Notational Analysis in BJJ
Over the past 2 to 3 years I have had some exposure to notational analysis (and in fact technical analysis - but that is a different blog) and even though my experience/exposure was in Rugby and Football it was enjoyable.
We have all had exposure to it - most without even realising it I imagine. Be that almost any sport on TV to regional and national papers and news channels. BUT while this is notational analysis on the whole is for entertainment purpose, it can be individualised for each and every single competitor. So why do I feel the need to discuss this in relation to BJJ? Analysis done correctly is a tool to improve performance - and if you like me are constantly looking to improve performance surely this is something we should engage in? When you look into it, the tools available are expensive (computerised tools) and it can be time consuming - but what price do you put on improving?
Analysis can be done by way of computerised system or by hand (cheaper and arguably more accurate). It not only offers the opportunity to improve performance but also to identify strengths and weaknesses, provide OBJECTIVE feedback, provide feedback to coaches and offer a database of knowledge. While I agree that most coaches do this, science research suggests that the accuracy of a coach is less than 45% accurate of events that occurred, it could be suggested therefore that over 55% of data/information from a fight/bout could be lost (unintentionally of course). So would you want this information/database at hand? Would this help - of course! From time spent in side control, to time spend attacking a submission, from success rates in take downs to take down defences - the options are limitless and can be set up for your individual needs! I will be working with an athlete in the near future to conduct this very thing - although it will be looked at from a scientific point of view - the benefits to the athlete will be clear to see. Video analysis, computer analysis of sections of a bout they choose to analysis as well as an objective information as opposed to subjective opinions.
Once I've finished I will gladly share the operational definitions I used (how we decided if an action was complete or not) and tags (tagging system to gather data). I feel this information shared will allow people to do this on their own with relative ease - you simply need to record a bout and watch it over and over.... how easy? Just for reference below is an example I used for Rugby to tag actions that happened during a match and how I chose whether those actions took place
Anyway, I hope you found this short blog informative - I believe this has a big place in all competitive sport and should be used at any given opportunity. I'd love to hear of people who have and do use this (be that computerised or hand notation) and the benefits (if any) you feel it has had.
Until next time, ooosss