Learning from bad positions
My Sensei in Judo got talking to me about a week ago about one of the best ways to learn when you’re doing Randori (that’s Judo-speak for “sparring”.) Often times we try to win. Even if we’re not going 100%, and are taking in gentle, we still tend to keep from putting ourselves into bad situations, and we tend to go for the moves we’re most comfortable with.
The problem with practicing that way is that when someone really does put you in a bad position, or completely nullifies what you normally like to do, you run the risk of not knowing how to handle it.
Since our talk, I have been working a lot with Don. Don and I have specifically been working to learn, rather than to win. If I grab an Americana, or he grabs a rear naked choke, we grab it long enough to know that we could have followed through, but then we let go and keep going. Or we even grab it lightly enough to help teach the other person how to get beter at escaping.
Similarly, since no one is out to win, we are willing to try some, “I wonder what would happen if,” moves. Rather than trying to front roll out of the omoplata, what if I try to quicky spin out andface the guy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But you ge to learn new things, and why they do or don’t work.
This article is titled, “Learning from bad positions.” But it could just as easily be called, “Check your ego at the door.” Because that’s what it really takes to stop worrying about performing well in sparring, and be willing to take that turnoff to hell sometimes so you can really learn.
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As a big guy training with mostly small guys other than my brother Rob. I had to put myself in difficult positions because working from the top with small guys is always a difficult position for them and they usually panic from to much smashi or squshiwaza. A nice paced flow make for a good training session.