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Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
12 © 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com
Online learning experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Hannu Leinonen MSc FIMAS PhD Student*
*Recipient of the Golden Pen Award
Key words: Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, online learning
Abstract
This is a short article about my experience of learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It started in a local club
three years ago and has drifted towards online learning. The article includes an invitation to join an
experiment to test collaborative group learning on the internet. Thanks to Mr. Toni Tapaninen for
proof reading.
Introduction
I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu three years ago. My learning began in regular classes, but gradually the
online information has become more and more important in my studies. In this article I’ll reflect on
why my interest has shifted towards internet and I’ll also try to evaluate the pros and cons of online
learning.
To understand how I acquire information or knowledge, it’s good to know why. From James Lee-
Barron’s list of reasons (Lee-Barron 2011) for starting Martial Arts training, mine are physical health
and fitness, psychological and social. I like learning a new skill and learning a combat skill makes
sense to me. I’ve done it 20 – 30 years and most of the time as an instructor. First time I stumbled on
grappling was in Han Moo Do training five years ago. I’ve always liked keeping a punching distance
from an opponent so grappling was very new to me. Learning about grappling was a challenge and I
assumed it to be good core workout too. (I did not have the postural awareness and tactile senses to
observe the opponents movement when I started – a totally new experience for me.)
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
© 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com 13
One factor which might be of importance is that I am a teacher. I teach multimedia and video
production at a vocational institute to future video and web professionals. I’ve always been interested
in online learning and teaching. I feel at home working with the internet. What can be learned from
the web, DVDs, apps or books and what should be left for qualified Martial Arts instructors?
Before starting my notes on three years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, I need to describe what the
internet is to me. It is like a television channel where I can program the broadcasting. I don’t always
get the footage I want, but more often than on television. It’s a connection to many libraries –
scientific articles and to not so reliable writing. It’s a telephone to chat with multiple groups. Some I
know face to face, but many I’ve never met. One needs to be critical about information in books and
television and if possible even more critical about content published only online.
Starting my journey
Beginning BJJ was a reality check. Lucky for me, I did not fall from very high expectations, but I
never would have guessed that I was so lost flat on my back. It was not only the difference between
my physical ability and the twentysomething’s physique, but also the weirdness of everything. Even
the basic moves were unfamiliar, like moving my hips while trying to maintain close guard and
simultaneously breaking the opponent’s posture. At first I could not feel if I was mounted or I had
close guard. The difference is very relevant in BJJ.
One very big difference to my previous Martial Arts experience was the lack of repetition. A
technique was introduced to us, which we then repeated but a few times and moved right on to a new
technique or a counter technique. In karate we used to drill every technique hundreds of times and
drilling continued for years. In BJJ it’s difficult to find a clear structure and triggers for techniques, so
it’s more like a capoeira dance than a traditional karate kumite. Our club does not have a list of basic
techniques or a curriculum to follow so I was a little lost. This was my first step in using the internet
to help my learning. I started to collect video clips from YouTube about the techniques we were
introduced in class. To remember all the details, I searched the web to find an example that was
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
14 © 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com
similar to the original instruction. I did find most of the techniques. My list of first years techniques
are at my YouTube channel BJJ JKL Fight Club (Leinonen 2014). For most instructors this should be
an acceptable use of internet. Of course no two instructors teach exactly the same method and in
techniques there are small details that are different. “The Devil is in the details”.
As the oldest grappler at our club my focus was very much in survival. I also looked for concepts and
principles for BJJ. One common instruction is to learn to survive and also to control postures (Kesting
2014) - most instructions have this same guideline. It’s important to understand the hierarchy of
positions, but it does not actually help, when you are on the bottom. Also, there appears to be a wide
variety of views concerning the concepts. (Kesting 2014, Gregoriades 2014, Junior Samurai 2012,
Faggella 2012)
I wanted to survive and find answers fast so I googled and found Roy Harris – BJJ over 40 (Harris
2014). I started to implement Roy’s instructions and was able to slow down the opponents attacks.
But I still felt like a wrestling dummy, because I was taking all the attacks and not countering or being
active in my own game.
I needed a curriculum and the Gracie University seemed like the perfect place to find one (Gracie,
Gracie 2014). I discussed it with my instructor at our club and using it was approved, but I was also
warned not to found an official Gracie garage. Gracie garage is a local training group for drilling the
lessons. The Gracie University has a very complete online learning environment. Its lessons are well
structured and the instructions are clear. The curriculum is structured with the eye on progressive
learning with ample occasion for repetition. The learner can use a journal to keep track of his learning
and there is a forum for questions. Previously you could also take a belt test by sending in a video
clip, but it was changed to a “technical” blue belt which becomes official after a local verification/
test. I used the site as a guide for a self-defence class at my work place. We watched the instructions
from the web and followed the program for 3 months. It was educating, but not fluent enough.
Watching a video and then demonstrating the technique, then drilling it, was slow. Gracie garage is a
drilling place where the grapplers go to prepared in advance, i.e., having learned the basic moves by
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
© 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com 15
watching the videos. The motivation of our students was not good enough for studying independently.
I still think it’s a great set up for learning BJJ online.
To learn and to remember the details of techniques I printed out storyboards. They are faster to read
and do not require an online connection
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
16 © 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com
My conclusion was that a printed version could be helpful in learning and I bought Saulo Ribeiro’s
Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro 2008). It was very difficult to understand the technique from a book. I
was glad when Ribeiro came out with his online version of the book (Ribeiro 2014). It has all the
techniques as video clips and some modifications to make the techniques more useful and of course a
lot of other material too. Here was a possibility to use a book as notes and watch videos to get a better
understanding. The forum was not very active so I just downloaded all the material and am still
learning from it (our head instructor uses the same book to teach techniques at our academy so it was
a good match).
I wanted answers. I had lots of great techniques and instruction, but not much feedback. Not even
when training at the academy. Often the techniques at the academy were not the ones I wanted to
practice. We have a position based schedule at our club. It means that we practice, for instance, a half
guard from top for two weeks and then, for instance, mount from bottom for the next two weeks. It
helps to select some techniques from the learners own curriculum and try to mix it in during free
rolling sessions in class. I wanted to focus more on the content I had on video clips and in the book
and my own storyboards. This lead to drilling at my work place, where I have a small tatami, and at
our municipal training centre, where I can use a tatami whenever it’s available. So I invited a fellow
teacher to drill with me and after hanging around at the municipal tatami I got invited to join some old
friends in their self-defence workouts. This formed an ideal drilling opportunity – partners, tatamis
and lots of techniques to learn.
I think I would have been well off by using Gracie University and Ribeiro’s BJJLibrary, but a very
common mistake beginners make is they try to find new techniques. I have a YouTube channel to
scan for new techniques (Leinonen 2014). At the moment I’m following 36 BJJ sites to view the most
recent techniques. I saw some innovative collections for techniques from Jason Scully and wanted to
know more about his approach. Scully runs site called “TheGrapplersGuide” (Scully 2014). Having
joined the forum I was happy about the activity on the site; a lot of discussions and assignments to
keep users active. Maybe there was too much content and my own structure or understanding was not
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
© 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com 17
developed enough, so I stopped using the forum after writing some 60 posts on it. (Recently I’ve
returned to this site, because of its active forum and valuable content.)
One interesting setup is Lovato Jr’s Science of the Game training group (Lovato 2014). It has the
usual technical library and instructions on how to advance on your learning to master the proposed
techniques. The site is competition oriented and the techniques are for experienced grapplers. Lovato
Jr has a monthly webinar to show more techniques or to demonstrate the same technique from a
different point of view. The webinars also include a live chat session for listeners to ask their own
questions. This gives a feeling of interaction.
I’m not going to try to recall and list all the sites I’ve visited. Just by googling “Brazilian Jiu JItsu
online” you get 7 – 8 million hits, of these the first two pages I’ve visited and some very frequently.
I’ve listed the most important sites for my learning. To cover different approaches I must mention two
more sites: 40plusbjj (Whittier 2014) and MGInAction (Garcia 2014). 40plusbjj works by sending
instructions and videos by email to subscribers. It’s more concept oriented than technique, but has
clips about technique too. MGInAction is one of the most valued virtual academies, but I have not
subscribed, because I think his style differs from mine. An interesting detail is that he videos and
shares all his lessons from his academy. Of course MGInAction has a large library of video clips of
techniques and a forum, but you can also watch live classes via internet.
Where I am know
I am a member of Lovato Jr’s Science of the game online training group, 40plusbjj,
TheGrapplersGuide, plus I have my own YouTube channel where I receive material from 35 different
channels. To gain structure to my own training I signed in to a new association PSBJJA. Pedro Sauer
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association has a long history in teaching Gracie jiu-jitsu and is building its online
presence. I’m hoping to gain structure and guidance to my training and also to be involved in
supporting their attempt to build a functional online community.
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
18 © 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com
I have not been to my local club for many months. It did spring up a small social media discussion
about the value of a bunch of white-belts watching videos and training by themselves without the
quality control of a senior-belt. One of the instructors at the local club commented that it’s better to
attend one class at a school than 4 or 5 sessions of training without supervision. Each member in our
group of white belts in BJJ has over 20 years’ experience in different Martial Arts. Most of them have
a karate background. All are former instructors and still the verdict is that it’s useless to practice on
your own? Even though we have a second generation of instructors at our school. The first generation
learned their skills by watching videotapes, television and attending random seminars. Are they
proposing that the technique of their own instructors was not valid? Of course not, because they
demonstrated their skills in competitions and MMA fights. So can you learn online or can’t you?
“The water is purest closest to the spring” – Relson Gracie. It is better to learn from the best, but can
you learn communicating on the web? First rule of communication is that all communication is
inaccurate. It is impossible to transfer ones thoughts to others as they are. It is impossible in face to
face communication, but it is easier than via internet, as you have instant feedback through facial
expressions and actions and the listener can ask for clarification. Internet lessons are “one on one”
and you have a possibility to return to concepts or details you have failed to understand. Classes at the
local club have 10 to 40 students and one instructor. The senior-belts are not encouraged to instruct
their partners during class unless the instructor asks them to. (Until now it has not happened). Most of
the time the feedback in local classes is general commentary concerning all students, but the instructor
only corrects major mistakes. The social commitment is much tighter in a local club. It helps to
motivate training, but may lead to some unwelcome behaviour like discrimination or bullying. This
can occur in online groups too – of course.
(I’ve focused on techniques and motor skills, but Martial Arts has its traditions and culture. You can
learn about it by reading, but you get a deeper understanding by experiencing it yourself. This
experience is not possible online.)
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
© 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com 19
I believe that one can learn anything without an instruction if you understand what you are trying to
achieve and the factors related to the process. By building your own understanding, you can invent
and develop techniques. Someone has done it, so it’s possible for you as well. First you have to
understand and then learn the coordination and motor skills. Of course it’s not realistic or in any way
rational to try and “invent the wheel again”. We need to continue where our predecessors left off.
Learn from them and continue implementing knowledge. My point is that we need understanding to
own our skills. It’s not just a reaction to a trigger. (Misunderstanding and flawed technique is
dangerous, but BJJ has a powerful feature that helps to keep things real – it’s rolling with partners
who do not submit to your technique voluntarily. It’s your laboratory for checking your moves and
inventing new techniques. Rolling partners are your quality control. The more rolling partners you
have, the easier it is to check your technique.)
How to proceed – what next
I’ve found that structure is important. It is essential to build ones skills progressively. Actual training
partners are your quality control and one channel for feedback, but trial and error is a slow method of
learning. A qualified instructor has more to give and a group of co-learners can support learning even
better. Reflection and discussion are commonly used tools for building understanding – learning new
skills. In motor skills visual feedback is important. It’s good that we can watch an instructor execute a
technique on a video clip and learn by copying the movement. I’ve tried videoing my technique and
comparing it to the instruction (Leinonen 2014). The goal is not to merely observe the differences, but
to try and analyse the reasons behind them – why did the instructor turn his hip, but I did not. Why
should I?
I would like better feedback and an even more committed learning group to support each other. One
very important motivator is a clear goal that can be achieved within a certain frame of time.
Social commitment comes from a local training group and a network of virtual study groups. For
building understanding we need to reflect on concepts and document our training on video and photos
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
20 © 2014 The Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences | www.instituteofmartialartsandsciences.com
and share it with other learners. Discussion is a tool for building understanding and also it helps us to
remember the details better.
The next step is to try collaborative group learning with online blogging. It’s something we are
working on at our institute Jyväskylä Collage, so I decided to test its applicability to Martial Arts
learning too. I have a public invitation to join me for a one year experiment. The invitation is at
http://nextbelt.blogspot.com
What is needed to join our learning group?
1. You need a plan and a goal. You can use my setup, but you are free to make your own.
2. You need a way to evaluate your learning. Evaluating the process, like doing the lessons you
planned is good, but it would be better to have critearias for developed skills too.
3. You need a partner or two. You cannot drill by yourself.
4. You need a journal/blog and a camera to video your progress or problems.
5. You can set a reward or a prize for yourself for accomplishing goals or for progression steps.
References
FAGGELLA, D., March 12,2012, 2012-last update, The “Grammar” of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – and
Ryan Hall [Homepage of Science of Skill], [Online]. Available: http://scienceofskill.com/bjj-
grammar/ [5/10, 2014].
GARCIA, M., 2014-last update, MGInAction [Homepage of Marcelo Garcia], [Online]. Available:
https://www.mginaction.com/default.aspx [5/10, 2014].
GRACIE, R. and GRACIE, R., 2014-last update, WELCOME TO GRACIE UNIVERSITY!
[Homepage of Gracie University], [Online]. Available: https://www.gracieuniversity.com/ [5/10,
2014].
Vol. 3, Issue 2 IQ Journal
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GREGORIADES, N., April 26,2014, 2014-last update, Why Concepts Are Better Than Techniques
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[Online]. Available: http://bjjlab.blogspot.fi/2014/04/failed-to-free-from-hooks.html [5/10, 2014].
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[Online]. Available: https://www.YouTube.com/user/LeinonenHannu [5/10, 2014].
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RIBEIRO, S., 2008. Jiu-jitsu university. Clarendon, Vt.: Victory Belt.
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