Become part of this study!
CLA is increasingly being applied to various sports, particularly in Grappling. There is also some empirical work done, however whenever anything theoretical is applied in practice there is a potential that new things come up. In this study we add to the literature by comprehensively assessing how X number of coaches apply CLA in their work, and how their students develop their skills as observed by the coaches.
To do this we need YOU!
Move research ideas to action, together.
As we (Dr. Patric Nordbeck, Emil Fitoussy, Alex (Msc) & Laurien Zurhake (MA)) are working out the precise research methodology and approach, you can already sign up so that the moment we are ready to launch, you are immediately notified and given the materials you need.
Are you a Grappling Coach applying (or wanting to apply) CLA?
You want that there are (finally!) academic studies about coaching and our niche sport: grappling?
You are committed to logging your (weekly and monthly) classes through our debriefs for about 3 months and share that data with us?
Ready to Participate?
Ready to join our study? Register now for our waiting list and you will be the notified immediately once we launch this project! You will also receive then all the information and material needed to participate in this study. Meanwhile, as you wait, we will send you a link to our Trauma Informed Coaching Mini Course as a thank you for your patience!
Our Team
We are a team of dedicated academics, coaches and sporters that love to nerd out and make that passion accessible to the larger martial arts community! Feel free to reach out in case you have further inquiries or simply want to connect.
This study will be based of the debriefs in this workbook.
To create and maintain structure in our research, coaches will be asked to fill in debrief worksheets that provide them and us with feedback loops. These feedback loops create qualitative and quantitative data that we can analyse and learn more about how Grappling Coaches bridge theory and practice as well as student skill development.
NOTE: you do not need to purchase this workbook to participate in this study. All materials will be made available to you.
A practical Workbook, specifically designed for Grappling Coaches
Don’t Teach Moves, Design Problems is a practical workbook for grappling coaches who want to move beyond collecting techniques and start designing learning environments that develop adaptable, intelligent athletes.
Built around the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) and Ecological Dynamics, this book explains how grapplers learn through exploration, interaction, perception, and adaptation. You’ll learn how to manipulate individual, task, and environmental constraints; identify affordances; encourage self-organisation and functional variability; create representative learning environments; and design task-based games that help athletes discover effective movement solutions for themselves.
But this is not just a book about theory. The goal is to help you design better practice. Step-by-step worksheets guide you through identifying the problem you want your athletes to solve, setting meaningful goals and rules, choosing starting positions and win conditions, scaling games, and reflecting on what actually happened during training. Class, weekly, and monthly debriefs help you turn coaching into an ongoing process of experimentation, observation, and refinement.
Don’t Teach Moves, Design Problems gives you a framework for creating training sessions that challenge athletes to perceive, decide, adapt, and act under pressure—rather than simply reproduce predetermined solutions.
Written by Laurien & Alex Zurhake, this workbook brings together academic ideas, years of coaching experience, practical examples, and lessons learned on the mats.
Learn the principles. Design the problems. Let your athletes find the solutions.
