This is my very first post in my blog. I want to talk about going to seminars and why I think that it is important. Since I did not have a teacher to teach me everyday, since I was a purple belt, seminars was an really important part of my development in Jiu Jitsu. When Peter Blackwell (my first teacher) stopped coming over on a regular basis, we started to arrange seminars with him every month or every second month. To make sure that we had new inspiration all the time. At the same time I went to Sweden once a week to train with Peter and a group of purple, brown and blackbelts. And of cause I went to all the seminar with Leo Vieira and other world class Jiu Jitsu guys. Without this I would never have developed to the point where I’m now. The faster you take charge of you own learning, the faster you will learn this sport.

For me Jiu Jitsu is not just sparring all the time, you need a lot of information to understand what is going on, and that is where seminars and private lessons come in. DVDs and youtube are fine as a supplement to your training, but it is nothing compared to a live instructor. Sometimes it is just a small piece of informations that makes a difference in a position or in the way you do a move. I dont know how many times I have said “Why did I not think of that”, it just seems so obviouse. That is why seminars and privat lessons can save you a lot of time, especially if you dont have someone that is much better then you to point out all you mistakes, you can keep on doing them for years. And you dont even know that it is wrong.

Some people argue that it is to much information, that may be true, it can be hard to remember every little detail, but if you leave the seminar with just one new thing that makes the difference in your game, it’s all worth it. And time spend training on the mat is never wasted. Every time a went to a seminar or had a private lesson it made at big difference in the way I do my Jiu Jitsu. It will speed up your progress.

So if there is a seminar in your academy or somewhere close by, dont miss out, look at it as an investment in your self. If Jiu Jitsu is something that you really want to learn, then DO IT.