defend or attack than they just won't gain from the drill. You must stay slow and technical!


5. Random Drill = Do something random that restricts what you can do. Tie your legs together with a belt, hold a stick or ball while you grapple, tuck your hands in your belt...Lot's of fun.

View Random Drills Here!




6. Blind Drill = Have one partner close their eyes and the other keep aware of the environment while you grapple and then switch when you want or when the buzzer beeps. This drill really helps develop your sense of feel while grappling.


7. A to B Drill = The A to B drill is about the different paths you can take to get from any position to another and finalize with a submission. Lets say we start with the take down. Here you want to take your partner down, get him in a controlling position and submit him. This is a non-resistance drill. You are trying to see how many different ways you can advance from your position. Maybe you start under side control and escape to guard than sweep your partner and submit him. You can do this many different ways.

A to B Drills!



There are many drills you can practice during the buzzer class to drastically improve your jiu-jitsu game. Be sure to pre-plan, have a focus and drill with intention. If you do these things you will always improve.

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