…But Keep the Old

In nearly all things and endeavors, novelty has a strong pull for us humans.  Grappling is no different.  We want new moves: new submissions, new reversals and even new positions.

It’s not a bad thing – a new technique is sometimes fills a gap you had it your game.  Sometimes it helps you find a new place to go when you find yourself following the same pattern you always do with a particular partner.  And sometimes it’s just fun (though often it is equal parts confusing).

Don’t abandon the old favorites, though.  It’s easy to think that the old moves don’t work anymore because everyone you roll with has figured them out.  But keep in mind that they might still work quite well on someone you’ve never rolled with or they might work again on someone you do roll with frequently if you mix them in with a new combination or change the angle slightly.

So yeah.  Keep it fresh, keep pushing one another – but keep the skills you’ve already got.