The closest school to me is 40-45 minutes. Unfortunately it's not cost or time feasible right now.
5 minute walk.
Just started three weeks ago. I have a notebook where I've compiled a bunch of notes. I'll come back and drop some knowledge tomorrow when I wake up. (Hopefully someone with a little bit of experience can make sure I'm not wrong.)
But I plan on competing in 6 months in a tournament. I'm training every morning and am trying to go to as many night classes as I can as well. The first few weeks I severely over trained myself and could feel my body breaking down so I'm trying to slow it down and train smarter, not harder.
edit: I'm training strictly no-gi because I'm hoping to transition into MMA.
M
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My advice to you is don't put a timetable for tournaments on yourself. The novice/white belt divisions are good for the "get the nerves out" matches, but it's usually all brute force and minimal technique. If you're trying for an MMA career, keep training until you're ready for intermediate divisions.
Second.... Even if you're trying for an MMA career.... PUT ON YOUR GI!!!! You're overall game benefits from it.... WEAR IT!!!
After 3 weeks, your body shouldn't be breaking down... Make sure to include proper warmup and cool down routines in your grappling. Stretching is always important, and make sure that you're eating correctly.
That's some of my advice for you... Best of everything in training
M
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I see you're in Tampa, who do you train with out there?
More than anything the reason I plan on competing is exactly about getting competition nerves out and seeing how it feels. Plus it just gives me something to look forward to, because genuinely all I'm doing is working and training full-time. I love training and am obsessed with it, but it would be nice to enter a tournament with people similar to my skill level and size just to kind of gauge where I'm at.
I actually don't have a choice to put on a gi- I accidentally made it seem as if I did but that is just the way the school is. I train out of Gracie Tampa (north) under Rob Kahn, Royce Gracie black belt.
I'm in the worst physical shape you could imagine. For years I was 6'1 and 125 pounds, until a few years ago when I started to clean up my diet and exercise a little. Now I'm about 6'1 and 165, but I trained a couple years ago for 2-3 months but I had no clue how to take care of my body so I ended up getting injured. Now I track my macro-nutrients, stretch a lot, and make sure I get a good warm up in, but for the past few weeks I was going to class twice a day, then rolling after every class. My shoulders would be on fire everyday from how many armbars I was getting caught in, my resting heartrate was higher than normal and I started to feel flu-like symptoms, so I'm limiting the amount of rolling I do until I get into better shape. I feel better this week already after training a little smarter instead already.
/// Now for the notes I said I would give ///
Since I've started training, the biggest things for me have been 1) just accepting anytime I'm in a bad position 2) putting myself in these positions on purpose to work my escapes and remove the anxiety of being there.
When I start rolls, I always start off my back (sometimes I start on all fours and give them my back to start instead) and work to sweep my way into the top position so that I'm never dis-encouraged by being on my back in the future. I'd rather work on my positions than my submissions, until I can actually get the position for my submissions. I find that when I roll this way, subs naturally come to me instead of when I'm just looking for a submission the whole time.
I've been playing a lot of butterfly guard and I've been told its incredibly important to have your chest leaned forward in front of your butt and your elbows tucked inside of your knees, if that makes sense. I've been really, really enjoying just exploring butterfly guard and using it to retain guard.
When I'm in halfguard the tighter I'm balled up on my side, the harder I am to move.
That is all I got for now, but maybe I'll come back and be able to add more after class this morning.
Your body isn't breaking down, it's just getting the BJJ tenderizing treatment
. It starts from the soul outwards...lol. Tap early & tap often. Try to use pure technique. No need to fight out of armbars or any secure position. That should help alleviate a lot of the burning joint feelings. Welcome to the life bro
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Yeah I realized I don't need to go for a hitchhiker on every armbar I get stuck in. I just tap now and it doesn't feel like my arms are going to fall off everyday.Your body isn't breaking down, it's just getting the BJJ tenderizing treatment
The one thing I'm good at is the using pure technique (or trying to, obviously my technique isn't that great yet). I never roll going 100% spaz mode, even when the person I'm rolling with does that I just go completely relaxed and let them wear themselves out and work on my defense. I personally just don't feel like I learn anything when I roll just trying bulldoze through someone and force a bunch of stuff. I'd rather be the nail and work on my defense.
But thank you to everyone for the kind words and advice. I love BJJ and grappling in general so much it is nice to meet people who feel the same way. This is a great thread.
@ChasenWest I saw that you're thinking about transitioning to MMA. If that's the case, I'd tailor my guard game towards rubber guard, or old school Gracie bjj, where the emphasis is place on posture control and punch prevention. Butterfly guard & half guard can get you pummeled. Just a thought.
I play A LOT of rubberguard and am actually pretty exceptional at it for my overall skill level. As a teenager I was obsessed with it and watched hours, and hours, and hours of video on Bravo teaching it. It really is effective for me against bigger guys, I'm 6'1 and incredibly flexible so it is perfect for my body type. I have an entry to rubberguard from an overhook in butterfly that works well.
Sorry if I'm talking way too much on this thread but I'm just extremely passionate about it and this is running through my head all day so its nice to let it out. Thank you for all of the tips and everything to everyone though.
(I'm sure my "exceptional" technique is only so to me, but its my best technique right now so.)
M
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Hahahaha, you train with Hobby Kahn??? That's my boy.... You're in PHENOMENAL hands with Rob and the whole GT family (Matty Arroyo, Ben Zapata, Dan Martinez, Josh Hayden, Ian Murray, Danny, Bamboo, etc)... Those guys are family. I teach at the 6 Levels in Orlando, I'm one of Jon Burke's black belts... Rob and Jon are like brothers, both got their black belts from Royce back in 2004 or 2005. Rob's come to do seminars at our gym a bunch. If you ever visit Orlando ever you can come train at our gym.
M
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Yeah that's always a good time.... Ironic but I use a lot of Rob Kahn's "Shoulder Pressure/Smash the Head" stuff from side mount...
@ChasenWest if you haven't experienced it yet, you will 
Hahahah, when I read his post that is the first thing I thought. I've had enough shoulder pressure/what time is it grip for a year already. We did it last Thursday and that spot under my jaw is still tender.Yeah that's always a good time.... Ironic but I use a lot of Rob Kahn's "Shoulder Pressure/Smash the Head" stuff from side mount...
Rob is the fucking man though. His instruction is so high level, the way he breaks things down seriously blows my mind. He will show the tiniest little detail that completely changes the move. I'm obviously a newer member but I love GT so much already. Everyday I walk off the mat I feel like I've had a great, productive day of training. Thank you for the offer though my man and I hope we get to roll together one day. Would be a blast I'm sure.
M
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Yeah all the GT guys are always welcomed in our gym, and whenever any of our guys are in Tampa we train there. Plus whenever we get seminars, we let you guys know right away.
Well, this morning I hit a sweep from the lockdown (where you start to scoot out the back but then shoot under and grab their shin/foot) while rolling against someone with a similar skill level, but a lot bigger and using a lot more force than me.
My obsession with Jiu-Jitsu somehow doubled in just that instant.
We had a yoga class after open mat and my body feels a hundred times better than it normally does after rolling.
I do have a question for more experienced players though, when training in the morning what do you eat for breakfast?
My obsession with Jiu-Jitsu somehow doubled in just that instant.
We had a yoga class after open mat and my body feels a hundred times better than it normally does after rolling.
I do have a question for more experienced players though, when training in the morning what do you eat for breakfast?
M
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I eat a few eggs with veggies, drink lots of water, eat an apple with peanut butter.... I eat at least 1.5 hours before I train though
A lot of high-level MMA guys use variations of butterfly, knee shield, feet on hips, etc., and control posture with overhooks / underhooks.
Closed guard and rubber guard can limit your opponent's ability to hit you, but they also limit your ability to stand up quickly.
True, I was trying to point out a beginners path. Then again we are Jiujitsu guys, why would we want to stand up