Just some thoughts on student obligation and how it may hinder ones technical potential...
Generally when I post I talk about what an instructors' obligation to the student is and how important it is to the paying customer that they receive their money's worth... But here I am going to talk about the obligation of the student. I thought of this recently as I have had some experience with this in my gym.
Whether it comes from a fighter or a Jiu-Jitsu student I have found that some people require more than just good technique, reinforced in a cooperative and friendly environment, to excel. In many cases whether or not they reach their full potential is in reality outside of their instructors' hands. There are many competent instructors that give everything possible to their students and the return sometimes falls short.
When reaching their full potential a student must believe their instructor to some end. They must obtain a certain level of confidence in what is being presented to them. In this line of thinking comes the best example of a students responsibilities to themselves: The over exaggeration of attributes, to gain positions that are desirable in Jiu- Jitsu, hinders the student from the realization of technique and what can be accomplished by being technical. At one time or another I have reinforced the importance of technique versus size and strength. I have reiterated time and time again that relaxing in Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most important things you can learn. To some it is a matter of succumbing to the natural components of the situation that makes the path toward technique an easy one to tread. For example, lacking in size tends to force one in the direction of technique versus in that of attributes. If one is lacking in size all they have left is technique to even the odds.
For the most part I have found that the ego plays a great role in this hindrance. I have had some personnel experience with this as well so I am going to continue as if it is correct. With the ego it is sometimes too much for one to handle that someone of equal or smaller size could stand a chance against them. When a student is put into this situation they react naturally, with aggression and strength. The student here may feel that he is learning but actually thwarts their potential by replacing technique with that of attributes to prove a point. In the end this type of thinking replaces logic and becomes their learning process.
Another example of the ego taking control of a student is the fact that in many cases the strength and aggression used in training sometimes may work. And there is a sense of accomplishment that naturally comes with that. We all want to feel like we are making gains in our Jiu-Jitsu training. And when we see quick results we tend to believe that whatever got me to this position must be the "right" way. In this case there must be an interruption in this rationale. The obvious answer to this is that a position gained with attributes should not be celebrated. The reasoning here is simple. If a position is gained without the technical ability to obtain it then it was forced and would generally not work on someone of equal or larger size. This is also explained in more detail when considering escapes that focus on strength as a means to accomplish the technique. In this case there is a tendency to believe that "powering out of a technique" is proper, and may seem so, but when attempted on a more advanced level student the result may be drastically different.
I believe these are some of the reasons that many people don't understand the importance of training with the gi. As technique should be our greatest asset, when you take the gi off you tend to depend more on your attributes and less on that of what you gain from taking the time to learn proper technique. It is in a sense of quick and easy fix to those who yearn for a feeling of accomplishment and self- gratification. As well as praise from fellow peers. If this responsibility is not realized than the technique and the extent of your potential will ultimately never be realized...
Furthermore it should be noted that I use the words "tend to" and "naturally" for a reason. I don't think it is a simple explanation why people do the things they do. For example: I think it is more natural that larger people tend to use more strength than a smaller person. Many times this hindrance is not a conscience decision. And I write this so that we may throw ideas at the problem to better understand it...
