The Method
To recap, Zenyo starts with how to train — part, whole, change.
Then what to train is added — ankle lock, back choke, cross armbar.
Training spirals through endless variations to this because research shows skills develop at a faster pace and become more permanent when changes are added to training.
“To change is to learn and to learn is to change.” — Lew Treen
The Changes
Change is the only constant. Every day, partner, roll, move is different.
Training with specific changes prepares athletes for the ever-changing conditions of Jiu Jitsu.
Change drives training at Zenyo. We change submissions, mat surfaces, dominant sides, limbs and more during training.
All these changes drive adaptation.
Change: From Part To Whole
The first change in training is to move from part to whole. At Zenyo, we do this very quickly, in one rep if possible. Then athletes start training in whole with the focus on doing all of the Jiu Jitsu necessary to achieve the specific submission.
Change: From Move To Move
After the ankle lock, athletes move to the back choke and then to the cross armbar, repeating the part-whole method. Once all three submissions have been trained separately, then all three can be trained in whole — a, b and c.
Change: Surfaces And Areas
The Zenyo Method is constantly evolving. Training ideas are changing all the time. One thing we are playing with now is different surfaces and areas for training.
Athletes have been training on the regular mats, but also on the hard wood floor at the gym. They’ve been boxed in next to a brick wall. They’ve been limited to tiny spaces.
These changes to surfaces and areas brings out very interesting Jiu Jitsu.
Casey and Robin training in small space confined by mats.
Change: Movements And Limbs
Another change we make at Zenyo is whether the left or right side of the body is dominant. We change ways to move: step or swivel. We also change how many limbs athletes can use in training: 1,2,3,4.
Change The Game
Repetition is a main driving force of learning. But for best effect, it’s not just repeat the same thing in the same way. It’s repeat the same things in different ways.
This is where the Zenyo Method shines. Athletes get a ton of looks at the fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu in lots of different ways.
See more about how we use change as a primary part of training: Change: A Way To Better Living.