How to use online tape/footage and other resources to improve?

[Ivan]

Hi guys. As many of you know, I aspire to compete professionally in BJJ and at a high level too. I am aware that many high level competitors study tape and footage to improve their jiujitsu. However, I am unsure of how to actually study it, where to start, and how it would actually carry over to the mats. So far, the only thing I’ve been doing it is finding all the videos of a specific technique or set of techniques within a position I am focusing on, and constantly watch them on repeat over time to absorb as many details as I can whilst I focus my training time on hitting that technique.

Every now and then, I will watch some stuff online for the sake/fun of it because I am bored, but I will rarely actually use it or focus on it. As for watching tape, I just don’t know what to look for. Should I watch tape of people applying the techniques I am focusing on? Watch stuff for general concepts? Also, can we talk about how downright boring competitive BJJ matches are to watch? It’s terribly unexciting.

 

[dunc]

For me there are a few different ways I use videos to supplement my training

1 - Instructionals &/or paid online sites. These cost money but are the best source of quality assured content (assuming you choose to buy/subscribe to high level high quality instructors). I use these as reference material. When I’m working on a specific area I can go deep into it with these kind of videos, or when I get back from class and want to look up some detail I was missing or counter to a specific situation I find these to be the most reliable option. But, they cost money….

2 - YouTube clips / techniques. These are a good free resource and if you focus on well known & respected folk it can be a great way to problem solve a particular issue. But it’s hard to go deep into a position/skill from YouTube and you have to filter out the crap that won’t work at a high level (which is a surprisingly high percentage)

3 - Watching competition footage. Useful if you have the knowledge to see what’s actually going on and a great way to study meta principles like timing, pace and strategy. In terms of developing specific skills its more limited as often you can’t see the whole picture or some key details and you have no control over what’s being shown

Generally speaking I find the videos on pure concepts to be less useful than ones sharing details and options around specific situations/positions

Hope this helps

 

[Oily Dragon]

Hi guys. As many of you know, I aspire to compete professionally in BJJ and at a high level too. I am aware that many high level competitors study tape and footage to improve their jiujitsu. However, I am unsure of how to actually study it, where to start, and how it would actually carry over to the mats. So far, the only thing I’ve been doing it is finding all the videos of a specific technique or set of techniques within a position I am focusing on, and constantly watch them on repeat over time to absorb as many details as I can whilst I focus my training time on hitting that technique.

Every now and then, I will watch some stuff online for the sake/fun of it because I am bored, but I will rarely actually use it or focus on it. As for watching tape, I just don’t know what to look for. Should I watch tape of people applying the techniques I am focusing on? Watch stuff for general concepts? Also, can we talk about how downright boring competitive BJJ matches are to watch? It’s terribly unexciting.

Before I entered full contact fighting competition, I was in the middle of my BJJ experience. So I recommend watching actual competiton video, especially of the people/schools you are competing against. If you don't know who you might be saddled with, practically every BJJ school that competes has video archives. Watch some actual matches in your weight class/belt level. Be especially watchful for sandbaggers (white/blue belts who dominate, those guys are the worst).

Whatever you do, don't watch technical videos of people instructing or demoing technique in the gym. If you're comp prepared you don't need those. You need to watch natural, wild competiton, warts and all.

Also, never underestimate training montages, especially kung fu ones from the 1970s. Try to watch this and not go train. I just did a forward roll.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

watching actual competiton video,

This video prove that "side kick, spin back fist" combo work.

I am unsure of how to actually study it, where to start, and how it would actually carry over to the mats.

How hard can it be to learn this take down from video?

- push shoulder,
- pull leg.

 

[drop bear]

I recently did a seminar with a guy who hounded on the importance of finding video online of quality guys and exploring new concepts. And he was legitimately good. But he was also very young. 20 something?

Which I thought was a new development in the mindset of martial artists.

How I will probably approach it is to have a personal project outside of class structure and be applying that via videos and just bailing up experienced guys and harassing them.

And then use that to springboard my next development.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Like many experienced MA practitioners on this site, I'm not a fan of learning specific techniques from a video. Sooner or later, you will need a coach or instructor to learn how to properly apply the technique with all its subtleties and provide feedback.

But video, like YouTube, is good to see different tactical approaches, how others set up or enter the technique or recover from an unsuccessful attempt. It exposes you to a lot of different things you may not see in your gym/dojo. You just need to differentiate gems from junk.

It also provides a variety of examples of styles of fighting - the way they move. Not so much what they do, but how they do it. Everyone fights/moves differently in a manner that fits them. You have an opportunity to view and try to fight in these different styles and find one that fits you - allowing you to use your skills and body in a way that's more natural and effective for you. Sort of like having a cooking book where you can leaf thru the pages and find a recipe that looks tasty to you.

So, I think videos can be useful in this more general sense.

 

[drop bear]

Like many experienced MA practitioners on this site, I'm not a fan of learning specific techniques from a video. Sooner or later, you will need a coach or instructor to learn how to properly apply the technique with all its subtleties and provide feedback.

But video, like YouTube, is good to see different tactical approaches, how others set up or enter the technique or recover from an unsuccessful attempt. It exposes you to a lot of different things you may not see in your gym/dojo. You just need to differentiate gems from junk.

It also provides a variety of examples of styles of fighting - the way they move. Not so much what they do, but how they do it. Everyone fights/moves differently in a manner that fits them. You have an opportunity to view and try to fight in these different styles and find one that fits you - allowing you to use your skills and body in a way that's more natural and effective for you. Sort of like having a cooking book where you can leaf thru the pages and find a recipe that looks tasty to you.

So, I think videos can be useful in this more general sense.

The thing is he does bjj. And so there are guys who are better than his coach doing instructionals for free.

He would be foolish not to take advantage of that.

 

[dunc]

Like many experienced MA practitioners on this site, I'm not a fan of learning specific techniques from a video. Sooner or later, you will need a coach or instructor to learn how to properly apply the technique with all its subtleties and provide feedback.

But video, like YouTube, is good to see different tactical approaches, how others set up or enter the technique or recover from an unsuccessful attempt. It exposes you to a lot of different things you may not see in your gym/dojo. You just need to differentiate gems from junk.

It also provides a variety of examples of styles of fighting - the way they move. Not so much what they do, but how they do it. Everyone fights/moves differently in a manner that fits them. You have an opportunity to view and try to fight in these different styles and find one that fits you - allowing you to use your skills and body in a way that's more natural and effective for you. Sort of like having a cooking book where you can leaf thru the pages and find a recipe that looks tasty to you.

So, I think videos can be useful in this more general sense.

The issue in BJJ (& other arts too I guess, but seems to me to be much more important in BJJ) is that missing a small detail can make the difference between a technique winning you the match or you ending up in a terrible position

As a minimum you need to fully understand these details for your game that you’ll impose in the match. You get these details from your coach yes, but a lot of them come from your own study and experimentation. Which is much more efficient if you have access to high level people teaching the elements of your game and going deep into it