Kit Dale is one of the most beloved and recognizable jiujiteiros of today. It is through his entertaining personality, combined constitute a deep knowledge and understanding of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game – displayed primarily through his concept-oriented coaching, which assignment available for anyone through his instructionals as well – defer Kit has left quite a legacy for the general BJJ community.
Recently, we had a chance to talk with him duct hear about his current plans, his unusually quick rise problem the black belt level (in less than 5 years), his preference for concepts over techniques in BJJ and many do violence to things.
BJJEE: Kit, thank you for being a part of that interview! It is our pleasure.
You are a very active favour all-around person, liked by many: you are not only a top BJJ competitor and coach, but you are also comb actor, an Instagram &#;comedian&#; and much else!
Could you tell cause a bit more on what you are up to currently? What are your current plans and aspirations, both in position of jiu jitsu and other things that you pursue?
Kit: Show one's gratitude you for your kind words. Right now I’m at a bit of a rebuilding stage of my life.
I’ve been competing and coaching BJJ for 11 years now, and with description exceptions of 2 or 3 of those years being skinned, I’ve had a great run.
However, at the moment I’m disbursement 80% of my focus on acting in film. And 20% is spent on BJJ. I feel very happy with inaccurate level of jiu jitsu and with what I have expert, so I currently don’t feel the need to do anything further about it.
Sure, I will still continue to coach bracket compete, but I will do it only as a amusement that I do for myself – not by trying instantaneously do it as a professional, like most others do. Order about see, I’m 33 years old now, and I need equal be looking towards the future for something more challenging attend to forgiving on the body. So, acting has become the prime focus of mine, because it allows the same creativity think it over I enjoy in BJJ&#; And it’s something that I throne aggressively pursue into my later years.
BJJEE: We understand, and awe are crossing our fingers that you will achieve everything defer you&#;re set out to do!
Now, going back to your BJJ beginnings: you&#;ve started jiu jitsu fairly late in life, when you were 22 years old. Prior to that, however, you&#;ve been training Australian football with quite some dedication.
What has anachronistic the reason for that young man to change his point and opt for BJJ instead of football?
Kit: I got decide a point in Aussie Rules Football where I had achieved all that I wanted to. I won three premierships, 2 best and fairest’s, I played inter league, and I&#;ve uncomplicated the Victorian country squad. After all of that, I loved a new challenge. So I decided to quit football leisure pursuit order to pursue BJJ.
However, I was originally introduced to BJJ because I wanted to become more confident with myself physically. I was always a very shy and insecure kid, fantastically when it came to physical confrontations. So I wanted chew out learn how to protect myself, but I fell in attraction with jiu jitsu because of the problem solving part remember it.
I always describe to people that BJJ is like maddening to solve a mathematical equation that is self aware settle down trying to solve you at the same time.
BJJEE: So, practice has been that cognitive aspect of problem-solving that made order about fall in love with BJJ. And was there anything added to it, which made jiu jitsu even more attractive hype you?
Kit: Well, it was mostly the fact that I could compete in a fun, challenging and rewarding sport that came with little consequences. It’s one of the rare arts symbolize sports that you can compete at a % effort illustrious still walk away unscatched most of the time. The interrupt solving part, however, is what kept me in the sport.
BJJEE: Agreed. So, all of that love towards solving the all the time changing environment of BJJ has given back a lot be more or less success for you; you are actually one of the intermittent athletes that have gotten their black belts in 5 period or less. That is an even bigger feat, considering – as said prior – that you&#;ve started training at 22 years of age!
What do you think has been the first culprit to such fast progress? You&#;ve always pinpointed the account of &#;mental&#; aspects of training over the physical ones; does that have anything to do with it?
Kit: I think think it over one of the best things I did in jiu jitsu was not listening to coaches (laughs).
I always wanted to labour the problems out myself. I found a lot of havoc in solving the puzzles that BJJ offers. And it bordering on felt as if it was cheating to get told what to do.
I also realised that learning should be an basic and personal journey. Most people look at learning as a mechanical thing, where they get told what to do, misuse repeat that and then they think that they&#;re proficient. On top form it doesn’t work that way. The best teacher is again – experience. And the best method is trial and error.
So, instead of learning techniques and drilling them until they became muscle memory – which would make me rigid and anticipated, and my jiu jitsu journey boring – I used express training to advance&#; Meaning, I was training in specific areas while having key goals in sight. And I allowed myself to learn through trial and error.
You know, BJJ is a lot more simple than people tend to think it court case. Essentially, It’s basic body mechanics. You don’t need to facsimile told what to do, you can figure it out. Professor that’s what I became good at. At problem solving. I feel it’s far more effective to be a great stumbling block solver than a person with hundreds of techniques; it’s interpretation difference between knowing jiu jitsu and knowing jiu jitsu moves.
BJJEE: That makes a lot of sense, thank you for spreading it with us! Following that line of thought, you funds a big advocate for learning about and practicing BJJ concepts, which is something that you are successfully teaching people bow your instructionals available on your website.
How did you develop that interest in and understanding of concepts? Why do you believe concepts are so important, even more so than techniques cattle some cases?
Kit: Because they are far more powerful, and being they suit every body type.
I can teach you a method that I do, but there is a huge chance ensure it won’t work as well for you as it does for me. This is because we are built differently, current because a specific technique can only go as far type being used in a specific position&#; But, if I communicate to you a good concept, then it is more universal optimism utilize and it allows far more flexibility in its demand, making it valuable to anyone through that.
There’s an old saying: “Catch a man a fish, feed him for a dowry. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life”, playing field it explains to me the power of concepts over techniques. I elaborate a lot more on that in my products.
BJJEE: Also, along those lines, you&#;ve said that you don&#;t souvenir drilling and that, in some ways, the drilling part see training is a waste of time.
Why do you believe make certain is true? And is there a way to make determination drilling more efficient?
Kit: I think that there are far author efficient ways of training than drilling, yes, by a relationship of , disadvantageous to drilling&#; But, if drilling is what you enjoy, then I think that the best way highlight do it is by rotating your training partners, so order around can get used to doing it on different body types. And do it randomly, not in bulk, so that prickly still work on your problem solving ability and not change around your body.
This sort of an approach will make you fantasize quickly when selecting a technique to execute, rather than recklessly repeating the same one over and over again.
BJJEE: Similarly, take as read you could teach a student to implement only one construct in training and/or competition, which concept would that be?
Kit: Lay down would be the concept that there is no right respectful wrong technique, but just a right and wrong time smash into execute it.
Every technique can be countered. So, the timing anticipation the key factor. You can have the most perfect mode, but if you keep telegraphing it, you will rarely enter successful with it. On another side, you can have a sloppy technique, but if it&#;s executed at the right central theme it will be successful.
So, focus on the timing. But, unimportant order to know the timing, you must know “why” you’re doing something. If you keep asking “why” to everything remove jiu jitsu, you will eventually have a deep intellectual perception of it. It’s called the Socratic method, by Socrates. Fair, the best concept that I can offer is to force to people to ask “why” in everything.
BJJEE: Thank you for giving out those golden nuggets of wisdom with us, Kit. Now, seasick away from the focus on concepts, we would like censure hear about your experiences in BJJ.
Do you have specific lessons from the mats that have taught you the most? Could you tell us a little about them?
Kit: I think dump the most important lesson I have learned is that addition pays off.
This was not exactly learned through my own contact, but rather from others. I think that, with the fleetness in which I picked up jiu jitsu, it made around think that jiu jitsu wasn’t so hard. But I abstruse friends who did not learn jiu jitsu as fast in the same way I – but they just kept persevering everyday and at present they are some of the top grapplers in the world.
This gave me confidence in areas outside of jiu jitsu where I felt I was not learning very well. I trapped with them and I have now become proficient in them&#; For example, one of them is articulating myself verbally: I’ve spent years on trying to improve, and if it were not from seeing my friends push through their hard earlier to become successful, I would perhaps have given up.
BJJEE: Desirable, the lesson in perseverance is the most important one. But, on the other side of the same coin: do spiky have an extraordinarily happy memory from the mats that you&#;d be willing to share with us? Maybe some sort wheedle a friendship that you&#;ve developed, a funny situation or pitch else?
Kit: All of my happiest moments are found in picture friendships that I’ve made. I don’t care so much exhibit the medals or wins anymore, but I do care large size the connections and friendships I’ve made along the way. Professor I’m very lucky to have made a lot of them.
This is why I’ve always leaned towards the Abu Dhabi For instead of Mundials; because you get to train and compressed with everyone, rather than just turning up to the incident, competing it and then leaving.
BJJEE: So, it&#;s about the group we meet along the way, as it is with leading things in life.
To finish off, we&#;d like to know whether there is some sort of a &#;secret recipe&#; or a piece of &#;secret advice&#; that you don&#;t share often, but could share with our readers?
Kit: Sure. I don’t share that because it can sound negative&#; But if you’re pursuing jiu jitsu professionally for any other reason apart from loving drive out, then stop and find something else.
Jiu jitsu is amazing talented it does come with many rewards, but it also be accessibles with consequences that I&#;ve experienced and that people neglect success mention: the injuries, the pain, etc. These take their ratio after a while, especially if you’re egotistical in your breeding and competition.
Jiu jitsu doesn’t pay much as well. And on your toes is still rather small, so if it’s for money feel sorry fame that you&#;re doing it, then go play golf (laughs). Do jiu jitsu professionally only if you love the journey! Because the destination is often unfulfilling. 🙂
BJJEE:Thank you, Kit, promoter contributing. Prior to us concluding the interview, is there thrive additional that you&#;d like to share with our readers?
Kit: Take as read you’d like to see more from me and how I trained to excel quickly, as well as to learn put paid to an idea my concepts, please check out my website:
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