When we talk about mental training in Jiu-Jitsu, we could be referring to many different things. When some people hear of mental training they think about mental toughness. Mental training to others could mean visualization. In this post, we are going to think of the mental training that goes on while training and moving the body. More specifically, we are talking about mental training that takes place while drilling in a controlled environment with a partner that is not giving active resistance. The drilling partner is moving in a predictable pattern according to the desires of the person practicing the move. This type of mental training leads to a deeper understanding of technique being implemented and body control. The side effects of this mental training leads to a better understanding and internalizing the concepts of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
The term mental training is used because this type of training can be more mentally demanding then physically demanding. Doing this type of mental training takes great mental control, discipline, and focus. More importantly, this is a mental exercise to help those learn a new movement or improve a movement that is giving them some type of trouble.
The training in theory is very basic and simple. Your movement in according with or without a partner is slow and precise. Slow meaning every movement is clear and defined. Not only does going slow exposes any flaws in the movement, but also shows to the person doing the move their complete understanding and mastery of the movement. This is essential for implementation in competition. Precision meaning without any extra movement. When there are extra steps involved to execute a technique. The movement becomes weaker. Extra steps means more time for the other person to react and counter attack. Therefore, precision is essential in the slower stages.
As a matter of fact speed is the biggest control we need to exercise in this type of mental training. The tendency is going to always want to do things fast. Most of us have been taught that is sports or physical education, we need to be bigger, faster, stronger. Unfortunately, this works agains all basic concepts of technical mastery in Jiu-Jitsu. The most technical will always take the time to slow the process down to minimal speeds. The idea is that if the movement can't be performed at slow speeds accurately, then there is no chance for the movement to take place accurately at faster speeds.
This process of mental training through slower effective movement is two fold. By slowing the movement down dramatically, the practitioner is better able to advance to the next position. The slower speed leads to accuracy. On the other hand, without ever slowing down the movement and performing the move with only speed while lacking precision the movement pattern is usually compromised. Therefore, a move performed intentionally slower with precision may find more success at times then a move done half-hazardly with speed, but lacking in precision.
As an example, we should consider the slow motion speed on a camera. The best of the best in mental training would be able to execute the technique with the same precision and exactness as a match, but slowed down by 16, 32 or even 64 times the speed of implementation. Being able to do this shows, complete understanding of the technique through body control, awareness, precision, and accuracy.
The origin of kata or forms training lies in this type of mental training. Although it seems like many people, martial artists and others, seem to knock the practice. When understood, there can be great benefit to the practice. The significance lies in knowing how your partner would and could react..... Or said in another way, getting your partner to react in a certain way. This type of mental training has some cross-over with visualization. In many ways it's a complimentary practice to visualization since all the steps we take in visualization should be slow and precise.
In summary, mental training can take on many different forms of practice. Here, we talk about how to perform mental training through drilling. Slow, precise, and intentional movements with a partner who will give you the reaction you are looking for with little to no resistance. The most difficult struggle to implementing this type of training is resisting the desire to control your speed. For whatever reason, we tend to go much faster then necessary when drilling. The best masters of mental training should appear to be executing the technique as though they are in a match, but with the process slowed down 32 to 64 times. This leads to difficulty performing the technique when faced with true resistance. Interestingly, this type of mental training is much like the form or kata training seen in traditional martial arts.
Eliot Kelly
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