When it comes to jiu jitsu, there’s frequently (if not almost constantly) an emphasis on drilling- which some may find boring. And understandably so- the mind craves stimulation and variety, and really doing the same thing twenty, thirty, a hundred times in a row doesn’t really satisfy that desire.
When it comes to live rolling however- the part the same people who dislike drilling look forward to- that’s when the benefits of drilling really come into play. There is a limited window for certain techniques- opportunities that can fly right by if you don’t have the muscle memory to act on them, to allow your body to react to the opening before you create a conscious thought about it.
I remember one of my old judo coaches said once, “by the time you can think of the name of the throw you want to do, the chance to do it will already be gone”.
So, if you want to get better at rolling, you need to put the work in through drilling, to create the muscle memory of performing whatever technique it is, so you can start to work on looking for opportunities to use it.
Have a great day everyone!
A Skirt on the Mat 