A new year means it’s time for a new set of yearly goals. Below are my Jiu Jitsu goals for 2016.

#1 Master the Kimura

A few years ago I posted a 10th Planet Watch blog post about the importance of having three moves. At the time my three moves were leg locks, the Darce choke, and the Kimura. Over the past few years I have spent a lot of time refining my leg lock game to the point that I’m getting bored by it. It’s time to choose something new to work on. For 2016 I want to focus on mastering the Kimura. I want to learn how to submit and most importantly control my opponents with the Kimura. I also want to focus on using the Kimura to chain my submissions together.

#2 Become a Destroyer of Guards

I’ll admit that learning open guard leg lock attacks have made me lazy. When I get in a situation that I can’t pass someone’s guard I know that I can always fall back for a leg lock. While this has made me dangerous in someone’s full guard, it has also made me very lazy. Instead of focusing on passing the guard I find myself sometimes saying screw it and just jumping back onto a leg lock. This year I want to focus on my passing game. A few years ago I had a decent passing game but recently I seem to have lost most of it.  My ultimate goal would be to have a solid leg lock and passing game. By combining these two parts of my craft I feel that I can become a destroyer of guards.

#3 Check in More Often

At 10th Planet Van Nuys we have been talking a lot about goal setting. Every year I do a good job of setting goals for the year and sticking to them for the first few months. Around May or June I start to deviate from my initial goals and start working on something else. I’m not alone. There is a reason why numerous people fail at accomplishing their New Year’s resolutions.

To combat this I plan on checking in every three months and seeing how I am progressing. During these check ins I’ll also reassess my goal and see if I need to modify anything. If necessary I’ll even set some short term goals to help me reach my main goal for the year.

So there you have it. My 2016 Jiu Jitsu goals. I would encourage you to set a few goals for yourself and to check in on them periodically to see how you are doing.