Varations in BJJ

Varations in BJJ

I like to talk about Varations in BJJ. Variation: A common strand of thinking that I observe in coaches and athletes is the idea that there is a correct way of performing a given move and any deviation from that is a step in the wrong direction. This kind of sentiment works well in a beginners class where you are trying to give students a firm foundation upon which to take their first steps, but as you progress higher in the sport, there comes a realization that there is almost always more than one correct way of performing that move. Much more important than the move itself is the set of mechanical principles that underlay eachmove. beginner students try to stay true to the move as it was originally taught to them, but more advanced students try to stay true to the underlying principles behind the move and go from there. This allows them considerable leeway in their actual performance of any given move so that fascinating variations and improvisations can occur, but which still work in accordance with the essential mechanical foundations upon which the move is based. This sometimes has amusing consequences – you will see a beginner claiming a world champion is performing a move incorrectly because he is using a variation different from the one he was shown, but in truth, that champion is operating in accordance with the same over arching principles.