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You're not crazy, you're drilling to win. No need for a consultation if the results are there.
I'm no one special but I think focusing solely on defense sets him up not to lose rather than trying to win. I think going back to being offensive would be a better way of teaching a newbie (even if its his second go round) I teach guys with zero experience and most have had success being the aggressor. Defense is important but its hard to be offensive with constant pressure.
As with leg locks, defense seems to be what people shy away from. Understandable though, because you'd rather not get caught in a leg lock and you'd rather learn a cool sub than a defensive technique. Sprinkle the defense in along the way, so as not to burn them out.
When I started out, I quickly understood I must have my defenses on point, since everyone was 6 ft, 180+ lbs. I figured, have a great defense, and one would not have to worry about getting caught, then be able to concentrate on offense. So it seems like your strategy will work. Remember, different people will learn differently. Some want to learn the cool subs first, then the defense later. So it's imperative that you sprinkle a bit of "this" here, and "that", there.
Rick
Jiu Jitsu in origin is for self defense and nothing says self defense more than keeping yourself alive. Once you can survive, then you can really progress. I think this strategy will pay off tremendously in the long run. There really is something to be said for being incredibly hard to tap and that is something I also pride myself in.
This isn't at all how I train, but I have no doubt that it can be effective. I have always felt that if you're defending against my submission, you can't be applying one to me, so I attack relentlessly in order to defend myself. There have been times when I've been so ashamed in my defense that I'even taken pains to fix it; I drilled side control escapes very heavily for year, for example.
Probably the most important thing is not to burn out a young athlete. I stepped away from wrestling for four years in my prime, which I regret to this day. As long as Noah is confident and excited about jiujitsu, you're doing something right. Just make sure that he realizes losing and tapping out are not the end of the world and that winning is not the sole measure of his value as a person.
Your approach is similar to what Roger Gracie did and it paid off for him. He said that once he was not afraid of being submitted he could relax was able to work his offence more.
I am going to approach this from another side, not from someone who trains JJ, but from a teacher's perspective
Do what ever he is interested in. If he is having fun, then do that. If he starts to get bored, get irritated, not dig it, then switch things up. Doing the same thing, day in, day out, for a kid is torture. Kids learn quickly and have few issues remembering things and they are so fast with muscle memory. Sometimes we, as adults, seek perfection in what they do. Perfection will come with time and at their pace, not ours. Give him the knowledge and see what he does with it...it is his journey at the end of the day.
My call would be drill defense, but throw in some offense, some days why drill at all? Just roll and laugh...make it fun. If he is loose and relaxed he'll really learn what he can do. Also, ask him what he wants to do. Maybe he's been checking out some move on youtube and trying to figure it out or he wants to try it...do it.
That's just my 2 cents.
In my very humble, blue belt opinion, having great submission defense gives you a lot of confidence when you roll or compete. You are not afraid to take risks that could lead to being put in a very dangerous situations because you know that you will be able to get out of it. Personally, I drill some sort of defensive technique or a reversal every day that I train. One week I would drill mount escapes, all week long. Next week, arm bar escapes, all week long. Next week, I would do triangle escapes and so on.
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Sounds pretty cool, interested to see what happens down the road. I think when learning/teaching anything, including jiu jitsu, i think understanding what you want to accomplish/express is important. Some moves in jj work better gi, no gi, mma, self defense, point format, sub only, body type, etc.
Z-guard at a high level is difficult to be passed or submitted from, but often in mma someone utilizing Z-guard gets smashed in the face with punches. Although I'm a big fan of the lockdown, which works no gi and mma, it seems difficult to use when facing an opponent who has a considerable advantage in terms of weight and strength. Although those are technique based ideas, the same thought process can be applied and expanded to bigger and broader ideas/concepts, like strengthening defense over offense, or developing bottom game over top game.
Just a couple ideas of certain approaches being more or less efficient depending on certain context. I think understanding what you want to accomplish/express will create belief in what you are learning/teaching, and i think having that belief will make the journey that much easier.
Don't worry about the taps, it builds character. Focus on the fun part of Jiu Jitsu, the offense, and throw some defense in there too but I've known quite a few very good defensive Jiu Jitsu players that were super defensive minded and they ended up quitting because they got bored. Defense is huge but offense is even bigger in my opinion. Look at Marcelo, he's on the attack most of the time, like a quarterback sitting in the pocket keeping his eyes on his recievers NOT the defensive lineman out to crush him, he's got those dudes in his peripheral. Imagine if a QB dropped back in the pocket and looked linebackers in the eye as they rushed, he would never complete a pass. :)
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I don't know as much about JJ but I do know a bit about youth wrestling. And more particularly what youth wrestling can do for your other grappling. I would take a close look at what his favorite wrestling offensive tactics were and find a way to mesh the two. Find the places where his wrestling meets up with his JJ or potentially can. I noticed for example when my kids were wrestling Freestyle that the Front Head lock they often grab for a gator roll would be a great set up for an Anaconda Choke. (They can't use that choke yet, but it's an example of what I mean.)
He was probably getting submitted because wrestlers end up in a lot of positions to avoid pins instinctively that make them vulnerable to submissions. Particularly chokes. My son went back to Judo/BJJ and had a rough time because he was giving up his back a lot. My daughter on the other hand went on the offensive and got a Rear naked Choke easily on a girl who outranked her just due to her new mat sense from 7 months of wrestling.
Another thing I would say is be sure he doesn't give up the work ethic and conditioning of a wrestler, as it generally is superior to most other types of grappling.
I linked this video once before but this kid is a destroyer who medals in Wrestling, Judo, and BJJ, Gi and No Gi. This video is from early in his career. He has since gone on to Pan Ams and winning Naga frequently.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV06_SQTUIU
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