In my technique article from last week regarding Technical Extraction from Entanglements, I touched on how BJJ fundamentals become the building blocks for more complex techniques. Interestingly enough, these “fundamentals” may be somewhat complex movements themselves. If we think of Push/Pull Theory as the use of simple instinctive movement (certainly in many Action/Reaction applications), a Jiu-Jitsu fundamental like the Technical Get Up is considerably more advanced; it is a chain of simple movements (post arm behind for base, protect or frame with free arm, post with leg opposite of posting arm for base and to shift hip position, use base to lift hips and lighten bottom leg, lift and swing bottom leg behind posting hand, maintain posture and visual line throughout, get up into a proper fighting stance).
This complex fundamental movement must itself become “simple” enough (to the practitioner) that it can be used as a step in a series of movements that chain together into even more complex techniques. In fact, you may use Push/Pull Theory to invoke the energy or movement needed to set up a proper extraction from a complicated entanglement that uses a variation of the Technical Get Up fundamental movement to finish in an advantageous position. Complex enough? It’s just the beginning. Eventually, these complex techniques must become so familiar that they can be chained together, spin off of each other, and/or otherwise respond on the fly to the defenses and attacks of an active opponent—who, in turn, may or may not provide the expected action at the expected moment!
Whoa! Let’s Take a Back Step… I Mean, Step Back
Let me reintroduce the concept of Second Nature Feel and apply it to complex movements in athletics. What is Second Nature Feel? I don’t know. I think I made it up. At least I don’t see it specifically defined in the world of athletics and body mechanics. I’ll start with the term “second nature”, which is defined in the following ways:
- something that is so familiar that it is done without having to think about it (Cambridge Dictionary)
- an acquired behavior or trait that is so long practiced as to seem innate (The Free Dictionary)
- something you can do easily or without much thought because you have done it many times before (Merriam-Webster)
Familiarity, practice, and repetition combine to deliver an acquired behavior that appears innate or instinctive. This concept is easily applied to body movement and body mechanics. However, there is more to it than basic muscle memory. In its most basic sense, muscle memory can be built around simple movements with little more than repetition. As we build simple movement into more complex movements and athletic performance there are a couple aspects that increase in importance.
The first is the mental aspect. In order to create the proper mind maps that result in chains of simple movements to create complex movements, simple repetition no longer cuts it. We now must have an increased mental focus during repetition. Repetition must be purposeful and with mental intent. For more analysis, read THIS ARTICLE on Motor Control and Movement Patterns
The second aspect is the actual execution, as it pertains to an athletic situation. Beyond muscle familiarity, this is how we determine the when and how of the movement. Beyond mental maps of options and the ability to think through the situation at hand, this must be done on the fly, dynamically, while input data is rapidly changing. This requires complete familiarity (muscle, mental, and execution). It requires analyzing input data through all senses with little to no time for conscious thought. As applied to BJJ and grappling much of this input comes from nuanced somatosensory data that may be delivered by our opponent and may be contrary to our expectation, thus changing our technique roadmap in the midst of the battle.
This level of sub-conscious, but complex, decision making for successful grappling performance requires the building blocks of complex movements, complex techniques, and complex skill sets to attain a level of Second Nature Feel. That means it is not enough to be able to perform a Technical Get Up, and it is not enough to consciously analyze a situation and decide that the Technical Get Up should be applied. We must FEEL the moment and reason to do so, and react with little to no thought, because it will be just one step in a whole series of movements needed to reach our ultimate goal (position, escape, submission, etc).
Here is an interesting article about advanced neuromuscular firing patterns in athletic performance
We’ve Come Full Circle
Ultimately, what are we talking about? We are once again talking about true mastery, what it takes, and why. Drilling until we “know” a technique is not enough. We must drill it into the level of unconscious Second Nature Feel in order to apply it live against active opponents. We must drill it until we no longer think about it if it is to become a simple building block for more complex uses in already complex aspects of the game (strategies, variations, and variations to the variations). We must drill it not only as a step-by-step technique, but actively, with purpose, with intent, with resistance; then, apply it in live rolls, correct it, re-drill it, and retest it live. It must run the full cycle (no cheating) of increasing complexity until the point of resolving back to simplicity.
How long does this take? Well, it depends on the specific technique, how well developed the building blocks of it are already, how we will apply it in our overall game, and how purposeful our practice is. To have an idea of when you will know that a specific movement, technique, or series, has developed that deeply, I reflect on the following quote by Bruce Lee:
“Before I learned the art, a punch was just a punch, and a kick, just a kick.
After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick, no longer a kick.
Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick.”
Enjoy this take on active drilling to help develop the type of second nature feel that can be applied more quickly to your game. It is the first installment in Coach Dan Faggella’s series Maximizing Your Precious Mat Time
The post Wash, Rinse, Repeat! Drilling Complex Grappling Movements to the Point of Second Nature Mastery appeared first on Science Of Skill.