There's a Better Way
The closest thing to a shortcut in jiu jitsu is giving your training one clear direction and staying with it long enough to make it reliable.
Choose one position, submission, or sweep and make it the focus of your training until you understand where it fits and how to find it.
As we all know, there is no shortcut to getting better at jiu jitsu.
The short answer is, yes, there is - but it's probably not what you think.
It still takes time. It still takes reps. It still takes showing up.
But there is a way to make that time more effective. It's the exact reason I started the March Challenge at 608JJ.
Pick one thing
Instead of trying to get better at everything all at once, pick one thing.
One position.
One submission.
One sweep.
Just one thing.
Protect your attention
The hard part is there will always be distractions pulling at your attention.
Make your training intentional
Once you've made your choice, commit to it for a period of time. Start looking for it. Put yourself in positions where it might show up. Make it a goal to attempt it, even if you're not sure it's going to work yet.
What this does is give your training intention.
Instead of every round feeling random, you now have something you're working toward.
You start to recognize where that technique fits. You begin to see how often it's actually there. And when it's not, you start figuring out how to get there.
Over time, that one area starts to feel more familiar.
Eventually, it becomes something you can rely on. Your intentional training becomes your A-game that you can always fall back to when you eventually try new things.
I can tell you from experience, once you've gone through that process with one technique, it becomes much easier to do it again with the next one and the one after that too.
This is probably the closest thing to a shortcut there is.
See you all on the mat!
Joshua is the owner and head coach at 608 Jiu Jitsu in Cross Plains, Wisconsin. He writes about learning, problem solving, and becoming a better training partner through jiu jitsu.