Teaching strategy in MMAs

Just wondering what overall teaching strategy you'd give a newbie to your Art... in other words, would you first build on a new student's strengths?, or would you mostly work on their weaknesses?...or just keep to a curriculum without worrying much about body type, strength, etc.?

or maybe even a combination of all...I guess an easier way to ask the question would be...at what point in training at your gym would that training become 'individualized'? and is there any set curriculum where you train?

Thanks.

I'm not a teacher but in our system everybody is taught the same curriculum. Being a newbie your strengths would not be apparent as of yet so it would be hard to work on these, plus individualizing workouts would take up too much time in class that would take away from others.

I've only had the opportunity to work with one Instructor and recently with another in a class of about 30. In my current training I found I worked mainly on my strengths for years and now am at a point where I realize I need to work harder on my weaknesses. Both have to be developed and each person I believe has to work in what ever manner they can. It is kind of like arm bars, or a finishing move … these are strengths and they say once you find one that works you work on it to make it better. Once you have accomplished this then train on other ones. But equally weaknesses are just that and must be improved on so that you can become better. Mine is from the bottom. I don't mind being there but I need to work a whole lot more from this perspective if I truly ever want to become a balanced grappler or more then one dimensional.

I believe the Instructors with more then a few students have to teach as whole the basics that everybody can understand. If they see something in you then they can point things out easier later … or may ask you to stay late … or invite you to join other classes to better improve on your skills.

It seems to me that most MMA training is taught in a similar manner to traditional style arts (ie; starting with a given skillset working the basics).

Where a say, Shotokan stylist may work stances as a beginner, a MMA beginner may work groundfighting positions. As the Shotokan stylist learns more advanced footwork, the MMA may learn "circuit drills" (going from being in the guard to passing to sidemount to mount, etc).

But the overall strategy is the same. Build a good foundation, and expand on that.

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Just wondering what overall teaching strategy you'd give a newbie to your Art... in other words, would you first build on a new student's strengths?, or would you mostly work on their weaknesses?

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I’m assuming that a “newbie” is someone that doesn’t have a lot of skills to begin with. Natural proclivities not withstanding, I’d still teach the basics of standup, clinch and ground fighting. You can never work the basics too often.

Teaching people how to fight is not the rocket science that MANY people try and make it out to be, Swing your arm to hit, swing your leg to kick. No, I’m not saying it’s quite THAT easy but I’m sure you get my point.

Teaching someone to throw straight punches and to sprawl isn’t that much to ask. Nor is basic guard work for defense when the objective is getting back to one’s feet. Focus on those few things and build on that as skill increases.

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...or just keep to a curriculum without worrying much about body type, strength, etc.?

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Always. And that is because it’s all just basic stuff to begin with. Fundamentals HAVE to be in place regardless of body type and natural proclivities anyway because everything is built on them. The individual can and will then develop his own natural style of applying those fundamentals.

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or maybe even a combination of all...I guess an easier way to ask the question would be...at what point in training at your gym would that training become 'individualized'? and is there any set curriculum where you train?

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I think I’ve answered this already but, it’s individualized when as people master the basics. And it’s ALL basic - even the ground/submission game (which is admittedly more sophisticated technically) is basic in terms of what you can apply within an MMA format.



-John