The "Why We Train This Way" Explanation

I want to take a moment to explain the 'why' behind my coaching style. Without context, the games and constraints we use might seem different from what you expect in a traditional martial arts class.

To explain this, I want to use the analogy of learning a language, since most of us have tried to learn a second language at some point. In Taiwan (and much of the world) language is taught by forcing students to memorize vocabulary, phrases, and grammar rules. I did this for four years in high school with German: every week memorizing lists, saying them out loud, and writing them down to pass a test. The result? After four years of hard work, if a German person spoke to me, the only thing I could reply with was, 'My name is Daniel.'

I know many of you have studied English the same way and had similar results. This is called Rote Learning. It relies on repetition and looks great on a test, but in real life, it is almost useless.

In my opinion, traditional martial arts coaching falls into this same trap. The coach shows you 'the perfect armbar,' you practice it 100 times on a partner who isn't resisting, and you look great in drilling. But then, you can never actually pull off that armbar in sparring.

Now, compare that to my experience coaching the kids' program here. Over the last couple of years, my Chinese has improved significantly, but the environment is the only thing that changed. The kids talk to me in Chinese every day, and I have to figure out what they mean. Sometimes they help me, sometimes they laugh at me, but by the end of the week, I have more usable Chinese. In language learning, this is called the Immersion Method—learning by doing. This is how children learn: they don’t study the rules or the grammar; they just figure it out through interaction.

So, how does this apply to Jiu-Jitsu?



Jiu-Jitsu is high-pressure problem-solving against a problem that is fighting back. To succeed, you need 'feel' and 'timing'—arguably the two most important attributes in grappling. Traditional drilling doesn’t develop these because your partner is compliant. To develop these skills, you need to spend time in positions against live resistance. This is why I use the Constraints-Led Approach. I design specific situations (constraints) for you to discover solutions to common problems. You don't just memorize my move; you discover the solution that works for your body. You find the timing naturally, and you develop an amazing feel for a live opponent. In a real match, you have no idea how your opponent will react. You need to respond in real-time, and no amount of memorization will save you in that moment. But if you have spent hours 'immersed' in that situation against live resistance, you will have already felt the energy and formulated your response instinctively.

My only goal for Catch Jiu Jitsu is to create the most proficient grapplers in the most efficient way possible. I have studied and experimented extensively, and I truly believe this is the best way to get you there