In response to Team Crossfit Academy’s post on virtuosity:
In my previous life as a mediocre high school athlete I was fortunate enough to be able to take instruction from some of the best in my sport. It included multiple NCAA All-Americans, Olympians including a gold medalist, and some of the best coaches a teenager can ask for and one thing was always constant: the focus on the basics. They went over the same things again and again drilling and re-drilling constantly correcting small flaws.
Watch an athlete at the top of their respective sport; wrestling, baseball, basketball, golf and you see the same things. They are all exceptionally good at the basics. Tom Brady is not a great quarterback because he can make plays with bad mechanics and sloppy foot work, he is great because his footwork is impeccable, his mechanics are sound and consistent, and his preparation is extensive and elaborate. He is future hall of fame QB because he is great at the simple things.
In no place is this more evident (to me) than in MMA. All of the fighters are good at jiu-jitsu and can do the fancy submissions but it’s the first one they learn, the rear naked choke, which wins many fights. The guy who is best at the basics is most commonly the victor.
Voltron
