In a revealing insight into his training methodology, renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach John Danaher has explained why he deliberately avoids using round timers during training sessions at his academy.
The New Zealand-born instructor, known for coaching numerous world champions, believes that eliminating time constraints forces his students to focus solely on their technical abilities rather than watching the clock.
“When you tell someone this is going to be a five-minute round, if it’s going badly for them in their head they’re just saying one mantra, two minutes left survive,”
Danaher explained in appearance on Jake Shields podcast.
This innovative approach stems from his observation that athletes often develop a dependency on time limits to endure difficult situations. By removing the safety net of a timer, Danaher creates an environment where technical proficiency becomes the only reliable solution.
“The only thing when you’re not going to get saved by the clock that will save you is your technique and so it creates a mindset in students where the only thing they know they can rely on is their own technique,”
he states.
According to Danaher, while students may initially learn the techniques, their progress can stagnate when they begin to rely on the clock as a crutch.
“They will learn the technique but when they learn to rely on the clock to save them the progress quickly dissipates,”
he notes.
