Jiu Jitsu discussion / complete beginner!

Jiu Jitsu discussion / complete beginner!

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Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Wednesday 29th November 2017
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ben5575 said:
Starting at the deep end there Stu! That's a proper mans sport that one. I did a couple of sessions with Barry Gibson a couple of years ago when he was in the GB team. It was enough to convince that it wasn't for me, as nice as Barry is!
Thanks Ben, I re-read the thread from start to finish yesterday, provided some good reflection on my part. I also thought it had been closer to 20 months than 18. I manage between 2 and 3 1.5 hour sessions a week as well as an hour of movement, solo dummy drills, cardio and judo drills in a morning before work.

I also help out the kids class instructor acting as a demonstration dummy and also stopping them from injuring each other (too much) - means I can spend some more time with my daughter as well.



Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Saturday 23rd December 2017
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Tough time of the year to be consistent with training, clubs shutdown till the new year etc.

I've managed to get on the mats a little bit and hit the gym a couple of times per week just doing what I can to keep my hand in. During my last club session I had possibly the worst nights on the mats ever. Lots of work / family things on my mind, distracted, couldn't do anything right and performed very poorly in rolling. Left feeling super-down and wholly undeserving of my recent belt.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, these days are to be expected I guess. Just need to make sure I get my backside back on the mats asap.

ben5575

6,221 posts

220 months

Saturday 23rd December 2017
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Put it down as a learning experience hehe

I always like the xmas break; it's easy to get stale when you're zoned in, so a period of enforced rest helps to clear the mind and reset. Plus I always masochistically look forward to the pain of the first training session back and all of the associated groaning and winging from everybody biggrin


Herr Schnell

2,342 posts

198 months

Saturday 23rd December 2017
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Pete102 said:
Left feeling super-down and wholly undeserving of my recent belt.
The expectations we put on ourselves after moving up can be brutal but want to know a secret? Nobody else gives a fk.

Honestly.

BJJ is an art where belts are given on sustained performance but everyone knows that for all kinds of reasons we all have patches of ups, downs and long boring plateaus.

It is very common for people to feel all kinds of pressure with a new belt and then overthink every session afterwards so things which nobody else really noticed become a big thing for you.

It'll pass as you become more confident with the new belt so try to let go of it all and just get back to enjoying the classes and take each roll as it comes.

Remember, your Professor has confidence in you to award the belt in the first place and he knows more about it than you do so trust him and just relax.


BRR

1,845 posts

171 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2018
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Just catching up on this thread after a while...

Congratulations Pete on the blue belt smile

I'm still training in the Gi once per week to supplement my No-Gi & MMA, starting to enjoy the Gi a bit more now but don't enjoy the classes where the techniques are very BJJ Gi/sport specific, this then shows up when I roll with someone who has a very Gi centric game, I can comfortably hang with decent brown belts if they have a certain style yet can get tapped repeatedly by blue belts that focus on Gi based attacks

Intending to have my first BJJ comp within the next few months, will try to do one of the ones where you can do Gi & No-Gi on the same day

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2018
quotequote all
Herr Schnell said:
The expectations we put on ourselves after moving up can be brutal but want to know a secret? Nobody else gives a fk.

Honestly.

BJJ is an art where belts are given on sustained performance but everyone knows that for all kinds of reasons we all have patches of ups, downs and long boring plateaus.

It is very common for people to feel all kinds of pressure with a new belt and then overthink every session afterwards so things which nobody else really noticed become a big thing for you.

It'll pass as you become more confident with the new belt so try to let go of it all and just get back to enjoying the classes and take each roll as it comes.

Remember, your Professor has confidence in you to award the belt in the first place and he knows more about it than you do so trust him and just relax.
I needed that.

It's been a few weeks since 'that' session and I definitely think I was overthinking the situation (as well as being distracted) which took away the intuitive element of my sparring. I'm back on the mats tonight, with another session Friday (and tomorrow if I can swing it). I'm not one for cliches but you know, its the new year and time to crack on.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2018
quotequote all
BRR said:
Just catching up on this thread after a while...

Congratulations Pete on the blue belt smile

I'm still training in the Gi once per week to supplement my No-Gi & MMA, starting to enjoy the Gi a bit more now but don't enjoy the classes where the techniques are very BJJ Gi/sport specific, this then shows up when I roll with someone who has a very Gi centric game, I can comfortably hang with decent brown belts if they have a certain style yet can get tapped repeatedly by blue belts that focus on Gi based attacks

Intending to have my first BJJ comp within the next few months, will try to do one of the ones where you can do Gi & No-Gi on the same day
Thanks BRR, let me know what comp you're thinking of, I might be at the same one

Herr Schnell

2,342 posts

198 months

Sunday 18th February 2018
quotequote all
Pete102 said:
Herr Schnell said:
The expectations we put on ourselves after moving up can be brutal but want to know a secret? Nobody else gives a fk.

Honestly.

BJJ is an art where belts are given on sustained performance but everyone knows that for all kinds of reasons we all have patches of ups, downs and long boring plateaus.

It is very common for people to feel all kinds of pressure with a new belt and then overthink every session afterwards so things which nobody else really noticed become a big thing for you.

It'll pass as you become more confident with the new belt so try to let go of it all and just get back to enjoying the classes and take each roll as it comes.

Remember, your Professor has confidence in you to award the belt in the first place and he knows more about it than you do so trust him and just relax.
I needed that.

It's been a few weeks since 'that' session and I definitely think I was overthinking the situation (as well as being distracted) which took away the intuitive element of my sparring. I'm back on the mats tonight, with another session Friday (and tomorrow if I can swing it). I'm not one for cliches but you know, its the new year and time to crack on.
Forgot about that post, glad it helped and hope you're feeling better about it all.

If not or it crops up again then just relax and, as Rickson said, flow with the go...

BRR

1,845 posts

171 months

Tuesday 20th February 2018
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I'm competing in the Gi for the first time this weekend, pretty nervous about competing at Blue belt as I don't feel my Gi game is of a decent blue belt level. quite strange really as in No-Gi I'm quite happy competing in the Brown/Black categories. anyway it'll be a fun day out with the lads at least

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Wednesday 21st February 2018
quotequote all
Good luck mate. Past few weeks have been pretty steady for me (apart from 2 separate black eyes!). Every session is a grind at the minute although we aren't in the territory of blue belt blues just yet!

BRR

1,845 posts

171 months

Monday 26th February 2018
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So my first comp went pretty terribly, I came up against the guy that won my division in the first round, did my usual No-Gi / MMA tactic of shooting a double with the hope of either getting it or instigating the scramble but he got hold of a lapel which forced me to protect my neck so he took my back and I then spent the next 4 minutes or so trying to get out whilst he racked up points going from back to mount, I eventually managed to get out with about 30 seconds to go, got reset in his guard and he used his Gi to wrist lock me which is something I hadn't seen before. was very much a learning experience as so much of the technique being used by competitors was so BJJ specific and not something I'm familiar with. really enjoyed it though so have signed up to do another in April but that one has a No-Gi comp on the same day so i'll enter both

Tony Angelino

1,970 posts

112 months

Monday 26th February 2018
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BRR said:
So my first comp went pretty terribly, I came up against the guy that won my division in the first round, did my usual No-Gi / MMA tactic of shooting a double with the hope of either getting it or instigating the scramble but he got hold of a lapel which forced me to protect my neck so he took my back and I then spent the next 4 minutes or so trying to get out whilst he racked up points going from back to mount, I eventually managed to get out with about 30 seconds to go, got reset in his guard and he used his Gi to wrist lock me which is something I hadn't seen before. was very much a learning experience as so much of the technique being used by competitors was so BJJ specific and not something I'm familiar with. really enjoyed it though so have signed up to do another in April but that one has a No-Gi comp on the same day so i'll enter both
Well done buddy, takes real guts for anybody to compete.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
quotequote all
BRR said:
So my first comp went pretty terribly, I came up against the guy that won my division in the first round, did my usual No-Gi / MMA tactic of shooting a double with the hope of either getting it or instigating the scramble but he got hold of a lapel which forced me to protect my neck so he took my back and I then spent the next 4 minutes or so trying to get out whilst he racked up points going from back to mount, I eventually managed to get out with about 30 seconds to go, got reset in his guard and he used his Gi to wrist lock me which is something I hadn't seen before. was very much a learning experience as so much of the technique being used by competitors was so BJJ specific and not something I'm familiar with. really enjoyed it though so have signed up to do another in April but that one has a No-Gi comp on the same day so i'll enter both
Again, well done mate. You'll learn so much from the 5 minute match which you can take back into the gym with you. As they say, some day you're the hammer, some day you're the nail.

Although most days I feel like the nail biggrin. It's been a horrible couple of months for training to be honest, my diet went out of the window, I stopped going to the gym and I had no structure to my sleeping pattern. The effect on my BJJ has been obvious, reduced mobility and rubbish cardio which has really taken the enjoyment out. Not going to lie, there have been times where I didn't want to train (whereas there was a time I couldn't get enough mat time).

Anyway, I've reset this week by sorting out the garage as a gym, eating reasonably and being strict on my sleep / wake up times. I also have three BJJ sessions planned this week so should give me a bit of a kick start. Weighing myself on Friday night I was more than a little shocked to see 112kg so focus is very much on reducing that number!

I refuse to be drawn into the common blue belt slump that everyone talks about, my ethos is just keep turning up, good or bad session and eventually I'll come out of it. Another aspect is that at my gym there are some bloody tough rolls, I like to think the colored belts are generally of a high standard and the 4 stripe whites are also tough going.

Anyway - how you getting on Tony? Hows your lad progressing?

Ayahuasca

27,427 posts

278 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
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A query for the JJ practitioners: if you found yourself in a street fight and you went for an 'arms around the waist, head down' style grapple to take your assailant down, do you feel you would be leaving the back of your head and your neck vulnerable to a downward elbow strike?


ben5575

6,221 posts

220 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
quotequote all
Ayahuasca said:
A query for the JJ practitioners: if you found yourself in a street fight and you went for an 'arms around the waist, head down' style grapple to take your assailant down, do you feel you would be leaving the back of your head and your neck vulnerable to a downward elbow strike?
I think I'd be a lot more worried about his mates and/or a stranger stamping on my head when I was on the floor personally.

Taking somebody to ground really shouldn't be part of the thinking, getting back off it should be the first port of call. But we're drifting off topic a little.

Keep going Pete. Losing motivation/becoming frustrated is all part of the process and perfectly normal. You're plateauing, it happens to everybody and normally around this time too.

Without going all Mr Miyagi on your ass, you've got through the beginner's gains. Whilst you will continue to learn technique and gain experience in class, you'll feel your progress is slowing down and be frustrated as a result.

The real lesson and progress is how you deal with this mentally. That's the 'secret'. Lots of people get to where you are now. Very few are able mentally to push past it, that's why there are relatively few senior belts.

The technique will take care of itself now. You just need to keep pushing/plodding on - don't stop!
Try and apply yourself more in class - up the intensity/application - make that the focus.
Try a couple of lessons at a different club (without leaving yours) just to mix it up a bit.
Speak with one of the senior belts about it. They will all have been through it.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
quotequote all
ben5575 said:
I think I'd be a lot more worried about his mates and/or a stranger stamping on my head when I was on the floor personally.

Taking somebody to ground really shouldn't be part of the thinking, getting back off it should be the first port of call. But we're drifting off topic a little.

Keep going Pete. Losing motivation/becoming frustrated is all part of the process and perfectly normal. You're plateauing, it happens to everybody and normally around this time too.

Without going all Mr Miyagi on your ass, you've got through the beginner's gains. Whilst you will continue to learn technique and gain experience in class, you'll feel your progress is slowing down and be frustrated as a result.

The real lesson and progress is how you deal with this mentally. That's the 'secret'. Lots of people get to where you are now. Very few are able mentally to push past it, that's why there are relatively few senior belts.

The technique will take care of itself now. You just need to keep pushing/plodding on - don't stop!
Try and apply yourself more in class - up the intensity/application - make that the focus.
Try a couple of lessons at a different club (without leaving yours) just to mix it up a bit.
Speak with one of the senior belts about it. They will all have been through it.
Ben,

Great advice, plateauing is a great way for me to think about it. I absolutely forced myself to go last night, even to the point of almost turning back. As it turns out I had a pretty good session and 3 hard rounds at the end, mostly holding my own and even grabbing the odd sub (foot locks for life, not even sorry!).

I definitely need to up the intensity, this is currently limited by my fatness and lack of cardio but plans are in motion to fix that.

Thanks again mate

ben5575

6,221 posts

220 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
quotequote all
No worries. You'll get through it smile

Unfortunately it does tend to last, which is why so many give up. Can be 6+ months regardless of how much you train. Plus you'll get through it, do another 18 months then hit it again laugh

By refocusing on application/intensity it becomes more about pushing yourself - can you bridge (the extent of my BJJ knowledge!) that one more time to get him off you when before you didn't have the energy? Can you push yourself through 'that wall' time and time again, every training session? Doesn't matter where that wall is compared to anybody else, it only matters where it is to you (reread your post and see your pre prepared excuses wink - I'm being facetious to make a clumsy point smile ).

Making progress will start to become less important/of a focus (but I promise it will happening in the background). Probably without realising you'll slowly be able to just do techniques or read situations/escapes/whatever without thinking. Your training becomes something you do to challenge yourself and less about making the next grading.

It's really difficult to explain, but have a chat with some of the brown/black belts. I'll put money on the fact that none of them were expecting to get the tap on the shoulder to say they were stepping up to the next belt. Mainly because it stopped being important to them. They absolutely still wanted to get there, but it was there in background and not their main focus.

Caveated that I am a geriatric but enthusiastic latecomer to it all (42 now). The likes of BRR are the real deal and operate on a completely different plane to me, so they may have a totally different take on it <insert bow smilie>

Tony Angelino

1,970 posts

112 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
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I'm in the 'do it purely for fun & physical benefits' camp. Well over 12 months in now and 3 striped on the white belt.

Almost 40 and feel old compared to some of the young savages that train at our academy, watching them in action really is an eye opener, comparison is pointless. Just plod along, lose a few pounds, get the conditioning up, keep the mobility going (ankylosing spondylitis/arthritis 'sufferer') and make a few mates along the way.

Since having a few weeks off over Christmas and struggling to get back into the routine in late Jan I have been boxing off 2-3 sessions per week for the last 5-6 weeks or so. I experience the full range, getting my arse handed to me by the 1 striper who's been training a month to holding my own with the 4 stripe whites but every now and again realising I have actually picked up some technique when doing really well against someone who's been training more or less the same amount of time. Regardless of what happens though I've never regretted any session I've got my arse down to.

My lad is still plugging away, probably in more of a trough rather than peak last coupe of months but last few sessions (including a fair bit of randoori at his other club) has seen an upturn in technique, attempting a few variations of the gi choke and catching a triangle last night.

Enjoy your sport boys and girls.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Thursday 8th March 2018
quotequote all
Ahhhh the ups and downs of BJJ.

Small class last night which invariably means a horribly tough session due to reduced rest time during positional sparring and an increased number of free sparring at the end. Last nights topic of choice was the Omoplata from guard with a couple of other options thrown in e.g. transition back to triangle, triangle to armbar, armbar to omoplata, omoplata to wrist lock.

It may be in my head but last night I felt loads better since upping my cardio and cleaning my diet, granted its only been a couple of days but already I can feel small benefits.

I've also noticed much more analysis on my part after rolls. For example, tough roll with a 3 stripe blue last night, I ended up in knee on belly and getting grips for baseball bat choke and almost locking it up. The only reason I didn't is because I missed out isolating the nearside arm with my leg prior to stepping over the head which allowed him to defend the choke just that bit more.

It also struck me last night that I'm not even 2 years into my training yet, my start date was around the 23rd March 2016 - helps to keep things in perspective.

Hopefully one day I'll meet some of you, perhaps at a mutually convenient seminar.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Sunday 11th March 2018
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Essential but tough mount control session on Friday night. Positional sparring in bottom mount has to be up there with effective measures of torture! Felt pretty good and sets up the curriculum for next week on mount escapes.

Very pleased to see some of the new guys get their first stripes as well.