Drilling Makes You More Rigid & Predictable

Known for his preference for what he calls “task-based games”, Kit Dale believes there’s a more effective way to develop grappling skills than simply repeating the same movement patterns – i.e. drilling.

His approach has gained traction thanks in part to coaches like Greg Souders, who champion the constraints-led approach of learning.Still, the method has sparked debate across the Jiu-Jitsu world, drawing criticism from many traditional coaches and high-level competitors who remain loyal to drilling as a core part of training.

But Dale thinks the issue is not just preference – it’s efficiency.He questions whether drilling is even helpful at all:

It makes you more rigid and predictable, and it’s just a waste of time as well.Time that could be way better spent.

He believes that some athletes may be progressing despite their drilling, not because of it:

A lot of people just don’t see it and they get away with it because they’re training like four or five hours a day…

Let’s say an hour of that training is drilling and they’re going backwards in that time, the rest of it is pushing them exponentially further forward.So, it’s very hard for them to see it and break that down.

For Dale, the difference isn’t just about how you train. It’s about the mindset behind your training goals:

You just wanna look at Jiu-Jitsu as a problem-solving game and become much better at problem solving live in the moment.

Any time you’re trying to pre-shape and rehearse it you’re not problem-solving, you’re trying to create a theatre-piece out of Jiu-Jitsu.