According to Rogan, the secret to mastering the most effective techniques lies in learning from practitioners who can’t rely on physical strength alone.
“If you can learn jujitsu with a guy who’s small you’ll learn the best jujitsu,” Rogan explained. “Because they have to use technique, they have to use leverage.”
Rogan elaborated that larger, stronger practitioners often have the advantage of using their physical power to execute moves, potentially developing habits that rely more on strength than proper form.
“You’re a big strong guy, if you learn jujitsu you could use that strength. You could squish people’s necks and throw them on the ground and grab their arms and stuff like that,” he said. “But a small guy can never do that.”
The commentator highlighted several respected smaller instructors, including Barrett Yoshida, Royler Gracie, Eddie Bravo, and Gabe Tuttle, who teaches at 10th Planet.
“Small guy jujitsu is the best jujitsu because it has to be razor sharp,” Rogan continued. “They don’t have the physical strength to overpower an arm and get you into a certain position just from raw horsepower. They have to like sneak it in there with leverage and they have to do everything perfectly.”
When asked about the benefits of learning at a young age, Rogan agreed that starting early is advantageous, stating,
“It’s always good to learn young because first of all it becomes a natural part of your movement.”
This perspective offers valuable guidance for those looking to develop technical proficiency in Jiu-Jitsu, suggesting that seeking out smaller instructors might be the key to mastering the art’s most refined techniques.
