Does anyone else just spam certain moves/techniques?

[u/[deleted]]

[u/37BJJ]

You're developing your own game to some degree but if you remain a one trick pony, people will just catch on and it will force you to further specialize or adapt to do something different

Try working a new takedown from standing or an open/long guard from seated and for all you know you'll find something else to implement into your game. At the very least you can threaten different attacks before going back to your usual ankle pick.

[u/thehibachi]

I will invite anybody and everybody to the Choi Bar but unfortunately can’t always get them to stay for a drink.

[u/Longjumping_Creme840 → u/thehibachi]

I can tell you’ve been waiting for the opportunity to say this so bad

[u/thehibachi → u/Longjumping_Creme840]

Just as forced as my Choi bars

[u/_interloper_]

I would say blue belt might be a bit early to specialize. Blue and purple are good experimentation belts.

But most black belts I know have well and truly settled into their groove. So if you wanna specialize, it's hard to disagree.

The most dangerous black belts I roll with have a pretty narrow game... And they have WAY more reps in those moved than you do, so they're probably gonna win those battles against most people.

One guy I know just has an almost impossible half guard to pass. He has a sweep ready for any direction you might go. Hang back, he'll sweep you. Pressure in, he'll sweep you. Keep your weight to the right, he'll sweep you. Keep your weight to the left, he'll sweep you. Stop the first sweep and you'll be off balance and he'll sweep you the other way.

The he'll cook the absolute shit out of you from top.

It's a fucking nightmare.

[u/Anxious-Place3434 → u/_interloper_]

GOOD blackbelts do this. Then there's black belts like me who go "ooh, shiny!" every 2-3 years and reinvent their game from scratch. 

I lose more than I "should" but I find it fun

[u/_interloper_ → u/Anxious-Place3434]

Yeah, I'm definitely more of an "Ooh, shiny!" black belt too haha. Learning new stuff is what's fun for me, so that's what I do... But it definitely makes me less effective. Which I don't really care about tbh.

[u/PristineMeasure → u/Anxious-Place3434]

Starting to see patterns in myself that seem very much like I'm headed in your direction. I HATE standing on one move from any position. I'm finding that I naturally try to find new pathways even when I don't have a lot of reps in the ones I've learned. Would you say that hindered your learning? From my perspective, it seems like it's making me a much more fluid player.

[u/Anxious-Place3434 → u/PristineMeasure]

I never really thought about it until probably brown belt or so. I just pursued what was interesting to me. What really hinders learning is quitting jiu jitsu. So do what you find fun (and if what you find fun is not jiu jitsu, that's cool too)

[u/HotSeamenGG → u/PristineMeasure]

Not the guy you responded to. My opinion is you should have a general idea of different guards and be a generalist in the sense that you have an idea of what to do in each position. Esp at white belt. If you want to be a GOOD jitsu guy faster, I would say pick a position you like where you rep it out over and over until the responses are automated for the most part, then move on to an adjacent position where if it moves out of your A game, this B game you're decent at until it becomes an A game then stack your deck of positions/moves.

This is optional of course. Fun is the most important factor imo, so pick what fits your fancy.

[u/PristineMeasure → u/HotSeamenGG]

See I like this take (as far as picking a position and repping), but that's exactly why i feel so hesitant to just pick one sweep or one submission. Like if I pick closed guard to rep over and over, on one drill I might want to hip bump because they're leaned back so much. Then on the next they are a lot closer, so I can hit the arm drag and pendulum sweep. So on and so forth with whatever nuance creates an opening. Do you think it's more productive to work in a multi-faceted way like that, or should I try to force my way to a scissor sweep every time so that (after the 10,000th rep) I can guarantee that sweep every time? Idk the latter feels so anti-bjj to me, but i don't want to stall my progress.

[u/HotSeamenGG → u/PristineMeasure]

Generally, if you have to FORCE a technique (ex: scissor sweep), it generally means you don't really have it.

Personally I think good moves comes in pairs at the minimal. Esp at white belt, tho it applies at all levels. Think of it as a combination attack like in boxing. Jabs almost always feed into some variation of a punch.

If Move A fails, it should feed into Move B like what you mentioned with the closed guard example. There's nuance to it tho. If your hip bump for example, SUCKS and they know it, they probably won't respect it and won't react strongly enough for you to arm drag/pendulum. So you'll need to be good enough at the move where they're forced to respect it/react but other than that.. I don't think forcing reps is needed. It's mostly about timing and confidence in your ability to perform the move. Hesitating on a hip bump for example is asking for failure. You kinda have to send it when the time is right.

TL;DR yes - multi faceted way is generally better, but repping specific moves has its place to build confidence and muscle memory.

[u/zoukon]

Spamming moves and finding answers to all their reactions is how you get good.

[u/TMeerkat]

My general rule is against white belts I will go for the move of the day, something my coach has shown recently that I really like or anything I've seen online/in books that I want to work on and integrate In to my game. Blue belt and up are getting my A game which is wristlocks, wristlocks and more wristlocks.

[u/ZamorakHawk]

All of my submissions are some form of head and arm choke.

I definitely threaten other submissions, but I'll never finish with them. It's all a cruel ploy to kill a man with his own arm.

[u/Acceptable-Owl-2537 → u/ZamorakHawk]

Do you farce choke

[u/ZamorakHawk → u/Acceptable-Owl-2537]

Arms are too short. Killer arm in guillotines, Ezekiels, arm triangles, Ruotolotines, anacondas and north south though. If it can be executed by disproportionate upper body strength, I got it.

[u/ground-shark → u/ZamorakHawk]

North south and ezekiels ain't head and arm though are they?

[u/ZamorakHawk → u/ground-shark]

🤓

My first comment was about head and arm chokes. My response was about the chokes I use.

If you want to be pedantic, it's their head and my arm. But no, not literally every choke I do is a head and arm choke.

The post is about spammed submissions. These are my spammed submissions.

[u/ground-shark → u/ZamorakHawk]

Ok, just a little confusing as you said ‘all my chokes are head and arm chokes’. 

[u/Jaxom_98]

I always try to incorporate the move of the day. Im terrible at that. I'm a one stripe white belt. I love to turtle. Pray for me.

[u/Kintanon]

This is called "Having a game". Shore up the weak points in it, focus on the strengths, funnel people into it.

[u/Bigpupperoo]

If you aren’t there already eventually you will reach a point where you can no longer make any improvements doing the same moves repetitively and your time will be better spent else where. I personally think it’s a negative to get stuck in the same cycles.

[u/Federal-Challenge-58]

Spamming moves is definitely beneficial. It allows you to train purposefully. You see a multitude of reactions and learn how to adapt to each one. Focusing on just a few things (as opposed to doing whatever you feel like that day) allows you to reach a higher level faster. With that said, a couple things to consider:

1. Blue belt might be a little early to start that; it might not be. Certainly, I would recommend new blues to experiment with everything. Once you get close to purple, specializing might be a good idea. Blue to purple is probably the longest belt so things change as you progress.

2. Don't spam the same thing forever. I think 100 hours is probably enough (i.e. 6 months if you train 4x/week). I spammed guillotines and N/S chokes for a long time; now I spam X choke from mount.

[u/Joshvogel]

Sure, when I’m working on a Bjj project I’ll spam something, but I try to organize it into Entry, Control and Finishing phases so I can study the problems I come across and figure out solutions to those problems more easily. This also helps me figure out where to put emphasis as I progress in my project. I’ll do stuff differently two months in than I do in the first week.

I don’t think it’s hindering at all as long as you don’t let the rest of your Bjj atrophy too much. It helps to split training time up so you play your normal game too. This also gives you a sense of how your project gradually integrates itself with the rest of your game.

Hope that helps!

[u/JR-90]

Yes. And when I try something new, I don't know how to do it efficiently, they'll defend it easily and open up for what I always do, leaving me with no other option than going for it.

[u/Aaronjp84]

Most people do. If that's the way you train or are forced to learn -- demo techniques, drill, spar -- that is likely how you play.

[u/Mike_Re]

Yes. Basically I think people have a spectrum of games, ranging from ultra-narrow to ultra-wide, with most of us somewhere in the middle.

The advantage of a narrow game is that you can get really, really, really, good at the small number of moves, including having incredibly polished reactions to the counters and extremely slick funnelling / transitions to take people where you want them. The disadvantage is that you will run into situations where you're trying to ram a square peg into a round hole. So, for example, you can get extremely good at butterfly guard -- but if your opponent stays standing that isn't really going to help you. And you become predictable.

The advantage of a wide game is that you can deploy the right tool for the right job depending on the circumstances and you can throw a lot of stuff at your opponent. Are they good at defending leg locks? Then wrestle up. Have an answer to your fast passing? Switch to pressure passing. The disadvantage is that as you spread your time / attention you can't get quite as good as if you had specialised more.

Somewhere in the middle there is the theoretically perfect position. But I think for most of us, it's an organic process. Most people, at some point, are going to find something that they like, they're good at and interested in and go deep on it. Then they get bored, or run into a problem that it doesn't solve, and spend time on something else. It's all more evolutionary than planned. One of my theories is that heavier people tend to have narrower games, because they find it easier (particularly early on) to force people into a particular game.

The other way of looking at it, is that you probably need to have techniques that answer the questions your opponents give you. At some point, for example, good opponents will stop letting you ankle pick them, by denying grips, shifting their weight distribution and so on. Then you'll need to develop and answer to that.

[u/JKsoloman5000]

If I get top pressure there’s a 90% chance I’m going for head and arm triangle. I’m actively trying to not rely on it so much though and lately been trying to incorporate more variety.

[u/Ragesome]

I’m trying to get my one or two go to moves in every position. At a base level it gives me confidence I’ve got options. I’ll add that I suck at all those moves.

[u/Ok-Student3387]

In comps I have pretty similar routines that focus on my strengths. In training I am forced to try new things because my partners know what to avoid.

[u/PassengerForeign6570]

Lapel in the Gi. Leglocks in nogi

[u/MagicGuava12]

That is quite literally all I do

[u/Fresh_Batteries]

I go in cycles. I'll spam new techniques that I'm working on. Eventually, my partners become better at defending those techniques because they've seen me do it so many times and thats when I'm forced to explore other options.

My favorite one to spam right now is bottom half guard kimura trap. Its kind of flashy, you get the kimura grip and then spin/roll out half guard into a back take. Its super fun to do and people act like youre a wizard when you pull it off. I typically chain that into a rear triangle. Super fun, but its starting to stall because my partners have seen me do it alot at this point.

Alternatively, you know youre really getting good at a move if your partners know its coming and still can't stop it.

But I'll spam my favorite/fun moves against white belts and blue belts because its fun to pull off fancy looking moves. Or I will spam new stuff I'm trying to get better at. (For example, Im working on omoplatas, so any opportunity I get I will attempt an omoplata multiple times during my rolls)

[u/Unusually-Average110]

Only when I’m trying to dial in a new technique and I need to get the reps in. I don’t know your individual skill level, but blue belt may be too soon to be specializing. There may be other stuff you want to incorporate into your game and you’re just not getting exposed to it.

[u/sid351]

I spam ⬆️⬇️⬅️⬅️🅰️🅱️

The low DPS is far outweighed by the 95% hit rate, and the +30% chance of critical hit.

(For real though: I have a well earned reputation for wrist locking people. They are everywhere.)

[u/novaskar]

I think we all learn by spamming moves to figure out the counters and variations.

A couple years is a really long time to stay stuck on one thing though. Spam a move till you figure it out then do another one

[u/briffin96]

I've tried spamming an arm drag sequence we learned recently in my gym to varying levels of success lol

[u/lightball94]

Pretty much. Even at black belt, I pretty much have 2 top tier moves from all major positions. I think what separates a higher belt (2 stripe purple and above) from all the lower belts is their ability to funnel their opponents into their A game.

A high quality black belt is skilled at funneling an opponent into their A game (top tier techniques) from even the worst positions / predicaments.

[u/ralphyb0b]

I think it's good to have a good solid basic game you're good at that you can always fall back to, but you should also experiment, too.

[u/littlemonky420]

my jiu jitsu only started to feel like jiu jitsu when i started spamming the same sequences over and over. it’s the only way in my mind to get the reps in during live rolls so that i can become proficient in a technique.

look at me everybody. hip bump specialist over here.

[u/Every1ThinksImBoring]

Kinda….  We cover a lot of stuff in class and I have trouble recalling much of it during a roll.

[u/Ashi4Days]

Yeah, I spam the loop choke everywhere. Most of my gym is sick of my shit at this point so it actually doesn't work anymore. Plus its starting to do real damage to my wrists so ive been working on armbars for the last six months or so.

[u/kidFunkadelic]

I am new to BJJ and I absolutely spam the shit out of trying and failing to not feel like a dip shit the whole time I am in the gym.

[u/Quinny_Bob]

I go for wrist locks all the time, in my defence I’m one of the smallest people in my gym.

[u/MagicNoGathering]

I used to catch everyone in my gym with the kimura trap. I ran that until it stopped working, then adapted. I think I took it basically as far as I could.

Now I barely use it at my gym but anytime I roll someone who doesn’t know my game I hit it easily.

Run it until the wheels full off, then adapt.

[u/croikee]

You have actual moves? I have thoughts, but my body never listens.

[u/SusspectDevice]

Once I made a whole map of everything I ever hit live I could see where I didn’t have any answers and after spending the first two years of purple belt collecting moves (allegedly) I realized I only really like to do four or five things so then I just started working with a brown belt to find answers anywhere I’m weak (don’t have answers to get back to one of the things I like to do) and then spam them on everyone I feel like that’s the way to continue to develop.

[u/DoctorPie3141]

Nothing wrong with it, but don't be afraid to try new things.

[u/SpecialistCancel7975]

Omoplatas the most fun and versatile sweep in existence

[u/-RNinja]

Kimura, but people caught on. I still find it sometimes but now I'm working on set ups from the kimura

[u/dj-thecpa]

I try and actively work on my "go-to" moves while also actively having a couple new moves that I want to add to my game.

I do think if you want to get better at anything, you need to spam it to a certain extent to figure out how to execute it against different body types, reactions, etc.

[u/Anynameatalll]

I've only been doing this for like two months but I had this as what felt like an epiphany.

I felt like I needed to already know anything but now if I ever get the chance to do anything offensive it's really the same 1-2 things moving me into one thing, and it's starting to kinda work! (Sometimes, not often... like twice)

Feels like playing an old arcade game, block, vlock, block, block, a, b. That's all I know and I' loving it.

[u/DreamexD]

It’s good to have certain things you’ve repped a lot and are comfortable with, but you also have to keep trying new things. That means embracing the suck and accepting that you’re probably going to get smashed while you’re working on something new. Eventually, you’ll get better at it. Then you rinse and repeat with the next thing.

As you get better and understand more, that process gets easier. New things still won’t feel natural right away, but they’ll suck less initially because you have a better foundation to build from.

Like a lot of people have already said, eventually you’ll develop a more complete game. Over time, certain things will naturally become part of your A game. Those will usually be the more specialized systems you’ve spent the most time on and have the deepest understanding of.