Des Moines - Submission Challenge

Submission Challenge – Des Moines

Tournament Review

Three weeks ago we took a group of guys to compete in the Submission Challenge tournament in Des Moines. I have been thinking about how to write this review in a way that suggests I appreciate having a tournament in central Iowa, but also offer some constructive criticism. So, here goes my best shot.

The SC organization runs submission only tournaments with rules similar to the EBI rule set. It is a great chance to compete and work for submission, without worrying about scoring points. Our team competed well, though we could have taken sometime to go over specific situations that are inherent to the rule set. Overall, I really like the format of a submission only tournament.

How was the tournament run?

It was a pretty standard setup. There was some confusion on if people could do day of registration when we showed up (though the website said you could not). People who were pre-registrations showed up, checked-in and weighed-in. Competitors could weigh-in up to an hour before their match, but were “encouraged” to weigh-in earlier. If you have been around BJJ guys, “encouraging” them to do anything usually means they will do whatever they want. In general, the organizers kept the tournament moving. It is a major pain when there are 5 open mats and workers just kind of chilling. This phenomenon was avoided for the most part. The medals were great and the people running the tournament were super friendly.

Pros of the tournament?

-It is local. Normally, we have to drive to Minneapolis, StL, or Milwaukee to compete. A two-hour drive was super-nice.

 

For those of you who are not down with the 515.

-People running the tournament were friendly and helpful.

-For the most part, competitors and coaches were able to be both competitive and friendly. So much so, that we had a referee make a rule mistake and I was able to talk with the opposing coach and come to a pretty fair compromise on how to resolve the issue. There are always people yelling, “break his arm”, “take his F*cking knee home” which I think is ridiculous. The person yelling “break his jaw if they won’t tap” is probably also making social media posts about how BJJ is a brotherhood and we need to respect each other, blah blah blah, OSS! For the most part, it was a great group of competitors and coaches.

-

The medals were beautiful.

-We had several kids compete and the refs were great working with the kids.

-For the most part, the refs did a great job. I realize they are paid minimally and would probably like to be taking a nap on Saturday. So, I really appreciate what their service.

-There were a ton of white and blue belts competing, so it was a great tourney for our white belts to get a lot of rolls in.

Cons of the tournament?

-We had two guys who didn’t get a match. They signed up in advance, were placed in a bracket, weighed-in, waited all day and then didn’t get to roll. Let me first say, they got their money back with little issue. However, if there is no day of registration and people check in an hour before their bracket, this should not happen. Also, the guys who didn’t get to compete were upper belt gi competitors. So, they waited all day to do nothing. Honestly, the tournament is small enough that purple, brown, and black should be combined and the age groups should be folded into each other.

-This has nothing to do with the people working the tournament, but the rule set (as it was explained to me during a somewhat terse interaction with a ref) is, when there is a submission (loosely defined) and competitors go off mat, they keep competing until there is an escape or the sub is finished. That is great if there are spare mats lining the “out of bounds” area. However, this venue is just hardwood floors. On several occasions people were on the basketball floor, with spectators walking around them, sometimes rolling under the folding tables. The referees were instructed to “let them work through the submission.” I understand, people want to finish subs, but safety should be paramount. We had a competitor get a concussion because he got suplexed on concrete at a different tournament with a similar setup. His opponent felt like crap about it, our guy was out for a few weeks, it was a pointless occurrence when it could be easily solved by resetting the match to the center. The rule should be something like, the second guys touch a non-mat service they stop and reset on the mat. Competitors and coaches can debate position if they like, when they reset in the center of the mat. Having an annoyed competitor is way better than dealing with a brain bleed or concussion. Seriously, Submission Challenge needs to fix this. Final note, after my terse interaction with the ref I explained my concerns and we hugged it out like true jitz-broz.

Dramatic interpretation....

-White-belt leg reaping (banned for white belts) and stopping overtime when there was a transition from one submission to another (time should continue to accumulate) happened multi-times. The way these issues were addressed varied from mat to mat, and form referee to referee. There should be a consistent protocol to deal with those two issues. Before people flip-out on me, this is a referee training issues, not a personal attack on the referees, they are just doing their best.

-Finally, the venue is not ideal. There are a lot of people around the mats, on them…just milling about like cattle. It is cool, to have such an up-close experience. But, it is a safety issue. A high school gym with roped off mat areas is the way to go. I understand you work with what you have, but a change in venue would really take the tourney to the next level.

Even more dramatic interpretation....

Summary:

If you are a white belt or blue belt and want to do a tournament where you don’t have to count points, this is a great start (especially if you are in central Iowa). The staff is helpful and friendly, the tournament moves at a nice clip and the medals are really cool. If you are an upper belt, you may get a match or two…or none. At $80 for two divisions to roll with the same guy 2 times seems steep. However, some of that is on the Iowa BJJ community. A tournament can only put out competitors who pay and show up. Hopefully, all those white and blue belts keep coming to the tourney when they are purple and brown.

Fuji Sekai, Suparaito and Tatami Estilo 5.0 - Throw down!

Hello All!

At our gym and online there are a lot of questions about a specific gi vs another gi. Usually the questions are specific (like which has the stiffer collar). Well, I had the good fortune of buying a new Sekai and Estilo 5.0 during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal period and my friend Cop John let me borrow his new Suparatio...and with that a plan was hatched. Below is my best attempt at an in-depth assessment of the Fuji Suparatio, Sekai, and Tatami Estilo.

Some things to know for the review below:

• I have taken my picture in each of the gis. Sorry, Chris Pratt was unavailable, so you will have to do with my less than stellar mug. 
• I am 5'8", 165 pounds. I have a 71" wingspan. My torso is longer than my legs. 
• All 3 of the gis are A2. 
• I am a 1 stripe purple belt. I have been training for about 6-8 years (a few of those were judo and sambo years). Currently, I try to train 5-6 times a week. This means I go through a lot of gis.
• An incomplete list of the gi brands I have owned:
• Fuji (superlight, double weave, Sekai)
• Howard Combat Kimonos
• Atama 
• Keiko Raca 
• Bad Boy
• 12NV
• Probably others I am forgetting

• I have linked to the companies' webpages, in each description. This should help you if you want to know more about the company. 

FUJI Suparaito

The super burrito (what we call it in our club and how I will refer to it for the rest of this blog) is Fuji's super light offering in their Summit collection. The main points:

• Amazing Ripstop pants 
• Pearl weave jacket, 350 gsm (couldn't find an official weight from Fuji, but his was cite several places)
• Ripstop collar 
• Contrast stitching

Fuji Sekai

The Sekai is Fuji's "light" gi. They do not suggest on their page that it is part of their Summit line, but they do suggest it is a competition Gi. 

• The jacket is thicker than the super burrito, but not by much. 
• Jacket is pearl weave and around 420 gsm...but that is my best guess.
• The collar does not appear to be ripstop like Suparaito
• Awesome ripstop pants (same as Suparatio)

Tatami Estilo 5.0

The Estilo is another competition gi. Tatami is based in Europe. They report that the gi is the culmination of years of R&D. 

• 550 gsm pearl weave jacket
• The collar is much stiffer than the Super burrito or Sekai. 
• Canvas pants, with a bungee cord string.

Below are videos of me breaking down each of the components of the gis. 

Fit:

     Sekai - Super Burrito

In general, the Sekai and Super Burrito have exceptionally similar fits. Obviously, the Super Burrito top is going to be a little lighter fabric/weave, but the cut is really similar. They both have great range of motion for me. The shoulders, lat and chest fit close with minimal additional fabric, but do not restrict motion. The sleeves on the Super Burrito are a little more narrow (in circumference) than the Sekai. That seems like a small advantage (for the Super Burrito over the Sekai) when people are gripping for sleeve control. The lapel is pretty pliable, which helps with the jacket laying flat, but also allows for easier choking and manipulation when using lapel based guards. 

The pants are amazing. They are super soft ripstop. I have had a Sekai for about a year and wear it 2-3 times a week. They show no sign of breaking down. Several guys at my gym have a Super Burrito and have not reported any issues with the ripstop tearing. The pants fit great and stay tied. Several people have said they really make my booty pop. 

     Estilo 5.0

The Estilo has a much different fit. The jacket has a much tighter cut through the lats. This leads to less fabric to grip, but also a little less range of motion. I have a feeling I will like the restricted fit once I get used to it. Right now, I feel like I can lift my arms as high as I can in the Super Burrito or Sekai. The collar is much stiffer than either of the Fuji gis. In the pictures above you can tell that the fit is far different in the way the gi lays on my body. Several training partners have said it is harder to manipulate the Estilo gi/collar. The down side of the stiffness, is that the Estilo comes out of the belt and has to be tucked in... a lot. I have washed 10-15 times now and the stiffness seems to remain. So, if you like a stiff collar, this is your jacket, if not....  The opening in the sleeves is closer to the Super Burrito, so a little more narrow than the Sekai. 

The pants are canvas. I don't like canvas pants, so I am a little biased. I sweat like a yeti in a sauna, which means they are heavy and soppy (is that a word) after 2 hours of rolling. That being said, the fit and durability is great. If you prefer canvas pants, this is your gi. If you sweat like it is your job, be prepared to waddle around like a pregnant hippo getting out of a marsh. 

Aesthetics:

All 3 gis are pretty great looking. I tend towards minimalism, so the Super Burrito and Estilo are really my speed. I don't love the embroidery on the Sekai shoulders, but I love everything else about it. Obviously, the Estilo also has embroidery on the shoulders, but the white on white gives it a clean look. The contrast stitching gives the Fujis a fun touch. The Sekai has a large rubber map on the inside (it is cool, but annoyed my skin when rolling without a rash guard), the Estilo has a silky neck yolk... it is fun to look at. 

Durability:

     Sekai

This is my second Sekai. I love it and it is impressively durable. Over the course of a year, my first Sekai has been through several comps, 2-3 days of training a week and washing after every use. There are a few pulled stitches, but it has held up better than a majority of the previous gis I have owned (Atama, light weight and double weave fuji, Howard Combat Kimono, etc.). Minimal shrinkage after all the washes (I line dry my gis), I would estimate less than 10%. 

    Super Burrito

Cop John is on his 2nd and 3rd (he bought to on Black Friday) SBs and reports similar durability to the Sekai. He has competed in several tournies with his gi, rolls in it 2ish times a week and washes/line dries after use. He reports minimal wear and tear. I actually took a picture in his new and old SB and couldn't not tell any shrinkage.

     Estilo

I do not have the durability experience/data on the Estilo that I do on the Fujis. That being said, I have worn the Estilo 10-ish times, it seems to be wearing really well. Some of the stitching on the nape of the neck embroidery is starting to pull out. This is really not a big deal, other than it is annoying on a really new gi.

Performance:

All 3 gis perform pretty similarly. As I mentioned above, the main differences:

• The collar is much stiffer on the Estilo 
• The ripstop pants are amazing on the Fuji gis
• The sleeve opening is bigger on the Sekai
• The heaviness of the fabric from lightest to heaviest goes - Super Burrito - Sekai - Estilo. 

Really, those are the only meaningful competition/performance differences.

Overall/Summary:

First off, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these gis. All 3 of these gis were purchased for between $80-$99 on Black Friday deals. So, if you can get any of these 3 gis between $80-$99, go for it. Honestly, if you have the money, buy two. The only deciding factor would be preference on the differences listed above. 

Normal prices for each gi are around:

• Super Burrito - $133
• Sekai - $169
• Estilo - $169

If you are basing your decision off of these prices, I think the Super Burrito is the way to go, with the near exact durability, construction, and look for $30 less. When I got my blue belt, I bought an Atama Mundial 7 for $189. It held up for a few year, but wore down pretty quick. I amazed at the quality you can get in a lighter gi, for less money. It would appear the adage "you get what you pay for" only rungs true up to a certain price.

Hope this helps. Please email me if there is info. left off you would like to know. 

Bill

That one person in your club....

I will start with a disclaimer: This post is not about anyone currently at my current gym.

With that being taken care of, there will probably that one person that chaps your ass at whatever gym you go to (specifically when you first start). I imagine I have been that person (I like to talk a lot, I know this about myself). When I trained in Denver, I showed up to a gym and tried to observe all the proper etiquette. I introduced myself to the instructor, I told them how long I had trained, etc. My hope was that they would see I was trying to fit in and welcome me with open arms.

When it came time to roll live, I saw a glance between the instructor and a rather large guy that was one of their better grapplers. The instructor said, "Bill, why don't you role with Clancy." I was cool with that, introduced myself and told him "thanks" for welcoming me to the gym. The whistle went off and he went balls to the wall on me. I ended up putting him in "x-guard", he bench pressed me off of him (after I got the sweep), got on top and ground his forearm in my face.

After about 3 minutes of stellar "forearm to face" technique, I tried a sweep, he got "Thor's hammer" on me, I tapped. It was not the first time I have tapped, certainly will not be the last. He smiled at me and said, "Now you're officially welcomed to class."

Sub was something like this.

Looked over at the instructor and they gave a nod and a smirk. As if to say, "Good job bro! Let's do Cross-fit later and compare tribal tattoos!"

I am a pretty chill guy, but I would be lying if I didn't say this whole incidence pissed me off. At that moment I said to myself, "Game on f*cker, I am going to choke you out at some point." For the next 5 months my goal was to beat him. Anytime that mat was open, I was there. Anytime we had live rolls, I called him out. After the first couple rolls we would end up in stalemates for the duration of the roll (he really didn't have great technique). Around the 4 month mark, I was putting him in really bad positions. Then, one day it happened! I got him in an omoplata, he summersaulted, I kept his arm, stepped into a mounted triangle, he tapped (kind of quick). Victory!

I don't think he was experienced at being tapped. He punched the mat, yelled, stomped around a bit. When we started rolling again, he really increased the dick moves (e.g., digging finger nails into my hands, bending fingers around to break my grip). My immediate response was to return fire. That would have been the easy response. It happens a lot in gyms. Guys start going hard, one gets a little cheap, the other one pays him back, next thing you know everyone is looking at everyone else with the look that says, "should we stop this?" At that moment I decided no amount of aggression on my part would change his attitude. I simple had to worry about getting better. I still rolled with him, but I ignored him and his dick moves when I could. Also, if you live for beating that one person, what do you do once you beat them? Quit, find another person, join Crossfit?

I feel like there are two types of "that person" at a gym. One is the person I describe above. The other one is the club-mate who beats you all the time, you train hard, and you finally beat them (maybe there is something about them you don't like as well). In that moment, they could get dirty and mad, and maul you. But, they high-five you, say "great job" and let you have your moment. To have someone excited about tapping you really is a huge sign of respect. Maybe you still don't like them, That fine, you don't have to like everyone, but there will probably be a good amount of respect between the two of you.

As you progress from new "Bambi" like white belt, to experienced BJJ practitioner, remember that new guys look up to you. They emulate your style. And once they get a sub on you, it is a big deal. They may even point out it is the first time they subbed you (I remember the first time I subbed our instructor, I floated out of the gym). Give them their moment, high-five them. It is OK to roll hard with them on the next go, but don't be that person who is going to make them pay for a tap by beating the crap out of them. Get better, not bitter.

Bro, it doesn't matter that he outweighs you by 70 pounds, you do BJJ...

I understand where the romantic notion comes from. The one where people think anyone who does a martial art can beat people twice their size in mortal combat. I grew up watching Kung Fu movies where a tiny master took out six guys with one hand and then made a witty comment (your Master should have taught you respect).

 I was in awe when Royce Gracie beat Dan Severn when I watched the fourth UFC in 3rd grade.

Royce beating dudes...

When I heard BJ Penn fought at heavyweight, it only further reinforced the idea that all martial artists can beat up anyone (regardless of size).

Penn vs Machida

 Let it also be known that I am not a big guy. I am about 5'8" and weigh around 160 pounds. It has been my experience in all of the sports I have played and the few fights I have gotten into, that size matters.

Picture of Jeff Curran, Marcelo Garcia and me, to help you gauge my size...and remind you I hangout with Jeff and Marcelo

I am stubborn though and held onto the belief that someday I would learn a martial art and pummel men much larger than myself. As a senior in college I took Hapkido, then Judo and Sambo when I moved to Kansas City. Finally, I ended up in Waterloo, IA and landed at a great BJJ gym. I now have around 6-7 years of BJJ experience and about 10-11 years of martial arts/grappling. What follows below are my heartfelt words on the role weight/size plays in BJJ, grappling and fisticuffs.

To start, size matters. If size didn't matter, there would be no weight classes in the UFC, BJJ tournies, etc. However, skills can certainly overcome size disadvantages. Case in point, every once in awhile we have a new, strong, young lad come into our gym. Typically, they have a lot of wrestling experience and feel like they are going to run through everyone we train with. It has become our time-honored tradition to find a smallish, white belt (the dorkier looking the better) and deem them our "gatekeeper." His or her job is dispense humble pie to all jerks who darken our door step. When it comes to an unskilled combatant against a skilled BJJ practitioner in a controlled BJJ gym, size doesn't matter that much. On a side note, I once held the gatekeeper title because there is nothing more deflating than a soft, middle aged, college professor dealing out punishment.

Check out Riley Breedlove tooling high school wrestlers in a park. 

When it comes to the effectiveness of BJJ on the streets, it is also pretty useful for people of all sizes. Luckily (and to my low-key disappointment) I have never had to use my "jitz" in a real fight. But, all you need to do is look up videos online or check the BJJ message boards. Given the option between wildly throwing haymakers and/or trying to tackle someone when I have little to no experience, I would rather have the BJJ on my side. With that being said, you never know who is getting into a fight with you. They might have trained forever, maybe they are a golden gloves boxer, maybe they are an X-Men (probably the least likely scenario).

If I was an X-Men I like to think I would be Nightcrawler 

 If you are looking to get into BJJ just to kickass at the bar, maybe you should instead just go to AA.

Watch this video, it is worth it. 

When Jiu-Jitsu meets Jiu-Jitsu is typically when size advantage plays the largest role. Yes, there are some great instances of smaller BJJ players beating bigger opponents (Marcelo vs Ricco Rodriguez or Makenzie Dern vs Gabi), but most of the time a bigger competitor wins the absolutes at a large international tourney.

Marcelo vs Ricco

Mackenzie Dern vs Gabi 

2013 road to ADCC absolute for Cyborg

In my personal experience, skill greatly compensates for a size advantage. We have several newer blue belts who are much bigger than me and I can hold my own. However, we have a brown belt who is close to my size and he absolutely railroads me. There is a purple belt at another school who I am 25ish pounds heavier than and I can typically control him because of my extra fluff (that is what I call my "Dad-bod" parts).

In an extremely simplified sense, skill can make up for weight/strength deficits and weight/strength can make up for skill deficits. I try to use this to my advantage by always saying I weight less than I do, and asking for the weight of a person who tapped me. If there is more than a 10 pound difference, I blame it on their girth and get to keep my ego.

In short, if you are looking to do BJJ because you think you will become a Super Sayian who can beat people 5 times your size, you will be disappointed. But, if you want to take BJJ to improve your confidence, feel more safe if in a dangerous situation or hopefully get a chance to tool "d-bags" that get off on pushing around little guys/girls, you are in the right sport. Just remember, the ability/right to beat people bigger than you is earned from years (and I mean years) of getting beat on that mat, it is not a training montage type of thing.

Late notes from the Submission Hunt in Minneapolis.

On December 13th, two of my teammates and I competed in the "Submission Hunt" tournament in Minneapolis. All in all it was great tournament. My buddy Andrew got a gold and silver in two division and got wins in the absolute divisions. I was able to win both my gi, blue belt division and no-gi division. Our buddy Will got his first tournament wins! As a team we placed 12th (Cedar Valley Jiu Jitsu). It was a successful trip. Below are a few random notes/thoughts about the weekend:

This is me, you could say the "thumbs up" is my finishing move....

Will made so many friends. 

This is Dostal, he is mildly impressed with his win.  

1. Thank God there was no snow from Waterloo to Minneapolis
2. It sucks to cut weight only to have your weight classes combined into 3 groups with your original weight class being the lowest class (e.g, you weigh 160, your group ends up being 160-190). I could have just been my normal tubby-self the 3 weeks before.
3. Chipotle is great after cutting weight
4.      Chipotle 2 times in 5 hours....might not be your best bet.
5. If you can stay at Dostal's sister's awesome condo the night before, do it! This is probably more specific to my situation. 
6. Moldy bagels the morning of the tourney will not hinder you as bad as you think. 
7. Dostal tapped a black belt with a knee-bar, dude is a bad bad man. 
8. Everyone thinks BJJ tournaments are fast paced. No, they are a lot of sitting and waiting. Then they call a bracket and you start to warm up and it is not your bracket...it is never your bracket. 
9. There are few things as personally rewarding as tapping out a college wrestler who is bigger than you. Then hearing him refer to you as a "fat, f*cking old man" in the locker room. 
10. Most competitors at a BJJ tourney are awesome, cool and friendly. I grew up wrestling, it is a far friendly environment at BJJ tourneys. 
11. You are always disappointed not signing up for the open division when the names start getting called. I would not have won the blue belt open, but I would have loved to give it a go.  
12. Dante Leon won both absolute divisions. Do yourself a favor and look him up, dude is an animal. 

Submission Hunt is a really well run tourney for a great price. Also, St. Paul and Minneapolis are great towns to visit. If you are in the area, give it a shot. I was glad I went and got to hang out with Will and Dostal. Both are great guys, competitors and friends. If you are thinking about competing, go for it! There is a Combat Corner tourney in Milwaukee April 9th, some of my team will be there. If you are a midwesterner and thinking about competing, this is a good time to try. 

Are you injured or are you hurt??? Should I train when I am hurt?

Hello everyone! I am back from my Holliday break in blogging. I have two guest blogs coming up. My two guest bloggers are being slow and lazy, so I thought I would throw together something on my Saturday night.

It goes without saying that you will have boo-boos, ouchies, nicks and bruises when training BJJ. At it's essence, BJJ is all about trying to make your opponent quit through threat of injury, or actual injury. However, there is a big difference between being hurt and being injured. Hopefully, this blog might help you better decide if you should "suck-it up buttercup" or take a little time off.

My broken pinky toe, because I want you to feel sorry for me. 

Before I get into the meat of this blog I should make a disclaimer: I am a doctor, with that being said, I am not the type of doctor that actually helps people (I have a PhD in Child Development). So, any advice I give is purely earned from experience and not a medical diagnosis.

I have been very fortunate in my grappling career. I can think of two instances that have forced me to miss time on the mat. Our coach separated my shoulder on a throw and I got my knee popped on a cheap heel-hook, other than that, I have been able to train without major injury. But, it seems like I always have a sore part or two. We have a great club that tends to be incredibly safe and friendly. If you are at a gym where guys are getting seriously injured on a regular basis, you are at the wrong gym. Find somewhere else that values your health. Nothing trumps mat time. It is far better to roll at a lesser known gym a lot, than a premier gym where you are missing time because higher belts are ripping your arms off for trophies.

Good example of why to tap. 

So, what type of injury should you not roll with? Any broken bone, anything you cannot put weight on, anything that if it is more seriously injury you will not be able to do your job. We have several construction workers who come to our class, if they broke their leg, blew out their knee, etc. they would be off the mat for awhile and losing money they use to feed their family. DON'T MAKE YOUR FAMILY GO HUNGRY. You can always come back to the mats when you are healed, but if your bone is broken or a joint is seriously injured, it will eventually force you off the mat. You might as well heal it now and get on the mat sooner, than tough it out and roll like poo for 2 weeks and still have to rehab the injury. Here is a great article about common BJJ injuries.

The more tricky situation is when you are hurt and not sure if you should roll. I would suggest you start to build a stable of partners you can roll "light" with, to test the injury. Typically, an upper belt is going to be good for this job. They have better control over their body and will not maul an already injured appendage. Also, they get subs all the time, tapping out a white belt is not going to be a notch in their belt. If you can roll light with little or no pain, then you should increase the intensity when you feel comfortable.
 

In the event a you are not able to finish a light roll without getting getting hurt, you should take it easy. I would suggest coming to class and still doing technique. When you are unable to do technique without pain, try to roll light again.  After you can roll light with minimal pain, start to increase the intensity.


Respectable instructors and fellow BJJers will not frown on you for getting yourself healthy after an injury. The only time classmates and instructors will start to question your injury status is when you are taking to long to tap (typically this problem takes care of itself) or you are using a former injury as an excuse to get out of rolling. I am not sure why anyone would want to get out of rolling, that is the best part.

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.....