Practitioner FAQ

Common questions about using the InGrappling curriculum, grouped by topic. If your question isn’t here and you think it should be, that’s a signal the content should expand — the site is version-controlled and open to suggestions.

Getting started

I’m brand new to no-gi submission grappling. Where do I start?

Read the tapping culture page first. Then read How InGrappling works to understand the three-layer model. Then start the foundations curriculum at stage 1. Do not skip ahead — the sequencing is load-bearing.

Do I need to read every page before I start training?

No. The site is a reference, not a textbook. Read enough to understand what you’re supposed to be doing in your next few sessions — usually that’s the current stage of the foundations curriculum plus a few technique pages. Come back to the site to look things up, not to memorise it.

Should I watch video content alongside this site?

Yes. The site explains mechanics and sequencing; video shows motion. The two are complementary. The site will not replace a visual demonstration of a technique.

I’m not a beginner — do I still start at foundations?

Look at the foundations completion criteria. If you can meet them all — including the elevated-risk criteria like tap-early culture and the invariables vocabulary — you can skip ahead. If you cannot meet even one, fill that gap first. Most experienced grapplers who look honestly find at least one gap worth patching before moving to developing-level content.

Timing and progression

How long does foundations take?

Typically 6–18 months depending on training frequency, athletic background, and coach availability. Criteria are criterion-based, not time-based. A student training three times per week with a competent coach should complete foundations in under 12 months. A student training once a week may take 24 months or more.

How long does developing take?

6–24 months beyond foundations. Developing is where the student builds a connected game across the position families — it takes more time than foundations because the material is deeper. Most grapplers spend longer at developing than any other level.

When do I move from developing to proficient?

When you have a primary system you run against resistance, and you can articulate what your A-game is in one sentence. Proficient level is the transition from curriculum-led learning to self-directed development. If you still need someone to tell you what to work on, you are still developing.

Can I be foundations in some areas and developing in others?

Yes, and it’s common. A grappler might be developing in guard and foundations in standing (because their gym rarely trains standing). Use the ability-level framework per domain — the progression frameworks page covers this.

Does the ability level correspond to belt colour?

No, and deliberately so. Belt colour is a lineage-specific signal that has only rough correlation with ability. See progression frameworks for the full argument. Practically: a blue belt may be foundations, developing, or proficient depending on the instructor. A purple belt may be developing or proficient. A brown belt is almost always proficient or above. But the mappings are approximate.

Heel hooks and elevated-risk content

When should I learn heel hooks?

After completing foundations stage 9 and stage 10 with the gating criteria met — specifically: immediate tapping in leg-lock sparring, catch-don’t-rip finishes, ashi-garami control, and verbal understanding of the leg-entanglement invariables. This is typically 12–24 months into training. Never before foundations is complete.

My gym teaches heel hooks to white belts. Is that safe?

No. The injury data on grappling knee injuries makes this clear — heel hook injuries are concentrated in practitioners who were exposed to the submission before positional control was established. A school teaching heel hooks at white-belt level is trading student health for the appearance of competitive advancement.

What if I already trained heel hooks before reading this?

Retrofit. Review foundations stage 9 and the heel hook guide. If you can meet the gating criteria, you’re fine. If you can’t — particularly around tap-early culture or catch-don’t-rip finishing — fix those first.

What about toe holds and knee bars?

Developing-level content, same gating protocol as inside heel hooks. Catch-don’t-rip applies. Tap-early applies.

Using the site with your gym

What if my gym doesn’t use this curriculum?

Most gyms don’t teach from a formal curriculum. That’s fine. Use this site as a personal framework — learn what your gym teaches, then use the invariables and concepts layers here to understand why it works. The curriculum pages can act as a personal checklist of gaps to fill in open mat.

My coach disagrees with some of this site’s content. Who’s right?

Usually your coach. They can see you train; the site cannot. The site is a general reference — it will be wrong about specific things for specific people. Where the site and your coach disagree about safety (tap-early, heel hook gating, defence-before-offence), the site is more conservative and probably right. Where they disagree about technique, your coach is probably right.

How do I bring this to my coach without being disrespectful?

Don’t. Bring specific questions, not URLs. “I’ve been reading about how the kimura grip opens sweep and back-take options from half guard — can you show me?” is a coach-friendly question. “This website says you’re teaching the kimura wrong” is not.

Can my gym use this as its formal curriculum?

Yes. The coaches section and the school owners section cover implementation. The 12-week foundations programme is a ready-to-deliver session-by-session sequence.

The invariables

Do I need to memorise all twelve invariables?

You will, eventually, because they come up in every technique discussion. But memorisation is not the goal. The goal is that when a coach says “you lost structure” you know what INV-02 means. Vocabulary first, deep understanding through repeated application.

Are the invariables something you invented?

No. The invariables are observations about what mechanical principles show up across techniques. Different instructors have articulated similar ideas — the universal principles of good grappling mechanics have been taught for decades under different names. The invariables page attempts to formalise them without lineage attribution.

Why are there leg-entanglement invariables as a separate set?

Because the mechanical and safety considerations in leg entanglements are different enough from the rest of grappling that they warrant their own framework. INV-LE01 (mechanical tap awareness) and INV-LE02 (catch-don’t-rip control) in particular do not have clean analogues in, say, mount attacks.

Training logistics

How often should I train?

2–4 times per week is the sweet spot for most adults. Fewer than twice a week makes progression slow. More than five times a week without careful recovery management produces injuries. See recovery and sleep.

Should I drill or roll more?

Drill enough to pattern-lock the techniques you’re learning. Roll enough to test them against resistance. The exact ratio depends on your ability level. Foundations students benefit from more drilling; proficient students benefit from more rolling. See the drilling methodology.

Should I compete?

Optional. Competition is a useful honesty check — it tells you what your grappling actually does under external pressure — but it is not required for development. Many excellent grapplers never compete. Many competitive grapplers don’t train particularly well outside competition prep. See competition preparation.

I’m injured. What now?

Listen to the injury. Most training injuries get worse with continued training. See injury prevention and recovery. Modify training around the injury if you can; stop if you can’t. Getting back training at 80% for a year beats pushing through and training at 0% for six months.

I’m older / I had a knee surgery / I’m not very athletic. Can I still do this?

Yes. The curriculum is written with the assumption that you will train for decades, not that you are peaking for a world championship. Longevity-oriented training is the default here. See longevity in the sport.

Competition

Which ruleset should I compete in?

Whichever one your training matches. If you train takedowns and leg locks heavily, ADCC rules suit you. If you are a pressure-passing, submission-hunting grappler with a traditional game, IBJJF no-gi. If your finishing game is sharp and your positional game is less polished, sub-only formats. See competition preparation.

When should I start competing?

When your training is reliable enough that you want to test it. For most students, that’s somewhere in developing level. Competing at foundations level is not wrong, but the preparation cycle is mostly about getting used to the competition environment, not demonstrating refined technique.

How do I deal with competition anxiety?

Simulation drilling in training, breathing protocols you actually practised, and a pre-match routine you have rehearsed. See the mental preparation section of competition prep and mental health and training.

---

This FAQ is intentionally finite. If a question belongs here and isn’t, the site is missing content worth adding.