Does your current gym allow you to cross train?
Part 1
Like many Jiu Jitsu practitioners I have fallen into the trap of primarily training ONLY at my home gym. In this article, I explain why this could be detrimental to your progress in Jiu Jitsu. From what I have seen over the years, including my own training has gone something like this. You start at a jiu jitsu gym, find a good coach, make friends and train for a few years at that same gym. After a few years, maybe you get your blue or purple belt and continue training at that same gym you started out at, but now you have become too comfortable with your training environment. I am encouraging YOU, the reader, to get out of your comfort zone and train with others in the area. Seek out other open mats nearby, make new friends and watch your jiu jitsu progress skyrocket.
Why will your jiu jitsu get better?
When you start to cross train with others in your area or state, you are exposing yourself to many different styles, body types and practitioners who are better than you. Your current gym may not have a large amount of practitioners above purple belt, thats OK! But if you cross train with other gyms, you will most likely get the opportunity to train with more purple, brown or black belts. You will gain a great deal of experience not only from rolling with others, but learning from them too.
Remember, jiu jitsu should be for everyone and if your current gym discourages cross training, ask yourself why. Why would your gym, not want you to improve and get better at jiu jitsu? I will answer this question in a future post. Stay Tuned!
IIF YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR JIU JITSU, CROSS TRAIN!
