21 August 2007, 11:55 in Martial Arts
John Will on the hourglass training model
Australian BJJ black-belt John Will recently posted on what he calls the Hourglass Training Model.
In the commonly used method of teaching, which he refers to as the Showerhead model, students are shown a variety of finishes (outcomes) from a single starting point. He likens this to being shown one way to catch a fish, and five way to cook it. The problem is that if you can’t catch the fish, then even if you know two hundred ways to cook it, you will still go hungry.
The Hourglass model uses a different approach, where students are shown a variety of ways to end up at the same outcome from different starting points. In other words, you teach the student five ways to catch a fish and one way to cook it. This ensures the student has the maximum chance of putting what they learnt into practice. By catching fish repeatedly, even if you only know one way to cook it, you will not go hungry. Additionally, you will quickly become better at cooking from the practice you are getting.
For example, in a typical BJJ class, students may be shown four attacks from side control. However, if they are unable to maintain the side control position on an opponent, then knowing these four attacks is of no real use to them. In contrast, with the Hourglass teaching model, the students would be shown a few ways to achieve the side control position, and then only one attack to finish from there.
The Hourglass teaching model puts the emphasis on getting the student to the starting-line as many times as possible in the course of grappling/sparring. The more ways the student has in to the beginning of the technique, the greater the chances are that they will have the opportunity to try the technique. Ultimately, the more opportunities they have to try the technique, the more likely it becomes that they will be successful with it.
I often find myself frustrated because I am taught advanced techniques that rely on some premise being true. When I wrestle that premise is not satisfied and thus I can never pull off the techniques. Then, because I haven’t successfully practiced the techniques, they quickly get pushed to the back of my brain and are soon forgotten. I believe a lot of students would benefit from more frequent use of the Hourglass model.
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