Most of us that train have a home academy. Everything about it great. The people are cool, the mats are clean, and the instructor is really knowledgable. The academy is also familiar. Familiarity brings comfort. All of which is good!

There is a danger to be comfortable. That danger is stunted training.

If your training becomes stunted you lack growth and slow or stop the increase of your knowledge of “the game”. There needs to be diversity in your training if you want to grow. That diversity is to train with new people.

If you’re fortunate enough to be part of a academy that has affiliations and it’s relatively close by, take advantage of their classes. This is not to say bail on your academy. Go to the affiliate school once every few months and train with the students. It’s a guarantee you’ll roll with someone that is not like anyone at your home academy.

Another fun and fulfilling option is tournaments. Competition is definitely a game changer. You are not only training with new people. You are also training at another level of intensity you do not experience often.

The other, possibly more expensive, option is private lessons. I did a private lesson with Saulo Ribeiro once and he gave me new tools to be more expand my game. My instructor is extremely knowledgable, but I believe the techniques and concepts Saulo showed me would not have been taught in my academy.

If you are looking to step up your game, you have to go out of your comfort zone and train with new people. You can then bring that knowledge back to your academy and help your team mates grow. If you inspire them to compete or go to a seminar, they will also grow and share that knowledge with you.

Happy training!