Map the Gap

When people start out with their BJJ training, things can seem pretty chaotic. There is simply too much going on for most beginners to process and this can make learning seem frustrating at times. I sometimes advise students to look for 'islands in the sea' - that is, I have them identify one or two positions and one or two techniques to focus on during 'rolling' practice. As time goes by, they graduate from 'one or two' islands of familiarity, to three or four, then five or six, and so on. Soon, no matter what's happenning in the 'grapple', they are never too far from familiar-ground.
As it happens, this is how we always 'map out new territory' - one landmark at a time. As we become more and more familiar with the territory, we can even begin to make creative-shortcuts, to make moving around a little more efficient. So for any relative 'newbies' out there who may be reading this blog - don't try and memorize the whole map - just pick a landmark or two and make for those when you grapple. Over time, your mental map with 'round out' and you'll begin to know where you are, even when momentarily lost. You'll start mapping the gaps.
Train Smart,
JBW