You Want to Improve? Read This!!

For anyone who has dedicated themselves to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the path to mastery can feel both exhilarating and endlessly complex. How do some practitioners skyrocket through the ranks while others stagnate for years? The answer lies not just in mat time, but in the quality and intention of that time.

In a powerful compilation of interviews, a pantheon of BJJ legends—including Gordon Ryan, John Danaher, Roger Gracie, Marcelo Garcia, and many others—have laid out their personal blueprints for success. Their collective wisdom provides a clear, actionable guide for any grappler looking to unlock their true potential. Here’s a deep dive into their essential advice.

1. The Foundation: Train with Purpose, Not Just for Time

The most dominant theme is the need for deliberate, focused training. Simply showing up to roll hard will make you tough, but as Roger Gracie points out, "They don't train the way they should. They don't train to get better, they train to get tough."

Gordon Ryan provides the most practical framework for this: situational training. He argues that time is the most valuable resource an athlete has, and standard rolling often wastes it in neutral or stalled positions. "By far, the fastest way to get better in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu is by doing situational training," Ryan states. By isolating specific scenarios—escaping mount, passing the guard, attacking from the back—you force yourself to solve high-stakes problems repeatedly. This hyper-focused approach allows you to gain a deep understanding of positions far quicker than you would in random sparring.

This methodology is philosophically supported by John Danaher, who applies the Pareto Principle (the 80/20 rule). He advises focusing on the small percentage of high-percentage techniques that are universally effective across different body types and skill levels. "Focus is everything," Danaher explains. "If you want to be good quickly, you've got to learn focus... on the truly high-percentage techniques of the sport." The goal is to "hack away at the unessential" and build your game on a foundation of proven, reliable moves.

2. The Art of Learning: Study, Reflect, and Collaborate

Getting better isn't just a physical endeavor; it's an intellectual one. The experts unanimously agree that passive learning is a recipe for stagnation.

• Become a Student of the Game: Lachlan Giles and Craig Jones both advocate for problem-based study. When you encounter a problem in training, seek out the grapplers who are best at solving it and study their game. Jones explains that his creativity comes from "studying tape and trying to reverse-engineer" what he sees, especially the moments that cause confusion or panic. This turns every roll into a diagnostic tool.

• The Power of Dialogue: Jozef Chen, Dima Murovanņi, and Owen Jones highlight the incredible value of post-roll collaboration. After a round, take a few minutes to discuss what happened with your training partner. This allows you to see the roll from their perspective, identify problems you didn't notice, and troubleshoot solutions together. Chen even brings up the "Fuck Your Jiu-Jitsu" concept, inspired by Ryan Hall, where you intentionally let your partner get to their best positions to learn how to disrespect and dismantle their A-game from the inside out. This type of "sandboxing" with a specific goal is a powerful learning tool.

• Film Yourself: Nicky Ryan adds a simple but crucial tip: film your rounds and watch them back. This provides objective feedback on your habits, mistakes, and opportunities, allowing you to structure your positional sparring around the specific problems you identify.

• End with a Tired Mind: John Danaher offers a profound perspective on training's end goal: "At the end of a good training session, your mind should be exhausted, not your body." He argues the training session doesn't end when you stop moving, but when your mind stops analyzing. The reflection—what you did well, what you did poorly, and how you can improve tomorrow—is where the real growth happens.

3. Build Your Core, Then Expand

Many practitioners try to learn everything at once, but the masters build their game like a fortress.

Bernardo Faria provides the perfect roadmap for this. He built his entire early game around a simple "core": closed guard, hip bump sweep, and kimura. When opponents learned to counter it, he didn't abandon his foundation. Instead, he found the next logical piece that "clicked" with his style—the half guard—and mastered it for years. From there, he expanded his half guard into a vast, interconnected system (deep half, single leg half, etc.).

The lesson is clear: find the few techniques that are your techniques—the ones that feel natural for your body and style. These become your core. Spend months, even years, making them unstoppable. Then, and only then, begin to expand your game around that core, building a network of techniques that all lead back to your most dominant positions.

4. The Mindset of a Champion

Beyond the techniques, a specific mindset is required to reach the highest levels.

• Embrace Your Weaknesses: Roger Gracie states that to become truly good, you must "practice your weakness, not your strength." It's easy to stick to what you're good at, but real growth comes from confronting and improving the holes in your game.

• Take Full Responsibility: Marcelo Garcia’s competition philosophy was a game-changer. "I don't want to let no one decide my match," he says. He refused to leave the outcome to a referee, which meant he was always hunting for the submission. This mindset fosters a sense of agency and proactivity.

• Confidence is Forged: Gordon Ryan explains that true confidence is not an act; it's earned. "Confidence is built in the gym from positive results," he states. It comes from knowing your techniques work because you've proven them thousands of times against the best partners you can find.

• Commitment Over Excuses: Greg Souders has no time for the "hobbyist" excuse. He argues that using this label is a psychological way to avoid the discomfort of pushing your limits. Be honest with yourself about your goals and what you're willing to commit to achieve them. The principles of learning apply to everyone, regardless of their training frequency.

5. The Eternal Debate: Strength, Conditioning, and Technique

The relationship between physical attributes and technical skill is a constant topic of discussion.

Mikey Musumeci offers a powerful anecdote: he felt he became stronger on the mats after he stopped lifting weights because it forced him to become radically more efficient. His technique became so precise that it generated more force than raw muscle could.

This doesn't mean strength is irrelevant. Bernardo Faria provides the crucial context: "Use your strength. If you're not getting tired, keep using the strength." The key is to use your physical gifts to amplify good technique, not to compensate for bad technique.

Ultimately, John Danaher concludes the debate by explaining the law of diminishing returns. The difference in grappling effectiveness between someone who can bench 300 lbs and someone who can bench 400 lbs is negligible. The time and effort required for that strength gain would be far better spent on skill development, where the returns are virtually limitless.

The blueprint is laid out. It's a path of intention, focused study, deep mastery of a core game, and an unwavering champion's mindset. Stop just "training" and start practicing with purpose. The results will speak for themselves.

If you’re ready to dive into the world of authentic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training, consider visiting The Jiu-Jitsu Foundry at 72-C, Jalan SS21/62, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, WhatsApp 011-11510501. Embrace the challenge, improve your skills, and discover how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can transform your martial arts journey!

Be good!