What Makes a Good Instructor?

If you are a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and you want to become an instructor, you might be wondering how to go about it. How do you share your knowledge and skills with others? How do you inspire and motivate your students? How do you make them learn faster and better?

I have been teaching BJJ for over 40 years, and I have learned a lot from my own experience and from my mentors, such as my uncle Helio Gracie, my cousin Rolls Gracie, and my cousin Carlos Gracie Junior. I have also learned from my students, who constantly challenge me and make me grow as an instructor.

One of the most important lessons that I have learned is the secret of reverse engineering. This is a method that I use to teach any technique or sequence in BJJ, from the simplest to the most complex. It consists of teaching the end first, and then going backwards to the beginning.

Let me explain why this works so well, and how you can use it to become a great BJJ instructor.

The Power of Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering is a powerful way to teach BJJ because it gives the student a clear vision of the goal and the outcome. It shows them what they are aiming for, and what they need to achieve. It also helps them feel the technique, not just see it or understand it.

For example, if I want to teach an arm bar from the mount, I don't start by showing the setup or the transition. I start by showing the finish, the grip breaking part before extending the joint into submission. I let the student feel how it is to complete the move, how to apply pressure, leverage, and angle. I let them experience the satisfaction of locking the arm and tapping their partner.

Then, I go back to the previous step, the transition from the mount to the arm bar. I show them how to isolate the arm, how to swing their leg over the head, how to control the posture and position. I let them practice this step until they can do it smoothly and confidently.

Finally, I go back to the first step, the setup from the mount. I show them how to create an opening, how to bait their partner, how to secure their grips and hooks. I let them drill this step until they can do it instinctively and effectively.

By teaching in this reverse order, I help my students connect the dots more easily and quickly. They already know where they are going and what they are doing. They just need to fill in the gaps and polish their execution.

The Benefits of Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering has many benefits for both the instructor and the student. Here are some of them:

• It makes teaching more fun and rewarding. The instructor feels more engaged and motivated when they can see and feel the result of their effort. They also enjoy the challenge of helping their students figure out how to get there.

• It makes teaching more efficient and effective. The instructor teaches faster and better when they have a clear goal and a clear path. They also communicate more clearly and concisely when they can relate it to something that their students already know or feel.

• It makes teaching more adaptable and creative. The instructor teaches how to adjust and improvise when things change or go wrong. They also teach how to apply the same principle or concept to different situations or techniques.

The Art of Frustration

Of course, reverse engineering is not a magic formula that guarantees success every time. BJJ is still a complex and dynamic art that requires constant practice and improvement. There will be days when your students will struggle or fail, when they will be frustrated or discouraged.

But that's part of the journey, part of the beauty of BJJ. It's not about getting it right every time - that's impossible even for the most experienced practitioners. It's about pushing your threshold higher every time, getting closer to your goal.

It's about frustrating your opponent first, making them work harder than you, making them sweat more, tire them out. It's about improving your transitions, escaping from bad positions, disrupting their balance. It's about adding pressure to everything, smashing, squeezing, choking.

When you do these things right, the submission becomes not the target but the consequence.

Final Thoughts

BJJ is more than just a sport or a hobby - it's a science and an art that can transform you in many ways. It can make you stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. It can teach you valuable lessons that apply to all aspects of life. It can help you achieve your goals and dreams.

But remember, BJJ is not about how you start - it's about how you finish. And finishing strong requires consistency, persistence, and dedication.

So if you want to become a great BJJ instructor, use reverse engineering as your secret weapon. Start with the end in sight, and help your students see things differently, feel things differently, and do things differently.

Now, go do some training, the mat is waiting for you!