BJJ legend Marcelo Garcia preaches quality over quantity when it comes to techniques: “You don’t have to do all of them”

As far as Marcelo Garcia is concerned, being a jack of all trades and master of none is detrimental to one’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey.

BJJ is indeed an ever-evolving sport, with tons of techniques, positions, and submissions to master.

While the journey to learn as many skills as possible is no doubt enticing, Garcia advised grappling practitioners to prioritize quality over quantity.

The ADCC and IBJJF Hall of Famer shared in an interview on the JitsCast YouTube Channel:

"There’s a lot of reasons. First, we have too many techniques in jiu-jitsu. So you don’t have to do all of them. And I think it’s impossible to get good in all of them. And that’s what makes it fun."

Marcelo Garcia is indeed a well-rounded grappler who has a deep understanding of the intricacies of 'The Gentle Art'.

Still, the 41-year-old legend preaches the importance of sticking to the fundamentals and making a few techniques your own, depending on your style and abilities.

For instance, 'Marcelinho' still prefers to hone and upgrade his trusted moves such as his arm-drag and butterfly system and his dependable ‘Marcelo-tine’ (high-elbow guillotine), rather than go for some modern-day technique.

Turns out, simplicity is still good enough for arguably the greatest BJJ competitor of all time.

Watch Marcelo Garcia's full interview:

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Marcelo Garcia describes incredible feeling of return fight against Masakazu Imanari

After last competing way back in 2011, many thought that Marcelo Garcia's fighting days were over.

ONE Championship, however, was able to coax the BJJ royalty out of retirement. 'Marcelino' will grapple fellow legend Masakazu Imanari in a 10-minute openweight showdown at ONE 170 on Jan. 14 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

In the same interview, Garcia admitted that it's a surreal feeling to return to the grand stage to do what he does best:

"I feel like since I’ve not been competing since 2011, I still have so much desire to compete. But I know, I feel like I’m just getting my feet in the water."

Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 170 free via Amazon Prime Video.