Lesson with Jiří Procházca

[Tony Dismukes]

Posting this because I think that some of our TMA guys who normally don’t care about MMA might appreciate some of Jiří’s perspective.

 

[Flying Crane]

I can relate to what he said about the need for the ability to train alone. That has been my message for decades. Don’t just go to class, turn off the brain and follow the leader to get a “good workout” without actually learning anything or developing real skills. Breathe hard, get in shape (maybe) but learn nothing.

I’ve always said, take what you are taught, go work on it by yourself, get corrections in class, but keep working outside of class. Own it, find inspiration within yourself to train, find joy in the training itself, for its own sake, not because of some goal. At the end of the day, you gotta stand on your own two feet. Working on your own is often where you really begin to make it your own. Develop your independence within your own training, don’t just copy your teacher.

 

[isshinryuronin]

I can relate to what he said about the need for the ability to train alone. That has been my message for decades. Don’t just go to class, turn off the brain and follow the leader to get a “good workout” without actually learning anything or developing real skills. Breathe hard, get in shape (maybe) but learn nothing.

I’ve always said, take what you are taught, go work on it by yourself, get corrections in class, but keep working outside of class. Own it, find inspiration within yourself to train, find joy in the training itself, for its own sake, not because of some goal. At the end of the day, you gotta stand on your own two feet. Working on your own is often where you really begin to make it your own. Develop your independence within your own training, don’t just copy your teacher.

Class can only teach so much (and this can be a lot!). Mostly the gross external physical mechanics. Usually in class one is trying to get this part done and to keep up with the instructor's count, "ichi, ni, san, shi, ichi ni san shi..." and in some schools, wrenching out blood curdling kiais. Your focus is on all these external things, but this is enough for the first couple of years or so.

There is little opportunity in class to look inward and explore and feel your body which the more advanced student needs to do to improve from the inside out. I've found that all the subtle and internal things that improve you are discovered when you're on your own at your own pace, relaxed and in tune, not with the instructor or class, but with yourself.

 

[Buka]

It was even more fun watching that a second time.

 

[marvin8]

Jiří Procházka, a TMAist with a black belt in Kyokushin karate, trains in the Slovak mountains.

MulliganBrothers
Mar 29, 2025

Jiří Procházka UFC Documentary - The Road to Glory

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

take what you are taught, go work on it by yourself,

Some people go to MA school to work out. They then come home to rest. I always believe that I should go to MA school to learn. I then come home to train.

Sometimes we have heard that someone moves to a new town, could not find a MA school, and quit. I just don't understand that kind of thinking. People can always train what they have learned for the rest of their life.

 

[Flying Crane]

Some people go to MA school to work out. They then come home to rest. I always believe that I should go to MA school to learn. I then come home to train.

Sometimes we have heard that someone moves to a new town, could not find a MA school, and quit. I just don't understand that kind of thinking. People can always train what they have learned for the rest of their life.

I agree with you on this. I think that as beginners, people can be afraid to practice on their own because they believe they will make mistakes. Of course they will make mistakes. But if they keep going to class, the mistakes get corrected. Best to start practicing outside of class from the beginning, than to “wait until I am good enough to not make mistakes.” Well if that is the standard, none of us would ever practice on our own. It isn’t realistic.

Other people aren’t really motivated to train and learn and develop. They just want an activity a couple times a week. As long as they get a new belt once in a while, they are happy.

There are lots of reasons people don’t train outside of class. Regardless, that time training on one’s own is time well spent.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I can relate to what he said about the need for the ability to train alone. That has been my message for decades. Don’t just go to class, turn off the brain and follow the leader to get a “good workout” without actually learning anything or developing real skills. Breathe hard, get in shape (maybe) but learn nothing.

I’ve always said, take what you are taught, go work on it by yourself, get corrections in class, but keep working outside of class. Own it, find inspiration within yourself to train, find joy in the training itself, for its own sake, not because of some goal. At the end of the day, you gotta stand on your own two feet. Working on your own is often where you really begin to make it your own. Develop your independence within your own training, don’t just copy your teacher.

I was lucky enough during my busiest training times to have freedom of how I participated in class, so I did nearly all of my work at the dojo during classes. I had access to different partners (much of grappling is hard to work on solo, much like the difficulty of developing good timing for punch offence and defense, solo). That's one thing I can say about my primary instructor (indeed, all of my NGA instructors), is that he gave students the freedom to work on their own during class time.

I still had things I could do outside class, but when I was at the dojo for 25+ hours a week, I really was going home to rest.