It all starts in the gym: So many people ask me how Nicky Ryan made such fast progress in developing his mastery of the back attack system our athletes use. Well, it's the same FOR ANY PERSON AND ANY SKILL. It is a question of IMPLANTING KNOWLEDGE and then transforming KNOWLEDGE into SKILL through physical training. Hard physical training without prior knowledge of what to do is not very productive and the gains you make in performance take a very long time. Knowledge without physical training reduces you to an armchair authority who can't perform the things you know. When you start with knowledge of what you OUGHT to be doing and train hard to GET YOURSELF DOING IT, then you will see fast and efficient progress. Mr Ryan started with a solid grasp of the back system theory and then spends large amounts of time practicing it in practical sparring rounds. Unsurprisingly he is highly skilled in back attacks as a result. Whatever your aspirations in Jiu Jitsu Improvement – see it as the transformation of KNOWLEDGE into SKILL. Begin with a clear sense of what you are supposed to do ( your coach is your main guide) and then put in the hard and often frustrating work of turning it into a physical skill. Take the time to master it in the gym and one day you will be able to express it on the stage!
