5 Tips for Building a Jiu-Jitsu Game plan

In Jiu-Jitsu, the advice of "have a gameplan" or to "stick to your game" is often mentioned so frequently that it is sometimes difficult to consider what this is referring to for your progress as a wrestler, which is frustrating when you think you ought to be able to do something. Still, you're not exactly sure of the skill you want to grow.

A game plan is similar to having a plan. You use a few routines regularly to connect and help each other out and create a logical "path" for you to follow. If a game begins, you are aware of the type of takedowns or guard will perform, and for every position throughout the game, it is clear what the favorite strategy is. 

You also have a good idea of the way your opponent will respond to allow your own set of re-counters that you can easily stash away in your sleeve.

Your strategy could be to pull the spider guard. If your opponent rebuffs your basic spider guard sweeps, you are forced to employ lasso hooks to fend off more advanced sweeps while also searching at the triangular and the omoplata. 

If you succeed with the sweep, you'll likely be in a knee-on-belly position due to the nature of these sweeps, which means that a large part of your best game could be based on the knee-on-belly attack as transitions.

And so on.

A game plan is helpful because it removes the uncertainty of what you should do and what time to do it. After you've spent many hours improving your technique, It's similar to doing laps on the same track. Your timing becomes extremely precise when you race against someone else. 

If they try to compete against you at your track, they'll be unable to keep pace. You know when the turns are coming. Know where the dirt is. You know where you can risk it all and need to be cautious. Your adversaries won't feel as secure because they've never spent as long on this particular route as you have.

When your game plan and style evolve, Here are five tips to remember:

1. It's not unusual for you to have no strategy. You're an expert in technique at the white belt level and in the case of the blue belt. It isn't about having your style down at this point but being familiar with the broad image of Jiu-Jitsu in a more general manner. This is essential to your progress because you have to be aware of what's out there to fight it, and you won't be able to discover the most effective techniques for you if you don't understand what's available in the first place. Don't get too difficult on yourself if you have reached the purple belt stage but aren't sure what you're looking for in terms of your style.

2. Fill in the gaps. One of the most effective ways to improve your game of yours is to pinpoint and fix your weak points. Write down your favourite things you perform from various places, or look back at your recent roll against your training partners that are close or over your belt level. How do you avoid being stuck? What are the chances of escape? Which position do you find yourself in with no clear plan of what to do? The answers to these questions will provide ways to practice and help identify and define your most-used strategies for challenging positions.

3. Seek out connections. A winning game plan is based on efficiency, which means closing the gaps between strategies until they look seamless. For instance, if you are a fan of butterfly sweeps, you'll likely have to cross knee pass quite often to finish the sweep in a high-end position. You'll likely finish with leg drags or over-under passes if you're a fan of the Riva guard. If you're unsure of what you should build your game plan, begin by focusing on a specific position or tactic you're familiar with and build upon it. It could be a sweep, takedown, guard move, or even submission. Consider: What will happen most often if I choose to try this? And what do I do?

4. Develop your game around the submission. If you have no idea where to begin, choose a flexible submission you particularly enjoy. When I refer to it as versatile, I'm talking about a move that can be performed from various locations. You can use most of the basic attacks, like armbars triangular, Kimuras chokes that cross collars or omoplatas for this. After you've picked the proper submission, focus on striking it as often as possible. Try to finish by hitting that particular attack. This will challenge you to create a series of set-ups and counters that finish with the one you like best. Shortly, you'll be playing a game that revolves around one particular attack.

5. Experimentation is a good thing when it is done in moderate amounts. In jiu-jitsu, there are two extremes in training mentalities. Some grapplers engage in wide-open lose games in which they are trying to bait and move as they try to learn one of the dozen new techniques they want to work on. Another extreme is grapplers performing the same routine each time they roll over and over without fail or deviation. If you're spending too long on either side, your progress will be slowed. People who do too much experimentation aren't likely to become proficient at particular positions. In contrast, those who don't try will be left back because they're not pushing beyond their comfort zones.

Instead of staying in one direction and focusing on your training, you should alternate to find a balance. For two months, experiment with different positions and concepts (fully accepting that you'll be a bit sloppy while you are learning these). Over the next two months, you will be able to tighten your game by returning to your most-loved tactics and techniques like you are practicing for the competition. 

If you continue to follow this training pattern, you'll notice that each time you return to the competitive mindset, a few of your new methods follow and become a part of your regular game. It is not always the case only one out of 5 times, but your game will improve.

Continue training!

Your game plan won't materialize overnight. It'll take time to evolve, and you'll discover your style as you learn about new aspects of Jiu-Jitsu or new methods and concepts. 

This is part of the jiu-Jitsu journey, and beginning to think about your Jiu-Jitsu will make the experience more enjoyable and efficient.