Frustration with Training

**Southpaw** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 10:54am

Coming up on my 4th month of GJJ training, I am happy to say that I am still loving every minute of it.

That being said, I am noticing that my frustration level is starting to build up a little bit, and I’m wondering if this is normal (I’m guessing it is…but wanted to ask those of you w/ more experience)?

I think the frustration comes from two main things.

1. Sometimes I just don’t know what to do. I’ll get to a position and know that there is something I should be doing…but I just don’t know what that something is.

2. This is the big one…my training is like a roller-coaster ride. There are nights that I’ll leave class and feel great…like I am really starting to figure this stuff out. Last week I tapped a purple belt for the first time and I was on cloud 9 (yeah…I know that doesn’t really mean shit…but it meant a lot to me at the moment). I was really feeling like I was getting the hang of this. Well…the next day I went to class…still on that high…and got raped by two white belts who are ex-collegiate wrestlers. I mean seriously raped. Granted, they are both bigger than me…w/ much more experience. But the contrast between nights was a source of my frustration.

In any case…I have a feeling this is normal when you are learning something new…but really eager to get good at it.

Wondering if any of you have any insights for me here?

**Aesopian** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 10:55am

Hello and welcome to the everyday life of being a white belt.

**PointyShinyBurn** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 11:00am

Originally Posted by Amp

Last week I tapped a purple belt for the first time

I'd say you were doing pretty well, I've been training twice as long as you and I've never tapped a purple.

As for feeling really up or down after class because you got owned, I always try to stick in my notebook one thing I did well, as well as one thing I fucked up. Even if it's only 'Managed to nearly replace my half guard just before getting twisted into a pretzel', it helps me feel like I got something out of it.

**bran sao** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 11:19am

I've had the frustration of being shown too many techniques without being able to drill each one sufficiently. I've been taught about 40 techniques already and some I've barely been able to drill.

**Locu5** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 11:41am

It's OK. You will hit plateuas in training, at white belt, and later on in the upper belts. Push through, keep going to practice, and have a plan (both long-term and short-term). It's going to suck sometimes; you are going to suck sometimes. Mat time cures all woes.

**GoldenJonas** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 1:01pm

Hmmm, tapping a purple after only four months of rolling I'd say that’s pretty damn impressive.

Anyway, my advice would be to try and roll with a wide variety of talent from white to brown if possible. I'll go through a class and own some of the whites only to get molested by a brown or purple. Whether your owning or being the one owned you should learn something from every roll. The notebook or training log is a good thing to use.

Ask yourself, how did the wrestlers dominate you and what should I work on to fix that...then work on it. Even with your wins in randori you should be able to analyze how you won, was it **** luck and the other guy completely fucked up OR was my positioning and transitioning tight and efficient when going to the submission, if it wasn't, what should I fix.

Keep in mind, at the gym YOU ARE NOT ROLLING TO NOTCH WINS OR LOSSES ON YOUR BELT. At your gym, your rolling to get better and learn from others strengths to identify your weaknesses and make your game stronger. Don't get down on yourself for getting tapped, learn from it, that's what your there for.

**Southpaw** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 1:23pm

Thanks all for the feedback.

For full disclosure...I do outweigh that purple belt by about 70 pounds...but still, he usually owns me.

**Locu5** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 1:26pm

Whenever I win, it is because I am more skilled than my partner. Whenever my partner wins, it is because he is bigger or used too much strength. It helps me get by.

**Camus** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 1:42pm

My take on this: don't let tapping a purple belt mean anything to you. After all, that seems to be what got you down once the other white belts and the wrestler brought you back down to reality.

I know exactly how you feel and everyone likes to hold onto these little 'victories', but honestly, **** what these guys say: tapping a purple, brown, whatever, in rolling, means nothing. I roll with new guys all the time and am very lazy/too nice lots of the time and they think they 'really escaped that armbar' or 'did really well with my top game' because I didn't want to hurt them or decided to work on my defensive game that day.

I know guys who have tapped brown belts (and one who claims a black belt once), yet, when we roll, somehow I, with 1.5yrs of experience, own up on them. Realize that the brown might be having a bad day or letting you very deep into his game. Sometimes I go a month rolling with guys my level and never getting tapped (and rarely tap them), yet I have been tapped before while I was sick by a spankin' new white belt with a guillotine from mount! This **** just happens, it doesn't give any clear indication of anyone's overall skill.

If you continue your BJJ journey with that sort of mindset while rolling (and many do it seems), get used to the emotional, bipolar rollercoaster of bad nights/good nights, otherwise throw that **** out the window.

**Southpaw** · Posted On: 10/12/2006 1:50pm

Fair enough.

I don't want anyone to think that just because I tapped a purple belt once...that I think I was better than him.

He usually owns me. I know I got lucky...and who knows...he might have let me.

I guess for me I was happy b/c if was solid evidence that I was actually improving.l

Good advice though. Thanks