Cross training can be a good thing for many avid BJJ lover out there. As we know, there is no limit on how much we can learn in this sports & no matter what color belt you are, we always get to learn new tricks & moves from different levels. It can be from our resident gym, seminars or even other neighborhood gyms out there.
Why Should You Cross Train Among Other BJJ Gym?
1. Learning New Tricks
It is often we are in the situation where our coach are only good with certain moves & it is good for us to keep our eye open & learn something new with others.
2. Testing Our Skill
Training with the same group of grapplers will make us less competitive as our teammates knows our moves well. We can actually test it out on other team that we may not train often to challenge our own skill.
3. Building Healthy BJJ Community
No doubt there are always gym rivalry in the community but what's more important is, we should instead work together to build a healthy community. The community is small & to grow it bigger, cross training with each other will build a strong community.
4. Making More Friends
Rather than making enemies among other gym, we can actually get to know more friends that share the same passion as us. End of the day, we are all sharing the same hobby & goal.
Cross training can also be a taboo in certain gym. There are times where I will usually hear some coaches or gym owners that do not allow their students to cross train & they may even threaten to expel them from the team. To be honest, it is a toxic environment or gym that do not allow their student to train with others. The good thing is that my coach actually encourage cross training as he believe that it can actually enhanced his student skills.
