Hold or take the back
One partner tries to maintain a position while the other tries to take their back.
Teaching and practice
How we train at Gavran
We teach mechanics and decision-making through focused units, technical practice, games, and sparring. You learn techniques, then adapt them against resistance.
Teaching methods
How we teach techniques and concepts
We use conceptual instruction, ecological dynamics, games with specific constraints, demonstration, repetition, recall of earlier material, positional resistance, and open sparring. We choose the method according to the material and each member’s needs.
Principle
Name the mechanical idea clearly.
Problem
Place it inside a recognisable grappling situation.
Explore
Explore solutions within the task and its constraints.
Correct
Refine mechanics with precise feedback.
Apply
Practise the skill with fewer constraints and increasing resistance.
What a constrained game can look like
Pass or retain without standard grips
The top player tries to pass while the bottom player practises retention without ordinary grips or establishing a conventional guard.
We use both drilling and games, with clear objectives and feedback from the instructor.
A representative class
How a class is structured.
The structure changes with the learning objective. A typical session follows these stages, with new material usually limited to three techniques, occasionally four, to manage cognitive load.
- 15–30 min
Natural movement
Scalable crawling, rolling, bridging, balancing, level changes, and floor transitions prepare you for the movements used in the session.
- short block
Orient or revise
Recall the last session, locate the position, or begin with a simple game.
- concept or technique
Introduce material
We introduce the material through a demonstration or a task with specific constraints.
- 2–3 cycles
Drill → game
Practise, receive correction, then test the idea against a partner with a real objective.
- 15–30+ min
Spar
Regular sessions end with technical, positional, ordinary, or competition-preparation rounds. Intensity is adjusted to the training objective.
01Technique or principle02Focused practice03Constraint-led game04Feedback05Repeat or integrate
Gavran BJJ / photographs
Practice on the mat
Grips, base and positional control — partner practice in class.
Single-leg X guard
Working from SLX guard against a partner on top.
Straight ankle lock
Leg control from standard ashi.
Armbar from top control
Arm control and body positioning for the finish.
Back control
Maintaining position with a partner.
Start of class
Movement, balance, and coordination
The first 15–30 minutes combine mobility exercises from different sports with general movement exercises. Changes of support, level and direction develop balance, coordination and body control.
We build a vocabulary of movement patterns, combine them in different sequences and connect them to grappling positions and techniques.
- Mobility
- Controlled movements of the shoulders, hips and ankles prepare the body for support and changes of position.
- Crocodile walk
- Low movement close to the floor, coordinating the arms, legs and torso.
- Bear and crab walks
- Moving on hands and feet, with the torso facing down or up, while controlling weight shifts.
- Ground transitions
- Rolls, rotations, lowering to the floor and standing up; linking familiar movements in different sequences.
Curriculum structure
Themes, units, and individual tasks
Themes connect the curriculum over several months. Units and modules focus each session, while the instructor adapts individual tasks.
- Months
Thematic core
A broad problem—retention, passing, escapes, wrestling, submissions—connects work over time.
- ≈ 1 month
Unit
Two sessions per week are devoted to studying and practising the unit’s material.
- 1–2 sessions
Module
A smaller technical or conceptual exploration inside the unit.
- Today
Personal task
Work on the newest material or a compatible problem that currently matters to you.
Foundations
Conceptual and practical foundations; designed to give beginners a safe, intelligible start.
Unit study
Detailed study of a theme. White belts can attend, with tasks adapted to their ability.
Advanced
Ad-hoc sessions for established members, scheduled as needed rather than publicly advertised.
Additional
Fridays at 17:30. Additional work may include movement, sparring, competition preparation, wrestling, MMA-related work, or occasional striking.
For people who already grapple
Training terminology
- Alignment
- Base, posture and structure considered together.
- Base
- The ability to generate and absorb force relative to your movement goals.
- Posture
- A position of the spine that supports efficient force transmission.
- Structure
- Efficient positioning of the arms and legs for the task.
- Kuzushi
- Disrupting balance or structure before a submission, sweep, or transition.
- Constraints
- Temporarily changing the available actions so the learning problem becomes clearer.
- Ecological games
- Tasks in which you respond to a partner who is also trying to complete a specific objective.
- Retrieval
- Actively recalling and demonstrating material so understanding can be checked, not merely recognised.
Formats + intensity
Training intensity
Gi + no-gi
Gi / no-gi
We train gi and no-gi, wrestling, and leg locks. Each session’s format is listed in the timetable. Beginners can wait two or three months before buying a gi.
Rotational locks
Heel hooks are mostly blue-belt-and-above work. A white belt needs supervision, composure, control, and explicit permission. Nothing rotational is applied explosively.
- 1ExploreTechnical games and low-risk discovery
- 2BuildPositional and constrained rounds
- 3SparOrdinary rounds around 50–70%
- 4PrepareOccasional hard rounds and shark tanks
- 5CompeteRare full-intensity preparation
Mentorship + affiliation
Rob Biernacki and Fenix BJJ
Rob Biernacki · pedagogical mentor
Rob Biernacki is Gavran’s pedagogical mentor and has taught at our club in Banja Luka. His conceptual framework and BJJ Concepts material inform our curriculum, including alignment, body mechanics, and learning through games. These photographs are from his visits.
BJJ Concepts
Professor Đorđe Vasić · Fenix BJJ
Gavran’s formal affiliation and belt standards run through Professor Đorđe Vasić in Novi Sad. Igor is his purple belt; promotion requires both the local recommendation and Đorđe’s approval.
Fenix BJJ
Teaching experience
Igor has more than 15 years of sports teaching experience, including work with talented students in different disciplines. The instructor group has roughly 30+ years of combined teaching experience, which it applies to feedback, adapting tasks, and curriculum design.
