I want to get really good really fast…a word on improvement in BJJ

Eventually, we all decide that we want to speed up our improvement in BJJ. If you don’t decide that you would like to get better faster, you are either 1) at a gym where you are not being challenged. 2). I don’t know what is going on. At our gym, guys often start asking how they can improve quicker after about 2-3 months. I imagine this is because the “newness” of BJJ wears off and people start to get annoyed with being tapped every 20ish seconds. That is great, you should want to get better!

First off, don’t start to question if you are “good” or “bad” at BJJ after 2 months. To be frank, no one knows how good someone will be after two months. We have had students who come in and look like “world-beaters” their first month and never get better. We have also had new guys that faired worse than a department store mannequin would during their first month and turned out to be really solid after their first year. If you ask me how good you are in your first few months, I will tell you that you are doing better than I did in my first 2 months and then give you pointers to improve on.  “Am I good or bad?” is a fruitless endeavor. Just say “no” to that mental game.

Often times we have students who show up almost every time our gym is open their first 2-3 months. Then, miraculously they start to miss. When we ask them where they have been they say something like, “I am too weak, I started Cross-Fit Monday through Friday. I will come in Saturdays and then when I get better, I will come back in 3-4 times a week.” If you want to be a strong competitor, you will probably need to do some cross training. However, it should supplement your training, not interfere with it. If you want to get better at lifting things and looking good naked in the mirror…do Cross-Fit! If you want to get better at Jiu-Jitsu, don’t do Cross-Fit at the expense of your time on the mat.

So, what can you do to get better? First off, get on the mat. My first 3-4 years of BJJ, I never turned down training. If someone posted on our Facebook page or sent a group text, I was the first one to say “yes.” There were weeks I was in 6-8 times a week. I quickly outpaced the other guys who started at the same time I did. If you know me, then you know I am an average athlete on my best day.  It was my commitment to time on that mat that helped me improve so fast. There is no substitute for mat time. Here is a great article on how much time the Miayo brothers spend training...spoiler alert, it is a crazy amount. 

Roll with people who challenge you. My friend Mandrew (not his real name) and I were driving back from a tournament this weekend and we were discussing the tourney. Mandrew rolled against one of the best brown belts in the country and took him down in the course of the match…then he got submitted. It would have been easy for him to be down on himself, or in awe of his competitor’s prowess. Nope, he was pumped he got to roll against a stud, but also felt it gave him confidence that he hung with him for a bit. It is hard to explain the level of Jiu Jitsu a brown or black belt possess. The only way you can experience the pressure a black belt can put on you, is by actually experiencing it. Find upper belts, role with them, soak up their knowledge. Then, unleash it on new white belts. It is the circle of life.

 Here is video of Marcelo and Ryan Hall rolling because, awesome.

Attend seminars whenever you can. If you are in a rural area like I am, you may have to travel to get to a seminar…awesome! Get some of your classmates, get a cheap hotel, and party after the seminar. Obviously, you will learn a ton at the seminars. The second benefit of going to seminars, you build a bond with your club members. It is harder to skip class when you know people will notice you are gone. Also, becoming friends with club members will make it more likely they contact you if there are any informal mat times. Which means more time on the mat, which means you will get better.

Well look at that, it is a picture of me with Nate Diaz at a seminar!

There really is no secret to getting better at BJJ, the more time you spend at it the better you will get. Any time on the mat will improve your skill (drills, live rolling, technique). So….quit reading this and get on the mat.

P.S. Mandrew suggests "Take your gi with you when you're stuck traveling to that family reunion or business trip. This allows you to pick up new style which no one in your gym has. Plus, most gyms are happy to see a new face. Worst case, a $10 drop in fee." And the dude knows, he wins tourneys like it is his jorb.....