Cross Training?

I think cross-training is great, but I know that coaches can have different viewpoints on this. Maybe just ask your instructor before cross-training at other gyms.

I always have encouraged cross training. It's one of the best ways to get better and one of the best ways to get an even better experience from BJJ. The only downfall is when a coach falls into insecurity and tries to stop someone from cross training.

cchoi12, post: 60407, member: 33247

Hey ya'll,

I joined a gym recently and it's been great! The only thing I wish was a little better was the spars that I get there. I've been training for 2.5 years and am a blue belt, my current gym is 85% fresh white belts, the head coach is a black belt but he doesn't roll too often as he's got some chronic injuries. The gym is also relatively young (2 years) so there are only 2 homegrown blue belts + me(I came recently as I moved to the area). The blue belts come maybe 1-2 times a week and it's really a hit/miss when they come. Sometimes, I'm the only non-white belt in the class.

I've taken a few approaches like putting myself in my worse positions and getting out, controlling and slowly submitting spazzy/freakishly strong whitebelts, but I don't feel satisfied in my training when class is over. On top of that, I've been injured a few times ie: fingers(individually) getting panic grabbed and bent, elbows in the face, kicked in the ear, eye pokes, and etc. Granted, they're learning and _rarely_ do these things happen twice, but it does make me extremely cautious when rolling/trusting my training partners.

There are other gyms near my office (currently WFHM) but will be going into the office 2-3 times a week in a week or two. One of the gyms near my workplace has an advanced class that requires Blue belts and above that I think will offer me the kind of rolls/training that I want. I enjoy my current coach and don't have any desire to leave, but I want to get better rolls with higher belts as well. The gym that I originally trained at prior to this one had a ton of higher belts, oftentimes I was the lowest rank and learned a ton from them. What are your thoughts on cross-training at another gym?

As others have said, there is real value in cross training. To save a lot of heartache all the way around, make sure both coaches know what you are doing, that both understand who is belting/promoting you, and, if you are a competitor, what team you are competing under. As long as that is clear to everyone, unless you have a very controlling coach (in which case I would consider looking elsewhere) everything should be fine.

my former head gym affiliate does not want us to train to other teams because we are apparently revealing our secret moves. lol. good thing my coach ended his relationship to that affiliate. my coach just wants him to be advised if we will train in other gyms to he can tell us if he has issues with that gym, to avoid politics etc.

Thanks for all tips everyone, I talked to my coach today and he was totally fine with it; if anything he understood my desire to get more advanced rolls!

I’ve known some coaches that have been so offended by their students that have cross trained at another gym that they shun them in class and refuse to promote them. They have “their” reasons for it. I personally think it’s wrong for them to react like that. They are leaders that should lead by example. When they attend outside seminars or learn something from a video or book they are cross training and being hypocritical. If they don’t want a student to cross train at a specific place they should set the student aside and educate them as to why. There may be a good reason for it. As for the student they should go to their coach first, but the coach should also realize students aren’t supposed to be there perfect models, but works in progress.

More you get different reactions from opponent, better your understanding of your own technique is. Crosstrain and also train with judokas and wrestlers...even traditional martial artists just to pick an idea and build on it.

for example in strikers guide is a good lesson about opserving your opponent and teaching him to react. You do a compination two tree times to make him read your moves and then you break your rhytm.
This could be used in passing guard.

I like what Andrew Wiltse said the other day on his Instagram about constraining, but the part that stood out for me was his thought about helping others by furthering the art to schools who may not be familiar with different training aspects or techniques. He also said it gives him a chance to play his A game, which is often experienced at his main gym and that most of his teammates know how to adjust to it, so he plays his B game most of the time.

I've trained under a few schools in 15 years and none of them had a problem with crosstraining. But if you want to get promoted your home school has to be where you are doing the majority of your training. I also don't train at competition oriented schools so there really isn't the politics of that involved. Don't wear any school branded stuff when visiting other schools.

Anyone who has a problem with their students cross training in 2021 just comes across as insecure imo
Jiu Jitsu is no longer the 'secret' gated information it once was. Just look at the amount of training camps & instructionals available! It's silly to try and limit your students to only train at 1 place if they want to branch out

I noticed the same instructors who are against crosstraining are often the same instructors who like to preach about their students being family. Seems to me if your students are really like family you should want whats best for them. Unless of course its really just a fear of their students seeing if other gyms are more to their liking.

I feel like cross training would be good if you could afford it. You get a whole new perspective from a coaching standpoint, and you get all new looks rolling with new people. I would say go for it. We have a guy at our gym that is only there when he is in town for work and it’s great even for me to get a new training partner every couple weeks.

There's a lot to be said for the importance of loyalty but it's also important to have variety of opponents and skill levels. If you care about progressing through the belts - stick to one gym. If you want to get better faster, find as much of a variety of training partners as you can.

cchoi12, post: 60460, member: 33247

Thanks for all tips everyone, I talked to my coach today and he was totally fine with it; if anything he understood my desire to get more advanced rolls!

Brooksdriver, post: 60961, member: 33215

I feel like cross training would be good if you could afford it. You get a whole new perspective from a coaching standpoint, and you get all new looks rolling with new people. I would say go for it. We have a guy at our gym that is only there when he is in town for work and it’s great even for me to get a new training partner every couple weeks.