Greg Sounders - An Ecological Approach To Jiujitsu
Aug 22, 2023
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Legendary Greg Souders, owner of Standard Jiu Jitsu, takes us through the ecological dynamics approach to jiujitsu, emphasizing change through small sided games. He discusses breaking the mold and misleading practices in coaching and rehab. Handling pushback from the jujitsu community, eliminating waste in football practice, and focusing on retention rate and gym culture. Understanding endurance and recovery in combat sports, teaching recovery strategies, and building endurance through high volume and high frequency training.
The ecological dynamics approach in Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes focusing on foundational behaviors and task goals instead of static drills and techniques.
Beginners in Jiu-Jitsu should embrace confusion and discomfort while practicing, and cultivate a culture that encourages failure and growth mindset.
Applying the ecological approach to skilled athletes in Jiu-Jitsu allows for refining technical aspects and breaking attractors through variability and problem-solving.
Deep dives
Embracing the Ecological Approach in Jiu-Jitsu
The podcast episode features Greg Sauters, the owner of Standard Jiu-Jitsu, who discusses the ecological dynamics approach to Jiu-Jitsu and its departure from traditionalist methods. Greg emphasizes the importance of focusing on foundational behaviors and task goals rather than static drills and strict techniques. He shares his own journey of experimenting with this approach on himself and how it led to a more efficient and effective way of training. He also addresses the criticisms he receives, including the misconception that live training cannot produce skill and the notion that this approach is simply situational sparring. Greg highlights the benefits of variability and variation in practice, as well as the importance of breaking attractors and fostering self-organization among athletes. Overall, the episode sheds light on the game-based and ecological approach in Jiu-Jitsu and its potential for revolutionizing the sport.
Changing Expectations and Cultivating Skill in Beginners
Greg discusses the importance of setting the right expectations for beginners in Jiu-Jitsu. He emphasizes the need for them to embrace the confusion and difficulty of practice and to be comfortable with the discomfort that comes with learning a complex skill. Greg also explains the process of guiding beginners through variability and novelty in practice to prevent attractors from forming. He shares insights on how to reorient their focus and intention during practice to help them work towards achieving their goals. Additionally, he highlights the importance of creating a culture that embraces failure and encourages perseverance, discipline, and a growth mindset.
Unleashing the Potential of Skilled Athletes
Greg dives into the challenges and opportunities presented when applying the ecological approach to skilled athletes in Jiu-Jitsu. He explains how this approach allows for a focus on refining and cleaning up technical aspects rather than building new physical and psychological habits. Greg also discusses the existence of attractors in skilled athletes and the importance of adding variability and novelty to practice to uncover and break these attractors. He shares his strategies of stimulating the athletes' thinking and problem-solving abilities without explicitly telling them what to do. Additionally, he highlights the value of theoretical discussions and debriefs with dedicated athletes to enhance their self-analysis and self-organization skills.
Addressing Backlash and Changing Perspectives
Greg addresses the common criticisms and pushback he receives regarding the game-based and ecological approach in Jiu-Jitsu. He addresses the misconceptions that arise, such as the belief that this approach is nothing new or that live training leads to injuries. Greg shares his experiences of engaging with critics by sharing his methodology and results, inviting them to experience his program firsthand, and spreading the message through various platforms. He also highlights the positive feedback and growing interest he receives from coaches and practitioners who see the potential of this approach to revolutionize the sport and break free from traditionalism and waste.
Emphasizing the importance of trial and error in coaching
Coaches should prioritize helping athletes analyze their trial and error experiences and understand why they succeed or fail. By focusing on the process and encouraging self-reflection, coaches can teach athletes to be invested in their own development and improve their performance. This behavior should be taught by coaches, as it is not innate and requires effort from both the athlete and the coach.
Creating a culture of self-organization and athlete accountability
The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of shifting the focus from being a 'daddy' coach who provides all the answers to empowering athletes to take responsibility for their own progress. This approach involves creating an environment where athletes are encouraged to think critically, problem-solve, and explore different ways of achieving their goals. The coach's role is to support the athlete in navigating the training environment and cultivate a culture of independence, freedom, and personal growth. The retention rate may be low for athletes who prefer a more traditional coaching approach, but this strategy ultimately leads to a dedicated group of athletes who align with the gym's culture and values.
On this episode of the podcast we have the legendary Greg Souders - Owner of Standard Jiu Jitsu and on this episode of the podcast Greg takes us down the rabbit holes of the ecological dynamics approach to jiujitsu – how he creates change in his athletes technique through small sided games and why he isn’t daddy – this is a legendary podcast with a even better dude and I hope you get as much out of it as I did – think you for listening – keep chopping wood
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