Preface: There's a "new" coaching methodology on the scene in the BJJ/combat sports world and it's causing a lot of concern amongst instructors and athletes who are unfamiliar with it.

​This "new" coaching methodology has actually been around for several years in some Jiu-Jitsu/MMA circles and it's called the Constraints Led Approach (CLA). It's based on the multi-discipline theory of Ecological Dynamics, which is a motor learning theory that stems from the psychologist and Cornell professor, James J. Gibson and his ecological perception research.

Currently, Ecological Dynamics Theory and the CLA for skill acquisition are well studied and applied at the highest level in major national and professional sports (major league baseball, NFL American Football, FIFA Soccer, national Judo programs), by the same researchers who are publishing peer reviewed manuscripts on the subject and regularly discussing it on podcasts and social media channels. 

Many BJJ instructors and athletes at the moment have apprehension with this methodology because they are unfamiliar with it. The majority of people who have learned BJJ or any other martial art up to this point have learned it under the other  competing theories of perception and  learning such as Constructivist Theory and/or Information Processing (IP) models (albeit, it's unlikely their coaches were aware of what model they were utilizing). 

Because there is a lot more talk in the BJJ, MMA and combat sport world about CLA and Ecological Dynamics, I've noticed an information gap that exists when those who aren't familiar with these topics attempt to learn more about it or discuss it with a CLA coach.

Understanding of what the CLA is requires an understanding of, or at least an appreciation of the scientific evidence that supports it. More than just that, to understand any other topic of importance, being able to  appreciate the value of strong  scientific evidence will only serve to better inform your decisions. Being more science literate is never a problem. 

As a former molecular biology researcher,  I utilized the scientific method in the course of my research and understood the necessity of having strong evidence supporting my findings as well as being able to publicly present them to the research community under great scrutiny from peer review. I also was required to defend my research when questioned by other experts in the field in a logical and honest manner where I did not utilize logical fallacies or fall victim to cognitive biases. To this day, I always attempt to apply the scientific method when wanting to know more about the world. I also take in scientifically valid findings with a greater deal of weight than any other when forming my opinions.

Hopefully, this article series can both educate and inform others about why coaches such as myself have chosen to adopt the Constraints Led Approach coaching methodology. I begin with "Why Scientific Evidence Should Matter to the Combat Sports Coach." In later articles I want to cover topics such as why coaches should care about research based findings, common cognitive biases and more.

Breaking Away from Traditional Coaching

Most martial arts gyms still rely on traditional, prescriptive instruction — a method where students learn by watching their instructor demonstrate a maneuver or "technique" in a broken down step by step fashion accompanied by the Instructor overly describing their movements and the whole situation in extremely unnecessary and often excruciatingly level of asinine detail. This then is typically followed by the students attempting to perform and replicate  the same "technique" in static, isolated drills with no resistance from a partner. All the while the coach may or may not come around to you and provide you with criticism or "feedback". As if for every Jiu-Jitsu problem/situation there must be only one perfect solution! How antithetical to learning a dynamic combat sport/martial art does that sound to you?

This Information-Processing (IP) model assumes that before a person can perform a complex action (solve a grappling/jiu-jitsu problem, situation or position), they must first be given the information on how to solve that problem by an instructor. This is simply and absolutely not true at all.

The problem? Fighting is chaotic. Opponents don’t move like compliant training partners. Techniques that work in drills often fall apart under pressure because they weren’t learned in an adaptive, live environment. 

At Iowa City Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (ICBJJ), we take a different approach—one based on the science of Ecological Dynamics Theory. For two years and counting, we’ve been applying this cutting-edge coaching method in our:

✅ Adult Foundations of Jiu-Jitsu
✅ Kids Jiu-Jitsu & MMA
✅ Teen Jiu-Jitsu & MMA
✅ Close Range Tactics Self-Defense

And the results speak for themselves.

What is Ecological Dynamics?

Ecological Dynamics is multi-disciplinary framework that studies how individuals perceive, obtain information and interact with their environments. The scientific theory emphasizes learning through real-world interaction, rather than memorization. It’s built on two major principles:

1. Perception-Action Coupling – You don’t just memorize techniques—you learn to recognize and react to real opportunities in the moment.
2. Constraint-Led Learning – Instead of drilling moves in isolation, students are placed in game-based, live scenarios where they must adapt and problem-solve dynamically.

This Constraints Led Approach (CLA) is proven to develop more adaptive, resilient, and skillful athletes across multiple sports—including Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. (See Chow et al., 2016, "Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition"; Renshaw & Davids, 2014, "Constraints-Led Approach to Motor Learning.")

Why CLA is Better Than Traditional Methods

1. Real Learning Happens in Chaos
In real combat, you don’t get to pause, analyze, and perfectly execute a memorized technique. You must react in the moment.

Traditional coaching isolates techniques in drills that don’t reflect real fights. CLA, on the other hand, teaches students in realistic, chaotic conditions, so they learn how to adapt, not just what to do.

2. Faster Skill Acquisition
Instead of spending weeks memorizing moves before applying them, students at ICBJJ learn by doing—through task-based games and scenarios that are representative of the context in which they will be performed, but are constrained by the coach in such ways to bring about an experiential self-discovery by the student about how to solve real Jiu-Jitsu problems in real time.
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Example: Instead of having and beginners drill an armbar from closed guard in isolation, we might start them in a live scenario where one person is trying to maintain control of an extended arm for a period of time and then finish the manuever with an extended armlock while the training partner resists, defends and attempts to escape at varying degrees of effort—allowing the student on offense to discover key mechanics through an experience that is representative of real applications.

3. Pressure-Proof Skills
Many students from traditional gyms struggle to apply techniques under pressure because they’ve never been trained in realistic decision-making scenarios.
CLA ensures that students at ICBJJ build skills under stress—so when the moment comes, their bodies instinctively know what to do.

How We Implement Ecological Dynamics at ICBJJ

1. Task-Based, Game-Like Learning 
Instead of static drilling, we create games and live tasks that encourage students to discover solutions to dynamic problems and positions common to competitive Jiu-Jitsu matches.

Example: Instead of passively learning a single-leg takedown through step-by-step instruction, and then having students attempt to replicate what the instructor did verbatim, we create a scenario where one student must perform relevant and applicable tasks while maintaining their connections and control over their partner while that partner defends in certain constrained ways. Eventually working towards the ultimate goal of the position, which in this case would be a takedown to the mat. By engaging in this live challenge, students quickly find what works and what doesn’t.

2. Constraint-Led Approach to Coaching
We guide learning by manipulating constraints—adjusting the environment, rules, or objectives of each training partner to shape movement and outcomes naturally. We also scale tasks and goals, as well as manipulate the environment and situational pressure when training. 

Example: If a new student struggles with escaping the side pin/side control position, we might start them in an extremely advantageous position where their partner has minimal connections and pressure but is still attempting to move to the Mount - for example. This allows them to have the space to escape and to explore strategies that capitalize on space and begin to couple perceiving space with an action that benefits them - rather than relying on memorized techniques learned with a partner that's been asked to be an inanimate training mannequin because... "fundamentals".

3. Live Training, Positional Sparring & Open Sparring/Rolling
Instead of waiting months before encountering live resistance or sparring, beginners of all ages at ICBJJ train with situational and controlled/constrained training on Day 1—focusing on specific realistic scenarios in controlled settings. 

If you're new, don't worry. First, these practice sessions are well designed and all participants have been briefed on how to perform as training partners in the session so that the focus of the game/scenario is challenged in an intelligent way.

​Positional Sparring is an expansion on Task Based Games in that it has more variables and is closer to real sparring. 

Sparring or Rolling is competitive where both partners are trying to best the other by achieving dominant positions and submitting each other.

Because of our culture and the safety parameters we have in place at ICBJJ, we have always confidently allowed Day 1 new students to spar with coaches and experienced students whenever they feel ready to do so -  but sparring early is not a requirement. This approach to training along with controlled sparring accelerates skill development and ensures students are comfortable in real grappling situations much sooner than in traditional programs.

The Results: Why Our Students Learn Faster & Perform Better

Since implementing Ecological Dynamics Theory, we’ve seen:
✔ Faster progression in both beginners and advanced students
✔ Greater adaptability in unpredictable sparring situations
✔ Higher retention of skills compared to traditional prescriptive methods
✔ More engagement and fun—because training feels like a real challenge, not just repetition ICBJJ is one of the only gyms in the region utilizing this scientifically-backed approach, and it’s making a huge impact on how our students train and perform.

If you’re ready to train in a way that actually prepares you for real Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and self-defense situations, join us at Iowa City BJJ and experience our Ecological Dynamics based Constraints Led Approach to Coaching for yourself.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is often considered the most difficult martial art to become proficient at, let alone develop expertise in. On the one hand, Jiu-Jitsu can be very powerful when applied correctly and a little bit of Jiu-Jitsu can go a long way. People with very little Jiu-Jitsu training can soon best their friends in friendly grappling matches and may even be successful in a small real life self-defense situation. Compared to those who don't train Jiu-Jitsu, the student who has 6 months to a year of training can be quite formidable... sometimes.

The difficulty comes when you begin to measure your abilities and knowledge not just against those who don't train, but when you measure them against fellow Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. What's more important than how you stack up against others is how you stack up against your previous self. This is the metric of personal progress and while it may be difficult to keep this in perspective, your personal progress is the most important metric in all of Jiu-Jitsu. 

Making acceptable levels of progress at any new endeavor is both difficult and important for practitioners. Unfortunately, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu  is notoriously difficult for people to make progress in. There are many reasons as to why this is, but there are at least two specific reasons that are absolutely critical and which are both under the direct control of the student.

For years ICBJJ has offered a training scholarship to full time local police officers and troopers. In the past the scholarship was for one year of free training to the officer followed by a discounted tuition for the rest of their time with us.

In an effort to encourage officers to train more and to help them achieve a higher standard of minimum training, we are changing our LEO Scholarship Program.

"In a street fight do this", "In a street fight, do that", "You should never do that in a street fight", "A person would never do this in a street fight", "This works in competition, but you never want to do it in a street fight". 

​Since I started martial arts, 39 years ago, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu almost 30 years ago, I have heard everyone from a white belt to a red belt talk about "street fighting" in one aspect or another. The reasons to use BJJ in a street fight tend to come from those who are jiujitsukas. The reasons not to use BJJ in a street fight tend to come from all those who are not. The reasons to use Tae Kwon Do in a street fight tend to come from the people who do that, and the reasons to not use it tend to come from those who don't. It's all seems to be rather subjective. My goal in this article is to try to clear up a very troublesome issue with both sides of this argument and attempt to make the argument have a more objective conclusion based on defined terms and real world data. The central theme that needs to be clarified by any martial system making a claim about it's effectiveness in a street fight is - What do you mean when you say "street fighting"?