Jiu Jitsu discussion / complete beginner!

Jiu Jitsu discussion / complete beginner!

Author
Discussion

shambolic

2,146 posts

166 months

Monday 4th April 2016
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Wee rolling session yesterday. I couldn't take part but took the photos.



Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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Wow that looks snug! Really good turnout as well no?

Last night was a return to the beginning of combatives (gracie). Entire session spent on trap and roll variations according to opponent position and grip:

T&R from the mounted choke
T&R from mounted grapevine arm behind the head type position
T&R from mounted clinch position (ratcheting up, trapping the arm, shooting the opposite arm up and across before bridging and rolling)

Last session this week on Wednesday, going to miss Fridays. Boo.

BRR

1,845 posts

171 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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wow shambolic that's great numbers for a BJJ session, at our club we don't typically get more than 15 per class.

I'm thinking of entering some BJJ comps this year just to help keep the competetive side going whilst i consider if i'll be able to compete in MMA again, though as i only on average do one BJJ class per month i'm still (and rightly so) a white belt but i've got an extensive No-Gi background and have competed and medalled in the elite/brown/black categories so and worried about being classed as a sandbagger, even though i'm sure a good white belt with some comp experience could probably strangle me to death with the Gi

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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BRR - I found my first few sessions much easier without a Gi, strangely enough I end up with more marks wearing a Gi now since more often than not they grab a chunk of skin as well, especially around my collar!

Found out last night they run another beginners session on a Sunday evening, making it a little easier for me to hit my 3 sessions a week target.

In other un-related news, clearing out my parents loft at the weekend I found my old Karate belts - all the way up to brown! I think I can understand why my parents were a little annoyed I decided to give it up!

BRR

1,845 posts

171 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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Yeah the Gi definitely makes it harder until you understand the game more, the experienced guys use it as a very effective weapon, i've been choked out with it a few times in rolling already. For now i'm trying to avoid any Gi Specific techniques and chokes as they won't translate to my No-Gi & MMA game but it definitely adds a new interesting dimension as now a lot of places where i thought i was safe in MMA/No-Gi i'm now getting tied up in knots

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
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Really busy session tonight, lots of energy in the room. Id hazard a guess at around 8 pairs minimum.

First part of the lesson recapping trap and roll but expanded to include escape if an attacker is in mount pinning your wrists. Then we moved onto the Americana from mount, different hand / head positions.

Finished up the session with open rolling for ten minutes or so, very nearly nailed my partner with an americana from half guard just couldnt quite get the leverage but It'll come.

Im probably somewhere in the region of 10 lessons in now and I'm starting to find it takes less time to pick up the techniques, the terminology is becoming easier and I'm retaining some muscle memory for some moves i.e. Kimura, trap and roll, arm bar from mount, double leg take down, passing the guard (side hip movement and double underhand) and I think I could even recall headlock escape into leg choke if pushed. Shouldnt take me too long to nail the Americana as its kind of smilar to the Kimura (in my mind atleast!).

Tonight did hihglight a quite severe lack of mobility in my shoulders, it really didnt take much before I was tapping, need to work on that area stretching I think.

shambolic

2,146 posts

166 months

Monday 11th April 2016
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Gym is bigger as its L shaped. Was a day made up of 4/5 clubs from over Scotland that are all trained by Marcos Nardini
Was about 80 bodies in total.



Missed the 24/7 tournament in Edinburgh at the weekend.
Not looking like I'll be back on the mats this year.
Will be back though.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Tuesday 12th April 2016
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Shambolic that makes more sense!

Just reminded me that I have a seminar coming up in May with Ryron Gracie, rather strangely taking place less than 5 miles from my home in sunny Cleethorpes.

Hes running 4 2-hour seminars covering:

Choke Mastery Gi
Side Contorl Mastery Gi
Triangle Mastery No Gi
Leg Lock Mastery No Gi

I'm planning on attending the first three, missing the leg lock seminar as I don't consider myself to be at the stage to be attempting leg lock type techniqes - very much still learning the basic upper body stuff right now!

Didn't make last nights session due to my wife working, next one is tomorrow and then Friday. Following that I'm away for a whole week (gah!)

tankplanker

2,479 posts

278 months

Tuesday 12th April 2016
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Pete102 said:
Really appreciate the replies from everyone.

I'm now 3 lessons in, 4th one tonight. Since my original post I've managed to pick up a lightly used (almost pristine infact) Gi which will hopefully alleviate me standing out like a sore thumb.

At my 2nd lesson I bumped into an old friend who's been doing it quite a while and he asked if I wanted to roll. Figuring all I can do is defend (and making this clear beforehand!) I accepted.

Hardest. Five minutes. Ever.

I like to think of myself as a pretty fit guy but this was another level. I appreciate a large proportion will be wasted energy on my part due to panic/poor technique/general exertion but it took a good 10 - 15 minutes before I was recovered properly. Post-roll googling has made me realise as a newbie I should concentrate on establishing a good base and looking at passing the guard rather than attempting anything else (not that I'd really know what else there is at this point)
While fitness levels are important good technique is a leveler. I've been training for about 4 1/2 years now, my kids about 3 1/2 years. Obviously I have a size, strength and weight advantage over my 15 year old son, but he is considerably fitter and faster than I am. When I roll with him he'll be knackered after 10 minutes or so (when he normally spars for an hour against the other kids without problem) and I'll not be out of breath, that's all down to him trying to enter into a contest of strength, not clearing grips, me thinking further ahead, etc.

You'll learn more rolling with higher belts going slow and steady, you'll get the odd higher belt numpty that will try to smash you especially if you have a rep for spazzing, let them and they'll soon get bored.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Tuesday 12th April 2016
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Awesome reply, thanks pal.

Must admit, I've rolled a few times since that post and it's gotten easier each time. I don't necessarily have the arsenal to submit an opponent but I see it more as an opportunity for me to try and identify submissions attempted on me.

My last roll against a bigger guy I very nearly applied an Americana, however, he played heavy elbow very well.

Thanks again for the reply again, much appreciated.

shambolic

2,146 posts

166 months

Wednesday 13th April 2016
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Mousetrap. Transition from kimura to armbar to Americana from side control. We drill it quite a bit.
http://bjjgo.com/content/kimuraamericanastraight-a...
Ignore the garbage adverts etc but shows the drill quite well

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Thursday 14th April 2016
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Thanks bud, I'll take a look over lunch.

Last night was learning choke variations, including RNC. Standing and ground work and also mount into rear mount into choke. Being a bigger guy (ahem) It's a little trickier for me to lock in the non-choking arm between my opponents head and my chest/shoulders/biceps but super effective.

Then...only went and got my first submission last night during open rolling didn't I biggrin. Americana from half guard (me on top), slightly unorthodox since we had only drilled it from full mount but I was able to get enough leverage and base to pull it off, although at one point I did worry that I would do some damage to my opponents arm/shoulder as he wasn't tapping and I was deep into it.

He promptly paid me back in the form of a shoulder/arm choke type move but I was more than happy with last nights session.

Tony Angelino

1,970 posts

112 months

Sunday 17th April 2016
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Pete102 said:
Sounds good that Tony, very comprehensive. I'm a long way from a belt at this point, I imagine it will be around October or November before I'm looking at a grading for blue but I should pick up a few stripes in the interim.

Being completely honest the stripes and belts are secondary at the moment, I'm much more focussed on tring to nail the techniques and put them into practice or connect a few moves together. I think part of this drives my eagerness to roll as it allows me to test them out in more of a realistic application.

Looks like I'm going to need to incorporate some flexibility work into my gym sessions, maybe with a visit to the chiropractor every couple of weeks as I ssem to be picking up a few short term back strains (couple of days or so) - this could be symptematic of my age (hopefully not) but I don't think it will hurt.

Messing around with my dad earlier in the week I was showing him some of the bits I had learnt, even with him struggling I managed to put them into practice, truth be told I think he fancies it himself!
Managed to sneak through my grading last week with a first class pass. Got through the techniques fairly easily with just the odd wobble with the throw names in Japanese, but it was the ground fighting at the end of the grading that took it out of me. Had nothing left in the tank after the fourth and final fight, so hard to remember to try and show good technique when you're so tired. Really need to work at it becuAse I think there are 6 fights for the next grading and we start doing randoori in the blue belt syllabus.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Monday 18th April 2016
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Brilliant news pal, onward and upwards.

Guess you'll be stepping up the fitness work now then?!

I'm away with work this week but I've found an academy not too far from the hotel who have said I can train with them for a couple of days this week.

Tony Angelino

1,970 posts

112 months

Monday 18th April 2016
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Pete102 said:
Brilliant news pal, onward and upwards.

Guess you'll be stepping up the fitness work now then?!

I'm away with work this week but I've found an academy not too far from the hotel who have said I can train with them for a couple of days this week.
Thanks.

Yes, fitness work needed - although it's a very specific sort of conditioning I think, the only thing that can train you for it is doing it in my opinion. In our class, we don't do a huge amount of rolling, nowhere near as much as you BJJ guys that's for sure. I also do karate and can spar for a good 30-40 mins and still have something left in the tank (and I'm not exactly fit, 15st +) but a few mins of ground fighting and I'm sucking it up through my arse. We have a mini tournament every 6 months and the next one is in about 3 weeks time so hopefully our classes will be more centred around ground work running up to then.

shambolic

2,146 posts

166 months

Tuesday 19th April 2016
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Kettle bells are great for all round functional training. Help with exploding from hips, quads etc and also grip strength. We do a lot of squats, lunges and kettlebell stuff when not rolling.
Rolling in itself is great as pushing against a 14stone guy trying to force his hips through you onto the mat and grind your face with his shoulder is a great workout in itself.

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Thursday 21st April 2016
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Apologies for the lack of updates this week guys, I'm in China at the moment but I've found a club who let me train with them twice this week. Really good experience, learned an awesome Kimura from half guard move which gives me another option if I get arm control and its not bending the right way.

Also, had a bit of a roll each session, last one with a well drilled blue belt who was awesome. He handed me my arse, many times but I picked up a few pointers and he also gave me some feedback which I'm eternally grateful for.

Edited for spelling.

FredClogs

14,041 posts

160 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
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shambolic said:
Is there a policy with you guys to equalise the number of blue and white Gi? wink

shambolic

2,146 posts

166 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
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FredClogs said:
Is there a policy with you guys to equalise the number of blue and white Gi? wink
Dont know I normally wear a black one.
This was over 80 guys from 6 gyms in an open mat/grading day. It got a bit warm in there. 😂

Pete102

Original Poster:

2,042 posts

185 months

Thursday 28th April 2016
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Back from my jollies abroad chaps. Had a training session last Monday covering standing headlock (me in headlock) into side control and a technique to escape aggressor elbow to neck pressure in guard. I'm not describing it particularly well but essentially move aggressor back using my hips, guide the elbow applying pressure over my shoulder, trapping it with my arm around their neck and apply pressure using my head against their trapped shoulder. Shuffle out of the side with the option of taking the back or in most cases controlling from a side choke position.

Wee roll afterwards.

Mixed feelings about the roll. It was a chap I'm usually quite evenly matched with but this time he had my number all night, 2 maybe 3 submissions as a result of daft mistakes by myself and he also effectively controlled me in full mount which I wasn't happy with. On the plus side I've spent a few days analyzing what I could of done differently and its also cardio, I guess.

I'm putting it down to one of those nights feeling a little tired (jet lagged) and not being 100%. Easy to feel frustrated with myself but best thing I can do is get back on it and refresh my mindset.

Back on the mats Friday evening, looking forward to it actually. Addressing my woeful lack of flexibility I've started Yoga on an evening at home (via youtube or similar), should also have the added benefit of reducing the number of injuries I pick up.