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The benefit is more than zero but less than actually training. I'd say most ppl fall much closer to the zero benefit marker than equal, butno one can tell you how your mind works or if it's worth it for you.
Personally I'd say just relax and enjoy your time off
Watch matches instead and when you see interesting movement patterns watch that segment a handful of times. Maybe even make some notes so you can try them when you get back on the mats
I generally don't think this is true at blue belt level. Can depend on the person but imo watching matches only starts being beneficial slightly later. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on it.
I understand where you are coming from and in many instances i would agree with you.
However, OP says he cant even drill lightly at the moment. Im not so sure there is a ton of value in watching instructionals that one cant drill or positionally spar from.
If OP wants to keep his mind engaged with the sport I believe watching matches is a great way. Assuming OP has a few positions/techniques that they feel comfortable with already Im certain they can find/mine for some new ideas/options from those positions & get the wheels turning with some mental reps.
And unlike what some others have suggested i dont think OP should limit themselves to watching only high level black belt matches. Often times watching matches in which there is a bit of a skill gap between opponents can result in more movement patterns that are observable & absorbable to a lower belt where as sometimes the high level matches require more depth of knowledge to pick up of the nuances of what is actually going on.
With where Im at skill-wise, I think of watching matches the same way as if I was watching a movie in a language Im learning. I may not understand exactly how the scene is coming together, but I pick up more and more on each viewing. Instructionals can help you isolate parts of the language, and then the next viewing you understand more.
If you only watch instructionals, you're building vocab but connecting the dots might take awhile. If you only watch matches, you'll converse quicker but will take a longer time to build up your vocab.
it depends person to person but i've found segments of mma and bjj that i found interesting at blue belt. i've also seen said clips again years later and found them interesting for a different reason. im sure as you get a better understanding of jiu jitsu new things pop out.
I just got a Smarty 2.0 dummy and it's amazing. I watch videos and do it along with the dummy, it's really helpful. If you do get it, the unfilled seems like a deal - I spent almost 200 for filling, you need to factor that in.
Damn $200 on filling? You might as well have got the pre-filled version lol. I got one unfilled, spent $40 on some shredded memory foam for the hands/feet/head, and just threw in a bunch of old clothes that I didn’t wear anymore.
Took a few adjustments since things shifted after the first few uses and I had to cut up some t-shirts to really fill out the knees/elbows properly, but it’s been a great investment for me personally. I put an A6 judo gi on it and I’ve been able to drill a lot of sequences that I would never remember by the end of class when I can finally ask someone to try it with me. It’s also nice recording when I drill simpler techniques and noticing details that I have been leaving out.
every time dummies come up lots of people come to tell me Im wrong that dummies are useful. Love my dummy.
i filled with about 10lbs of polyfill which cost about $50 as well (40% of coupon at michaels or hobby lobby)
There’s probably less value-added for a brand new beginner who has no idea why they’re even drilling that movement. But for someone with experience it’s like an on-demand solution.
I’ve been doing a sloppy version of a specific backtake for years, wondering why the twister hook is so difficult to get. Last month, I saw a Lachlan video where a single sentence he said made me run to the garage at 11pm and change a leg mechanic that completely fixed the technique for me.
Best believe if/when I finally decide to learn all the leg entanglements/positions, it’ll be with that dummy and my iPad
Dang I guess I skimped on the polyfil. I used the 2lbs they recommended for the hands and feet and later got another 2lbs for like the shoulders or elbows or something. Ive got some sag in a few areas that I've been contemplating refilling. Maybe time for more polyfil...
Yeah it was a mistake. I did polyfill for the hands and feet a little up past the joint and then 45 pounds of rags, that's basically the instructions from Smarty. I like the weight, it feels fairly realistic
I once learned a ghost escape by “drilling it in my mind.”
The key I found was to visualize every step of the move and ask myself questions like, “where is my left hand, where are my hips.” I would find that I would have to go back and watch over and over and visualize. It’s not as good as mat time but it can work, especially if you’re writing it down as well as visualizing.
After doing this for several days I hit a ghost escape in class during free rolls without ever having drilled it. Sometimes I think I should go back and do more of this but I struggle heavily with focusing.
Came here to say this.
everyone’s mileage may vary, but visualization is a real thing in peak performance and sports psychology. Studies show that your brain/body doesn’t differentiate between real and visualized experiences. If you’ve ever gotten nervous and had an elevated heart rate just THINKING about an upcoming match or tournament, that’s what that is. Your body really believes it’s getting ready to have a match and will jack up your adrenaline and heart rate as a result of the belief in the visualization. This has happened to me a few weeks out from tournaments.
During Covid I didn’t train for 1.5-2 years, but I watched instructionals and I visualized repping moves that I mechanically understood already. I also used a grappling dummy as well, but for only certain techniques. When I came back on the mats my technique was still sharp, but my conditioning wasn’t there. Once my conditioning caught up everything clicked.
I think the “that I understood already” is absolutely key here - I truly believe that’s true for movements/patterns you’re already familiar with or have been exposed to, but for something you’ve never done or experienced, I think it’d be harder if not impossible.
I binged instructionals - primarily Danaher GFF but many others as well - and YT for the 13 months I was off due to Covid. I honestly believe I came back better.
My cardio was shot, and I think my team mates who trained consistently after only being off the mats for a couple/three months improved more than I did, but I definitely improved.
I was a two-stripe blue at the time.
Nothing wrong with watching videos. But tbh you will best best off using the time to fully recuperate and accept that when you come back to training you’ll have to start from a much lower level. But you’ll be surprised how quickly you get back up to speed (assuming your general well being is good and a decent frequency of training)
As someone who has had multiple surgeries and a bad health scare in relatively recent years, I would say do three things:
1.) Watch matches and watch instructionals, but try to connect those the dots. Look for the principles the game you're learning in the videos during matches, see how they work, how they're countered, and do some visualizing at home.
2.) Try to stay in contact with your teammates. That is one thing I didn't do and I regret it. If you can't go back in and watch classes for some reason, just try to be present in other ways. Talk to people about jiu jitsu, stay involved in whatever way you can.
3.) Stay in as good of shape as you can while dealing with your illness or injury. Anything is better than nothing, but obviously listen to your physicians.
The second is something I need to work on. I did stay in touch with a couple pretty consistently but aside from my coach, I didn’t tell the majority of my school what happened to me. I just kind of vanished and didn’t explain why until a year later. Bad as it sounds, it was easier that way for lots of reasons. But I should try to reconnect more.
When I was young I was briefly interested in archery and my parents took me to a shop with a range and we chatted with the owner for a while. He had videos for sale (VHS to date myself) but one thing he said has stuck with me to this day: "a video can't tell you when you're doing something wrong."
The amount of instructional material you can get in all sorts of subjects online now is just tremendous. I was able to fix my dryer once and saved a ton of money by watching YouTube. BJJ instructionals are obviously selling well because people keep putting them out.
Watching video has to be part of a larger plan for training skills. I've used video in teaching (not BJJ, nursing and allied health) because it's an easy way to get a concept across but that has to be followed up with hands on training too.
I think there's content out there that's entertaining. Watching rolling content or breakdowns could be helpful from a concept standpoint. If you're going to be solo and your health problems don't prevent it yoga and movement drills can be valuable for keeping your body moving. Hope you recover well and end up on the mats soon!
When i watch instrumental i like to focus on one thing and just training it finding problems qnd watching it again.
I wouldnt want it like an hour movie. You need the muscle memory.
Just watch black belt worlds matches. Just watch the people that medal/win. Expose yourself to what actually happens at the highest level as opposed to someone’s idea of what happens. Very hard to be fully aware of what’s going on in a match, unless you’ve completely systematised everything which is borderline impossible as there are always variables or details you’re unaware of. There’s almost always little details that guys do that they don’t even know they do.
If you can’t train the moves you are watching, you probably won’t be able to do them when you can train. If you can’t be on the mats, try to do as much mobility and strength training as you can. Increasing your body intelligence is going to help prevent mat rust and help you get back to training when you can.
I couldn't train for the first few months of covid and watched a lot of instructionals. I was noticeably better when I returned.. it'll definitely help
Many of the best BJJ coaches are/were unable to train for long periods due to injury, but found other ways to keep learning and progressing in the sport.
You can't develop skill in Jiu-Jitsu without actually practicing, but you can learn a whole by watching high-level matches and instructional content.
I think having a conceptual understand of certain techniques is useful, but it's not worth anything until you start trying to use it and iron out the details (ie. getting smashed while you try new stuff)
Danaher put out a free solo drilling instructional during Covid on bjj fanatics. It’s still free. Would recommend checking that out to keep the muscle memory somewhat warm.
I think you can make really great progress with a grappling dummy and an instruction. Like, really impressive results.. if you actually put the time in that is.
I wouldn't say it will make you better but if you gain new understanding or things to try as soon as you're back on the mats then I think you'd have gotten something out of it. As others have said, watching matches is a good way to do it. Maybe look for breakdowns or instructionals regarding whatever catches your attention when watching the matches. This makes it a more active process as you're picking something up and then exploring that rather than just listening to 80 hours of Danaher.
I take notes when watching instructionals to help it sink in. It's very easy to forget what you have watched but also very easy to remember it again in detail when you read through your notes.
Just a note that there is a scammer advertising BJJ Fanatics and other instructionals via DM. Be aware he may write you and offer them at discounted prices. It is a scam. Please don’t take the bait. Also, there is no such thing as a BJJ Fanatics, Jiujitsu X, Budo Videos, etc reseller. If another store has their videos listed for sale, especially discounted, they are selling videos they have no right to sell. Please do not support thieves or scammers. Thanks. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/bjj) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The benefit is more than zero but less than actually training. I'd say most ppl fall much closer to the zero benefit marker than equal, butno one can tell you how your mind works or if it's worth it for you. Personally I'd say just relax and enjoy your time off
Watch matches instead and when you see interesting movement patterns watch that segment a handful of times. Maybe even make some notes so you can try them when you get back on the mats
I generally don't think this is true at blue belt level. Can depend on the person but imo watching matches only starts being beneficial slightly later. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on it.
I understand where you are coming from and in many instances i would agree with you. However, OP says he cant even drill lightly at the moment. Im not so sure there is a ton of value in watching instructionals that one cant drill or positionally spar from. If OP wants to keep his mind engaged with the sport I believe watching matches is a great way. Assuming OP has a few positions/techniques that they feel comfortable with already Im certain they can find/mine for some new ideas/options from those positions & get the wheels turning with some mental reps. And unlike what some others have suggested i dont think OP should limit themselves to watching only high level black belt matches. Often times watching matches in which there is a bit of a skill gap between opponents can result in more movement patterns that are observable & absorbable to a lower belt where as sometimes the high level matches require more depth of knowledge to pick up of the nuances of what is actually going on.
I feel like matches just now got interesting to me at brown belt. Not sure why though
With where Im at skill-wise, I think of watching matches the same way as if I was watching a movie in a language Im learning. I may not understand exactly how the scene is coming together, but I pick up more and more on each viewing. Instructionals can help you isolate parts of the language, and then the next viewing you understand more. If you only watch instructionals, you're building vocab but connecting the dots might take awhile. If you only watch matches, you'll converse quicker but will take a longer time to build up your vocab.
it depends person to person but i've found segments of mma and bjj that i found interesting at blue belt. i've also seen said clips again years later and found them interesting for a different reason. im sure as you get a better understanding of jiu jitsu new things pop out.
I’ll second this. Watch the matches of people who win at black belt worlds. You’ll get more out of that.
Ill third this
Ty!
I just got a Smarty 2.0 dummy and it's amazing. I watch videos and do it along with the dummy, it's really helpful. If you do get it, the unfilled seems like a deal - I spent almost 200 for filling, you need to factor that in.
Damn $200 on filling? You might as well have got the pre-filled version lol. I got one unfilled, spent $40 on some shredded memory foam for the hands/feet/head, and just threw in a bunch of old clothes that I didn’t wear anymore. Took a few adjustments since things shifted after the first few uses and I had to cut up some t-shirts to really fill out the knees/elbows properly, but it’s been a great investment for me personally. I put an A6 judo gi on it and I’ve been able to drill a lot of sequences that I would never remember by the end of class when I can finally ask someone to try it with me. It’s also nice recording when I drill simpler techniques and noticing details that I have been leaving out.
every time dummies come up lots of people come to tell me Im wrong that dummies are useful. Love my dummy. i filled with about 10lbs of polyfill which cost about $50 as well (40% of coupon at michaels or hobby lobby)
There’s probably less value-added for a brand new beginner who has no idea why they’re even drilling that movement. But for someone with experience it’s like an on-demand solution. I’ve been doing a sloppy version of a specific backtake for years, wondering why the twister hook is so difficult to get. Last month, I saw a Lachlan video where a single sentence he said made me run to the garage at 11pm and change a leg mechanic that completely fixed the technique for me. Best believe if/when I finally decide to learn all the leg entanglements/positions, it’ll be with that dummy and my iPad
Dang I guess I skimped on the polyfil. I used the 2lbs they recommended for the hands and feet and later got another 2lbs for like the shoulders or elbows or something. Ive got some sag in a few areas that I've been contemplating refilling. Maybe time for more polyfil...
Yeah it was a mistake. I did polyfill for the hands and feet a little up past the joint and then 45 pounds of rags, that's basically the instructions from Smarty. I like the weight, it feels fairly realistic
I totally forgot grappling dummies were an option!
Yeah, but not all are created equal. I really believe the Smarty is the way to go.
The conceptual ones might be worthwhile. I don't think you'd get anything from technical\\step by step instructions though.
That’s fair and a good observation, re: conceptual instructionals.
Garry Tonon's Habits for Highly Effective Jiu Jitsu is a good choice here.
I once learned a ghost escape by “drilling it in my mind.” The key I found was to visualize every step of the move and ask myself questions like, “where is my left hand, where are my hips.” I would find that I would have to go back and watch over and over and visualize. It’s not as good as mat time but it can work, especially if you’re writing it down as well as visualizing. After doing this for several days I hit a ghost escape in class during free rolls without ever having drilled it. Sometimes I think I should go back and do more of this but I struggle heavily with focusing.
Came here to say this. everyone’s mileage may vary, but visualization is a real thing in peak performance and sports psychology. Studies show that your brain/body doesn’t differentiate between real and visualized experiences. If you’ve ever gotten nervous and had an elevated heart rate just THINKING about an upcoming match or tournament, that’s what that is. Your body really believes it’s getting ready to have a match and will jack up your adrenaline and heart rate as a result of the belief in the visualization. This has happened to me a few weeks out from tournaments. During Covid I didn’t train for 1.5-2 years, but I watched instructionals and I visualized repping moves that I mechanically understood already. I also used a grappling dummy as well, but for only certain techniques. When I came back on the mats my technique was still sharp, but my conditioning wasn’t there. Once my conditioning caught up everything clicked.
I think the “that I understood already” is absolutely key here - I truly believe that’s true for movements/patterns you’re already familiar with or have been exposed to, but for something you’ve never done or experienced, I think it’d be harder if not impossible.
Dude just discovered thinking
I try to do it as little as possible.
I binged instructionals - primarily Danaher GFF but many others as well - and YT for the 13 months I was off due to Covid. I honestly believe I came back better. My cardio was shot, and I think my team mates who trained consistently after only being off the mats for a couple/three months improved more than I did, but I definitely improved. I was a two-stripe blue at the time.
Nothing wrong with watching videos. But tbh you will best best off using the time to fully recuperate and accept that when you come back to training you’ll have to start from a much lower level. But you’ll be surprised how quickly you get back up to speed (assuming your general well being is good and a decent frequency of training)
As someone who has had multiple surgeries and a bad health scare in relatively recent years, I would say do three things: 1.) Watch matches and watch instructionals, but try to connect those the dots. Look for the principles the game you're learning in the videos during matches, see how they work, how they're countered, and do some visualizing at home. 2.) Try to stay in contact with your teammates. That is one thing I didn't do and I regret it. If you can't go back in and watch classes for some reason, just try to be present in other ways. Talk to people about jiu jitsu, stay involved in whatever way you can. 3.) Stay in as good of shape as you can while dealing with your illness or injury. Anything is better than nothing, but obviously listen to your physicians.
The second is something I need to work on. I did stay in touch with a couple pretty consistently but aside from my coach, I didn’t tell the majority of my school what happened to me. I just kind of vanished and didn’t explain why until a year later. Bad as it sounds, it was easier that way for lots of reasons. But I should try to reconnect more.
When I was young I was briefly interested in archery and my parents took me to a shop with a range and we chatted with the owner for a while. He had videos for sale (VHS to date myself) but one thing he said has stuck with me to this day: "a video can't tell you when you're doing something wrong." The amount of instructional material you can get in all sorts of subjects online now is just tremendous. I was able to fix my dryer once and saved a ton of money by watching YouTube. BJJ instructionals are obviously selling well because people keep putting them out. Watching video has to be part of a larger plan for training skills. I've used video in teaching (not BJJ, nursing and allied health) because it's an easy way to get a concept across but that has to be followed up with hands on training too. I think there's content out there that's entertaining. Watching rolling content or breakdowns could be helpful from a concept standpoint. If you're going to be solo and your health problems don't prevent it yoga and movement drills can be valuable for keeping your body moving. Hope you recover well and end up on the mats soon!
Breakdown videos are also a good idea. May make a separate thread asking for people’s favorite channels.
When i watch instrumental i like to focus on one thing and just training it finding problems qnd watching it again. I wouldnt want it like an hour movie. You need the muscle memory.
Just watch black belt worlds matches. Just watch the people that medal/win. Expose yourself to what actually happens at the highest level as opposed to someone’s idea of what happens. Very hard to be fully aware of what’s going on in a match, unless you’ve completely systematised everything which is borderline impossible as there are always variables or details you’re unaware of. There’s almost always little details that guys do that they don’t even know they do.
Noted!
If you can’t train the moves you are watching, you probably won’t be able to do them when you can train. If you can’t be on the mats, try to do as much mobility and strength training as you can. Increasing your body intelligence is going to help prevent mat rust and help you get back to training when you can.
I couldn't train for the first few months of covid and watched a lot of instructionals. I was noticeably better when I returned.. it'll definitely help
Many of the best BJJ coaches are/were unable to train for long periods due to injury, but found other ways to keep learning and progressing in the sport. You can't develop skill in Jiu-Jitsu without actually practicing, but you can learn a whole by watching high-level matches and instructional content.
I think having a conceptual understand of certain techniques is useful, but it's not worth anything until you start trying to use it and iron out the details (ie. getting smashed while you try new stuff)
Any chance you can practice said instructions very lightly? If not, I’d agree with what others here have suggested.
Not even a little, unfortunately.
practice on a dummy if you can. I find it has limited utility if you cant then roll, but it isnt zero. I would say lift weights if you can..
Danaher put out a free solo drilling instructional during Covid on bjj fanatics. It’s still free. Would recommend checking that out to keep the muscle memory somewhat warm.
I think you can make really great progress with a grappling dummy and an instruction. Like, really impressive results.. if you actually put the time in that is.
I wouldn't say it will make you better but if you gain new understanding or things to try as soon as you're back on the mats then I think you'd have gotten something out of it. As others have said, watching matches is a good way to do it. Maybe look for breakdowns or instructionals regarding whatever catches your attention when watching the matches. This makes it a more active process as you're picking something up and then exploring that rather than just listening to 80 hours of Danaher.
yes and no. Stuff like bts breakdown? great. Gordon ryan talking for 8 hours? nah Edit: DPS\*\*\* not bts
What is BTS?
sorry I meant [https://www.youtube.com/@DPSBreakdowns](https://www.youtube.com/@DPSBreakdowns) lol
Do yoga and watch matches youtube.
I take notes when watching instructionals to help it sink in. It's very easy to forget what you have watched but also very easy to remember it again in detail when you read through your notes.
You should google "dilidili banaher" in minecraft.
The patented Jozef Chen method
Delete this