Getting Game

My jiu-jitsu instructors constantly talked about developing your game when I was just starting out. Pretty much, what they meant was developing your own style of jiu-jitsu that works for you. Some prefer the top position to control their opponents. Some prefer the bottom and playing from their guard. Some prefer closed guard, some prefer open guard. But eventually something will “click” and you'll naturally evolve a style. You'll develop game. At least that what I've heard.

Ever since I became a blue belt I've been wondering what my game is. Honestly, I don't know yet. I don't really think I have one. It hasn't really clicked yet. There are a few positions I prefer and some that I'd like to be better at but I'm not entirely sure what really works for me overall. What's that fallback technique I can go to that puts me in a comfort zone? Still figuring it out. And it got me wondering: is game really something you can figure out and create, or does it just evolve on its own?

When I first began rolling I was really excited to learn the triangle choke. It was my favorite submission move to watch in MMA and UFC fights. There's something about fighting from you back and using your legs to apply a choke that appealed to me.

I learned the triangle and was surprised at how many steps there are to apply the technique. It took a lot of practice to get it down. Even more practice to do it without speaking the steps to myself. Eventually it became fluid and it was the first submission I ever caught somebody in. It's still my favorite submission to this day.

I focused on getting good at the triangle. I went for it a lot during resistance training (sort of a controlled sparring session). It was a choice to work hard at the triangle and it got me wondering if I could dictate how my game evolves by choosing which techniques and positions to work on. It was time to start trying new things and selecting how I wanted to roll.

Top position holds a lot of advantages, I thought. Your weight is on your opponent tiring them out and gravity is on your side if you attack a submission. I wanted to get good at it. Yeah...that hasn't worked so well. I really like the far-side armbar from side-control. It looks slick when you spin over your opponent and attack the arm. However, for as many times I've attempted it I can still count the successful submissions on one hand. It just doesn't work for me (don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up on the technique it just hasn't worked out yet...yet!). The technique I had selected to incorporate into my game wasn't working out.

Two examples that conflict with the idea that I could shape my own game. I want to be good at the triangle and the far-side armbar. I chose to practice those techniques more than others. Triangle works well, armbar does not. So now what? Can I still shape my game or do I have to fall into it? Do I just keep trying different techniques until I find the ones that flow?

It felt like I was back at square one but I kept on thinking about it and I'm starting to lean towards the idea that game naturally evolves. Take the triangle for example. My legs are good for that. They have a little length and they have a little strength so of course triangles were going to work well for me. It just so happened that it was also my favorite submission. The top game hasn't clicked for me yet but I'm comfortable fighting off my back. I think that sort of matches my personality. The top position is perceived as a dominant position, which ties into being a more aggressive position. I don't really have an aggressive personality. I'm more on the passive, I think, so it makes sense that I prefer fighting off my back and working from the guard given the premise and perception that top position relates to aggression. It seems that the positions and techniques I'm comfortable with and better at fit me.

Now this doesn't mean I'm only going to train guard techniques and endlessly go for triangles. Ideally, I'd like to have my comfort zones that I can go to but I'd also like to perform well from every position whether it be top or bottom. It just means that although I'm a blue belt, I'm only getting started. Now is when I need to explore different techniques, refine the fundamentals, and continue developing my game - whatever it may evolve to.