#35 - The Black Temple's Greg Souders - Coach Souders interview with Brian Willis.
Jan 13, 2023
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Explore the application of Ecological Dynamics to Striking and Grappling in MMA. Discuss the shift from high-volume drills to problem-solving approaches in coaching. Emphasize the importance of personalized coaching considerations for effectiveness. Contrast teaching principles and concepts over specific techniques. Highlight effective teaching methods starting with the end goal in mind.
Effective movements like the guillotine strangle emerged historically from compressing the neck, highlighting efficient solutions with low energy cost.
Coaches need to master subject matter to design effective practices, organizing them to help students acquire necessary skills for effective gameplay.
Transitioning from Gi to No-Gi grappling shifted focus from clothing control to understanding body control, emphasizing fundamental control without relying on the jacket.
Deep dives
Exploring the Emergence of Effective Strangles in Grappling
Historical emergence is discussed, illustrating how solutions like the guillotine strangle emerged out of effective movements like compressing the neck. The initial effective solution leads to exploring its efficiency in achieving consistent outcomes with low energy cost.
The Importance of Coaching Skills and Understanding Objectives
The significance of being a master of the subject matter to design practices effectively is emphasized. Coaches are described as needing to know the purpose of the game and organizing practices to help students acquire the skills to play effectively, based on understanding problems faced by students towards achieving objectives.
Transitioning from Gi to No-Gi in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The shift from Gi to No-Gi grappling is contextualized as moving away from using clothing as a controlling mechanism. The decision to remove the Gi was spurred by the realization that focusing on the use of the jacket for control limited the understanding of body control, leading to a shift in training focus towards understanding fundamental control without relying on the jacket.
Teaching Approach in Classes
The podcast discusses a teaching approach in grappling classes that focuses on three main situations: standing, guard, and pinning. The emphasis is on ensuring that students experience and practice scenarios from each of these situations regularly to enhance skill acquisition. Beginners start with foundational aspects like chest-to-chest pinning before progressing to more advanced standing situations, emphasizing gradual skill development to avoid overwhelming students.
Concept of Seven Levers System
The podcast explores the concept of the seven levers system in grappling, where the body is viewed as a system of levers comprising two legs, two arms, hips, and shoulders. The strategy involves attacking the periphery to access the center mass for control. By manipulating these levers through extension and contraction, grapplers can immobilize, isolate, and reattach the periphery to establish control over opponents. Understanding and effectively utilizing the leverage system enhances vulnerability and manipulation during engagements.
Brian reached out to both myself and Standard Jiu-jitsu's Greg Souders to talk about our application of Ecological Dynamics to Striking and Grappling respectively.
With Brian's blessing he allowed me to share these interviews here on my podcast, given his interviews (over 350 of them) are available for his subscribers to his online platform.
Brian was a very engaging and great interviewer and both Greg and I were thankful for the opportunity and fun conversations. While neither Greg or I have much insight into law enforcement, Brian similarly is in a constant pursuit of how we can make training more optimal and effective for our domains.