I went with a 250+ pounder the other day and everything works way less. I made the mistake of doing my normal bottom game and got smothered by moobs the whole match while trying to octopus my way out. What’s the approach for big gahs?

What has changed the most since you started training? What has been the most difficult adjustment for you? What do you like that has changed?

I technically started training in 95 so the game now is night and day since I started.

Guys this fella is attacking the second leg, inside ashi garami in an ibjjf tournament at blue belt, whats going on?

Anyone have any recommendations on good kids or adult gi grip fighting games? Thanks

Saw a post about you guys finding more enjoyment watching white belt comps over black belt comps. Here’s a video from my comp in August. Just got my blue belt two days ago. Really been loving the choke that I go for in this, but end up taking the arm bar. I took 2nd place out of 14 competitors in my bracket

Enjoy!

I just had my first comp, i had 2 matches and in both of them, i felt like i couldn’t “turn on”. It felt like it hasn’t hit me that i was competing, felt like a normal day.

I feel that this impacted my performance as i could’t bring my A game in terms of intensity, i felt too relaxed and unfortunately got caught in positions.

Has anyone ever had this issue? Is this the opposite of an adrenaline dump? Any tips to flip the switch when it’s go time?

From necktie position I have lots of options for a pushing opponent (Snap down, throws, slide bys etc.) but most opponents let themselfs getting pushed around instead of pushing back and I need some good options for that. What’s your favourite option for that scenario?

Travelling from NZ to compete. Has anyone else had to deal with that smug young gi check marshal this weekend? I understand you have a job to do, but he seemed to be nitpicking everything. It felt like I was 18 again, getting my ID checked at a club.

Hello I'm working on my cardio on the rowing machine as a supplement to my training but im not sure how I should program it. Would it make more sense to go for 6 minutes as hard as possible (similar time as tournament matches, or would it more sense to do shorter intervals like 2-3 minutes at a time?

I’m in my early 40s, but I’m slow and unauthentic. I’ve been able to make it to purple belt mostly with half guard, closed guard, and any other guard with tight connection. I primarily play Gi, but I play a little no-gi too.

That said, I’m having trouble with younger (or really any athletic) grapplers once they stand up and break connection from me. They just run around me, torrenado, or just use their speed to get around me.

What guards do should I use to slow down standing passers?

So my kid is 5 years old started going at this BJJ place for about 7 months, the instructor is really good and kind. My son gained a lot of confidence, and loved it and would be really excited to his next lessons, he also learnt a lot of BJJ skills. However about 2 months ago, a few bigger aged kids I believe 7-10 years old joined in and they got really good at BJJ very quickly compared to the smaller ones (4-6 year old group) then suddenly my son started saying he doesn’t want to go and doesn’t like it

So I sat down and watched a few sessions to figure out what’s going on and I noticed the big kids were pushing and assaulting other smaller kids when instructor and assistant not looking and they’re constantly running their mouths on the little ones teasing them when they can’t do certain moves and bullying them including my own kid, it was dangerous also because one of them lunged my kid across the room, thankfully no injury. The instructor caught it and told the older kid not to do it but this particular bully is notorious for not listening and has injured another kid previously. I spoke to the instructor he said he will do his best but there is only so much he can do and then started dismissing me saying that BJJ maybe not the best for our kid, I was shocked by that attitude as my son loves BJJ and he’s clearly taking the side of the bullies instead of creating safe space. I was surprised that he didn’t suggest this to the bully kids instead why won’t he so

One of the families already quit because of this.

Is this experience with kids BJJ normal where bullies running their mouths and throwing smaller kids around is accepted. I thought the instructor would introduce strict discipline to avoid such issues so I’m really disappointed and broken hearted tbh as everything was going really well.

Do you stick to what your teaching plan is that day, make it up on the fly, or have an idea of what your going to teach and change your entire plan when certain students show up?

My son was on the wait list for a year to get into this place. It’s the only one in town and has all glowing reviews. We did go to a trial day and the instructor was great. So we officially signed up when we were top of waitlist. But we have been twice now and there’s some things bothering me but I don’t know if normal.

1. No one talked to him about tapping. Is that not a concern at this age?
2. All the kids there can already do all of the things like the front rolls and cartwheels. My son can’t. They did have a younger helper instructor who would try to show him but the drills are so short he doesn’t get the hang of it. Will he just eventually catch up? I can tell it bothers him he can’t keep up.

3. No gi day (once a week in a 3x a week program) is for all ages and it’s pure chaos. It’s the older kids instructor and he pays zero attention to the little kids although the young helper is there and does.

   And by younger, I mean like maybe 16 yrs old? Green belt if that matters.

Part of why I put him in BJJ is because my own anxieties have put a bubble around him and I worry he will not learn to stand up for himself and protect himself. He also really likes it so far, so of course that’s a huge plus. So I just don’t want to turn into the helicopter parent over this like I usually do but want to make sure I’m not under reacting before I do.

Does this seem normal?

This video I show how proper hand positioning and understanding timing makes hitting the triangle omoplata unbelievably fast and effective. If you guys have any questions about how to use this or mix it into your game let me know!

EDIT: this is not about how do I stop using strength or how do I cope with being strong or anything where I want to discard strength or use less strength. It's what is the most efficient way to update / upgrade default patterns when strength stops providing a free lunch or how to stop using strength vs immovable objects and instead apply an irresistible force to the exposed flank?

Generalized question - what's the fastest / most efficient way to reprogram stuff that works at low levels and fails at high levels? My specific rut is how I deploy strength but I'd bet this comes up a lot for others.

I'm doing some BJJ introspection and comparing a recent hot run to a recent cold run and a hypothesis I have about what's causing hot vs cold is when I ran hot, I was reflexively moving around obstacles instead of trying to power through or over power them. My recent cold run looks like the status quo of "when in doubt, more force" snuck back into the operating system.

For folks with serious strength, years in the gym, etc., who broke this habit, what worked? Is it just mat time and proprioception? Is it specific training? Is it drilling pivots / go around / change direction / etc.? Did it require actively thinking while rolling how to flow around vs through until the operating system updated?

I think the diagnosis is right but now I'm trying to figure out how to develop the new default behavior faster by sort of reprogramming the old habits out (they worked amazing at white-blue-early purple, I suspect they'll fail more as I move into brown+).

is there anyone that theatens n/s kimuras to force the mount transition that would be good to study?

Within the next year my gym will officially become a “Gracie affiliate”….im not saying that Gracie gyms are mcdojos but the path mine is heading is not good.

The first big change I’m not stoked about is an “attendance based” promotion system. Basically you get a card and for every hour you train you get to fill out your card. Roughly 100hrs per stripe….now currently my coach/gym is WAY behind on promotions especially low level belts. We have white belts winning in blue brackets pretty regularly and 2 stripe white belts are demolishing pretty much any regular that walks through the door. But the idea of attendance based promotions sounds like a horrible plan to me.

A big push toward kids and law enforcement, we will be cutting some of the adult classes to make room for the growing kids classes as well as a “LEO only” classes where we will be selling certification classes and weapons defense.

The overall kiddie glove treatment of everything to stay on the good side of the Gracie’s….no music over pg13, no cussing, no advice unless coach approved etc etc.

Overall it’s just really weird and truthfully I’m hoping to just speed run my blue belt and get to purple so if I need to train somewhere else I’ll be welcome at all classes.