First off, seeking to improve in jiujitsu by just watching videos is like hoping to become a basketball great by watching NBA games on the couch.
You need to practice what you learn.
Starting from this first and mandatory lesson, however, anyone can and will benefit from the online lessons and content produced by wise masters.
It's very common, among the students enrolled in Rickson Academy, for us to receive a message from old students with no love for the old days: "It's incredible to have so many details and so much technical content straight from the source. The younger guys don't remember how it felt to wait months, maybe even years and years, for a tape with the techniques or the fights by some champion. These days you see it on the very next day."
Online courses and lessons, therefore, are currently the best friend of those who want to have well-rounded, up-to-date jiujitsu, taught directly by their idol, often with a seal of quality earned through years or decades of invincibility on the mats.
With the advantage that you can learn, rewatch, repeat, study before and after training, with the possibility to watch 20 times in a row the detail you didn't quite catch. It just takes discipline to get that hot new detail in your head before heading to the gym, and testing it on a partner.
Here are some tips for you to fully absorb the lessons and concepts put forth by Rickson Gracie.
1. Don't think about belts, real or virtual. Always remember that an "online belt" is not a real belt. More than that, study a technique's details thinking only about your improvement, not impressing your teacher at the gym or running your training partners over. Evolution and tapouts will come naturally.
2. Find a training partner who alsos watches the videos. With a buddy that's excited about the content, it will be easier and advantageous for you to find a space for some weekend training, to go over the details. Without a mat and a partner, the concepts may end up just living in theory until they're forgotten. And Rickson Gracie's self-defense techniques are too valuable to remain only theoretical. Practice.
3. If you don't have a buddy available or space in which to practice, strive to go over the online lessons with friends at your gym, 15 minutes before or after class.
4. Remember that your teacher is your best adviser. After watching so many cool videos with lessons and techniques, talk to your instructor about what deficiencies and details you should explore. With a black-belt as a sort of curator of the online lessons, you will turbocharge your knowledge and focus on the techniques that suit your style.
5. Ask your questions. Master Rickson has a channel for questions and he makes videos with the best technical ones. Don't hesitate to interact, tell of your specific case and get your answers.
6. Woke up unmotivated to train? Breathe, visit Rickson Gracie Academy and fill your veins with energy to go have a great session!
Comments
Nothing takes the place of a training partner is it ok to utilize a practice dummy when a training partner is not available ?
The dummy will help you practice and understand a move, but will never replace a training partner. The training partner will give you stresses, problems and resistance. The training partner will give you the resistance you need, to grow in the position
This is great, I try getting my wife into with no luck. I try to get in some training 1-3 sessions throughout the week, but it would be great to take what your learn and keep drilling outside. Thank you for the advice.
Great advice! Learning from Rickson online is better than not learning at all and I’m grateful he shares his techniques online for everyone.
to me Rickson's principles are the basis of all movement and physical efficacy
A few more tips I would add about training are:
-get a wrestling dummy to practice throws and takedowns
-get a grappling dummy to drill technique
-film yourself (practice with intent) and critique your movement and/or send to a school for analysis from a black belt
Note:
Learning in this modern era is amazing.
I found that supplementing the above gives me a chance to stay fresh even when work prevents me from going in person.