In a previous article with multiple-time World Champion Bernardo Faria, the Jiu-Jitsu Times talked about how students can build their half guard game.
Today we want to ask Bernardo about the most common mistakes in the half guard position.
Jiu-Jitsu Times: Bernardo, what are the three most common mistakes that you see in the half guard? What do students need to do to correct these specific mistakes?
Bernardo Faria: I would say that the three common mistakes from half-guard is not even only for half-guard, it’s for any type of game, and in my opinion it is:
- Some students don’t have self awareness to find out what is the type of game that matches with their style, and then they end up trying and learning everything, not specializing on any technique.
- Happens a lot that some student start learning one type of game, they are becoming better on it, but because they training partners learned how to defend it, they completely change their style because they think that it’s not working anymore. But of course that its only not working against your training partners, because you train with them all the time, but when you roll or compete with someone who doesn’t feel your game every day, you will be surprised with how good it will work.
- They don’t force the roll, or the match in the tournament to go for the position that they are working on. If you are very good on half-on bottom, and you let your opponent start the roll and put you in the closed guard for example, you are on his game, he is not on your game.
Jiu-Jitsu Times: How can half guard players learn more about your system of half guard?
Bernardo Faria: I have been working a lot lately, on spreading the knowledge that I have learned during my 17 years of BJJ career. Just this week for example I launched my seventh instructional DVD (The Battle Tested Half-Guard 4 DVD Set – Link). This one is all about my favorite moves and updates from half-guard. Also, I made sure to include 50 minutes of myself rolling and commented with what I’m thinking and trying to do on each situation. Many times we watch instructional techniques online, we learn it, but we never know the exactly time that we should do it, and timing in the high level is maybe more important than technique well executed. Sometimes you do something a little wrong in the right time and it works, and sometimes you do the perfect move in the wrong time and it doesn’t work. So that’s why I came up with this new format of Instructional (link of my new DVD – https://bjjfanatics.com/bernardo-faria-half-guard/ ). Also I have been posting a lot of tips and videos on my blog www.bernardofaria.comand on my YouTube channel Bernardo Faria BJJ.
Thanks Jiu-Jitsu Times for the interview. Its always a pleasure to talk with you guys. Congratulations for the huge work you all are doing for the BJJ community.
Osssssss
