Marcelo sets up 10 consecutive sparring rounds each of which is one minute shorter than the previous; i.e. (10 minutes, 9, 8,… …3, 2, 1 min.) summing to 55 minutes, plus 9 one-minute breaks in between for a total run-time of 64 minutes of training. These interstitially imposed rest periods are in place for students to recuperate, regroup their thoughts, and perhaps take mental note of how best to modulate the intensity of any given offensive approach, given the remaining time limit. This kind of training helps competitors understand that duration can dictate the pace of a match, and that one must learn how much energy they must expend or how much an opponent may be reserving. Black Belt matches are generally formatted for ten minutes of contest, whereas lower ranking belts will have much less time to work towards a finishing hold.