Training Methodologies: The SBG Approach vs. Your Gym's Way
Hey everyone,
I’m hoping to spark a discussion about gym culture and training methodologies. I train out of SBG South Shields, and our head coach sets a very specific framework for our classes. Experiencing this system has made me deeply invested in how we train, not just what we train.
I’m curious to hear how other gyms structure their classes, whether you follow a similar system, and why you think your gym's way is effective (feel free to critique our method!).
Here is a breakdown of how we run things at SBG South Shields:
Teaching for Everyone & Universal Jiu Jitsu
The priority is to ensure Jiu Jitsu works for everyone, regardless of size, strength, or athleticism. We focus heavily on what I consider Universal Jiu Jitsu. The role of the coach is to teach core fundamentals and principles that translate across all domains—meaning the techniques work just as well with the gi, without the gi, in MMA, and for self-defense. A personal style may be shared occasionally, but always with a disclaimer: "This is how I like to do it, but it's just one way."
The "I-Method" (Introduce, Isolate, Integrate)
We structure our learning using three phases.
Introduce: Introductions are kept short, simple, and practical. We are shown how to start using the skill right away, rather than trying to memorize a long chain of moves.
Isolate: We practice the skill in controlled drills or games. The environment limits variables but keeps the training alive.
Integrate: We fold the skill into sparring or live training. We try to use it naturally, receiving immediate feedback for refinement.
As a rule, at least 60% of every class is live training, with most of that being isolation or positional training.
Aliveness & Progressive Resistance
We don't do rigid, scripted kata or compliant drilling where your partner just lets you win. Real fighting is dynamic, so training must reflect that. The focus is on three elements: Timing, Energy, and Motion. Both partners are free to move, not frozen in a static stance.
To keep people safe and build confidence, we use Progressive Resistance. Instead of jumping straight from drilling to full sparring, resistance is increased step by step. We go from Low Resistance, to Light Resistance, to Dynamic Drilling, and finally full Integration. This protects beginners from being smashed at full resistance and prevents the frustration of techniques that never seem to work in live rounds.
A Weekly Positional Curriculum
Alongside this framework, we follow a strict weekly positional curriculum. Everyone in the gym is working on the same broader positional concepts during that week, which keeps the room highly focused and creates a compounding effect in our live rounds. The goal is for every session to provide actual skill development, rather than just rolling to get tired.
My Questions for the Forum:
Does your gym follow a set curriculum (weekly, monthly, etc.), or is it up to the instructor's discretion on the day? What are the pros and cons you've experienced with your setup?
How does your gym handle drilling vs. sparring? Do you use isolation games/positional sparring, or is it mostly traditional static drilling followed by 5-minute free rolling rounds?
Critique our method: I want to hear the why. If your gym does things entirely differently, sell me on your methodology. What do you think the SBG method might be missing, and why does your gym's approach create better grapplers?
6 Comments
Our gym has a monthly theme. I don't follow it :-) I have tuesday morning class and do what problems students have presented before class. If nothing comes, I do some kind of short situational sparring. I usually have one idea that I want to test in a game, to see if it works. I don't do much or any drilling with out any resistance. If I do drilling, I try to give atleast two options to keep it a little alive.
For all gyms that I know in Finland none does the old system - warmup running and calistenics, dead drills for new technique and free rolling.
Good to hear the old system of training is dying out. I spent a lot of time in that system in my early years of development—just random moves with no structure, and then trying to figure it out in free rolling.
When you say a monthly theme, is this positional or something different? Do you have any examples?
@Gaz209 I had to check :-) Last has standup getting 2on1 and clearing it. Next I'd translate kesa kuzure escape and knee on belly. I don't know if it was for whole month. Sounded a pite detailed for whole month. As I wrote. I don't really follow the monthly plan.
About early class structure. I did leave my first gym, because they used it and it was not for me. Now they are much better at teaching, but I am a person non grata because of criticizing their teaching method. Still after 13 years :-)
Instructors were blue belts at the time and had no formal education about teaching or physical education. They did not take critique very well :-) My bad
@crossover a whole month on getting 2 on 1 and clearing it from stand up! That is very focused on 1 thing. I feel student retention would take a hit being that focused for a month! You would get really good at 2 on 1's though
Our gym FX jiujitsu was founded by a former SBG black belt Martin Aedma. He is not actively coaching any more, but does drop ins now and then.
We train a broadish theme per month, sometimes very broad like Guard Passing and sometimes specific like the Arm Saddle (Choi Bar).
The class structures themseleves are:
flow roll to warm up, if there's anyone super new then they will be given a specific task to look for - e.g. keep your partner pinned with back to the mat, if you are on bottom look to reverse the position and do not be flat.
After the warm up there are Ecological games usually 3 mins x 2 based on the techniques being shown on the day.
The main part will be more detail about options within that ecological task, we'll often finish with the same ecological game at the end with a focus on using the techniques shown that day.
30- 40 minutes live rolling to finish (classes are 1.5 hours)
On top of this the second to last day of the month is a whole hour of all the ecological games used in that month. And then finally a whole reverse classroom style class on the final day of the month.
Students are encouraged to work on their own focus alongside the gym focus so that they are driving their personal goals too.
People learn very differently, and skills themselves lend themselves to different learning styles so I think variety in training and learning methodolgies is key to efficient learning.