BJJ Style Development Guide
Develop your unique BJJ style: understand personality traits, physical attributes, and build a personal system.
Your BJJ style should reflect your personality and physical attributes. A short grappler can't copy John Kavanagh's system; a slower athlete can't mimic John Danaher. The goal is finding YOUR style—the techniques that suit your body, mind, and preferences.
Self-Assessment
- Physical: Are you tall, short, lean, heavy? Fast-twitch or slow-twitch? Flexible?
- Mental: Are you aggressive or methodical? Patient or impatient? Risk-taker or conservative?
- Preference: Do you love leg locks or hate them? Guard passer or guard player?
Matching Style to Attributes
Heavy athlete? Develop pressure-based top game. Flexible? Develop guard game. Aggressive personality? Develop explosive attacks. Fast athlete? Speed-based passing game. Adapt systems to YOU, not vice versa.
Building Your System
Select 2-3 primary techniques you love. Build chains around them. Example: "I love heelhooks. I'll play 50-50 and saddle. From there, I chain heelhooks into ankle locks." Now you have a coherent system.
Evolution Over Time
Your style will evolve. Young, athletic? Play explosive guard. Older, less athletic? Develop efficient pressure-based system. Same person, different styles at different ages. That's healthy.