Learn to Drill… 10th Planet Style with JM Holland and Zach Maslany

Drilling sequences done with a good partner can have massive effects on your game. The ability to recognize and be aware of common reactions we’ll encounter during the course of a match is a tremendous tool for progress and overall BJJ maintenance. If you’ve never delved in to the practice of partner drilling maybe it’s time to start. 

When I was a blue belt, I met my favorited training partner. Still 10 years later we are in  the academy together. One of the most significant things about our meeting that I can recall is that he opened my eyes to a lot of different methods of training. One of the things he constantly preached about, and does to this day, is these sequence style partner drills. When he first introduced me to them, I instantly fell in love with drilling. I spent the rest of blue belt, and my entire career as a purple belt learning and drilling as many as I could. I became addicted to the results and they remain a huge part of my training today. 

I credit a lot of my jumps in progress to this type of drilling. When I get stuck and feel that a particular position of motion is giving me trouble, I find a drill to study, and it helps me fill in that deficient spot. Often times the movements that you’re perfecting pop out unannounced in your live training, which is incredibly satisfying, and a good marker that what you’re doing is paying off.

10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu and Eddie Bravo are famous for creating a menu of these sequence style partner drills, that are performed in all of the 10th Planet academies around the world. The students benefit from these pre planned sequences by enjoying the flow and use of movements that pertain to their particular system. The sequences vary greatly, but they cover a wide variety of attacks, transitions, and positions. 

To get an idea of what I’m talking about, let’s look at couple of these sequences. These particular fundamental drills are performed by JM Holland and Zach Maslany, two of 10th Planet’s top tier black belts. They’ll take you through the sequences and explain the methods behind the madness. This first one is referred to as A2, have a look!

Beginning with an excellent passing choice, Holland cuts his right leg up the middle and begins to knee slice pass. OF course, with no resistance the pass would come to life, but here his partner chooses to throw up a knee shield in his partner’s path. As this occurs, Holland switches his hips, bypassing the defenses and now with his line of sight aimed toward his partner hips. As his partner turns away and begins the process of a Granby roll, Holland stays with him and puts himself in to a stacking style passing position. AS Holland stacks his partner off to the left side, another Granby roll is performed. Here, Holland performs another stack pass. On the third Granby attempt the plans are changed up. 

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During the third Granby attempt, Holland now chooses to pin the legs to the mat at the calves. He then makes a harness through his partner crotch and around one of the legs. He then lays back and weaves his legs in to the truck position. Here he looks for a baseball bat grip which in some cases can lead to a twister, bit here as his partner responds, Holland opts for threading his arm in through his partners arm and transitions easily to the back. 

As his partner defends his neck and begins to come up on top, Holland climbs his legs high up rhea body, pinning and scraping away at the limbs until he can lop his arm through and secure an arm. He then switches control of the arm and under hooks the leg closest to him, establishing the spiderweb position and throwing his leg over the head to establish the arm lock set up. Here, Holland places his leg through the hole in his partner’s arm, reducing the pressure from the arm attack and coaxing his partner in to coming up into his guard, where a triangle transition awaits. He then finishes with the triangle or the arm lock to complete the sequence. 

There a lot of relevance here. This sequence takes us on a journey through several positions, attacks, and transitions. This would be an excellent way to get started!

Here’s another sequence to check out titled “D2”, led by Zach Maslany. Have a look!

Beginning in a similar passing position, but this time with butterfly hooks inserted, Maslany brings one of his trapped legs forward and then up and out of his partners guard. As he kicks the leg high, he removes his partners knees by pushing them out to the side. Here, he lands in a knee on belly position, and performs two transitions, one to the other side and then back again. 

As his partner responds to the knee on belly position with a Granby roll, Maslany answers by bringing his knee over his partners leg and switches his hips, exiting his partner guard and landing in twister side control. He then lifts his hips to begin traversing across his partners body, hooking the leg as he goes and performing a roll, landing him squarely on his partners back. Maslany then works to secure a rea naked choke and commands the tap. 

As his partner works tot eh weak side to begin escaping the back, Maslany notices the efforts to escape and comes up to his knees, reclaiming the top position. 

I love this one as well. There’s so much contained here. It would be incredibly beneficial for us to take the time to work through these sequences and make them second nature. Understanding predictable movements and transitions can have such a positive effect on your game. Great stuff here from two of 10th Planet’s best!

Learn the 10th Planet System of Drilling with JM Holland and Zach Maslany! It is all covered in 10th Planet Fundamentals. Drilling is the key to success for MANY grapplers. the 10th planet style of drill will embed the system into your game! Learn the names, learn the moves, and DOMINATE!

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