Still rolling guys, still loving it.

Ended up joining a new gym, dropped a few lbs and really focusing on flexibility more so than strength.

Focus on position of your hips, joints and frames. By shrimping/hip escaping with good position/frames you'll open up space to work your attacks if your getting smooshed. Asides that learn from the smoosher

great advice here, work on techniques and things you can control. Just get basics down and go from there. Every class you take those higher belts have taken as well.

Don't be afraid to tap, ask people how they did that and what they thought.

My oh shit moment last week was shrimping and escaping mount.



I’m still recovering from my own stupidity in October. My knuckles are TIGHT from gripping so hard when I first started. I’m just starting to figure out flow rolling and relaxing.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Usually after learning and drilling a sequence of moves from a class, I might do one or two of the steps in a roll. The thing is the moves make sense, you can picture it, but when it’s go time and you’re stuck thinking “what do I do next?” Or “hey this is different than what we drilled” it’s too late. There are also counters to just about everything. When I first started training I wanted to learn exciting/cool moves, but my instructor had us do the same basics over n over each class. I would get real frustrated and thought about trying another gym. After months of grinding the basics they were instilled in my subconscious. I would just focus on surviving and escaping. The longer you survive the more training you get. Time in the saddle baby. Just keep showing up! You might feel like it’s taking forever to get better 😂. You’ll see once your gym gets new members and you can feel the difference. Also body type! You will find moves that come naturally for you, some not as much. Learn both. And Lastly try to be a great training partner. It will payoff 100 fold. Don’t be the guy that hurts people, you will be shunned. I love jiu jitsu

regarding rolling try to focus on your positioning and balance. dont think offense to much. you wont get a submission anyways if you have a bad positioning in the first place.

also, dont focus on to many subs. try just very basic subs and focus on them.
if you do go for an armbar for example:

you have his thumb/hand positioned correctly?
far enough above your hips?
you clinch your thighs?
you have good control with your legs above his head/throat?
you hip thrust correctly to finish the armbar?

have many more details just regarding armbar but they will become clearer as you develop.
the same goes for every sub in bjj. it will be to much info to take in so narrow down your focus.

osss

I started going to a lot more open mats and taking some private lessons, things are clicking pretty great.

Rolled yesterday for Tap Out Cancer with a newer blue belt. We did 5 6 minute rounds, the goal was an hour of rolling but we slowed down hard after the first half. I sweeped him from close guard to mount and put him in a shoulder triangle for my first tap. Second submission I let him take my back and guarded my neck, he locked his heels up and I grabbed his foot for an ankle lock. Next round he ended up sweeping me from close guard, I transitioned to turtle and ended up grabbing me in a crucifix. Final submission was a triangle in the later round, but both of us were gassed and I think he tapped because he was more exhausted than anything else.

Having a great time with these guys, the higher belts are solid and very VERY informative.

This post was edited by ozzyarmy3 on Dec 18 2022 12:49pm

Blue belt here, been training since 2015.

Started at the ripe age of 32 and suffered some massive injuries in the first years (ruptured disc, tore a rib from a thoracic vertebra and other stuff) and it taught me to know my limits. Before that it was balls to the wall or nothing.

So as said before, tap often, tap early until you start to understand how much beating your body and joints can take, it's stupid to throw away training time because of ego. No matter who taps you, remember, they did something good, it does not equate to you being bad. Not always that is, sometimes you suck and it's ok. You learn so much from being used as a mop on the mats.

What I've done is I've concentrated on one thing for a few weeks at a time. For example retaining guard, no amtter who you roll with, try to retain guard AND THEN advance with something else but prioritize getting that guard back so it's an instinct. That way you don't have to think about what to do to getto safety. Then switch to something else after said weeks.

There's so much I could rabble on but the advice you've gotten so far are solid and can add more later.

Enjoy the ride and have goals, but don't get too obsessed with them, cut some slack for yourself from time to time. I have 8 years training soon and still "just" a blue belt but I rather be a blue belt for 5 more years and have solid bjj than a brown belt who doesn't know what they're doing.

Oh, and let your body heal when needed.

Man, I stopped caring about the belts on my first class. Jiu Jitsu is so humbling, I’m just enjoying my time rolling and learning. My only goal right now is to keep improving by continuing to go.

My teacher explained to me that he looks at what my potential is for every belt. In other words, he’d rather have a top tier blue belt than a subpar purple belt.

Thanks for the advice!

this will evaporate slowly once youre the 6mo wb that dominates a 1mo wb

and then will disappear completely as soon as you get blue

lmao