The Importance of Cross-Training in BJJ
There is no shame or disloyalty if you decide to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at a different gym, as long as you proudly represent your home academy. This does not mean wearing your academy's Gi or Nogi gear, rather, to openly discuss where you train with other BJJ practitioners if they ask where you train at, to respect other affiliations, and to train the way you have been trained.
The "Creonte" Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Student
The term "Creonte" dates from a while back. I don't think anyone knows exactly on what date was this term born. Back in the day, if you trained BJJ at a particular academy and for whatever reason, whether you wanted to train with a friend that trains elsewhere, needed to switch up the training environments or perhaps roll with different people, you were labeled as a Creonte for training at a different BJJ gym. Training at a different gym came off as being disloyal to your Jiu-Jitsu gym, professor, and training partners.
I was doing browsing through some articles on "Creonteism" and I came across an interesting one from 2016 by Avery Clements (https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/author/averi/). In this article, Avery made some great points on why perhaps professors were against their students training at a different gym. One particular point was that different gyms had different techniques being taught. Some of these techniques were deemed as "secret" and therefore, could only be seen at a tournament. That's not the case anymore. As Avery said, we live in a world where information is being constantly shared through YouTube, blogs, and any other type of social media.
Another great point she made was that a professor or coach might feel what they have taught just wasn't enough or good quality and therefore, the student is seeking more training elsewhere. I can definitely sympathize for the instructor feeling this way, however, I can also empathize with the student that wants to broaden their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu knowledge by seeking more.
When I was a blue belt, I had a constant desire to absorb all the knowledge on Jiu-Jitsu I could from any resource that was available to me. I was finishing my MBA and only had to attend class for about 2-3 hours per week. I had a lot of free time and I knew it wouldn't last forever, hence why I took every opportunity I had to cross-train and seek progress in BJJ. There was an upcoming MMA young stud that was in peak physical shape. Not only was his cardio phenomenal, but his Nogi game was on point as well. Training with this 18-year-old kid was an enjoyable and humbling experience. After every roll, his coach would give me feedback on my game and how to improve it so that I could beat this stud. You could say everything was rainbows and flowers, but there was a huge problem; my professor had a past with this coach. I never asked my professor exactly what happened between them, but I knew it wasn't a pleasant memory. Every time I wanted to train with this MMA young stud, I would ask my professor. It got to the point where my professor one time text me back saying that these cross-training requests were pissing him off. After I read that text, I stopped training at the other academy. I didn't want to upset my professor or be disrespectful to him. At the time, I was also paying a membership to train Muay Thai at a different gym since the academy where I did my Jiu-Jitsu did not offer any stand-up training. My professor convinced me that all training should be kept in-house, so I canceled my membership at the other gym.
As of today, a part of me understands why this cross-training made him upset. If I had a bad history with someone and I found out that one of my top students was training at this gym, I would probably get upset. Another part of me dwells on the fact that their past history wasn't my fault at all, and therefore, I shouldn't be caught up in this bullshit. My main goal was to get better in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, simple. I shouldn't have cared about past relationships or BJJ politics. I look back today at that memory and realized how much my mindset has shifted. Hopefully, by me sharing this experience with you, you will make the right call if cross-training ever comes to mind, and it should.
Do I think my professor was right for convincing me not to train at different academies? Yes and no. My professor's professor was a complete old-school asshole. This guy was the epitome of a close-minded jerk. A professor is a big influence on anyone's Jiu-Jitsu journey and thus, he probably instilled this mindset on my professor that training at different BJJ gyms was dishonest. My professor then tried to influence me in the same way. For a while, he succeeded at it; however, I quickly found out that he was wrong, and over time, he finally realized his perspective on cross-training was wrong as well.
One time I really got pissed off at my professor. I was getting ready for a tournament and I had asked my professor, repeatedly, if we can drill a little extra on certain days. I can't recall the reason why he wasn't able to, so we didn't end up training. Fast forward a few days, maybe weeks, later, I found out he had been training twice a week with his black belt buddy at a different gym... Yes, I was furious!!! I contemplated on calling him out on it several times and making a huge deal out of it. I didn't. I started to look at his actions from a different perspective. Instead of feeling betrayed, as I should have, l was happy that he had overcome years of being brainwashed by his old professor to not train anywhere else. It was a new era for him on his BJJ journey.
I was training earlier this week and hear the irony of this story my people. I got done training at Phenom BJJ in Irvine, CA. As I was having a conversation with Martin Morachimo, the head instructor and a personal friend of mine, one of his students approached him in the middle of our conversation. He said, "professor, I want to start cross-training at this MMA gym near my house. I want to get back in the cage again. Is it ok if I cross-train?". Martin is a very easy guy to get along with, but most of his earlier training was under Roger Machado, an old school guy. For a few seconds, I had no idea what Martin's response was going to be. There was a pause in the air. Suspense kicked in my mind. Martin smiled, inhaled, and said, "Of course man, go train MMA at that gym."
I seriously wish I could have recorded this great moment for you guys. That's one memory I would probably never forget. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. I asked Martin why he didn't have a problem with his student cross-training and he explained to me that if you bring value to your student, you should not worry whatsoever of loosing him/her to a different BJJ gym, or in this case, MMA gym. I couldn't agree any more.
Using Cross-Training to Progress
Over time, your training partners will figure out your game and your favorite techniques. This will make your game predictable and therefore, you will feel that you are not progressing. It isn't necessarily that your technique is diminishing. Actually, your technique should be getting sharper because you keep on using it, however, people's ability to defend your technique, in my experience, is faster than your ability to improve that technique. Why? Because you are not forced to improve the technique as long as it works. By the time you figured out that it does not work anymore, that means that your training buddies have figured out the defense to it. In order to not get frustrated, I have found that training at different Jiu-Jitsu gyms helps. No one at that gym will likely know my game, my favorite sweeps, takedowns, submissions, etc. If my opponent isn't familiar with my game, my odds of hitting my techniques on him/her raise. It is very refreshing to know that your technique still works.
Another benefit of Cross-training is that every gym, even gyms under the same affiliations like Gracie Barra, Alliance, etc., teach differently. There are core concepts that need to be taught, and then there are nuances that are up to the instructor's discretion to teach. Because each instructor is different, each student under him/her would probably have different reactions and counters to your moves. This is extremely beneficial to your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu development because now you have broadened the what-if scenarios. The more you come across these what-if situations, the more comfortable and confident you'll be playing your game.
My favorite benefit of cross-training is the relationships you develop. Other BJJ gym owners love when good people come in to train, it makes them feel that their gym is special. After all, you are taking an extra step to train at their place rather than yours. The more you do this, the bigger your Jiu-Jitsu network expands. The bigger your network is, the more opportunities that will come your way.
Should Kids Cross-Train?
Here is where it gets a little blurry. Because kids are so gullible, I think it's best if you keep your kid training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in one particular place. If you take your kid to other gyms, other kids might start to brainwash your kid with silly ideas about switching teams and how it's so much better to represent their team instead of your kid's team. Another problem I see with this is at tournaments. If your kid represents a certain team at the tournament and does well, the other gym where he/she cross trains at might feel some entitlement for that success. After all, they are making your kid better by allowing him/her to train at their gym. Rumors may start, drama may be unleashed, and it will take the fun out of competing. My opinion, wait until your kid matures to the point where his/her views stay put regardless of what's thrown at them.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about cross-training, know why you are truly doing it, and honestly, just let your professor know about it. I just mentioned some great benefits from doing so. If your professor or coach respond in a negative way, such as saying that's very unloyal, I would advise you to start questioning why that is. Maybe there is a good reason for it? I doubt it. In my personal experience, there shouldn't be a good enough reason for anyone to be prohibited to go train BJJ at a different gym.
Oss
The term "Creonte" dates from a while back. I don't think anyone knows exactly on what date was this term born. Back in the day, if you trained BJJ at a particular academy and for whatever reason, whether you wanted to train with a friend that trains elsewhere, needed to switch up the training environments or perhaps roll with different people, you were labeled as a Creonte for training at a different BJJ gym. Training at a different gym came off as being disloyal to your Jiu-Jitsu gym, professor, and training partners.
I was doing browsing through some articles on "Creonteism" and I came across an interesting one from 2016 by Avery Clements (https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/author/averi/). In this article, Avery made some great points on why perhaps professors were against their students training at a different gym. One particular point was that different gyms had different techniques being taught. Some of these techniques were deemed as "secret" and therefore, could only be seen at a tournament. That's not the case anymore. As Avery said, we live in a world where information is being constantly shared through YouTube, blogs, and any other type of social media.
Another great point she made was that a professor or coach might feel what they have taught just wasn't enough or good quality and therefore, the student is seeking more training elsewhere. I can definitely sympathize for the instructor feeling this way, however, I can also empathize with the student that wants to broaden their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu knowledge by seeking more.
When I was a blue belt, I had a constant desire to absorb all the knowledge on Jiu-Jitsu I could from any resource that was available to me. I was finishing my MBA and only had to attend class for about 2-3 hours per week. I had a lot of free time and I knew it wouldn't last forever, hence why I took every opportunity I had to cross-train and seek progress in BJJ. There was an upcoming MMA young stud that was in peak physical shape. Not only was his cardio phenomenal, but his Nogi game was on point as well. Training with this 18-year-old kid was an enjoyable and humbling experience. After every roll, his coach would give me feedback on my game and how to improve it so that I could beat this stud. You could say everything was rainbows and flowers, but there was a huge problem; my professor had a past with this coach. I never asked my professor exactly what happened between them, but I knew it wasn't a pleasant memory. Every time I wanted to train with this MMA young stud, I would ask my professor. It got to the point where my professor one time text me back saying that these cross-training requests were pissing him off. After I read that text, I stopped training at the other academy. I didn't want to upset my professor or be disrespectful to him. At the time, I was also paying a membership to train Muay Thai at a different gym since the academy where I did my Jiu-Jitsu did not offer any stand-up training. My professor convinced me that all training should be kept in-house, so I canceled my membership at the other gym.
As of today, a part of me understands why this cross-training made him upset. If I had a bad history with someone and I found out that one of my top students was training at this gym, I would probably get upset. Another part of me dwells on the fact that their past history wasn't my fault at all, and therefore, I shouldn't be caught up in this bullshit. My main goal was to get better in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, simple. I shouldn't have cared about past relationships or BJJ politics. I look back today at that memory and realized how much my mindset has shifted. Hopefully, by me sharing this experience with you, you will make the right call if cross-training ever comes to mind, and it should.
Do I think my professor was right for convincing me not to train at different academies? Yes and no. My professor's professor was a complete old-school asshole. This guy was the epitome of a close-minded jerk. A professor is a big influence on anyone's Jiu-Jitsu journey and thus, he probably instilled this mindset on my professor that training at different BJJ gyms was dishonest. My professor then tried to influence me in the same way. For a while, he succeeded at it; however, I quickly found out that he was wrong, and over time, he finally realized his perspective on cross-training was wrong as well.
One time I really got pissed off at my professor. I was getting ready for a tournament and I had asked my professor, repeatedly, if we can drill a little extra on certain days. I can't recall the reason why he wasn't able to, so we didn't end up training. Fast forward a few days, maybe weeks, later, I found out he had been training twice a week with his black belt buddy at a different gym... Yes, I was furious!!! I contemplated on calling him out on it several times and making a huge deal out of it. I didn't. I started to look at his actions from a different perspective. Instead of feeling betrayed, as I should have, l was happy that he had overcome years of being brainwashed by his old professor to not train anywhere else. It was a new era for him on his BJJ journey.
I was training earlier this week and hear the irony of this story my people. I got done training at Phenom BJJ in Irvine, CA. As I was having a conversation with Martin Morachimo, the head instructor and a personal friend of mine, one of his students approached him in the middle of our conversation. He said, "professor, I want to start cross-training at this MMA gym near my house. I want to get back in the cage again. Is it ok if I cross-train?". Martin is a very easy guy to get along with, but most of his earlier training was under Roger Machado, an old school guy. For a few seconds, I had no idea what Martin's response was going to be. There was a pause in the air. Suspense kicked in my mind. Martin smiled, inhaled, and said, "Of course man, go train MMA at that gym."
I seriously wish I could have recorded this great moment for you guys. That's one memory I would probably never forget. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. I asked Martin why he didn't have a problem with his student cross-training and he explained to me that if you bring value to your student, you should not worry whatsoever of loosing him/her to a different BJJ gym, or in this case, MMA gym. I couldn't agree any more.
Using Cross-Training to Progress
Over time, your training partners will figure out your game and your favorite techniques. This will make your game predictable and therefore, you will feel that you are not progressing. It isn't necessarily that your technique is diminishing. Actually, your technique should be getting sharper because you keep on using it, however, people's ability to defend your technique, in my experience, is faster than your ability to improve that technique. Why? Because you are not forced to improve the technique as long as it works. By the time you figured out that it does not work anymore, that means that your training buddies have figured out the defense to it. In order to not get frustrated, I have found that training at different Jiu-Jitsu gyms helps. No one at that gym will likely know my game, my favorite sweeps, takedowns, submissions, etc. If my opponent isn't familiar with my game, my odds of hitting my techniques on him/her raise. It is very refreshing to know that your technique still works.
Another benefit of Cross-training is that every gym, even gyms under the same affiliations like Gracie Barra, Alliance, etc., teach differently. There are core concepts that need to be taught, and then there are nuances that are up to the instructor's discretion to teach. Because each instructor is different, each student under him/her would probably have different reactions and counters to your moves. This is extremely beneficial to your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu development because now you have broadened the what-if scenarios. The more you come across these what-if situations, the more comfortable and confident you'll be playing your game.
My favorite benefit of cross-training is the relationships you develop. Other BJJ gym owners love when good people come in to train, it makes them feel that their gym is special. After all, you are taking an extra step to train at their place rather than yours. The more you do this, the bigger your Jiu-Jitsu network expands. The bigger your network is, the more opportunities that will come your way.
Should Kids Cross-Train?
Here is where it gets a little blurry. Because kids are so gullible, I think it's best if you keep your kid training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in one particular place. If you take your kid to other gyms, other kids might start to brainwash your kid with silly ideas about switching teams and how it's so much better to represent their team instead of your kid's team. Another problem I see with this is at tournaments. If your kid represents a certain team at the tournament and does well, the other gym where he/she cross trains at might feel some entitlement for that success. After all, they are making your kid better by allowing him/her to train at their gym. Rumors may start, drama may be unleashed, and it will take the fun out of competing. My opinion, wait until your kid matures to the point where his/her views stay put regardless of what's thrown at them.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about cross-training, know why you are truly doing it, and honestly, just let your professor know about it. I just mentioned some great benefits from doing so. If your professor or coach respond in a negative way, such as saying that's very unloyal, I would advise you to start questioning why that is. Maybe there is a good reason for it? I doubt it. In my personal experience, there shouldn't be a good enough reason for anyone to be prohibited to go train BJJ at a different gym.
Oss
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