In the culture of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it is encouraged for the athletes to train more and more. Athletes are training Jiu-Jitsu every evening, lifting weights every morning or vice versa, and doing two sessions a day at least five to six days a week.

If you are training this way, yet feeling like you are not necessarily progressing because you:

• Have no explosive power
• Your timing is off
• You are always feeling tired.
• Have difficulty retaining the information taught

Then most likely, you are overtraining.

Do You Overtrain?

Many chronically overtrained athletes come my way feeling like this, and to top it all off, they are frustrated because they can’t lose weight even with all the training.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a complex sport that is very taxing on the nervous system.

It involves the constant activation of multiple muscle groups with both significant movements and small, subtle movements.

The rolling around at the gym can be up to eight minutes long, and black belt matches are ten minutes long, so muscular endurance and cardio fitness are necessary to be explosive within that timeframe. Hence, BJJ requires all energy systems to be firing at one stage or another.

Relax and Repair the Central Nervous System

There are methods for increased recovery, such as ice baths, meditation, and good nutrition.

Deep sleep is one of the best ways to deal with overtraining because it allows the central nervous system to relax and begin the repairing process. Many people don’t understand that the nervous system takes much longer to recover than other systems, such as the muscular.

Due to the nervous system affecting slow muscle firing, which then may influence:

1. Reaction time
2. Speed
3. Grip strength
4. Explosive power

Ironically, once our nervous system is fried, it’s hard to sleep, yet it’s what our body needs the most when we continually train to recover.

Even though ice baths, meditation, and good nutrition will help mitigate some adverse effects of chronic overtraining, it will eventually catch up if we do two intense sessions a day.

Structure and Periodization

Bazilian, Jiu-Jitsu training needs to be periodized and structured for long-term success.

• If you want to train on the mat daily, there need to be days selected for hard rounds and other days for more flowing rounds, focusing on the sport’s more technical aspect.
• Strength training should only be performed about twice a week and should be done on the days you are doing flow rolls.
• Make the strength sessions count and perform them with intensity. Then, give your body time to recover.
• Don’t go to the gym and go through the motions just because you think you should—which so many of us do.
• Push yourself to make those gains and make each session count.

Perform with purpose.

Choose Exercises That Mimic Movement Patterns

In the bodybuilding culture (why gyms came about in the first place), lifting started with the purpose of building big muscles.

This way of lifting is not necessarily conducive to performance athletes who need to work the compound movements of multiple muscle groups at one time for coordination or core strength for balance, power, speed, and muscular endurance.

Getting creative is the key, so try and mimic the movement patterns of BJJ as closely as possible. Think outside the box.

Here are some great exercises to perform back to back that will benefit any performance athlete.

Performing the workout in a circuit-based format with little rest is ideal while building muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness.

Aim to do significant full-body movements that activate the core to build overall full-body strength, then spend the remainder of the day resting if you can or doing technique and flow rolls. Limit these effective and intense strength sessions to only about two days per week.

Once a week, allow a full day of rest to allow your muscular system and your nervous system, and joints to recover and recharge.

Start the following week strong and repeat. By adding rest, it reduces your stress levels which will help to keep you lean.

Athletes who chronically overtrain are highly stressed, and as a result, they are holding onto body fat and water.

Train intensely with less overall volume, rest to recover and de-stress, and you will be leaner in the long run.

In It for the Long Haul

For most of us to embark on this beautiful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey, we want to be in it for the long-haul. You want to keep progressing and keep your body healthy and strong by training smarter and not necessarily harder.

To sum it up, aim for three hard BJJ sessions a week, two intense strength sessions a week, and one full rest day a week.

This schedule will give you the recovery you need to keep working towards your goals without fatigue or burnout. It will also keep you progressing and on track to a black belt.

The post Avoid Burnout On The Way To Your BJJ Black Belt appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The most popular solo drill in BJJ would probably be shrimping, which is a lateral pivoting movement you do on your side in order to create distance between yourself and your opponent. Aside from that, there are a variety of rolls, turns, flips, and other semi-acrobatic maneuvers. But one thing I notice is that a lot of these solo drills involve being either on your side, or with your back on the ground.

Crawling Through Guards

When I first got into MovNat, I noticed that there was some emphasis put on crawling movements. We went through a bunch of variations for different purposes, and as I got more into this general culture of movement, I was exposed to more and more crawling patterns, covering pretty much every possible way I could imagine a human being could crawl. Bent arms, straight arms, different widths, sideways, backwards; a million and one ways to crawl! Soon, I started to connect the dots between the things these crawls had in common with guard passing in Brazilian Jiu jitsu.

In Brazilian Jiu jitsu, guard passing is where both people are on the ground, one facing up, one down, and the person on top is attempting to navigate past the legs of the person on their back. The idea is that the legs can be used to tangle up, kick, or manipulate the person on top, so naturally the person on top wants to navigate past all this trouble and end up in a pinning position where they can control the person on bottom. It’s a hugely important part of Brazilian jiu jitsu, and one which is strangely ignored in solo drills. This is where the crawling practices in MovNat start creeping in.

On a simple level, crawling is simply traveling from one point to another on some part of your arms and legs: hands and feet, hands and knees, elbows and knees, and all other combinations. The first thing you notice when you begin to crawl is that you have to establish a strong point of contact with the ground you will be moving onto. When you shift your weight onto that point of contact (let’s say it’s your palm, to keep it simple), it becomes a point of support for your body.

This mirrors the concept in BJJ of getting a grip on your partner’s legs or hips, and shifting your weight onto that grip or point of contact to create a connection with your partner. You then use that point of contact to support your weight as you either navigate your body around your partner, or manipulate your opponent’s legs to move them out of your path so you can get on top of them. You are essentially crawling or climbing over your opponent.

The simple act of getting used to trusting your weight to your hands is hard for a lot of people in BJJ, because you are putting those hands on a moving opponent who is trying to flip you over or strangle you. For some of my students, I will introduce basic crawling practices just to get them used to the feeling of shifting their weight to their hands in a simplified and safe format, without a partner. Then I’ll have them go back to working with a partner in increasingly complex ways, through drilling and progressive sparring practices.

Control Your Center of Gravity

MovNat and BJJ also share the concept of your base of support (BOS). This is the shape created by your points of contact with the ground and your center of gravity (COG). For example, if you are in a plank position on all fours, your COG would rest inside the rectangle made by your hands and feet on the ground. As you shift your weight forward and begin to crawl, your COG starts to shift, and your base of support changes shape, as each hand and a foot comes off the ground and is placed somewhere else.

In BJJ, this is a crucial concept because any time your COG comes close to the edge or goes outside of your BOS, you can easily get flipped onto your back, or simply fall over and lose your balance. So the challenge is to maintain your COG inside of your BOS, while on top of a live person.

The crawling practices again offer a lot of insight into this aspect of guard passing. Not only do you get used to shifting your weight around between your limbs, but you get to experiment with exactly what it feels like to be close to the edge of your base. You can play with different hip and body angles, different palm and foot positions, and see how they affect your balance and stability. It’s a great place to tinker with all of these elements!

This Is Not a Shortcut

Crawling is not a super movement which will skyrocket your jiu jitsu to unseen heights. Doing more jiu jitsu is more likely to do that. It’s not a substitute for training, either. But it is useful for exploring base, body control, and stability in dynamic movement, and as a supplement for times when training with a partner is not possible.

My suggestion is that you use crawling as a tool to practice, play with, and test your sense of balance and base. You can also use it as a training tool to develop certain physical attributes which have some transfer over to other things. Experiment with the concepts of base, points of contact, and center of gravity while doing other things like rock climbing, lifting and carrying, grappling arts, and other challenges you find in real life.

Go for a roll on the mat:

Roughhousing Is Good For You

The post Where Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Meets Natural Movement appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The Importance of Team Chemistry

In Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ), you compete as an individual, but train as a team. Building a team starts with getting to know your students and understanding their motives.

In team sports, coaches strive to build chemistry – a term used to describe the bond or interaction each individual has on the team. A team with good chemistry is often able to beat other teams that look better on paper. In BJJ, the chemistry of a team is built by creating a training environment where students work together regardless of their reasons for training. Nothing destroys a training environment more than individuals who think they are more important than their teammates.

Below is a list of the most common reasons people start training. Do you see anyone you recognize? Understanding what drives a teammate to train is the first step to motivating him or her and fostering a fantastic group dynamic.

Face 1: The Competitor

Competitors are drawn to BJJ because they want to compete. Maybe they were former athletes who want to keep the competitive nature alive. Other competitors may have started BJJ with no experience in other sports. Maybe they saw BJJ online or in the UFC, or have a friend who is training. More often than not, they are starting at an age that will allow them to keep up with the physical demands of training.

With both of these groups, the desire for competition is the common link. Competitors are the ones who push themselves and spend a lot of time outside of class drilling and conditioning. Having competitors in a gym is great because they bring exposure and apply new techniques from competition. Those new techniques can be used to expand the games of everyone else in the gym. But no one becomes a world champion without excellent training partners.

Team Building Tip

Competitors train with a high level of intensity all the time. The competitors in the gym can easily intimidate a student who is not a competitor. The role of the non-competitor is just as important as the competitor for team building. Non-competitors need to understand their role in helping competitors improve. Most competitors understand not everyone competes and are not out to prove a point. Push them and the whole team gets better.

If you are a competitor, it’s your responsibility to bring the level up for everyone on the mat. Push those around you to become better. This creates a nice team environment where everyone is trying to improve.

Face 2: The Student Who Wants to Sweat

Some students train just for the workout. Many of them tried other forms of exercise before, but they either got bored or stopped seeing results. These students want to come to class and burn off some calories in a fun way. BJJ does a great job in achieving that goal while also creating a sense of community.

Training in a group can help these types of students stick with the sport. The student knows if they don’t show up, other members are going to notice. I’ve seen students who start because of the support and end up competing in BJJ.

Team Building Tip

Every student on the team is important. Take time to reach out to a teammate who seems to be struggling to make it to class. Your teammates may be dealing with life issues that are getting in the way of training. Let them know you are there to support them if they need it. Sometimes that is all it takes.

Face 3: The Mental Chess Player

BJJ has been called “human chess” for a reason. It is just as challenging mentally as it is physically. Some students are looking for mental stimulation. BJJ is so complex that even the smartest students will find it challenging.

Take the armbar for example. A short, stocky person’s armbar is going to be slightly different than a taller person’s technique. The variations are limitless. The student looking for the mental challenge needs to think of each technique as a puzzle to get the most of his or her experience.

Team Building Tip

Use the creativity and intelligence of your teammates to solve any issues you may be experiencing in your game. Maybe they have a different way of doing an armbar or figured out a defense to the triangle that has been working for them. Share that information with others and the team will be stronger.

Face 4: The Self-Defense Student

The self-defense aspect of BJJ is a big motivating factor. Maybe a person had an incident that required use of self-defense, or perhaps he or she wants to build confidence. Either way, many students look at BJJ as a form of self-defense. Not all academies offer training in self-defense techniques, but that doesn’t mean BJJ is not a good form of self defense. For example, the mount is great for control. On the flip side, learning to escape the mount is an important piece in any self-defense program.

Learning how to control and escape positions is also beneficial to these students. BJJ is one of the few martial arts you can train full speed. I can’t think of a better way to practice your technique than in a position where someone is trying to resist.

Team Building Tip

Training in specific self-defense scenarios develops the team. Often you will hear other students motivating and pushing each other during this type of drilling. Controlling good positions and escaping bad ones is an overlooked aspect of BJJ. A new student who is forced to play on the bottom of side control will quickly learn strength is not the answer. You can take your best competitors, tire them out, and ask a new student to hold them in side control, and the new student will cause some problems. The new student learns how to control, and the more advanced student learns how to escape. Both people benefit, as does the team.

Conclusion

BJJ is a diverse sport. Taking the time to understand why your students and teammates are there is a key factor in building team chemistry that allows each individual to achieve what is seemingly impossible. Building a team isn’t just about the competitors. It’s about each individual who contributes to the overall goal of the academy. No matter where you train, the goal of a good BJJ academy is the same – to teach its students. That is not possible without a strong team.

More Like This:

• The Journey to a BJJ Black Belt: Look Back to Move Forward
• What Color Is Your Dojo?
• How to Choose the Right BJJ Coach for You
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photos courtesy of Dan Halpin.

The post Be a Team Player: Understand Your BJJ Teammates appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Maintaining Balance

Teaching BJJ has given me the opportunity to observe students of different skill levels and athletic abilities learn the same skill. What I have noticed is how many students struggle to maintain balance when going from the ground to standing. Few sports require this of an athlete, and it is also not common in most training programs.

Opening the guard requires the maintenance of posture while changing body positions and overcoming the resistance of the opponent. In other words, the person in the top position of closed guard has to change positions and open the legs of the opponent while not getting swept or submitted. But for many, changing positions from the ground to standing is difficult enough on its own without all those other complications. I have seen many students struggle to maintain balance when trying to stand up in the guard when resistance is only minimal.

“If you are doing any additional strength and conditioning work, these exercises can be added into that program.”

This observation led me to find and create exercises specifically for this issue. Some may argue the importance of strength in BJJ, but if an athlete does not have the strength to go from the ground to standing on his or her own, then he or she is going to struggle when faced with an opponent.

Guard Strengthening Exercises

The exercises shown below are not designed to replace BJJ training. They should be used as a supplement. Exercises can be done before or after training or as a stand-alone workout. If you are doing any additional strength and conditioning work, these exercises can be added into that program. Each exercise places a slightly different angle of resistance on the body. Pick one or two of them and complete for reps or time.

For example:

• 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps or perform each exercise for :30 and rest for :30 between each
• Repeat 3 or 4 times

There is no right or wrong way to do these – just pick one that works for you.

Here are my go-to exercises to improve your strength and stability while opening the guard:

Exercise 1: Stand Up With Resistance Hanging From Belt

1. Tie a kettlebell or loop a plate to the front of your belt.
2. Start on your knees in good posture, as if you were in the closed guard.
3. Step up with one leg making a ninety-degree angle with your hip and knee.
4. Stand all the way up while maintaining an upright torso.
5. Reverse the position by placing one knee on the ground, then the other.
6. Repeat for desired number of reps or time.

Exercise 2: Guard Stand Up With Resistance Band

1. Attach a rubber band to a wall/pole and slide other end around your chest near the armpit.
2. Face the band and walk back until the desired amount of tension is created.
3. Maintain tightness throughout the trunk as you move.
4. Lower one knee to the ground forming a ninety-degree angle at the hip and knee of the opposite leg.
5. Lower the other knee to the ground.
6. Reverse directions to the standing position by stepping one leg up then driving through with the opposite side.

Exercise 3: Kettlebell Rack Position Stand Up

1. Start on both knees holding one or two kettlebells (one kettle ell in goblet position or two in front rack).
2. Step up with one leg forming a ninety-degree hip and knee angle.
3. Maintain a tight torso stand up.
4. Walk a few steps forward and backwars.
5. Lower one leg then the other.
6. Repeat for desired reps or time.

The Benefit of Guard-Opening Specific Exercises

Learning how to open the guard is difficult. It becomes even more difficult when you lack the strength and balance to execute the foundational movement on its own. It does not matter if you are new to BJJ or looking to improve your strength. Adding some guard-opening specific exercises to your training program will benefit you.

Check out these related articles:

• How to Train Strength for Closed Guard, Open Guard, and Passing the Guard
• A Work in Progress – Options From Top Half Guard
• How Bad Posture Can Ruin Your BJJ Game and 3 Drills to Fix It
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 courtesy of Breaking Muscle.

The post Strength for BJJ: 3 Guard-Opening Exercises appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

First up is our very first episode, where Chet Morjaria and I chatted with BJJ black belt Val Worthington. You can listen to the podcast here, read the text below, or even do both if you’re into the karaoke-style thing.

Becca: Hello, everyone and welcome to the inaugural episode of Breaking Muscle Radio. I am your host, Becca Borawski Jenkins and our co-host is here with us as well. Say hello and introduce yourself, Chet.

Chet: Hey, it’s Chet Morjaria here.

Becca: Alright, so for our very first episode we thought it would make sense to talk with one of our very first writers, Valerie Worthington. So, for those of you who don’t know Valerie, here’s the deal: Val is the only BJJ black belt I know who also has a PhD. So, needless to say, a black belt and a degree in educational psychology make for a unique perspective. If you’ve read any of Val’s articles on our site, of which there are quite a number, then you’ve seen how she applies her learning theory to BJJ, life, self-realization, and things like pork roll and karaoke. So, without further delay, let’s say hello to Valerie.

BJJ black belt Valerie Worthington

Valerie: Well, hello. Thanks for having me.

Chet: Hey Val.

Becca: It’s very good to have you here today, Val.

Valerie: It’s great to be here. Thanks again so much for the invitation.

Becca: So, let’s just start kind of with the central theme to everything you’ve got going on in your life which is Brazilian jiu jitsu. So, can you tell us when you first got into jiu jitsu and why it was the thing that stuck for you versus other sports you’ve done.

Valerie: I can certainly give it a try. The second question is the one that I will probably spend the rest of my life answering. I got involved in Brazilian jiu jitsu in the late 80’s when I was in graduate school. I had become fairly sedentary because I wasn’t very good at being in graduate school, so I let it take up most of my time and once I got a handle on that, I realized that it was important for me to strike a balance between a life of the mind and being a little bit more physical. I’d always done sports and things in high school and college and so I started out with running and I ran a couple of marathons. I liked having something to work toward. I liked having a goal to work toward but I tired of running pretty quickly and then I decided that a martial art would probably keep my interest for a longer time because there was more to learn.

 “Jiu jitsu was almost subversive in that it showed me how happy it was possible for me to be and then it also highlighted how unhappy I was in other aspects of my life.” 

People spend their lives trying to understand and pursue a martial art so I went with muay Thai and liked kicking and punching things but the really bad joke that I make is that I didn’t really like so much getting kicked and punched. (Becca and Chet laughing) Yeah. So, the place that I did muay Thai also had Brazilian jiu jitsu and those of you in the know will know that some of the drills and the warm-up exercises can look pretty crazy and so when I saw the crazy things those people were doing I thought, “I have to give that a try.” So, I did Brazilian jiu jitsu and quickly left muay Thai in the dust and I think the reason or one of the main reasons that jiu jitsu has been such a persistent part of my life is because there is always something new to learn. And another reason is that it’s unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. So, there’s always more I need to ask of myself and the context is completely different from anything that I’ve ever experienced prior to that. Although now, of course, jiu jitsu academy is pretty familiar to me. So, I think it’s just endlessly fascinating both in terms what you can learn technically but also in terms of what, if you’re willing, you can learn about yourself.

Becca: Yeah, I think it’s interesting that you found jiu jitsu because you were looking for a balance between the life of the mind and the physical body and yet that’s also a struggle within jiu jitsu itself too, no?

Valerie: This is true and as soon as I said that I realized that jiu jitsu for me, and for a lot of people, is very brain taxing as well. It can hurt your brain as much as it can make your body sore. And, again, I think for me, at least at first it was because I had never asked my body to do any of the things I was asking it to do for jiu jitsu and then, subsequent to that, as my lifestyle started to change, I realized I was making more and more choices that would allow me to train and those choices were more and more off of what I would consider to be my beaten path or the path that I would have expected for myself and that causes all kinds of identity crises and questions about what I really believe and who I am and all those wonderful things. So, I would agree with you a hundred percent that there’s a big psychological/emotional component to jiu jitsu for me. I suspect for other people as well but I certainly can’t speak for anyone but myself.

Becca: Let’s talk about that a little bit because now in your finding a balance both within and without jiu jitsu you went through a whole career change. When you first got into jiu jitsu, you came from a much more kind of corporate situation and I know you blog and talk about getting off the grid and going on your walkabout. Can you explain for people who don’t know about that, what that period was for you?

Valerie: Sure. In 2006, I was living in Chicago and I think I was on my second job out of graduate school and as you say it was a more corporate environment. A nine to five gig, clothes and all that stuff and I was really unhappy and I think I had a moment where I looked around at all I’d acquired and all the trappings of the life that I thought I was supposed to want. But I got those things and looked around and realized that they weren’t the things that I wanted. So, what jiu jitsu did for me, or to me, however you want to think about it (Becca and Chet laughing), is I would go to a job that was sort of gray and then I’d come out of the job and I’d go to jiu jitsu and then all of a sudden my life would be in Technicolor for about two to three hours while I was training. And then I’d come out of jiu jitsu and then my life would go back to gray. So, jiu jitsu was almost subversive in that it showed me how happy it was possible for me to be and then it also highlighted how unhappy I was in other aspects of my life. So, eventually it got to be, I would say, unbearable and I did the drastic thing. For me what was a very drastic thing: I quit my job and sold the condo I’d been living in in Chicago and used the money from the sale of my home to buy a car and to put my things in storage and then I drove around the country on a jiu jitsu tour. So, I started in Chicago and went west and probably visited maybe fifty different academies and had amazing experiences and met wonderful people and tried to figure out who I was. And I’m still working on that part.

Becca (laughing): Aren’t we all? Yeah!

Valerie: Yeah, I think so. I think we’re all in it together. But what that really did again for me and to me was to give me the opportunity to think about what was important to me and how I wanted to live my life according to the things that I valued. The things that I value didn’t turn out to be that much different from the things that I thought I valued it’s just that I come at them from a different orientation now and I have a lot more self awareness about the choices that I make. So, if I make a choice, and it turns out not to be such good choice then I don’t have nearly as much fear about changing my mind or making still another choice to modify that first choice. And it was because I loved jiu jitsu so much, and didn’t really love much else in my life, that I was almost forced to go toward the Technicolor and that’s what, again, jiu jitsu did to and for me.

“I would go to a job that was sort of gray and then I’d come out of the job and I’d go to jiu jitsu and then all of a sudden my life would be in Technicolor for about two to three hours.”

Becca: Yeah. No, that makes sense that that’s where you feel most alive and that’s what you’re going to seek out. Now, I know there’s probably a lot of people who hear what you’re saying about the gray versus the Technicolor and they’re like, “Wow, my life is really gray but I can’t do what she did. I can’t sell everything and take off. I’ve got family. I’ve got whatever.” What are your thoughts on how those people can find some of these answers in a way that’s not as drastic?

Valerie: I think that’s a fantastic question and the first thing is to be willing at least to put yourself outside of your comfort zone, in my opinion. I certainly don’t recommend that everybody do what I did. I also don’t know that everybody who might be listening or has thought this way is quite as unhappy as I was. So, I have a couple thoughts about this. So, the first thought is, doing what I did was the absolute most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. But, it was made up of a bunch of really really small seeming terrifying things. So, you don’t need to make a huge branch sweeping gesture, you can just make a gesture. And if it’s something that punches your stomach and you think to yourself, “Oh, I really don’t want to do this,” then that’s probably the thing you need to do. For instance, if you have a full time job and you have a family, and you have a lot of obligations, but, man, but you really really want to write, and the thought of even calling yourself a writer is absolutely terrifying to you, let alone going to a meet-up or going to a group where you know there are writers. If those are the things that terrify you, then those are the things you need to do because those are the things that give you the signal that you’re pushing yourself. And, if it were easy to do all the things that we want to in our lives then everyone would be super happy but there is really something to be said for the status quo because its familiar. That’s certainly how it was for me.

“[BJJ] showed me how happy it was possible for me to be and then it also highlighted how unhappy I was in other aspects of my life.”

So, I would say, go toward the discomfort as uncomfortable as it is, it’s good for you. The other thing is I have… and I think I’ve written about this book… I’m a big fan of a book that’s called Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live and it’s written by a life-coach named Martha Beck. And I’m a total Martha Beck fan-girl, at least in terms of this book because what I like about it is that, first of all, is that it is very funny. It’s very accessible and you get the sense from her, again, that we’re kind of all in it together. So, when she says, “You need to do X, Y, and Z,” it’s because she’s made herself do X, Y, and Z fifty times and the other thing that I really like about this book is that she gives the reader actual action items. I’m all about action items. So, “Yeah, I want to change my life. I want to be happier.” What are the five things I can do this week to make myself happier? And those are the types of things that she helps break down. So, those are the two things I would say: make yourself uncomfortable and look up Martha Beck.

Becca: Chet, I’m just going to go ahead and let you start. I think you have some really good insights because you mostly know Val her through her articles, and therefore you have some really good questions.

Chet: Yeah, Becca. Thanks. I am coming through a completely different perspective and I’ve been reading up and I’ve noticed a couple of things in your writing, actually. You talk about the opportunity that BJJ gives you to learn about yourself and learn about the technical aspect. And something else you’ve written about is learning from your mistakes. And so something else, another theme that I spotted in your writing is starting off in BJJ as well. So to kind of pair those two together then, I wanted to ask you what aspect of BJJ you feel is important for a newbie to get off on the right foot with and which aspects of the sport is it ok to learn from your mistakes from.

Valerie: Oh, good question. I think I’m going to come at it from a slightly different angle. And so here’s how I’ll answer that and you can tell me if you like this answer and if not and then I’ll say something else. (laughing) One of the things that was really striking to me when I started jiu jitsu, and keep in mind I was probably, well, I was going to say I was late in the game, but I think it just it depends on who you ask. I was in my late twenties when I started jiu jitsu. So, I was not used to not being particularly good at something. It wasn’t because I had avoided trying new things, it’s because I lived enough life to demonstrate to myself, and to others, that according to certain criteria I was pretty capable. Then jiu jitsu came along and all the things that I was good at or I had demonstrated some facility with, some ability with, had nothing to do with jiu jitsu. Nothing. Nobody cares if you’re a doctor. Nobody cares if you are in Mensa. What matters when you do jiu jitsu is how good you are at jiu jitsu. So, what I would recommend to people who are thinking that they might want to start jiu jitsu is not only to be open to being bad at things but to embrace it. Because there’s something actually really freeing, particularly when you have responsibilities in your life, about being really bad at something and having nobody expect anything other than that from you.

“So, I would say, go toward the discomfort as uncomfortable as it is, it’s good for you.” 

Chet: Yeah.

Valerie: And of course, in my case, it was an ego thing and I’m sure that if you’ve read some of my stuff you will see that I quote some old stuff: “Leave your ego at the door.” But, in order to get better at life, we need to be willing to set our egos aside and learn and this is actually a beautiful opportunity to do that, precisely because not much is expected of us when we’re starting out. So, it could require a shift in attitude and I think I’ve written an article about this. About how we really do, in some ways, become a different person if we’re successful in other areas and then we step on the mat with a white belt around our waist. So, embrace being that other person, that person who has had kind of the world ahead of them, all kinds of things to learn. If we show the right attitude people are willing to help us along the way and so I think I’ve sort of completed your question because if we’re going to do anything, we are going to have to be okay with not being good at things and with learning from mistakes. I think the key is having as positive of an attitude about that as we possibly can. And that, I think, is the challenge. Do you like that response?

Chet: Cool. I like that response. Thank you. I think I know what you’re going to answer to this next question but I’ll ask it anyway because you spoke about action points before and it’s probably not a good example but if you could give one piece of advice then to a new student, like me, what would it be?

Valerie: A new student to Brazilian jiu jitsu, I’m assuming.

Chet: A new student to BJJ, yeah.

Valerie: Okay. Again, or kind of similarly, I would suggest at large that you open yourself up to the process. That you just be open to everything that you’re learning. Now, that being said, if that’s going to be an okay thing, then it’s important for you to have done some research ahead of time to make sure there’s a good fit between you and your needs and the personality and the expectations of the academy that you decide to join. So, assuming that you’ve done some due diligence – that you’ve asked around and you’ve conducted your research – and you’ve found a place that you feel comfortable is going to feed your safety and your well-being first and foremost, then you can open yourself up to the process and have as good of an attitude as you possibly can and laugh off as many of the mistakes as you possibly can. And just pay attention and be observant and go regularly and take notes. And I know that I’m giving more than one action item but they’re all kind of under this one umbrella.

“if we’re going to do anything, we are going to have to be okay with not being good at things.”

Chet: The beginner mentality.

Valerie: Yes, exactly. Enter it with a spirit of excitement and of exploration as opposed to a spirit of fear and anxiety about what everybody else is going to think of you. Because, truth be told, for a long time, what people think of you is probably not much. Not in terms of “I don’t think much of that person” but in terms of “I don’t think often about that person” because they’re going to be doing their own thing. So, do your own thing and enjoy doing it.

Chet: Cool. I love that. It’s really interesting to me there that you were talking about open and laughing and crying and just embracing the emotion as well because personally that’s something that I find really captivating in your writing and the fact that it comes from such a personal and emotive place. And it makes me think, because I’m a lifter, myself, I find that a calm approach is better than an emotive and aggressive mindset and it’s best to approach with a calm and considered approach. I guess the difference between me and you or my thought and your thought is that my opponent never changes. It’s always a lump of metal. So, I’m interested to know a little bit more about how you feel the emotions play into competitive BJJ as you advance from that beginner mentality. When would you say it’s okay to show emotion and when would you say it’s good to hide it away?

Valerie: Yeah. So, feeling emotion and showing emotion are two different things and add to that the third thing of being aware of the emotion that you’re feeling and what the drivers are for it. Those are really complex. Being self aware enough to know that “I’m frustrated because I can’t get this technique to work” as opposed to “I’m frustrated because I had a crappy day at work and I brought that out onto the mat” as opposed to “I’m frustrated because I haven’t had much sleep” etcetera, etcetera. Keeping those kinds of things out, in my experience it’s important to know where you’re coming from and what your needs are and whether and to what extent you’re getting them met. So, when I say that it’s important to be able to feel your emotions, I don’t necessarily mean that it’s important to express them all over the place, willy-nilly. And my preference, if at all possible, is to keep things light or to make sure that I’m focused depending on the tone of a given class. But the tears and the anger, and believe me, there’s plenty of both, in my past and probably in my future. Those things I’m going to try to either leave off the mat or I’m going to try to compartmentalize and table them or I’m going to try to channel them into what it is I’m trying to accomplish. So, I know that different people have different procedures or rituals that they do to psych themselves up for competition or prepare for competition or to even step on the mat. For me, it was many many times it was all I could do to get myself on the mat because I was so intimidated.

“[I]n my experience it’s important to know where you’re coming from and what your needs are and whether and to what extent you’re getting them met.”

What I guess I’m trying to say is that I’m making a distinction between feeling your emotions and expressing your emotions. I’m guessing that people who do what you do, Chet, is feel emotions related to their practice but maybe it’s about knowing the drivers. Knowing that there’s kind of a time and a place for all of them and learning more about when that is and where that is and how you can focus that so you can make sure you’re performing to the best of your ability in the moment.

Becca: Yeah, I think we’ve all had that day that, no matter what the sport, you wind up in the locker room or the bathroom crying by yourself, right? (laughing)

Valerie: Uh, yes.

Becca: I’m curious because I know, we’ll talk about it more in a little bit, about women being in jiu jitsu because I know, when you started, there were probably very few women involved. So, do you see a difference in the level of emotion either expressed or allowed in co-ed classes versus women’s classes?

Valerie: Oh, that’s a good question. I hadn’t really thought about that. I think that what can happen more nowadays, is because there are more women, but since there are more women that there’s more maybe a support network. Also, there may be more modeling of behavior. So, two things. First of all, I think that everybody is different and I’ve seen probably as many emotional outbursts from men on the mat as I have from women and the ones from men tend to be anger as opposed to tears. Although I’ve seen some tears from men, too. And, the other thing is that everyone is different.

Becca: When you have a student get emotional when you’re teaching, how do you handle that?

Valerie: In different ways. The first thing that I realize that I have to do is put aside my own defensiveness or my own “WTH is going on here” and really really try to be in sync with the person who is expressing the emotion at the time. I wrote an article about one student I had who really had a public and large meltdown on the mat and what I did in that case was just pull them aside. And when I see different people, sometimes I think as a coach you can sense the energy, kind of like animals know when an earthquake is coming, you can sense either from the look on someone’s face or from the way they’re talking or from the way they’re acting that it’s time to pull them aside and have a conversation. And on more than one occasion I’ve done that and we sort have made it safely to the bathroom or to the side of the mat before the rumbling starts. So, that’s the thing that I’m going to try to do is first of all be understanding that this person needs or wants from me or someone right now so I might be able to provide it. Second of all, I’m going to try to get them to a place where they feel safe expressing what they need to express. Then, third of all, we will try to address what the issue is. We will try to identify it first because sometimes the outburst doesn’t really have anything to do with what the underlying issue is but eventually we’ll get to it and then I’ll give the person the opportunity to kind of take a couple deep breaths then go back to class. I think that any activity that you’re pushing yourself physically and asking a lot of yourself, a little bit more of yourself than you did the day before – you’re going to be tapping into your physical reserves, you’re going to be exhausting yourself – and that means your resistance is going to be down when it comes to dealing with these big waves of emotion. I’m not afraid of big waves of emotion and I think it’s important to show a student that it’s okay to have them but that we need to make sure that we handle them in the right way.

“It’s important to show a student that it’s okay to have [emotions].”

Becca: So, one of the things like what you’re saying, there’s a physical evolution and a whole learning curve that happens when you’re an athlete in any discipline. That’s a part of where the frustration comes from is all the ups and downs of the learning curve involved, Do you think that your background and your understanding of learning theory and the science behind it helps you as an athlete and as a coach?

Valerie: I think a couple things do. I am the child of two retired psychologists. So, when I was growing up, there were a lot of clients coming to my house so I learned to speak in a soothing tone and get coffee for people while they were either my mother or my father for their appointments. And so, as a result, I’m not afraid of … well, I am afraid of it but do it anyway… looking at my own psyche and kind of poking around in there. I’m not afraid of what I see when other people are poking around inside theirs. So, that has been incredibly helpful. I think it has made me more empathetic and has made me a better listener. With the learning theory, absolutely. When I started jiu jitsu I saw so many applications of what I had learned in graduate school and was able to write about them and was able to take ideas and play with them and write them out and see how they sound to me. There is just so much learning that goes on in any athletic endeavor if we allow that to happen and, like we were talking about, it happens on so many different levels. So, I would say that my background helps me, but I also know plenty of wonderful, empathetic, intuitive, insightful coaches who don’t have the same kinds of life experiences that I do, necessarily, but still do amazing work with their athletes and illicit amazing performances and a lot of hard work both in terms of the chosen athletic endeavor and also in terms of trying to grow as a person.

Chet: Which topic has been from this sport psychology perspective and this background that you have, have you found significant and maybe even unexpectedly has impacted your BJJ and your coaching?

Valerie: One of the big ones – and this, I’d say has come more from conversations I’ve had with my parents – is the issue of interpersonal boundaries. A coach can mean so many different things to so many different people and sometimes we can get ourselves into difficult situations if we don’t establish appropriate boundaries. Sometimes those boundaries shift. Even with a relationship I have with one person, it could shift in some way. But, it’s important to – as a coach, I believe – to have a sense of what I think is an appropriate interaction where my coaching begins and ends and whether there is room for other types of relationships with that person in a way that is going to be safe and ethical for both people. That was one that was really a surprise to me. To realize how important it is to have a good sense of what your own boundaries are and to realize that enforcing them is not mean. It is healthy and it is an important thing to model for people who might want to follow in your footsteps or do something similar where they’re trying to help other people come along.

“A coach can mean so many different things to so many different people and sometimes we can get ourselves into difficult situations if we don’t establish appropriate boundaries.”

Becca: So, personal boundaries is an interesting aspect to jiu jitsu given that it’s a really physically close thing. It’s emotionally close. There isn’t a lot of space between people on a lot of levels in jiu jitsu. Which makes the whole issue of gender relations complicated and interesting and enlightening all at the same time. So, one of the things you’ve written a lot about over the years is being female, training with guys, and how all this relates to jiu jitsu and I know over the past couple years, there have been some unfortunate incidents that have evolved the conversation. Can you tell me how you think things have evolved in the last year or so and if things are looking more positive – if the communication has helped things?

Valerie: That’s a tough one for me to answer in terms of the entire community. One of the things that I can say is that the articles that I’ve written about those kinds of incidents, the articles that I’ve written about my personal beliefs that – I mean it sounds so trite but if we want to see change happen in the world, what would be the change you want to see in the world? It’s so hard to do those things and police ourselves and be diligent about our own behavior but what I have seen is at least a willingness on the part of the people who read my articles to consider what that means – to consider what it means for them to be part of the solution rather than the part of the problem. It’s incredibly painful and difficult to acknowledge things like – I wrote an article once where I sort of came out as a closet sexist, sometimes. There are times when I do things on the mat and in general that are probably sexist. And I don’t like that about myself but if I don’t shine a light on it then it won’t go away. So, I’ve heard enough from people who’ve read stories like the ones that focus on those kinds of really tough issues to know that people are thinking about these things not necessarily only because of what I’ve written but because the people who are interested in exploring those kinds of issues really do want to be part of the solution.

Chet: Thanks. Let’s keep with this sort of wider picture and talk about grappling contests. The company that you run and the parent company of Women’s Grappling Camp. So, I guess along with the landscape of jiu jitsu and gender, which has kind of changed over time and evolved over time as well, the idea of the camps and the company itself has perhaps evolved over time. Can you tell us a little bit about what the original concept and intention you had in mind was?

Valerie: Sure. The original concept was the brainchild of Alaina Hardie, who is a brown belt under Felicia Oh and Mark Stables. So, she had come to Felicia and said, “You should do a camp for women.” So, this is back in 2008, I think. Felicia said, “Nobody will come.” Elena set it aside and then she came back and said, “You should do a camp for women.” And Felicia set it aside and said, “Nobody will come.” And, I should mention, Felicia is a black belt under Jean Jacques Machado and had a very storied competition career. So, eventually, Felicia said, “Okay, okay, okay. We’ll do this.” She pulled me in and she pulled in Emily Kwok, who is the first female Canadian black belt. So, the three of us ran our first camp in 2009 and we thought, “We’ll get like ten people.” We had to cap it at thirty. Then we did a couple more camps and the same thing happened. We realized that there really was a desire for women to have the opportunity to train with each other. Precisely because, particularly back then, most of the women who were training were the only woman at their academy. My thoughts about women’s grappling camp and what has subsequently become Groundswell Grappling Concepts, which is now me, Emily Kwok, Hannette Staack, and Lola Newsom because Alaina and Felicia had to step aside for various reasons. My belief about it was that it was never something that was supposed to be exclusionary. Not kind of a she-woman, man-haters club. It was a place for women to train with each other but then increasingly to, here it comes the word, but to feel empowered to make a positive difference in their academies and in their little part of the jiu jitsu world of male and female.

Valerie, Emily Kwok, and Hannette Staack

So, over time we realized that we have a message and we think it’s an important one. It wasn’t a message that was only for women but that men could benefit from it, too. As we did more camps, we heard more rumblings from more men saying, “Well, when’s there going to be a men’s camp or a co-ed camp?” We actually did our first co-ed camp earlier this year, in May, and it was mind-blowing. It was amazing to have the opportunity to sometimes talk about gender issues. To sometimes talk about issues everybody faces in jiu jitsu. But really, we hoped, make, give an opportunity for people to talk about the things they think about related to jiu jitsu when they’re off the mat and not focus on the things they do in jiu jitsu when they’re on the mat. So, what we are realizing is that the message is a good one for everyone – we think, at least and that there’s an attraction there and some interest there. We want to continue to meet what we perceive the need to be the need for this kind of information so we’re working on more offerings, more classes and certifications and resources and as we progress we want to, if we can, reach a wider and wider audience. We hope to do good in the jiu jitsu world and the world in general.

Becca: That’s awesome. So, pretty much throughout all the phases of your jiu jitsu life so far it’s been about that empowerment, about connecting the emotional, the intellectual, and the physical all in one place. It just happens to be in jiu jitsu for this group of people.

Valerie: I think that’s a great way of thinking about it. A passion, regardless of what it is, if properly channeled, a passion can do amazing things for people’s lives and it doesn’t have to be jiu jitsu. It can be weightlifting. It can be writing. It can be boating.

Insert name of endeavor here. And there’s a desire to learn more about how to do it well. There’s a desire to learn more about the culture that surrounds it. And there’s a desire to learn more about how to be a positive influence in that world among people who take it seriously and have decided to devote more than just kind of a small amount of time to pursuing it. So, I agree with you 100%. It think, and this was sort of another thing that was notable about when I first started writing for Breaking Muscle was that some of the people that I heard from the most about stories that I wrote were people who don’t train and have no interest in jiu jitsu, who don’t care who just won this or who just got promoted to that. They care about what I had to say because what I had to say resonated with them as people.

“A passion, regardless of what it is, if properly channeled, a passion can do amazing things for people’s lives and it doesn’t have to be jiu jitsu.” 

Becca: So, to wrap things up, Val, I’m guessing you are familiar with James Lipton Inside the Actor’s Studio. You know he always ends with his ten questions, right? So I thought it would be kind of fun to ask you, I don’t think I have ten – but kind of some shorter questions related to jiu jitsu. So, answer these as quickly or as long as you want. What is your favorite BJJ move?

Valerie: The head and arm triangle.

Becca: What is your least favorite move?

Valerie: Well, being under someone’s side control. That’s not really a move but I really don’t like it down there.

Becca: What do you love the most about jiu jitsu?

Valerie: There’s something new to learn to every day or there’s something old to learn in a different way every day, if I allow myself to.

Becca: What do you hate the most about jiu jitsu?

Valerie: That it doesn’t love me as nearly as much as I love it.

Becca: What’s your least favorite thing about strength and conditioning?

Valerie: The anticipation. This doesn’t happen nearly as much any more but I remember knowing in the morning I would know I would be getting ready to do a squat series and not being able to sleep.

Becca: What’s your favorite thing about strength and conditioning?

Valerie: My favorite thing about strength and conditioning?

Becca: Yeah.

Valerie: That moment, just after a lift or after a set when you weren’t sure you were going to be able to do it. But you did it and then you get to sit down for a second and just have done it.

Becca: What’s your favorite cheat meal or food?

Valerie: Yes. (Becca and Chet laughing)

Becca: I’m stealing this one directly from James Lipton: what profession, other than your current one, would you most like?

Valerie: Oh man. Let’s see. I think I would like to be a writer, which I’m working on. But if I couldn’t be a writer then I would want to learn how to fix cars.

Becca: Oh, that’s awesome.

Valerie: I would highly recommend that nobody come to me for service. (Becca and Chet laughing)

Becca: You might be working on that one for a while.

Valerie: I know.

Becca: And last one: What’s one piece of advice you would give anyone, BJJ anyone. What’s one piece of advice you would hand out?

Valerie: There’s so many people who are so much smarter than I am about these kinds of things so I’m just going to steal. Ok, so I’ll put it this way – this isn’t a short way of putting it – but Warren Zevon – who you may have heard of, he was a musician and he wrote Werewolves of London and Lawyers, Guns and Money – he died in recent years of cancer and was given a diagnosis and was told he had about a year to live. He got together a bunch of his favorite artists and did all kinds of duets and songs and put together an album that is called Enjoy Every Sandwich. And the rationale for this was: you don’t know when your number is up. Not to be maudlin. You don’t know what’s coming down the pike and it could be a really really delicious sandwich. And, even if it’s not a delicious sandwich, enjoy it because it’s where you are right now and with what you’ve got right now. So, enjoy every sandwich.

Becca: Right. So, it’s the sandwich you’ve got today. That’s what you’ve got.

Valerie: Exactly. Exactly.

 “I think I would like to be a writer, which I’m working on. But if I couldn’t be a writer then I would want to learn how to fix cars.”

Becca: Nice. Well, thank you very much for being with us today, Val. I really appreciate you taking the time and being our guinea pig for our inaugural show and talking about all this with us.

Valerie: Oh, you’re welcome. And, again, thank you so much. I’ve gotten so much out having the opportunity to write for Breaking Muscle and of being plugged into this community with a group of like-minded people who are trying to be just a little bit better every day. So, thank you.

Chet: From me as well, Val. Thank you very much and for I’m sure, speaking about your camp, and giving me an insight how you can get started with the sport. There are going to be a whole bunch of people who are going to want to keep up with how you’re doing and learn some more. So, are there any more websites or projects you’d like to mention in terms of what you’re up to or what you’re about to be up to?

Valerie: We usually do three women’s camps per year. And one is in the summer and it’s coming up in Princeton New Jersey at Princeton BJJ in July and then we usually do a camp in November and then we usually do a camp in February and we are also planning on other co-ed events coming up and we’re planning to put together other resources that will be available. If people have questions, then they can contact us at GroundswellGrappling.com and they can contact me at breakingmuscle.com at my Breaking Muscle address. Yeah. So those are the two main things and we’re plugging away and trying to keep it going.

Becca: I have a feeling you will.

Valerie: Well, thank you.

Becca: Quite a group of ladies you’ve got going on there so I’m excited. Yeah. So that is it for today. So thank you, once again Val, for being here. Thank you, Chet, for being here with me also. And for all of you out there listening, thank you from Breaking Muscle Radio for joining us on our inaugural episode and we hope to have you back for many more to come.

Check out these related articles:

• Breaking Muscle Radio Episode 1 – Valerie Worthington
• Pursuing Your Athletic Passion – Are the Trade-Offs Worth It?
• A New Normal – the Quirks of An Athletic Lifestyle
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos 1 and 6 courtesy of Groundswell Grappling.

Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of Valerie Worthington.

Photo 4 courtesy of Charles Smith.

Photo 5 courtesy of Breaking Muscle.

The post Persistence and Passion: BJJ Coach Val Worthington appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. “What is the best strength and conditioning program for Brazilian jiu jitsu?”
2. “How should I cut weight for a tournament?”

The two questions are different in subject matter, but the answers can be arrived at through the same thought process.

In fitness and BJJ, there are many relationships that are missed. I am not talking about the relationships you build with your teammates. I am referring to the relationships in a training program.

Relationships with your teammates is one thing – your relationship with training is completely different.

On the surface, these relationships seem obvious, and yet most people choose to ignore them. But understanding these elements and applying them will go a long way when answering those two most frequently asked questions.

Relationship 1: Volume to Intensity

Volume is the amount of work being done. Using the bench press, for example, if you perform 3 reps using 100lbs, your total volume for that set is 300lbs. You can also add up the total number of reps for each exercise as another method of calculating volume.

Intensity is the level of difficulty of your work. A sprint would be a high intensity activity while walking would be low intensity, to illustrate the two extremes.

“In the context of BJJ, if you are training at a high intensity, then the amount of training time needs to be scaled back.”

The more volume you do in a workout, the lower the intensity needs to be. In the context of BJJ, if you are training at a high intensity, then the amount of training time needs to be scaled back. If you are just flowing or practicing light drills, you can increase your training time. The harder you train, the shorter your sessions should be.

Relationship 2: Strength and Conditioning to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

A mistake I see people make is doing too much of both. As a BJJ practitioner, the majority of your time needs to be spent on the mat. Strength and conditioning does not replace BJJ. It is just there to help.

Therefore, the relationship between strength and conditioning and BJJ is an inverse one, just like with volume and intensity. The more time you spend on the mat, the less time you should spend in the gym. If you train BJJ four or five days a week, you only need one or two days of strength training.

Your time on the mat is the most important element of your training.

Some people find it difficult to get to the academy more than two days a week. If that is the case, then the number of their strength and conditioning days should be higher. Someone training BJJ twice a week can handle three days of strength and conditioning workouts. If a change occurs and the number of BJJ sessions increases, then the number of strength and conditioning sessions should decrease.

Relationship 3: Nutrition and Training

Most BJJ practitioners understand the importance of eating well and proper hydration. Despite this, many make a big mistake every time they cut weight for a tournament.

“Having healthy relationships are important for success. Bad relationships can do the opposite and cause stress and failure.”

As it gets closer to a competition, BJJ practitioners push their bodies harder than ever – they train longer and harder. At the same time, they cut back on their food and water. When they are training the hardest, they are eating the least. This is an inverse relationship that will end up costing you. Most competitors I know feel beat up and drained the day of a competition due to all the training and undereating. On the day they should perform their best, they feel their worst.

Instead of undereating and overtraining the weeks before a tournament, follow a proper tapering program that allows your body to feel its best on tournament day. As you get closer to a tournament and taper your training volume, your nutrition can be tapered, as well. Since you will not be training as frequently, calories can be safely reduced.

Conclusion

Having healthy relationships are important for success. Bad relationships can do the opposite and cause stress and failure. The same is true for the relationships seen in training. Volume versus intensity, strength and conditioning versus BJJ training, and nutrition versus cutting weight are all relationships that, when monitored appropriately, can help you become successful.

Check out these related articles:

• Stay Injury Free – GPP vs SPP for BJJ Athletes
• How Conditioning, Mobility, and Recovery are Essential to BJJ
• Why Does BJJ Make Me So Tired?
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos courtesy of Breaking Muscle.

The post How to Adjust Your Training Variables to Reach Your BJJ Goals appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Everyone starts with a white belt. But comes next is the arguably one of the most important belts – the blue belt. A blue belt is more than a different color belt around your waist. It is a symbol that you have a basic understanding of BJJ positions and can demonstrate them. It also means you are no longer a beginner. You no longer have to line up at the end of the class. You are now the one other white belts turn to.

Time spent as a blue belt can be both frustrating. The ability to overcome that frustration and seize on the opportunities is what will make or break you. Here are some things you should consider to make your time at blue belt a productive and positive experience.

The Meaning of a Blue Belt

As a blue belt, you have a lot of responsibilities and opportunities. Blue belts are often the ones new students look up to when they first start training. It’s not that the instructor or other brown and black belts cannot be inspirational for new students, but the ranks of brown and black can seem far away, while a blue belt is the next step in a new student’s journey. When we earn that blue belt around our waist, we become leaders to many white belts.

“A BJJ belt can symbolize many things, such as time spent on the mats, skill, and competition experience – everything a new student lacks.”

A blue belt, by definition, has a certain amount of technical knowledge in every position. White belts will often ask blue belts for help and it is the responsibility of the blue belt to provide that help. But that doesn’t mean that you as a blue belt have to necessarily have all the answers. When I was a blue, peopled asked me questions I was not comfortable answering. I would show them what I do, but then also offer them other options.

New Expectations

I cannot explain why this happens, but when I rolled for the first time as a blue belt, it seemed everyone rolled a little harder than usual. Did my blue belt cause me to become a target? I don’t think that’s the reason, despite it feeling that way.

What I think happens is that people expect you to know more than before. Therefore, they roll a little harder. White belts want to test their skills and see what they can do. Upper belts want to keep blue belts humble and show them there is more to learn.

With Challenges Come Opportunity

The biggest opportunity and responsibility as a blue belt is to develop a game and learn how to put that game together. I did not realize this until I was past blue belt.

“Instead of being frustrated with this time, I say enjoy it. Enjoy the time you have as a blue belt to develop your skills. There is no rush.”

At white belt, we struggle to put techniques together. For example, a white belt may try to do a triangle from guard. When their opponent defends the triangle, the white belt struggles with a counter for the defense. A blue belt needs to learn how to string attacks together. That is, how to go from A to B, then maybe C, then back to A if needed. My instructor, Mark Vives, makes it a point to explain this concept to his students. I was given that advice from him when I was a blue belt and it still helps me to this day.

Stay Humble

The time spent as a blue belt can be emotionally challenging. A blue belt has enough knowledge and skill to test the upper belts. You might be able to submit some higher-ranking students, but this can lead to a false sense of security.

And on the flipside, when you are submitted by a white belt, you can become frustrated and think you are letting the school, your instructor, and even yourself down. But no matter what belt you are, there is nothing wrong with getting submitted by lower-ranking opponents. Keep this in mind: a blue belt knows enough to submit higher ranks, but is still accepting of getting submitted by lower belts.

An Imporant Stage

The time spent at blue belt is often the longest time a BJJ practitioner will spend at a single belt level. I personally believe the blue belt should be the longest belt leading up to black. I know students get frustrated, especially when they feel they are getting close to the purple belt. Unfortunately for some students, they never reach that purple. The amount of time spent at blue and the amount of work required to develop the skills necessary to become a purple drives them to quit.

Instead of being frustrated with this time, I say enjoy it. Enjoy the time you have as a blue belt to develop your skills. There is no rush. The longer you train, the more you will realize the belt is not the goal – it is about the journey. It is a journey filled with ups and downs, opportunity and frustrations. But it is the struggle to overcome the difficult times that makes someone successful in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Because there is so much left to learn as a blue, you also have the greatest opportunity to build your game and help other students. All the frustrations and challenges are just part of the journey and, in the end, are what will make you successful.

Check out these related articles:

• Applying the Belt System to Life and Success
• On the Other Side of a Belt Promotion
• The Role of Ego in Jiu-Jitsu
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos courtesy of Breaking Muscle.

The post The BJJ Blue Belt: A Belt of Frustration and Opportunity appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Simon Cowell: “I like shows where somebody isn’t a professional, has a talent, isn’t aware of it, has a normal job, and then you see something else. I like that. And that’s what that guy has.”

Amanda Holden: “An undiscovered little gem. A frog that will turn into a prince.”

Simon Cowell: “I like shows where somebody isn’t a professional, has a talent, isn’t aware of it, has a normal job, and then you see something else. I like that. And that’s what that guy has.”

Amanda Holden: “An undiscovered little gem. A frog that will turn into a prince.”

Do you remember seeing Paul Potts audition for Britain’s Got Talent? Or Susan Boyle? When these unlikely superstars stepped onto the stage, no one was prepared for the amazing talent they displayed.

On June 20, 2015, our little Canadian city of Halifax, Nova Scotia is hosting Submission Series Pro: The Takeover, a submission-only Brazilian jiu jitsu event where our hometown heroes are matched against some of the brightest up-and-coming stars in the sport.

The Vision

I have to admit, before the first Submission Series Pro event, I was a little cynical. I never expected it to be as exciting and successful as it was.

But promoter Cat Clarke and his partner, Adam Fraser, never had a doubt. Their vision is to offer jiu jitsu athletes the opportunity to audition for what is turning out to be the American Idol of BJJ. They hope their concept also attracts new people to the audience.

In our recent interview, Cat shared their vision:

It’s jiu jitsu, we are all unknown. That is the point, jiu jitsu and grappling provides an outlet for so many people from so many different places to come together and train, learn, compete. It is a really special sport and art and everything is going in the right direction around the world. However, it is not mainstream yet. We believe our concept is the key. It is almost like American Idol with Pros vs. Joes. People get a shot, some may continue and some may not… but it’s a very neat concept that fills theaters and shows a very exciting side of BJJ and grappling.

In submission only events like Polaris and Metamoris, only well-known athletes are chosen to compete, but Sub Series Pro wants to give the “undiscovered little gem” a chance. That male or female competitor who is well known in their local community, but may not have had the opportunity to travel and compete.

In contrast, Clarke says of his event:

Just because you do not compete a lot, does not mean you are not able to compete. However, competition is a big aspect in helping people recognize your name and garner some attention to the sport and the club you represent. We feel those athletes that grind it out at as many tournaments or events as possible and put themselves out there, allowing sponsors and people to follow them on the journey through the jiu jitsu lifestyle and promoting in a positive way, we want those people.

How to Apply

To apply for a spot on a Submission Series Pro card, athletes can send an email to the promotion. Emails should include any relevant sponsor information and links to video footage.

When it comes to how the company picks their athletes, Cat offered some guidelines:

Being 2015, social media plays a large role in what we do. Obviously, YouTube and other footage of past events is a huge help. However, we have been welcomed with open arms in every area that we have contacted. We are very sure to be extremely respected and have as many gyms as possibly represented in those areas and have the people who have earned it, either by winning at a very high level or being a great person in the community of BJJ. Both play a high role in what we look for in our athletes.

So, keep all that in mind if you make getting on a Sub Series Pro card one of your goals.

An Exciting Line-up

Looking at the line-up for the upcoming event, The Takeover, I don’t know which matches excite me the most.

Of course, I can’t wait to see all of my teammates compete, but I’m especially looking forward to seeing Josh Wincey versus Andris Brunovkis and Jaret MacIntosh versus Dan Covel.

Josh and Jaret are very dominant and technical athletes who embrace the true spirit of a martial artist, always helping others to learn and become better athletes themselves. I believe they are world class, but we will find out for sure on June 20.

The Card

Prelims:

• David Reynolds (CIA Paulista / Bushido Kai) vs Marco LeBlanc (Victory)
• John Barr (Fit Plus MMA) vs Judo Jon Williams (Synergy MMA)
• Ryan Connor (Fit Plus MMA) vs Mike Thibodeau (Victory)
• Christine Fader (Titans / Taylor Gang) vs Sarah Smith (Toronto)
• Nic Nahas (Titans / Taylor Gang) vs Matt McGrath (Gracie PEI)

Main Card:

• Hood Rich (Zuma) vs Jason Gagnon (Genesis)
• Pete O’Neal (Atos) vs Mike Kitson (Titans Jiu Jitsu Academy)
• Josh Hinger (Atos) vs Jaret MacIntosh (Titans Jiu Jitsu Academy)
• Andris Brunovskis (Atos) vs Josh Wincey (Titans / Taylor Gang)
• Michael Liera JR (Atos) vs Marcos Tinoco (Marcelo Garcia NYC)

Anything Is Possible

Submission Series Pro has begun planning events in other cities across Canada, with their next card taking place in Toronto on July 11, 2015.

In the meantime, the buzz has already started here in Halifax, and my club, Titans Fitness Academy, has been humming with all of our athletes preparing or helping others to prepare for the competition.

Can you imagine if you had been in the audience at Britain’s Got Talent on the night Susan Boyle sang I Dreamed a Dream? Watching the video years later still makes me feel like anything is possible.

Fortunately, there’s still time to get a seat at Submission Series Pro and witness the discovery of a new generation of stars on June 20. (Or, if you’re across the globe, tune in to the free HD stream.

More Like This:

• Submission Series 902: BJJ Athletes With Bright Futures
• Breakdowns and Takedowns: My Top 5 BJJ Analysis Resources
• 5 Lessons to Guarantee BJJ Tournament Success

Photos 1 and 3 courtesy of Aggro Photography.

Photo 2 courtesy of David Brown.

The post Submission Series Pro: American Idol, Jiu Jistu Style appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Just as I got to the front of the line and was being beckoned by the next available librarian, an older female patron walked in the door and immediately to that librarian, cutting in front of me and the rest of the people in line.

“Excuse me,” I said to her. “There is a line.” And I pointed behind me.

“Oh, I don’t need to check anything out,” the woman said. “I just need to ask a question.”

“I’m sure someone can help you once you get to the front of the line.” I again pointed behind me.

“But I just need to ask a question,” she repeated.

“Line,” I repeated and re-pointed.

The flustered patron looked at the librarian, who shrugged and smiled, understandably not wanting to get in the middle of things. By this time, I had walked up to both of them and placed myself between the patron and the librarian so I could get my transaction done.

“But–”

“Ma’am, everyone has to wait in line. That’s what the rest of us have been doing since before you got here.”

The patron stared daggers at me, but by God, she went to the end of the line. And the rest of the members of that line shot me non-verbal atta-girls – thumbs-ups and smiles – when she wasn’t looking.

The Basis of Entitlement

For whatever reason, this patron had decided she was entitled to cut in front of everyone else. And she’s not alone. I see people over-exercising their entitlement muscles all the time. Sometimes they are justified, but all too often there seems to be some kind of mental gymnastics going on such that people decide they deserve special treatment for a reason known only to them.

“When we try to entitle ourselves to things we are not actually entitled to, we communicate to others that we are better than they are, whether in jiu jitsu or otherwise.”

I think of entitlement as the belief that I deserve something though I haven’t actually earned it and/or though common sense, hard evidence, or convention dictates otherwise. The library patron felt entitled to speak to the librarian, but by trying to jump the line, she had not yet earned the right. She tried to circumvent the convention of line standing, which no one particularly loves, but which we know is a requirement of living in polite society.

Entitlement in BJJ

Unfortunately, random acts of entitlement happen in Brazilian jiu jitsu just as in other walks of life. Those of us who are further up the grappling totem pole do deserve some acknowledgement of the time and effort it took to make the climb. Due to this effort, jiu jitsu black belts and other higher-belt leaders are entitled to certain benefits within the realm of jiu jitsu.

These benefits may vary from academy to academy, but here are a few common ones:

• The same respect that would be afforded any leader in the context in which that leader has demonstrated experience and skill
• First selection of partners
• Lower belts moving out of the way if two pairs run into each other during live training

There are others, but you get the idea. However, some black/higher belts assume that our rank entitles us to treatment and benefits that have nothing to do with BJJ. Some of us have somehow concluded that when we outrank others, as grapplers, it means we outrank them in general, as people.

I use the first person plural because I know I have been guilty of unwarranted entitlement before and, unfortunately, despite my efforts to police myself, will probably be guilty of it again. Some entitlement behavior lies toward the benign end of the spectrum, like expecting that someone else will always drive if a group is going somewhere. This is a bit self-centered, but not overtly harmful. Other expectations, though, represent more nefarious boundary violations.

Entitlement Is a Slippery Slope

It can be a slippery slope, particularly for those of us who spend most of our time with jiu jitsu people even when we are not training. We may socialize with other grapplers, and it can be difficult to draw a clear line between situations where a jiu jitsu hierarchy is appropriate and where real life enters the picture. Traveling with teammates to a competition is a good example of this, as it mixes jiu jitsu-related situations, such as the coach shouting commands to the competing athlete, with more everyday ones, such as deciding who gets to choose the restaurant.

“I think of entitlement as the belief that I deserve something though I haven’t actually earned it and/or though common sense, hard evidence, or convention dictates otherwise.” 

But the fact that the line can be blurry does not absolve us of the responsibility to do all we can, all the time, to clarify and respect it. A hierarchy that is justifiable in the context of jiu jitsu has no automatic bearing on our rights and entitlements in the rest of the world. If we want entitlements “out there,” we must earn them in corresponding ways, and I’m willing to bet most of these ways have nothing to do with how good we are at attacks from [insert name of your favorite guard].

In fact, here is what our black belts entitle us to in non-jiu jitsu situations:

1. Nothing
2. Zilch
3. Zip

We are not black belts in everything. Our expertise and that to which we are even remotely entitled are confined to a relatively small subset of all possible life experiences. Though jiu jitsu may take up most of our time and attention, the majority of people in the world probably couldn’t give less of a crap about our sick kneebar or our superhuman grip strength. Off the mat, we have to stand in line, just like everyone else.

You Are Not a Black Belt in Everything

Why am I bringing this up? Because as a black belt, I take seriously what I see as a responsibility to steward the best that jiu jitsu has to offer. When we try to entitle ourselves to things we are not actually entitled to, we communicate to others that we are better than they are, whether in jiu jitsu or otherwise.

And I do not want to send this message. I am not in any way suggesting we coddle lower belts or enable inappropriate behavior on their part. The only thing more annoying than a black belt with an oversized sense of entitlement is a lower belt with one. But as black belts, we can set the tone and create a good model for others to follow.

What are your thoughts about entitlement in jiu jitsu, both among the leadership and the up-and-coming? Is it a big problem, or am I overreacting? Join me in the forums with your thoughts.

Check out these related articles:

• 7 Things I Have Learned About BJJ From Joe Rogan
• The Trials and Trade-Offs of Being a Competitive Athlete
• Tough Lessons From My Teacher – Learning to Value Our Learning
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today?

Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photos 3 and 4 coutesy of Ana Nieves.

The post Combating Entitlement: You Have a Black Belt In Jiu Jitsu, Not Life appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Brazilian jiu jitsu itself is really no different. But in BJJ, we are not mixing different martial arts – we are mixing multiple energy systems. 

BJJ is a complex sport that requires the body to tap into its aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

Anaerobic and Aerobic Exercise

Most sports or types of exercise can be divided into two categories: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise is any activity that can be maintained continuously for a long duration, such as marathon running and jump roping. Anaerobic exercise looks like things such as sprinting or weightlifting. During anaerobic exercise, glycogen is used as fuel, and the exercise is intense enough to trigger lactic acid fermentation.

“An athlete with good anaerobic capabilities is going to find himself struggling without the proper aerobic conditioning.”

BJJ is one of the rare sports that requires both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. As with our MMA analogy, knowing or practicing only one aspect of the sport is going to result in poor performance. For example, an MMA fighter who does not box is not going to make it far. The same holds true for our BJJ training. An athlete with good anaerobic capabilities is going to find himself struggling without the proper aerobic conditioning.

Aerobic Exercise in BJJ

Aerobic exercise is a low-intensity activity done for long periods of time. During this time, the body taps into the aerobic energy generating process. Aerobic activities are normally done at 60-65% of the athlete’s maximum heart rate. In order to meet the energy requirements, the body relies on oxygen via aerobic metabolism. The most common examples of aerobic activity are long-distance running and cycling.

In BJJ, the time period of a match can vary from five to ten minutes. It is impossible for someone to sprint for five minutes. During a match, there are periods of time when it feels like a sprint, but these periods are short and then the pace is slowed. When the pace slows you are back in aerobic territory, and you are going to suffer without the right conditioning.

Anaerobic Exercise in BJJ

Anaerobic exercise is a short, high-intensity activity where your body’s demand for oxygen exceeds the oxygen supply available. Therefore, anaerobic exercise is not dependent on oxygen. Some examples of anaerobic exercise are powerlifting, sprinting, and interval training.

In BJJ, anaerobic energy is important for quick, explosive movements like what you experience in a scramble. Scrambles are short and fast, and this requires the support of the anaerobic energy system.

Assessing Your Needs

In order to be successful on the mat, you must train both energy systems, and the first step to doing so is an assessment. This can be as simple as taking a look at your current training.

Is there one area of your program that you feel is missing? For example, if you are always doing long duration, low-intensity sessions, then you know you need to add in some higher-intensity training. The best place to start is with the area you are lacking the most.

“The goal of both your anaerobic and aerobic BJJ training should be to gain muscular endurance in the specific patterns you will use on the mat.”

It is also important to keep your training in context. Your number one priority is BJJ. You are not a marathon runner; therefore, an aerobic workout for you will not look the same as the one for a runner. The longest match for a black belt competing in the IBJJF is ten minutes, and the shortest match is five. So, make sure you train for the appropriate “distance.”

The same approach holds true for anaerobic training. BJJ athletes are not training for track and field events. You do not need to spend hours sprinting. How fast you can sprint means nothing when you step on the mat.

There is one best way to prepare the body for BJJ – match the movements of the sport to your off-the-mat training. The goal of both your anaerobic and aerobic BJJ training should be to gain muscular endurance in the specific patterns you will use on the mat.

2 BJJ Workouts for Specific Energy Systems

Note: The workouts below are supplemental. That is, if you have time to do them, they are a great addition to your regular BJJ training. But they should never replace your time spent in jiu jitsu class.

Aerobic BJJ Training Session

• Time per round: 5-10 minutes (start at 5 and work your way up to 10)
• Rest: Rest for the same time as your round. If you work for 5 minutes, then rest for 5. If your partner is also drilling, then you can feed for him or her and this time period turns into active rest.
• Pace: Slow
• Total session time: 30-40 minutes

Option 1:

Choose one technique and drill it at a slow pace for the allowed time of the round. An example is working the same pass for five minutes straight, over and over again. You can pick the same technique and perform it for multiple rounds or change the technique with each round.

Option 2:

Choose a series of techniques and do them in a row. For example, knee slide pass to the back. Then, have your partner escape the back. Repeat that series for the allowed time all reps are done in a controlled manor at pace that is sustainable for the allowed time.

Anaerobic BJJ Training Session

• Time: 10-30 seconds per technique. Start with 10 seconds, then rest 10 seconds after each set. Work your way up to 30 seconds.
• Rest: Match the rest interval to your work interval.
• Pace: Fast
• Total session time: 20-30 minutes

Option 1:

Pick one technique and do it as quickly as you can for the allowed time. For example, drill triangles from closed guard for 30 seconds. Shoot as many triangles as possible. Then, rest for 30 seconds and repeat the same drill or choose another.

Option 2:

Combine two techniques. For example, start in side control, go to knee on belly, your partner pushes your knee, and you go for the armbar.

You Need Both

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a complex sport that requires the body to tap into its aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. To be fully prepared for this, make sure you include both aerobic and anaerobic training in your program. This will help you to build a larger engine, allowing you to train for longer and at a higher intensity. Not to mention you’ll be more prepared come competition day.

You’ll Also Enjoy:

• Why Does BJJ Make Me So Tired?
• Strength Training for Judo: Grip Training and Cardio
• The Truth About Conditioning for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 by parhessiastes via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo 2 by Teraforming via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo 3 by By Lance Cpl. Scott M. Biscuiti via Wikimedia Commons.

The post How to Train Specific Energy Systems to Improve Your BJJ Game appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

But after that first class, you no longer have to experience the pain and discomfort we all went thought on that first day of BJJ. Once that first day is behind you, what follows could change your life – just as it did for all of us who continue to train. But there is a mindset required for this opportunity to present itself. A mindset that asks you to let go of the past and remain a beginner for the length of your jiu jitsu journey.

Train Who and Where You Are Right Now

We all like to think we can still accomplish the same things we did when we were younger. A comment I hear frequently from new students is, “I used to be able to lift this much” or “I played this sport.” What you could bench in high school is great, but you can’t do that now. So, stop thinking that is going to help you or that you are going to get back to it. One of the biggest mistakes I see new students make is comparing their physical conditioning now to what they have done in the past. This type of mindset is going to cause nothing but frustration.

“Every class, including your first one, is an opportunity to learn. Don’t forget this as you move forward in your BJJ education, either.”

To get better at BJJ, you must let go of the past. Thinking about what you used to be able to do is going to get you hurt and set you back. Most of the new students I see at the gym are starting BJJ in their late twenties or early thirties. Many of them have not done anything physical for years. If they did, it was going to the gym to lift weights or run. Nothing is going to prepare you mentally and physically for Brazilian jiu jitsu except Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Always Learn as Much as You Can

At the beginning, there are no expectations. The instructor does not expect a new student to tap everyone out. You are not supposed to. Your only job is to learn. At first, the amount of information is going to overwhelm you, but that is normal. You are not expected to learn everything at once, just learn as much as you can. Every class, including your first one, is an opportunity to learn. Don’t forget this as you move forward in your BJJ education, either.

Be a Good Training Partner

Part of the learning process is understanding how to be a good training partner. You do not get better at jiu jitsu alone. You need your teammates. Your mindset during class is not all about you. You should be thinking about helping those around you get better. As a result of helping others, you get better, too.

Be Respectful

Each academy may have their own set of rules that students are required to follow. Part of the learning process is understanding those rules.

One of the common rules you will find in an academy is the requirement of bowing when you enter and leave the mat. Another common rule is that class starts and ends by lining up in order by rank. Higher belts are at the front of the line and lower belts follow. As a beginner, it is safe to assume that you will be lining up toward the end.

“Showing up to the gym again after a bad day is going to teach you more about yourself than anything else.”

The final rule that is important to understand is the training partner rule. Some schools do not want lower-ranking students asking higher-ranking students to roll. Other schools do not care. So, when you are just starting out and feel like you want to roll with the black belt instructor, asking may come off as disrespectful. Again, not all schools follow this, but it is important to know the rules of your school so you do not accidentally disrespect anyone.

And as you advance in your studies, don’t forget this mindset. You may visit another academy and their rules may be different. But you should continue to be respectful.

Keep Showing Up

Every day is a new training opportunity. There will be good and bad days. The key is to keep showing up. BJJ has the potential to change your life. But most people will never reach this point because they stop training before they truly understand this benefit.

There is no way to avoid bad days. They are part of the process. What is important is to keep training and trying. Showing up to the gym again after a bad day is going to teach you more about yourself than anything else. Do not let those bad days get you down, but instead, use them as motivation.

Conclusion

It takes a lot of courage to begin Brazilian jiu jitsu. And it takes the right mindset to stick with it for years. During your early stages of BJJ, forget the past, learn as much as you can, be a good training partner, and be respectful. Last, but not least, keep showing up. And don’t forget these rules as you continue to train.

Check out these related articles:

• What Every Beginner Should Know When Starting BJJ
• Tips for Choosing a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
• A Guide for the Novice: Competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos 2 courtesy of Dan of Earth.

Photo 1 and 3 courtesy of David Brown.

The post Positivity, Consistency, and the Keys to Success as a BJJ Novice appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I like to think that Spike genuinely likes Chester. Otherwise, why would he hang out with him? But Spike may have seen a few things in his day that promote his world-weariness and impatience. Of course this doesn’t justify him smacking Chester. (Does it? No, of course not. Just checking. I mean, nothing.)

If we imagine Spike and Chester as analogs for black and white belts and that the clip is about jiu jitsu, neither black-belt Spike nor white-belt Chester has cornered the market on the “correct” attitude. Each is authentic, and each is consistent with different phases of the grappling journey. Chester is newer and more excited, while Spike is more experienced and more aware of the cost-benefit ratio.

“BJJ has given me tremendous gifts, but it has also taken a heavy toll. I train differently now than I did when I was not as far along in my journey.”

As a long-standing student of BJJ, I still enjoy moments of Chester-like adoration, but my outlook has shifted toward a calmer, Spikier affection. BJJ has given me tremendous gifts, but it has also taken a heavy toll. I train differently now than I did when I was not as far along in my journey. And I know more than I did then, which puts me in a better position to answer the question – how should lower belts train with higher belts?

I do not speak for every higher belt, so I cannot say how they want lower belts to train with them. But I wager the following items have some universality. With that in mind, read on for a few observations about this question, targeted to lower belts.

Your Demeanor Communicates as Clearly as Your Words

Many times I have stepped on the mat to find myself facing a less-experienced grappler who sees the color of my belt and communicates with body language and energy, “I’m gonna get a piece of you.” The unspoken message is as tangible as Spike smacking Chester. This person intends to “win the training,” as my friend and business partner Hannette Staack would say. This is a person who appears to have nothing to lose and everything to prove, and who appears to view rolling with a higher belt as an opportunity not to learn, but to feed an ego.

I’m not talking about a competition match or class. I’m not even talking about hard training, which is awesome with good partners and attitudes. I’m talking about friendly open mats or regular class sessions where a lower belt locks onto a higher belt, onto beating that higher belt, like a heat-seeking missile locks onto a target.

“We who have been around many years have learned that not every match has to be contested as if lives hung in the balance. In some situations, simply working on the puzzle is perfectly fine.”

Sadly, at times I have probably been the missile myself. And of course, not every lower belt does this, and the ones who do may not recognize the energy they are giving off. But those on the receiving end do. We who have been around many years have learned that not every match has to be contested as if lives hung in the balance. In some situations, simply working on the puzzle is perfectly fine.

Many of us old-timers are also nursing longstanding injuries brought on by years of jiu jitsu. We work around these injuries so we can keep getting on the mat, which means we probably do not want to fight multiple steel-cage death matches. And finally, another reason that kind of energy can be tiring is because it is self-centered.

Continue to Page Two

Make Sure the Pace You Choose Suits Your Intentions

According to my unscientific longitudinal investigation, higher belts will let the lower belt they roll with set the pace. If the lower belt starts out collaboratively, the higher belt will do the same.

Conversely, if the lower belt comes on like a bat out of hell, the higher belt will ramp up. So, lower belts should choose a pace consistent with what they want to get out of the roll. And if they only have one pace, they might consider broadening their horizons.

If a less-experienced grappler comes at me full-bore, intent on winning the training, I resort to my Jiu Jitsu Hierarchy of Needs, and at this point, safety is at the tippy-top. Especially my safety. Especially if my partner has a different hierarchy.

For example: One time, I paired up with someone I outranked. Our roll started out pleasantly, but then I hit a sweep. As I was establishing top position, the energy between us took a 180. I sensed it, and then I heard this person mutter, “Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be.” I immediately put distance between us, and when we squared off again, I pulled closed guard and broke this person’s posture with an overhook and a high guard. My partner spent the rest of the time working to regain posture, and I spent the rest of the time preventing it.

This was probably just as useful for my partner as it was for me – not at all useful. But I intended to keep myself safe. If I had it to do again, I would have stopped after hearing the comment, extended my hand, and said, “Thank you. I’m going to sit out the rest of the round,” rather than running out the clock. If my partner had it to do again, I hope a different intention would have won the day. But the point is, at this stage of my career, I am far less likely to take on that kind of energy.

“If a less-experienced grappler comes at me full-bore, intent on winning the training, I resort to my Jiu Jitsu Hierarchy of Needs, and at this point, safety is at the tippy-top.”

Every now and then I see or hear people complain when bigger and stronger people roll lightly with them, particularly if the smaller person outranks the bigger person. The complainers claim the bigger person is being disrespectful, because their higher rank indicates they can handle the heat, and the bigger person should respect that.

I think differently. When a lower belt – or anybody – who outweighs me by 100, fifty, or even twenty pounds starts slowly in a training session with me, my reaction is always, “Thank you.” I would much rather start this way than immediately be the target of a small asteroid. The fact that these people err on the side of caution suggests a jiu jitsu hierarchy like mine. My partner and I can always up the intensity, but if a roll starts at eleven, it’s already over the cliff. It’s like adding salt to a meal. If you use a little, you can always add more. But if you dump it on and then decide it was too much, you can’t take it away.

You Are One of Two People – Remember the Golden Rule

As grapplers become more experienced at jiu jitsu, they turn their attention outward. They become able to pay it forward, to share lessons learned with the people coming up after them. Maybe during training, the higher belt feeds the lower belt the setup for the technique that was taught that day. Or maybe the higher belt allows the lower belt to start in the position of his or her choice to gain practice in that position. Or maybe the higher belt shares insight about strategy, mindset, or overcoming setbacks. Progression through the ranks brings an increasing focus on others.

“It’s like adding salt to a meal. If you use a little, you can always add more. But if you dump it on and then decide it was too much, you can’t take it away.”

This awareness is likely to be less developed in less-experienced grapplers because it is a skill learned over time. But it is never too soon to start practicing that kind of awareness, just like we practice a technique. Higher belts want to get something out of an exchange too, so it is both people’s responsibility to recognize it is not just about them.

The World Is Full of Spikes and Chesters

I am not perfect at any of this. Sometimes I let my ego get the better of me and try to win the training. But after many years, I am better able to recognize it, even if after the fact. I’m not proud of these moments, but I am aware I am making a choice, suboptimal though it is. With this awareness, I can make a better choice next time. And sometimes I even do.

The BJJ world is full of various Spikes and Chesters, all with different preferences and levels of experience. Spikes, how do you want Chesters to roll with you? Chesters, what do you want to tell Spikes?

More Like This:

• The 5 Phases Every BJJ Newbie Goes Through
• Surviving (Socially) the Beginner Phase of BJJ
• 4 Ways to Be a Good Training Partner
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photos courtesy of Ana Nieves.

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