High's and Low's of Bjj

[Asriel]

Shut the **** up, get off the intern.....

ok you get the picture. All you can do is train more, it doesn't matter if people "beat" you because they're your training partners.

If you let yourself be pre-occupied with being better than the people in your school, you'll stagnate fast because you'll end up clinging onto them in guard to stop them passing and/or not trying anything new in case it doesn't work and you get tapped.

Who cares if someone taps you and they think they're better than you? Just concentrate on your own progression. Look for ways YOU have improved. Did you get any reversals, escapes or sweeps? Did you try out a new game and how did it work?

The best advice has already been given. Shut up and train more.

[PointyShinyBurn]

My advice:

Don't play guard with anyone who outweighs you by over 40 lbs. You can bend this rule a little as you get better but for the most part you need to fight for top. Putting a spaz on bottom will make them freak out even more then normal & exhaust themselves, then you can get your sub or sit on them & calmly give your lecture about the importance of finesse over strength in Jiu-Jitsu.

Not only is it harder to control strong guys from bottom, if you play a closed/climbing guard & they stack on you, you can potentially hurt your back. Sadly, I speak from experience there.

My advice, don't play closed guard on the big guys. Learn what butterfly and half-guard are and use them to sweep. If you're rolling from the knees and people don't want to take bottom position, don't waste your time fighting about it.

[Poo-Jitsu]

surely god will at least grant me a sicssor sweep, or maybe even an armbar from guard if im lucky.

AHhAHHhahhAHahaHAhhHahhahaHHhAHHAHHAhaa that was awesome.

i keep track of "small victories". did you pass the guard using a new technique you just learned? write it down. escaped from under side control? write it down.

also, work on one or two goals at a time, rather than an entire game. for instance, right now i'm working on passing guard using standing passes and securing side control. if i go a whole round and never tap my opponent out, who cares? i'm not working on submitting anyone, i'm working on passing guard on my feet and securing side control. see?

also, the win/lose mentality has got to go.

as for training more, well i think you'll always have good and bad days so better off fixing your attitude now.

[123ash]

thanks guys for the great feedback, lol i'll take the "shut the fcuk up and train" advice:P
poojitsu- i will actualy try that, looks like a good way to keep track of what you have and havent done.
the thing is i like being a defensive fighter, so if i can get guard (from the bottom) i take it, i know this is a habbit i must get out of if i want to at least give the bigger guys a challange.

the thing is sometimes, i get apprahensive (SP)if i get reversed in a submission, for example if i try a spinning armbar from side mount, i get a bit nervous if i try it again on a new opponent cause i will end up in a less dominant position. i guess i will have to learn is to take RISKS!,

[Yojimbo1717]

Speaking of writing things down, are you keeping a Jiu-Jitsu Journal (3 J's OMG ROFL)?

If not, why?

The best players I've met all keep journals. Lots of them.

I understand wanting to be better than your peers, but keep in mind that they train with you all the time; and unless you're constantly changing your game, well, they adapt - and if they've been at it longer and harder than you, they're going to probably do better with their adaptation than vice-versa. That's the advantage and disadvantage of tournaments - you testing your game against people that have never really been against yours, or, if they have, it's only been once or twice.

So, to summarize this thread:

Stop complaining.
Get off the internet, unless you're using it to get grappling tune-ups/new moves to try out and experiment with.
Go train.
Make a Jiu Jitsu journal.
Stop thinking so much.

Also, consider trying other forms of grappling to compliment your BJJ. See: Wrestling, Judo, Sambo...etc.

How often are you going per week? If it's three, then, bitch please, up it to at least four. Five would be great.

Edit: Don't play guard with someone that outweighs you by fifty to one-hundred pounds. It's dumb, an easy way to get injured and leads to nothing but stalling.

[Student]

the thing is sometimes, i get apprahensive (SP)if i get reversed in a submission, for example if i try a spinning armbar from side mount, i get a bit nervous if i try it again on a new opponent cause i will end up in a less dominant position. i guess i will have to learn is to take RISKS!,

Make your focus spending tons of time in the less dominant position you are worried about. Eventually you will get to the point that you have no fear of missing the spinning arm bar and losing position because you feel comfortable starting from your inferior position and working your way back (again, in a competition I could see being worried a little, but in training, that's the whole point).

The quickest way to stay stuck at your current level is exactly what you mentioned - don't go for things because you are worried you might end up in a worse position and basically just stick with the things you are good at.

You are a white belt - spend tons of time in every position, and chances are you will play much more from the inferior positions just because you will be put there. If your training partners aren't putting you there then put yourself their and keep working back to dominant positions.

Like everyone has already stated - train train train.

[Goju - Joe]

pick a technique (not a sub BTW) and try to make it work.

If it doesn't ask your coach why, what you're doing wrong and do it again

repeat until you get it, then move on to another technique

If you're getting out muscled and flattened out on your back you're probably not getting your hips in properly

Again talk to your coach

[Gabetuno]

For the people in my class who are frustrated and who I think could be worth a damn, I say the following:

BJJ is all about slow but steady process. I think of it like a tree. If you find a small tree in your back yard, and you look at it every day carefully, it'll just look the same size all the time. But turn your back on it for a few months, and give the sun and water a chance to do it's thing. When you turn around, you won't be able to recognize it as the same plant. Such is life for the BJJ student. If I focus in on what I do and don't remember/accomplish from class to class I'll feel stunted and unsuccessful. But if I just relax, let the advice and instruction wash over me, allow myself to find my game, well one day you'll look back and you won't have a white belt on anymore. Good luck.










Oh yeah. I almost forgot. SHUTH3FUKUPn00000000000000000000000000000000000000 00b!!!!11!1!!!!!!!!!!111ONETHOUSANDONEHUNDREDANDEL EVEN!!1111111!!!

[UpaLumpa]

Shut the **** up, get off the internet and go train.

Everyone goes through long periods where it seems you're not progressing. You are, but everyone else is too.

I deal with this by swearing at everyone, berating myself and trying harder.

[Yojimbo1717]

Like I've said before; meth and energy drinks, the winning combination!