My New Curriculum

[Roidie McDouchebag]

So, recently I decided that trying to teach sets of advanced techniques to beginners was actually degressing their training and so I've cut down to a bare bones curriculum. From now on, there will be a total of 3 classes and 6 moves that I teach, wrestling wise. There will be another 3 classes and 6 techniques for jiu jitsu taught by another guy.

My classes will be as follows (I will have the students spending about 10 mins doing each of these steps. This will include several mins of compliant drilling followed by resistant drilling).

Class A:
-Pummelling
-Getting the Takedown From Underhooks
-Defending the Takedown with Overhooks

Class B:
-Changing Levels/Shooting (This is it's own step because it's the one everyone fucks up on so fucking badly when they start)
-Completing the Double
-Sprawling

Class C:
-Pinning (again, it's own step, because I see a lot of people just **** it up, they need to know how to center themselves, put the most weight on, etc)
-Switching Side Control Positions (going to Wrestler's Switch when your opponent stuffs an elbow in, and back to regular Side Control)
-Bridging (off your fucking head, no shoulder upa sissy bullshit in wrestling class, Godamnit!), Shrimping, and Pushing Away to get to Standing

That last one is the most complicated series of motions I teach in beginner's class, but I feel it's necessary in order for them to have a viable escape, they need all the steps. I can explain the move in detail if anyone wants me to.

In jiu jitsu class, the curriculum is not as rigidly worked out yet, however, it will consist, roughly, of the armbar, shrimping, two sweeps, and two guard passes.

Until everyone masters those techniques, they don't get to work on anything else in the group classes. I will always work on anything anyone wants afterward, one-on-one, I never mind doing a mini private lesson if there's something someone wants to know how to do better, but everyone can afford to work on those basics no matter how good they are.

Once they master those basics, as well as the basic kickboxing techniques (taught, again, by another guy), they get to come to the MMA technique classes where we work on striking into the clinch and ground and pound.

I see this being a formula to create fighters that have some solid basics in everything before they fight. Too many guys jump into the ring barely knowing one aspect of fighting and that, to me, is ridiculous.

I'm also going to start teaching an advanced grappling class for the guys who've mastered the basics of jj and wrestling, but right now that just will consist of me doing privates with the guys that have the basics already and want to fight or compete or whatever. Those privates are free, BTW. At my club you don't get special attention without dedication, but if you're dedicated, you don't pay for the special attention you get. It's just subject to me having time after work at the same time they do.

[Dr. Sleepless]

Why is pummeling the first part of the first class?

[Omega Supreme]

Why is pummeling the first part of the first class?

Makes sense to me expecially if you're talking about clinch based takedowns.

[Diesel_tke]

Looks like a well rounded basics class. There is just enough variety to keep people into it, and not get overwhelmed at the same time!

[jnp]

Class B:
-Changing Levels/Shooting (This is it's own step because it's the one everyone fucks up on so fucking badly when they start)

That is very true. People don't seem to understand the mechanics of a proper leg shoot even after two or three classes when they start out. I've always felt I could break down and teach any technique that I fully understood, but have found myself discouraged in the past when no amount of explaining results in inexperienced people getting it. I've found penetration step drills bring them up to speed the fastest. Thoughts?

Why is pummeling the first part of the first class?

Because pummeling drills teach proper upper body kuzushi for wrestling.

[permahudef]

I'm not an MMA instructor, but why teach offense and defense in the same class?
Why not split your 3 classes into 6 classes?

A Offense-Pummelling/Underhook Takedowns
A Defense-Pummelling/Overhook Takedown Defense
B Offense-Shooting/Doubleleg Finishes
B Defense-Takedown Defense (sprawling)
C Offense-Pinning/Side control
C Defense-Bridging/Shrimping/Standing

I offer this suggestion as something to contemplate, not as an "I know better than you" suggestion. If your students are overwhelmed, let them focus on fewer things per class: offense or defense within those positions.

I'm from Straight Blast Gym, so I admit I may be biased to these methods.
Matt Thornton's blog based on training methods/theory: http://aliveness101.blogspot.com/

[slideyfoot]

I'm not an MMA instructor, but why teach offense and defense in the same class?

My instructor tends to make a point of doing that, although this is in the context of a BJJ class. That way, when it comes to specific sparring, each person is able to work a technique from class, rather than waiting their turn. This is especially true for beginners, who won't have much else in their repertoire yet.

E.g., say the class focuses on guard. You teach a guard pass and a sweep. Come specific sparring from guard (where you restart if somebody manages to pass, sweep or submit), the person on top has a pass to try, while the person on the bottom can work for the sweep.

[Diesel_tke]

Also if you are shown the defense to something while it is being done on you, you have the chance to think about the defense and visualize what you should be doing to counter.. Then you have a good drill for two people where they can do the offense and defense rather than just laying there and letting someone run drills on you.

[permahudef]

Hmm...Yeah, I see the advantage of teaching offense and defense in the same class for beginners that don't know what they are doing.

I'm used to most people knowing what they are doing, and if we are working defense, you teach a very quick offense with the intent of giving the defender something to defend, even if the technique isn't quite perfect. I see how this would be an issue in a class designed for beginners though.

[JohnnyCache]

Hmm...Yeah, I see the advantage of teaching offense and defense in the same class for beginners that don't know what they are doing.

I'm used to most people knowing what they are doing, and if we are working defense, you teach a very quick offense with the intent of giving the defender something to defend, even if the technique isn't quite perfect. I see how this would be an issue in a class designed for beginners though.

You sort of illustrated the problem with not teaching offense and defense at the same time. I'm also starting to not favor teaching a static defense in a vaccum. If you're teaching an offense competently, the defender gets a real sense of being in the move and in the position, and the attacker needs to start seeing escapes almost immediately. We almost always drill a sub or setup and then follow it with the counter. Usually, we work a positional escape, one or two subs, and an escape from each and then do a brief roll starting in that position with only those moves. Essentially, someone demonstrates material, We try the positions with a non-resisting partner a few times, then we drill, "Here is a way out of side control and into a triangle, and here is a way to stop a triangle. Now you get under side control and try to use it on this guy while he tries the defense." Then we'll switch" If 'you break down at this point or you've mis-matched partners or something, that's kind of when, in my mind, you break it down into steps.

Sometimes we'll drill just the sub with no counter but a bit of resistance, as well, and then make the escape the next discrete drill, but the defense is still drilled against a good offense. I think it's important to assume you'll need the defensive skill BECAUSE you're threatened with a skilled attack!

i personally just also learn better in the format, "here is how to go in and out of a triangle," then the format "here is the triangle, the armbar, the the seio-nage. Tomorrow: defense"