Competitions Pt. 2 (IBJJF)

IBJJF competitions are traditionally seen as a pinnacle of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition. Why? Well they are the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation after all. The IBJJF hosts the World Jiu Jitsu Championships every year--commonly referred to as the  "Mundials" , or just "Worlds." Having said that, any organization that is capable of hosting such a prestigious event, by sheer association their other events are viewed as top of the mountain; as far as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitions go. Some competitors stray away from IBJJF competitions because they disagree with their laundry list of a rule set, but don't let that sort of thing scare you off. IBJJF competitions are fun. Beyond that, they're very professional, well run, well organized, and a very good experience for any level of competitor.

On September 25th-26th of this year, the IBJJF Masters Worlds championship was held in  Las Vegas. That means for the 'over-30-crowd,' this was the chance to put your money where your mouth is and compete against others in your same age, weight, and rank on a very large scale. In other competitions, are you generally places with that sort of class of opponents; but in more local competitions you're not going to be guaranteed to have a solid bracket with ample competitors. You may be asked to move up, or down, in weight or age--that's not the case in IBJJF. In this post I plan on recounting my experience in my first IBJJF and attempt to highlight some differences I came across from an IBJJF competition to a non-IBJJF.

At Pittsburgh International About to Board the Flight to Vegas

First off: my weight cut went extremely well. Cutting weight for competitions is something to consider, but it shouldn't be a mandatory thing. Here's my take on the subject: If you have some spare poundage you want to lose & need a good reason to do it, this is a great reason. If it's a matter of 'a few' pounds between one weight class and another, think about dropping to the smaller class. If you and a training partner are in the same class, and one of you can make the smaller class easier, think about it. If you want to drop 25+ pounds in a month to be competitive at a weight class you normally don't compete at, you're delusional and don't be silly. I woke up the morning before the competition a cool 9 pounds under the weight limit for my weight class--which is good because IBJJF MAKES YOU WEIGHT IN THE DAY OF THE COMPETITION WITH YOUR GI ON. I know my gi weighed roughly 5 pounds, so coming in 9 pounds light left me some wiggle room for my gi and a light meal before I stepped on the scale the next morning.

The 4-hour flight from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas was fine. I felt relaxed--for the most part--and took advantage of the time reading and listening to podcasts. We arrived in Las Vegas at about 8pm local time and checked into our hotel room right away, My training partner made the trip with his wife, and shortly after our arrival they went out to eat. I admit, I was nervous about making weight so I didn't want to risk it so close to the competition so I decided to stay in and try to rest, which I did and woke up the next morning feeling ready. 

Competitor Stamp. On the forearm. Felt legit.

My training partner, Luca, and I took a cab from our hotel to the venue. I was scheduled to go on for my first match at 10:12am (remember that). We got to the venue at roughly 9am and no one was on the mat yet, but there were guys getting warmed up, which I thought was weird (remember that, too), but I wasn't too distracted. I had made plans with the lovely and famous BJJ Emma to meet up and saw her right away upon entering the venue. We got to formally meet and I'll confirm she is every bit as cool as you think/would think; but she's also very sweet, kind, polite, and sincerely one of the best people I've got the opportunity to meet in the community. (So go follow her Instagram , her Twitter, and Facebook).

At roughly 9:30am Luca asked me what time I wanted to get warmed up to go on. He was scheduled for his first match a little after mine, but I figured my normal routine that I borrow from class would be sufficient. It's basically a normal warm-up of about 15 minutes to get loose; which is good for an hour class so why wouldn't it be good for a competition? So at 9:45 we made our way into the Bull Pen where I sat down to begin with a butterfly stretch and was almost immediately called to get in line to weigh in by the Mat Manager. Lesson Learned: Warm up a lot sooner than you think, weigh in as soon as possible. So I line up and was informed by the same Mat Manager that my opponent wasn't there so the match would be scratched, I'd win, but I just needed to make weight. After some waiting in line, I finally weigh in, make weight, then am escorted to my mat. At that point I'm assuming that since I made weight that I 'won' and that I'd get pulled out onto the mat for a lame hand-raising then move on to the next match--not the case. I arrive at my mat and was greeted by my original opponent, who was there, and then suddenly now I'm fighting. It was weird. I went from stretching, to not, to fighting, to not, to fighting again and still not warming up. Sigh. But again, lesson learned.

My match went okay. By "okay" I mean I lost, on points. Yes, it was a bummer; but in BJJ you know you either "win or learn." The match started off with me getting the takedown and my opponent getting a sweep. I fought out of it and through a series of sweeps, escapes, and three submission attempts, my match ended with me going for a Kimura that my opponent fought off till time expired. I was proud of myself for getting the takedown, never stopping fighting (giving up), and always going for the submission. But these things happen and the lesson was learned. So I was one-and-done and Luca followed suit shortly after, also losing on points. Normally, you'd think that would be the end of the competition, but this was an IBJJF event and there was so much more to do.

The Look of Disappointment and Acai Bowls (because Acai Bowls make it better)

First thing was first, we needed Acai Bowls. Tales of the delicious Brazilian treat echo across grappling mats around the world; and I needed to know just how true they were. Let me confirm for you that the rumors are 100% true, they are the best thing I've ever had. I ended up have two that weekend and would have one a day for the rest of my life if I could ever get the stuff from my local grocery store. Lesson Learned: Buy into the hype, Acai Bowls are the truth, but get in line because the lines can be long.

No One is Exempt From Acai Lines

There were also so many good matches to watch. Just because you're done competing (win or lose) doesn't mean you should close up shop and go home. I enjoyed watching all of the belt ranks go. From Blue up to Black, every match was fun to witness. As a Blue Belt, I took the opportunity to see what others are doing and compare that to what I felt I would do in those situations/positions. That sort of thought process continued through the ranks; which is what made watching the Black Belts even more fun to watch.

There were so many high-level guys there, both competing and just watching. I saw Gui Mendes and Robert Drysdale taking in the sights and matches that weekend (cool). I saw Royler in the Acai line (see above) and in the stands watching all the matches and being very friendly with fans. 

Myself, Pedro, and Luca

 One of the biggest pleasures for me that weekend was getting to meet Professor Pedro Sauer. I come from a Pedro Sauer affiliate and getting to finally shake Professor Pedro's hand was truly a rewarding experience for me. Professor Pedro is widely known for being a world-class instructor, great guy, and an all around badass. His influence on the sport and culture was a big deciding factor for me when choosing a school to train at, and getting to brush shoulders with true greatness was an awesome experience for me.

He said to us "How did we do today?" in that unmistakable Brazilian accent. I answered (mildly ashamed) "Not so well." He just laughed and said "Well, sometime that happens, eh?" Which, I guess, is a normal answer, but his candor and sincere attitude toward two of his affiliate students conveyed that he did care about how we did; and his hand on our shoulders was fatherly enough to further express his appreciation for us even trying. Good dude, that Pedro.

Speaking of good dudes, I also got to meet Saulo Ribero. We first mentioned Saulo in one of our earlier posts, The White Belt's Guide to Good BJJ Books. His book, Jiu Jitsu University, is a staple in the community--and is required reading for you WBS fans. Saulo is a 5x Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion, 2x ADCC champion, Pan Am Champion (both in weight AND Absolute), World NoGi champion--look, I can go on and on about his list of accomplishments, or you can look it up yourself, but let's all agree that Saulo is one of the best competitors that our sport has ever seen. Beyond that, he's one of the nicest people I've ever met. From the handshake to the picture to the right, Saulo treated me like a long-lost friend and he was genuinely happy to meet me and take a picture. I know that the majority of 'BJJ People' are like that, and I do agree, but there was a sincere appreciate from Saulo (and Pedro) that I think you can only get from guys at that level. What's even cooler? I got to see Saulo compete.

Saulo Dominating Everyone

I also got to meet, and hang out with, Kurt Osiander. Kurt was just as cool as you'd suspect. Kurt taught me a lot about prepping for competition. Remember earlier how I mentioned about what time I was supposed to go on versus what time I started warming up? Well Kurt--a Black Belt level competitor--started a full hour and a half before his scheduled start time. Everything from preworkout drinks to breaking a sweat, Kurt (unknowingly) taught me how an active Black Belt starts to get ready for competition.

I learned how to tape my fingers from his Move of the Week vlog and got to see it in action. Weird, but it was sort of a 'full circle moment' for me. But aside from hanging out with me and Luca, watching matches, and talking about general life stuff, I got to see how seriously I do not take warm-ups as compared to someone who does. Kurt (along with a lot of other guys that weekend) legit had hoodies on under their gi for warm-ups. I saw him stretch, jump rope, drill, and basically get his entire body and mind ready to compete. Credit to Luca for pointing out that "Obviously, we need to take warm-ups more seriously."

Lessons were learned. Fun times were had. IBJJF competitions are cool--regardless to yours, or anyone else's, feelings on their rule set. If you're thinking of competing, you should. It's fun. As outlined above, even just hanging out at competitions can be rewarding. It's nice to get out there in the BJJ community and get to meet cool people. We're blessed enough to belong to a community where we can meet, train with, and talk to our heroes, idols, etc. Try that with any other sport and I I bet it doesn't work. Take advantage of it.

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Competitions

This is going to be Part 1 of 2 in a series of posts on competitions. Today we're going to look at competitions in general and in the subsequent post I'll touch on IBJJF competitions. What's the difference? Well, that's going to be part of what we're going to explore. Up to now--at this moment I'm writing this post--I've never competed in an IBJJF tournament; but I have done various other competitions. That's not to say that I'm not unfamiliar with IBJJF as a whole, but I just think it'll be a lot cooler to be able to give that personal first hand experience in a post rather than just regurgitating in my own words what's on their website. That being said, I'll be traveling to Las Vegas this week to compete in the IBJJF Masters Worlds in my first IBJJF event and, if nothing else, I'll come back with some good info for all of you. But first, let's look at competitions in general.

First thing is first: I've never heard of a school mandating that students compete. So if you're worried that you'll have to compete if you join a gym, I wouldn't worry about that. But that's not the focus of this post.

Competitions are fun. Even if you're still on the fence about whether or not you want to compete it's worth it to at least go out to watch and hang out with your training partners and cheer them on--all while watching other people compete. The whole atmosphere is fun. Vendors are there selling cool grappling stuff, food, etc. It's like a grappling town carnival. So if you're still questioning whether or not you want to get on the mat yourself, go check a competition out. At the very least you'll be supporting your friends and a good cause.

Q: When should I compete?
A: You should compete when you're ready to compete. Seriously, it's as simple as that. If you want to you should and if you don't want to, don't. Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with a No Stripe White Belt stepping out there and going for it. I've seen guys do exactly that and skyrocket their ability, skill, and experience.

I (middle) won some stuff in my first competition

Competitions WILL be good for you. I mean it--I don't Bold-Italic-Underline just anything ya know. Whether it's a NAGA event, or even just a small 'local' competition, you should sign up and get out there. Competing will give you a very real look at your game. You (probably) very rarely get to go 100% in class against someone. Doing that will shed light on your game as a whole; meaning where you're good and where you suck. (For more on being okay w/ where you suck check out this article I wrote for LearningBJJ.com ). Both of those things are good to know to help take your development to the next level so that you can improve. Going 100% against a stranger is also a lot easier than you think. When you're training with your friends/training partners there's always going to be a level of friendliness that you don't have in competition with strangers. I don't mean that there's no mutual level of respect, I mean that you will naturally pass over the feelings of wanting to hold back to avoid 'being a jerk.' And that's a good thing. You get to apply your craft, your skill, your art with no restrictions. 

Speaking of restrictions, there actually are some. Specifically: Age, Rank, Weight, and sometimes Submissions. 

You're not going to compete against someone WAY better than you. You'll most likely be competing against someone close to your age and weight and rank. I say "most likely" because, in some cases, there might not be an abundance of competitors close enough to you in those regards; so it's not unheard of for some competitors to be asked to move up/down in weight and or age brackets. Personally, I've never heard of someone moving around in rank, but hey, who knows. I'd find it hard to believe that a White Belt would be matched up against a Purple, though. But it's not like you haven't rolled against higher ranks before anyway.  

In some competitions some submissions and take downs might be illegal; or at least barred from certain belt ranks. That's done for safety purposes. You might be a great White Belt, but you'd also be the exception. We don't want guys out there ripping heel hooks or kneebars on other guys who don't know they're in trouble and end up getting their bodies ruined on some silly nonsense. So some competitions may have those kinds of restrictions--obviously go to the Rules Meeting (every competition has one before the party starts) to confirm what you can, and can't do. Having said that, some competitions (NAGA) have no such restrictions; so you can get out there and heel hook everyone like you're Imanari or something. 

Winning is nice (OF COURSE), but really competing is more about getting out there and improving yourself. You're going to have fun, that I promise. You're going to be nervous too--also promised. But don't get hung up on any of those things. Your focus when competing should be roughly the same as your training: getting better. You're going to apply what you know and learn what you need to work on. Even if you do really well (up to and including winning every match by sub) you're still going to walk away knowing what you want to work on next. Local competitions are nice because there's a lot less pressure. Let's keep it real, IBJJF is serious stuff, but your smaller competitions will allow you to get out there and just have fun. 

Get out of the mentality that you have to win and focus more on doing well. BJJ competitions are sincerely a good example of 'just do your best.' You should at least know by now that doing your best in BJJ is sometimes good enough, and sometimes not; but the point of competing is getting out there and having fun with that! Show what you know! Get lose! Submit people. Get submitted :( ? Win by points. Lose by points. Shit.will.happen--as that's what it does--but that's the point. Get out there and put yourself to the test. But if after all this talking you still need a better reason, go be a warrior. Summon your inner Viking, samurai, ninja, or Buchecha and get out there a be a mat savage. Just don't forget to TWEET US and let me know how you did. 

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Identifying a Good School

So you've been considering getting into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and want to know what to look for in a good gym to make sure you're getting the right education--what?, you weren't considering that? Hmm... 

Don't fret, that's a common misstep. The world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is spreading faster than it ever has before. A lot of that has to do with the increasing popularity of MMA; and the online presence of the sport makes it easy to dip your toes in before really committing to the sport. That puts us in such a cool position to explore and really understand what you're getting into before it's too late. These days we're just a Google search away from exploring (anything). With that in mind, when you're considering a gym--either as someone new, or as someone changing schools--there are some things to keep in mind.

Prof. Pedro Sauer with my instructors at Steel City Martial Arts

Lineage:

In the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a lot of weight is placed on your, and your school's, lineage--in short: who gave who their black belt. Why does that matter? Well, do you remember the "Telephone Game" we all played as children, and how the original message wasn't the same at the end? Unfortunately, BJJ is like that. That's not to say that adding your own flair--or passing it on through instruction--is a bad thing; because it's not. But what you want to avoid is someone teaching you some muddy form of BJJ and charging top dollar for it.  Speaking on that subject, Relson Gracie once said that "water is purest closest to the spring," and I tend to believe that.  When you're considering a school, take a look at your head instructor's lineage. If you're lucky enough to be training under a real-live Gracie, your homework is pretty easy. But if not, ask. A good instructor shouldn't find that question offensive and it will open up the lines of communication between the two of you. 

Belt Rank:

There was a time when if you lived outside of Brazil and a Blue Belt came to your school it was a big deal (that time is referred to as "the 1990's"). At that time, a Purple Belt was nearly unheard of, so just learning any BJJ was better than nothing. To a point that's still true. But that point, for me, is how much are you paying versus what are you learning. Your head instructor should be a higher rank; and in my opinion, at least a Purple Belt. As always: if your options are restricted, then you can't whine too much. But if your options are open, you should be looking to obtain the best/highest level of education available to you. 

ProTip: Both of those bits of information could be found on a schools website, with maybe more specific details found under the instructor's bio. 

Class Schedule:

Pretty self explanatory here. What's the point in signing up for a school when you can never make the classes? Believe it or not, I've talked to people who did all the right homework on a school and signed the agreement only to find out they can only make 1 class a week due to work/personal schedules. So be careful! Great schools will have a lot of options and a lot of classes. No 'real' BJJ school only has 1 or 2 days of BJJ classes. If that's the case, then you're most likely dealing with a school that is concentrating on something else. 

Sensei Sonny Achille of Steel City Martial Arts

Atmosphere:

Before you sign any papers, give the school a visit and talk to some people. Talking with the head instructor, as well as the other instructors, is a great place to start; but also reach out to current students. Get a vibe for the personalities of that place. Remember: Water seeks its own level. People tend to congregate with similar people. See if the people in your gym are your kind of people. There's no right or wrong answer here, but there is a right and wrong vibe for you personally. For the most part, BJJ folk are all fun, nice, polite, and friendly people. But the gym may be more intense than you anticipated from the way the nice guy sounded over the phone. e.g. A close friend of mine told me  about a time he dropped in to a very well known BJJ school in SoCal; and how the training was turbo-intense. He was cool with that, but very surprised by how intense it got. Which might be a turnoff for some, but maybe perfect for others. So talk to the people there training and get a vibe for the atmosphere.

Competition:

I know, you're probably wondering what that has to do with anything because you don't want to compete and have no intentions of it. Well, first of all you don't have to compete to join a school--I hope--but if you're at a school that produces consistent competition winners then I feel confident in saying that the instruction there is probably pretty good. I think as a potential customer and student that you need to know what sort of education you're buying into and looking at how the school does in competition is a good glimpse. 

Reputation:

Remember when I mentioned Google searching? Check out the school's online reviews. Unlike a lot of other businesses, BJJ schools' online reviews are usually pretty fair. In other lines of business, people like to take the the web and use it as a place to complain about their bad customer service experience. Whereas with BJJ you'll see a fair mix of current students being proud and traveling BJJ practitioners leaving reviews for other travelers. I don't think anyone is safe from the upset student/parent that's mad about something leaving a nastygram review, so keep the number of reviews in mind--maybe even read them :)

With all that said, I think if you give at least those checkpoints some consideration when it comes time to pick a school you should be in good shape. If not, you tried. Remember: if it seems fishy, or slimy, then it probably is. There's a lot of people in the world looking to take advantage of people for money and our community isn't an exception. But with a little bit of homework and asking the right questions you can be comfortable with your choice.

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BJJ Promotions, and Lack Thereof

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu isn't unlike a lot of ventures in the aspect that no one sets out to do it to be average. Sure, the path to greatness is a tough road to hoe--and you're most likely years behind in rank and experience to the competitors your age. But that doesn't mean that your Jiu Jitsu Journey is irrelevant, or that you shouldn't pursue your aspirations to be great. When you're first starting out it feels like you're not improving, not learning, and just overall not getting better. It's hard to gauge yourself that way, but there are some tips and tricks that are out there to help. The most obvious way to tell how good you are--or how good anyone is--is their belt rank. 

As you know by now: everyone starts off as a White Belt. As illustrated above, you'll note the belt order (which is always correct), and the estimated time frames at that belt (which isn't always correct). Traditionally, the recipe stripes based on time served on the mats with a dash of noticeable improvement and, maybe, some extra effort awards for doing things for your school/BJJ community---such as higher ranks volunteering to referee tournaments, fill in to teach classes, etc. But regardless of all of that, your promotion is at the discretion of your instructor.  

That doesn't mean you can't do something about it, though. As a matter of fact, you should be doing something to encourage your promotion(s). By that I mean doing something more than just showing up to class. While I do understand that not everyone can be as committed to BJJ as the next guy, that shouldn't be an excuse to not try to improve and push yourself. You may want to consider training/drilling with higher ranked partners so that you're forcing yourself to train at a higher level. (ProTip: Clear it with that person before class & ask for help. It's impolite for a lower rank to impose those kinds of situations on a higher rank.) Another fun way to put yourself out there is to compete in tournaments. Generally speaking, your instructor would love to see you take the risk and demonstrate what you know all for the sake of the art that they (and you) love--and they're fun! 

My instructor Sonny Achille and me after my White to Blue promotion

As much as it sucks, you can even be doing all of that and still not be getting the promotion that you feel you deserve and that you're owed. Hang around long enough and you'll see it in your gym. There are guys out there who preform way beyond their rank and yet are stuck in this rut of not getting promoted. Let's be clear, there is no simple explanation for that. But I do think that it's obvious that there's a disconnect between you and the powers that be that can award you that next strip of medical tape for your stripe, or new belt. Under no circumstances should you directly ask your instructor for your promotion. *Read that last sentence out loud 5 times.* But there are ways to finding out what it is that you may need to do, or what they're looking for out of you to get you to that next level. Some helpful tips can be:

-Asking another instructor at your school, not the head, what you can do to get better

-Start attending more classes [Many schools have classes by difficulty level, turn up the heat]

-Pushing a little harder during class. Meaning no slacking on warm-ups, drills, and yes, going a little harder during rolls. 

-Compete in local, and maybe not-so-local, tournaments. Finishing high proves things to everyone. Even if you feel you're better than that rank, show 'em, prove it, seek & destroy. 

Just remember to always love and enjoy BJJ. Promotions are a big part of the game, but trying to figure out why you're not getting promoted can leave you like Clark Griswold when he get's the "Jelly of the Month Club" instead of his annual bonus (see above). So before that happens, look to yourself first--where are you slacking? Look to improve on it. Remember that your head instructor sees more of you than you do, so there's something they may want out of you before you get that next stripe or belt. Even if you disagree with their line of thinking, they've done this before, trust the process. There are ways to go about drawing the right kind  of attention to yourself when talking about promotions and the wrong kind. Like in all things, going about it the right way is the name of the game, but like BJJ, you need to find the right sweep, escape, transition, speed, pressure, pass, and/or technique to get what you need. 

"Once you understand the way broadly, you see it in all things."

-Miyamoto Musashi

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Drill it to Kill it

Drilling in BJJ is not the most overlooked aspect of training, but it is definitely the most ignored. Drilling technique is--without a doubt--one of the most laborious  things we can do in training; and thus it's not always the most fun. We're all friends here so let's just all admit it and say it out loud with me: Drilling is boring. But what makes it boring is that you feel like you already know what you're doing. How many times have you seen your instructor show a basic armbar (or whatever) and sprinkle in a little detail that makes you raise your eyebrows at the magic that you were just enlightened to? And if that hasn't happened to you yet, it will. It happens to me frequently. But the reason why it's happening is that you don't know the technique as well as you think you do.

Have you ever watched some high-level competition (ADCC is coming up soon, so get excited for that) and seen a basic technique work? I used to wonder how a Black Belt can get away with it against another Black Belt at the highest level until I learned that some of the tiniest details to something can make all the difference in pulling off a technique or not. Sure, those guys are talented and have a wealth of knowledge, but they didn't get that way by just having a good memory and natural ability. Ask anyone how to get better and they'll say "practice," ask your instructor and he'll say "drill." We all have at least one guy/gal in all of our gyms who LOVES to drill and never really rolls when the time comes; he just loves to drill. And we all say the same thing about that guy and how they're SO GOOD. I think you know where I'm going with that.

The argument against drilling is that sparring can replace it. Let's clear that up right now to you White Belts--it can't. Sparring has a ton of great, and really important values for all of us at all levels; but you're never going to be able to hit those moves/techniques in a spar if you're just trying to recreate movements. Don't be a slacker. You love BJJ like the rest of us and you should want to get better by doing things right instead of just being on the mat and halfassing it. Bring able to hit a technique when you're rolling requires timing, fluidity, problem solving, and craftiness. If you think you're just going to develop that on your own without putting in the time to drill it, I think you might be surprised. 

Once you've dedicated yourself to drilling, though, you're going to need a training partner. (Remember 'that guy' we were talking about?) So in your training sessions, maybe drop some hints around to your favorite BJJ bros and sistas that you're looking to become an absolute killer nightmare beast on the mats but need someone to drill stuff with. It's a healthy way for both of you to get better, break down techniques, and really dissect your body's movement to determine what works best for you. 

Repetition is necessary. Figure out what you want to get good/better at and drill it. Don't know where to start with that? Jump back to our archives where we took a look at getting a GAME PLAN for class to learn what it is you want to try to improve in. Or if you want to bring in a notebook for of moves/techniques (if you're not keeping a notebook by now, drop and give me 20 hip escapes) bring the one we showed you how to make so that you can have everything you learned in class at your fingertips. 

Sure, BJJ can be grueling. But you also know how rewarding it can be as well. There are going to be days when you just can't go, or in this case, you just can't drill, but you're going to have to. Welcome to "the Grind." Keep pushing yourself to be better. Keep expanding your knowledge past the areas is was confined in just yesterday. Take advantage of your open mat time and drill! Rolling is great; it's fun, it's the best way to implement what you know. But you can't implement what you don't know and you'll never really know anything if you're not drilling. SO... Drill it to Kill it!

And a special THANK YOU to this week's sponsors.

  

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Being a Good Training Partner

Getting into BJJ started out for you in one of two ways: either your friend convinced you to go, or you went in by yourself. But soon enough you found yourself expanding past that introduction stage and branching out to meeting new people, making new friends, and developing new bonds through the training process with your training partners. It' difficult to put into words how great that bond is; and can become. I think a lot of us out there on the mats will agree that our training partners mean more to us than a large majority of the rest of the people in our lives (results may vary). But that's why it's important to be a GOOD TRAINING PARTNER. 

I've been kicking the idea for this blog post around now for a while, but when my close friend (and good training partner/instructor) Marshal Carper , said something about it in one of his classes last week, I knew that was a universal omen speaking to me to do it. What Marshal said was something that we all need to keep in mind, but we'll get to that later.

Being a good training partner is more than just being friendly with the person you're working with for the night, or class. A lot goes into it. Believe it or not, but you might not be the best person to train with--and that might not be your fault. But by the end of this post you should have at least a better idea of what to do and how to improve so that you can be a good training partner.

Unspoken Rule of BJJ #89: If you weigh over 200 pounds, you're with the big guys.

Yes, it's true. If you even flirt with 200 after a heavy meal, you're most likely to be with the big boys. In the picture above--taken last year at NAGA--you can see me (left) with my usual training partner, Luca. We're both about the same size. I compete somewhere around 190, but walk around over 200. We're a good match for training partners because we're about the same size. Usually, us bigger guys have no idea how much stronger we are, or how much heavier we are with our smaller training partners. So, at least until you're rocking a blue belt, try to keep your training partners roughly the same physical size as you. Ideally you'd like same size & rank, but that's the ideal situation. 

What happens with NOT same size training partners

STOP Spazzing: 

We all did it. So don't feel like the worst person in the world if you're doing it. What is spazzing? Simply, it's using no technique to fight and going off of sheer brute strength of ripping, pulling, squeezing, etc to escape. 'Well, Jesse, wouldn't you be fighting a spaz on the streets anyway?' someone may say, and yes, I would. But let's keep in mind the 'training environment' we're in and not try to kill each other. Very rarely will higher ranks ever physically hurt each other because they know what is dangerous, what's not, and most of all they don't turn into the Hulk when in bottom mount. If you're still not clear on technique, slow down and ask your training partner to help you with the position. You're there to learn anyway, so be humble and admit when you're jammed up. You might just make a new friend and earn a new training partner.

Be Clean, Be Polite:

Don't wear unwashed gis, rash guards, board shorts, or anything. Always-always-always come to class in clean gear. Beyond common manners, it's a safety issue--unclean stuff means germs, it's science, don't argue science. But don't forget to be polite. Some places are big on bowing to your opponent (especially a higher rank) and addressing instructors by title instead of their first name. If your school is not one of those, it won't kill you to do it. In all occasions though, shake hands, say "thank you," ask permission if you want to try to do something.

Conversely, if someone asks your permission to drill something, that doesn't mean your mission is to stop them from doing it. They're basically asking if you'd be their grappling dummy. But that leads us to my next point...

Don't Be a Pushover:

All jiu jitsu moves/techniques are predicated on our anticipation of our opponent's resistance and presumed movement. If you're drilling sweeps and your partner just slumps over the moment you apply some pressure on their body, then the movement is useless and the technique you're trying to drill is cancelled out. Give some resistance--don't spaz--and just allow the move to happen. Maybe, as you develop a better relationship with that partner, you'll be more comfortable with each other where you'll be able to add some resistance to increase difficulty.

Pay Attention to the Instructor:

When the demonstration is going on, pay attention. Learn what the offensive person is doing and what the defensive person is doing. In about 3 minutes, you're going to be one or the other and you're going to need to know what to do so that you don't slow down your partner's training time. Be ready. And in that preparation you're going to learn not only what to do for the drill, but also what to do when that situation comes up on the mats in rolling, competition, or otherwise. 

Be Friendly:

Nobody likes a jerk. Say what you want about antiheroes and whatever, but there's no room for it in Jiu Jitsu. Don't come into the gym with an attitude where you don't want to make friends and just want to kimura everyone's arms off. No one will want to train with you. 

Remember at the beginning of the post how I mentioned something that Marshal said during class about being a good training partner? I don't remember the exact quote, but it went something like this: 'if there's someone out here that makes you go: 'no, not that guy. I don't want to train with him.' Then that's not on him, that's you. The problem is you.' And I think what he meant there was that we need to check our attitudes at the door, but also that if we're of the mindset that we're good training partners, but refuse to train with someone for some reasons, then we're not. We need to take the initiative to help that person to become better rather than sitting there being negative. So even if you think you're a good training partner, you might be surprised.

Special Thank you to our sponsors this week:

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Managing Mat Time

So you and BJJ are 'a thing' now and it's getting pretty serious; GOOD! It's so much fun now that you're catching on, (hopefully) recognizing danger (and avoiding), and starting to feel like a real Jiu Jitsu player. But how do you know if you're training too much--or too little? In this WBS we're going to take a look at that and send out out of here with a better idea on getting your training in the right spot.

By now you've surely signed up for some sort of monthly agreement with your school that allows you so many classes/visits for a certain payment amount--which might seem weird if you're used to classical gyms (the ones with all the weights and machines and stuff) where you can come and go as you please for one rate--but it's normal in our world. I'm sure some smaller Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gyms might run a similar operation to the classical gym styles, but generally speaking: Most schools offer a tier-based payment option where the more you pay per month the more classes you can attend. Often that tier will end in a capped "Unlimited" tier which is awesome if you can swing it. Prices and participation may vary, see store for details. But, it's pretty simple to let your wallet do the first bit of talking. Look, the truth is this: Jiu Jitsu sometimes really isn't for everyone. Stick around long enough and you'll see people drop out for 10,000 different reasons. Before you go all gung-ho and sign up for that full year of Unlimited mat time, maybe try the smaller tiers first. See how much you really love BJJ and then I'm sure you can upgrade your plan a little later on down the road.

Another major factor to that might be how often your school is open; and/or running a BJJ class. If your school is one of those smaller ones, and you're handcuffed that way, then your training days have pretty much been already picked for you. But if you go to a school where BJJ is a 7-day-a-week option, where do you go from there? 

Unless unless your intentions are to make BJJ your life, please be sure to make classes fit into your personal & professional life. If you're a young guy or gal and have dreams and aspirations of IBJJF Worlds glory, and plan on training everyday till you qualify for ADCC, then try to maintain the balance. It's difficult, and at times you'll need to compromise, but don't forget you're human. 

I really love that shirt

If you're just starting out: 

Training 1 Day a week is better then no days a week. But, needless to say, that one day a week is going to make it difficult to advance, progress, and get everything out of BJJ that it can give you. You're going to miss improving your mat time endurance, and really the over all application of the techniques you've been learning. But, hey, better than nothing.

2-3 Days a week is your usual pace for most people, myself included. I was luck enough to go to a school that offered a couple of different beginner skill level classes throughout the week. I was able to attend a Monday night, Wednesday night, and Friday open mat for a long stretch. Doing that helped me understand the basics, develop a solid base of technique, and still allow me the time to do homework on BJJ on my own time and explore what I learned that week. Later I developed that into include an advanced level class, too. Now I'm still hanging out in a couple basics class a week--which is tremendously helpful to pick up those tiny details when you know what you're doing--while pushing the progress by kicking it up with the advanced class(es). 

3+ Days a week sends the message that BJJ takes up the majority of your week. AKA: Where we all aspire to be one day. Your game will improve much faster in this bubble. Eg. there's a kid at my school who (more or less) did three years worth of training in his first year as a White Belt and quickly became a killer in the gym. Why? Simple BJJ Math. By being in class more you'll obviously learn more techniques than you would if you weren't there. Additionally, you'll get to see a wider variety of training partners and apply your game. Think of it like never letting a blade get dull. 

Speaking of "blades," shoutout to Verbal Tap Podcast and #WWEBJJ with my Razor's Edge

Having said all of that, one of the best resources you have for knowing when to train is simply listening to your body. Over-training is a real thing and it happens to everyone. Remember my analogy of keeping your blade from getting dull? Well, you can sharpen a blade so much that it becomes too thin; and brittle. So be careful not to ruin yourself by training too much. In my opinion, sometimes you need to over-train, though. In some circumstances it's good to push yourself to the limits and find out what your breaking point is. You learn so much about yourself in BJJ that you should know your limits. Also, sometimes it's good to keep pushing and walk off the mat with the reward that you pushed through the rough spot. Key phrase there is "walk off the mat."Mitigate yourself; don't be an idiot.

If you're injured, or just plain tired, get the rest your body is telling you to get. You're building your body into something wonderful, why ruin it with permanently balling up your wrist to prove a point to yourself (or anyone else). If you're one of those people that insist on "No Rest Days," then make go for a jog--assuming you're not suffering from a kneebar mishap--or do some sit-ups. Let your body heal, even if that just means re-cooping. 

In the end, you'll only know what's best for you by trying everything. For some people, maybe 4 days a week is just too much for their body to handle. Maybe you won't be able to recover in enough time for the next class and you can't be in a constant state of 'beat up.' But maybe you can. You're responsible for yourself but some truths will never go away in BJJ. 

-More time on the mat means the better you will get

-You get better by being in class

-Rolling more helps you get better

-You can only improve your game by applying your knowledge in actual combat

...if you see a theme here, that's good, That means you're not an idiot. And now I can assume you'll know what to do with yourself and not over-train. 

This post's sponsor:

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