The Science of Teaching Jiu-Jitsu, Parts 1 & 2: Mass Appeal and Methodology
Part 1: Mass Appeal
Like jiu-jitsu techniques, teaching is a skill that must be learned, practiced, and continuously improved. Since jiu-jitsu is fundamentally nothing more than a collection of motor skills, research in social science, psychology, and neuroscience is extremely useful in creating teaching strategies that optimize learning for jiu-jitsu students.
This six-part report will apply relevant research to optimize the teaching of jiu-jitsu techniques to maximize memory retention. The research is compelling and will undoubtedly benefit any instructor, regardless of their teaching experience or competency.
Why Science?
Objectivity. Scientific research provides data, correlations, and guidance in behavior, brain activity, emotions, cognitions, working memory, and long-term memory. As instructors, it is important that our teaching methods are objective and evidence-based, free of whims or biases.
Appeal to Everyone
Lessons vary depending on the goals of the class being taught. In jiu-jitsu, instructors teach the students techniques to improve their capabilities and performance. The lesson should be efficiently delivered because every minute counts since the typical class is only one to two hours long. Significant time can be saved by delivering information in a manner that simultaneously appeals to all types of learners.
Several prominent educational researchers conclude learners are generally classified according to how they best learn new information:
Visual Learners: movies, photographs, live demonstrations, acting, graphs, etc.
Auditory Learners: lecture, music, conversation, discussion, etc.
Reading and Writing Learners: note taking, list making, reading textbooks and user manuals, etc.
Kinesthetic Learners: tactile manipulation, hands-on activities, feeling and touching, etc. (Fleming, 1992).
It is important to note that many students if not most, are “multimodal”. They fall into multiple learning styles but are biased toward one style (Prithishkumar & Michael, 2014).
Summary
Understanding how students learn shapes the manner in which instructors convey new information, yielding the most efficient and effective methods to teach jiu-jitsu techniques for optimal retention. For decades, educational researchers have proposed specific teaching methods, which are detailed and explained in the next part of this series, The Science of Teaching Jiu-Jitsu, Part 2: The Methodology.
Part 2: Methodology
Understanding the different types of learners, as described in The Science of Teaching Jiu-Jitsu, Part 1: Mass Appeal, allows researchers to create a teaching methodology to optimize student learning. Experts and researchers believe the teaching methodology must appeal to all types of learners, solve a problem, convey information in an organized and logical manner, and provide demonstrations with concise instructions (Knowles, 2005; Schmidt & Lee, 2019).
Once the science is understood and logically organized, the simple, step-by-step methodology becomes clear and easily applied.
1. Convey the Problem
Adult learners need to know how learning will occur, what the lesson will be, and why the lesson is important (Knowles, 2005). In jiu-jitsu, the “how” and “what” are already known. Since students are presumably enrolled in jiu-jitsu classes, the expectation is that they will attend the class and learn jiu-jitsu techniques. The “why” is much more important to the students because it speaks more to the individual technique or series of techniques being taught. The “why” is often answered by solving a problem.
Adult learners are task-centered, meaning they want to solve a realistic problem with the knowledge being taught or have real-world application for the material (Gagné, 1985; Merrill, 2002). Providing a solution or realistic application is the goal of teaching a jiu-jitsu technique. Researchers believe stating this goal at the beginning of the lesson enhances the student’s desire to learn (Mally, 2009). For added emphasis and to best appeal to various learners, the problem should be discussed and physically demonstrated.
2. Silent Demonstration
The instructor should silently demonstrate how to solve the problem presented to the students by physically demonstrating the technique, a concept known as “modeling.” This is a vital component of teaching motor skills. Students observe the complete technique for a comprehensive understanding of the goal. Imagine how challenging it would be to assemble a puzzle without using the picture on the front of the box. The demonstration also appeals to visual learners without auditory distraction while providing a stunning visual display that alerts the audience's attention (Silberman, 1996).
The demonstration should first be performed silently at 100% speed and intensity to convey realism, establish a readiness to learn, and appeal to high-level learners who encode optimally with faster visual demonstrations (Mo et al., 2022; Silberman, 1996). The demonstration should then be performed silently at 50% speed and intensity to allow visual learners time to encode the information presented (Teeling, 2016).
3. Shading
After silently demonstrating the technique, the instructor begins to simultaneously appeal to the auditory and visual learners by verbally presenting the essential elements of the technique in chunks as the instructor repeats the demonstration of the technique. With each demonstration, the instructor adds more and more detail to the technique. By teaching in “chunks,” students can easily digest the information (Gagné, 1985).
Ryron and Rener Gracie describe Gagné’s chunking concept as “shading.” They argue that teaching all of the details of a technique at once is the equivalent of painting a wall by throwing the entire bucket of paint on it. The result is that very little of the paint will adhere to the wall, most will run off the wall, and the wall will be poorly painted (Gracie Jiu-jitsu Academy, 2011). Instead, by shading the information during demonstrations and progressively adding more detail, students will not be overwhelmed by the information.
How many demonstrations with progressively more details are needed? A higher number of visual demonstrations aids in learning motor skills; however, no specific number exists (Bruzi et al., 2018). One method to assess students' understanding is for instructors to ask the students if there are any questions and address them with additional demonstrations, as needed.
4. Practice
Researchers believe practice, the “deliberate attempt to improve the performance of a particular skill,“ is critical to developing motor skills. One of the most accomplished academics in motor skill and athletic development, Richard Schmidt, unequivocally believes that practice time and practice quality are the two most important factors in learning (Schmidt & Lee, 2019). In many traditional jiu-jitsu classes, students “practice” by repeating the technique shortly after the technique is taught. This type of practice is known as task repetition training and has been an effective learning tool for over 2,000 years. Since physically practicing newly learned techniques is tactile in nature, it is perhaps most critical to kinesthetic learners because, up to this point, their learning needs have not been met. Task repetition is described in detail in Part 3 of this series.
Students need feedback from their instructors in order to identify good behaviors that should be repeated and errors that should be corrected. Feedback has other benefits as well. Students who are provided with feedback are more motivated and retain newly learned motor skills more readily, and positive feedback may be more influential than negative feedback, as positive feedback has been found to enhance performance (Hattie & Timperley, 2007; Kluger & DeNisi, 1996; Schmidt & Lee, 2019).
Instructors should identify and triage the most fundamental deficiencies and then focus on correcting one thing at a time. This correction should not occur after every repetition or immediately after one attempt. Instead, feedback should be spaced out between repetitions. Studies indicate that providing feedback at a gradually decreasing frequency is more conducive to learning. For example, feedback should be provided after the first repetition, after two additional repetitions, after three additional repetitions, and so on (Schmidt & Lee, 2019).
Researchers also find tremendous benefits in summarizing feedback after several repetitions. Related studies indicate the optimal number of repetitions between summarized feedback responses is five (Schmidt & Lee, 2019). This could be useful in providing feedback to the entire class based on general observations by the instructor.
Summary
Research provides jiu-jitsu instructors a method to efficiently and effectively teach techniques to adult learners for optimal retention. The methodology systematically addresses the needs of adult learners while providing a structured conveyance of the techniques and feedback. A practical example may be the best way to understand the teaching methodology. For an example of the methodology applied to teaching the upa escape technique to reverse the mount position, see Application of the Methodology.
The science providing evidence of optimal teaching methods is not new; therefore, this methodology is not novel. Teaching skills in chunks, problem-based learning, modeling, and providing feedback have been used in various disciplines for decades. In fact, the methodology is not novel for teaching jiu-jitsu, as Gracie University employs a similar methodology, the “Slice Presentation Formula” (Gracie University, 2020). Clearly, methodology is important in teaching jiu-jitsu.
While methodology is critical to optimal teaching, instructors must also understand concepts related to practice, lesson selection, and useful tools to enhance learning. The next part of this series, The Science of Teaching Jiu-Jitsu, Part 3: Task Repetition Training, explores the proper application of practice repetitions to maximize the understanding of newly learned techniques.
About the Author
Professor Brian Bowers is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Professor Chris Popdan with over 13 years of experience. He is the professor of The Hangout Jiu-Jitsu Club in Indianapolis, Indiana, and a coach at the Franklin, Indiana, Jiu-Jitsu Club. Brian is a federal law enforcement officer and a physical tactics and firearms instructor for his agency. He was also a firearm, physical tactics, and search and seizure instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, where he continues to serve as an adjunct instructor.
Having personally relied on jiu-jitsu techniques to protect his life, Brian advocates jiu-jitsu as essential knowledge for all law enforcement personnel. His dedication to this cause is evident in his involvement with the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association 111 Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the safety of law enforcement personnel through support, education, training, and information sharing.
Brian's commitment to his students goes beyond the mat. With a Master of Science in Business Management, he leverages his formal education to cultivate deep, meaningful relationships with his students. His selfless dedication to serving their needs is evident in his use of research from psychology and neuroscience to optimize learning in any discipline he teaches. Brian uses science-based principles to educate jiu-jitsu practitioners, law enforcement students, law enforcement instructors, and jiu-jitsu instructors through The Hangout Journal.
References
Bruzi, A. T., Benda, R. N., Palhares, L. R., Fialho, J. V. A. P., & Ugrinowitsch, H. (2018). Discreet motor skill acquisition: Effect of number of visual demonstrations. Journal of Physical Education, 30(1).
Fleming, N. D. (1992). Not another inventory, rather a catalyst for reflection. To Improve the Academy, 11.
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Gracie Jiu-jitsu Academy. (2011). How to become an amazing GJJ instructor - Lesson 13: Shading (1 of 2) [Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1E6Kh4Xep0&t
Gracie University. (2020). Lesson 10: Slice Presentation Formula (2.0). Gracie University. www.gracieuniversity.com
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1).
Kluger, A. N., & DeNisi, A. (1996). The effects of feedback interventions on performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psychological Bulletin, 119(2).
Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The Adult Learner: The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. Routledge.
Mally, K. K. (2009, May 1). Movement skill learning through repetition, variety and an explicit purpose. Taylor & Francis.
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3).
Mo, C.-Y., Wang, C., Dai, J., & Jin, P. (2022). Video playback speed influence on learning effect from the perspective of personalized adaptive learning: A study based on cognitive load theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
Prithishkumar, I. J., & Michael, S. A. (2014). Understanding your student: using the VARK model. Journal of postgraduate medicine, 60(2).
Schmidt, R. A., & Lee, T. D. (2019). Motor learning and performance: From principles to application. Human Kinetics.
Silberman, M. L. (1996). Active learning: 101 strategies to teach any subject. Allyn & Bacon.
Teeling, B. (2016). The role of slow and real time video modelling in expert and novice soccer players. University of Windsor Department of Kinesiology.
