Question for the experianced BJJ rollers?

Crusher

Hi guys,
Just looking for some advice please. I've noticed that from club to club different BJJ instructors have a very different syllabus for blue belt depending on who they are aligned with. What do you think the most important techniques are for rolling with? (I'm hoping to test for Blue in December)

Big question i know, just looking to see if there ways to improve my game from the more experianced guys!

Barry.Oglesby

It really varies from place to place. I've seen some very rigid syllabuses where you must know the triangle from guard, the toreanda pass etc. to get your blue. Others are really lax on technique and just want to see that you can compete with other blue belts.

I would say first- ask your coach- they'll obviously know more about what's required than anyone. The second thing I'd say would be to think about developing a "game" rather than a series of techniques. Knowing 12 different sweeps is fairly useless if you can't do one of them live.

The whole belt thing is fairly arbitrary anyway. Some people scoff downwards and say X organisations belts are too easy to get, and others scoff upwards and say Y organisations are artificially too hard to get. Enjoy the process of learning and improving and when you're ready your coach will let you know.

Tim_Murphy

+1 for what Barry said (except that i don't know what a toreanda pass is)

Barry.Oglesby

I'm probably spelling it wrong. The bullfighter pass, chucking the legs to one side and such.

Liam_B

You should ask your Instructor what are the requirements. Each club is different.

One pointer on progress>>
One of the funniest things I noticed this year, is the guy that always asks questions during class, seems to excel a lot quicker.

I know that sounds so simple, but if you count how many times you asked a question during your sessions this week??
Did you JUST go through the process of class Last Night?
Or did you analyses the technique a little bit? How does it really work?If I didnt get it, did I just continue on, or did I ask my instructor to spend some time with me , with the technique again.

These are the guys that have being excelling here & I really do enjoy when they have questions & can help out , & I'm sure your Instructor will be more than willing to help out too.

just an opinion..

weemate

its unbelieveable the amount of people who dont ask the instructor for help during a class.I would show a technique a few times then ask if anyone wants to see it again....then show it again anyhow....and ask ' is everyone ok with that?].....and I will still see guys trying to make up a version of the technique instead of asking for help....
best piece of advice yet.....ASK QUESTIONS!!!!

Clive

Crusher wrote: »

Hi guys,
Just looking for some advice please. I've noticed that from club to club different BJJ instructors have a very different syllabus for blue belt depending on who they are aligned with. What do you think the most important techniques are for rolling with? (I'm hoping to test for Blue in December)

Big question i know, just looking to see if there ways to improve my game from the more experianced guys!

In my opinion, and in order of importance:
Escapes
A fundamental strategy for guard top and bottom
The ability to make it difficult to escape for the guy on bottom.
A fundamental strategy to bring an opponent to the ground and land on top.
Being able to finish the big five submissions - triangle, armbar, guillotine, rear naked and bent armlock if someone gifts them to you.
Having a sequence of subs you can use to force errors from your opponent to finish them.

Barry.Oglesby

Clive wrote: »

In my opinion, and in order of importance:
Escapes
A fundamental strategy for guard top and bottom
The ability to make it difficult to escape for the guy on bottom.
A fundamental strategy to bring an opponent to the ground and land on top.
Being able to finish the big five submissions - triangle, armbar, guillotine, rear naked and bent armlock if someone gifts them to you.
Having a sequence of subs you can use to force errors from your opponent to finish them.

So different to mine:

1) Having the most expensive gi in the room
2) patches: Do you have enough?
3) Ask your coach about obscure positions: always let him know that you know something other than what you're working on in class
4) being able to coach other beginners through their submissions on you...

paulmclaughlin

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

So different to mine:

1) Having the most expensive gi in the room
2) patches: Do you have enough?
3) Ask your coach about obscure positions: always let him know that you know something other than what you're working on in class
4) being able to coach other beginners through their submissions on you...

I like 'forgetting' my GI bottoms and using my opponents for all my passes.

crosdad

I could be wrong but i dont think techniques are that important at all. i don't think a good coach will want to see that you can do triangles, armbars or the latest ryan hall sweeps or watever, but rather that you have a the correct posture in all the different postions and that you have the correct frames/bases that will allow you to escape/ stay safe in a position. I don't wanna speak for him but i think i can remember john kavanagh saying how gunnar nelson actually didnt know( or maybe use) that many techiniques, and that you dont need that many techiniques to be good at bjj, that the most important thing is correct posture and movment. im no expert though. but i think if you know how to stay safe, move and have good posture in every postion, you should be on your way there.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Tim_Murphy wrote: »

+1 for what Barry said (except that i don't know what a toreanda pass is)

I can't even pronounce it!.

David Jones

1) Having the most expensive gi in the room
2) patches: Do you have enough?
3) Ask your coach about obscure positions: always let him know that you know something other than what you're working on in class
4) being able to coach other beginners through their submissions on you...

Did you forget,
5) Trawling the internet for the "latest" technique that you can show to anyone who will listen when you and they should be drilling something shown by your instructor
6) Better still have 10 variations of the technique shown by your instructor which you can then show and try and get one up on him/her.
7)securing a premises for when you are a blue belt and you can open up your own place because you now know it all.
8) being prepared to not believe you are a blue belt under one instructor just because the latest instructor you have a hard on for tells you so.
9) do you spend adequate time on boards.ie
10) Are you prepared to believe that BJJ didnt exist in the time before you were a blue belt and no one knows more jiu jitsu than you?

That with Barry's would complete my top ten.

Chris89

In my opinion you need to have a consistent strategy for guard passing and guard retention, this is something I was only introduced to at the start of the year and it has helped me a huge amount.

You should enter every situation with your moves already mapped out in your head, i.e im going to lead with this foot and pass to this side to this position and finish with this choke, obviously there will be many variables depending on what your opponent does, but with enough drilling you can cover them all.

EnjoyChoke

Just scrap

da-bres

Chris89 wrote: »

In my opinion you need to have a consistent strategy for guard passing and guard retention, this is something I was only introduced to at the start of the year and it has helped me a huge amount.

You should enter every situation with your moves already mapped out in your head, i.e im going to lead with this foot and pass to this side to this position and finish with this choke, obviously there will be many variables depending on what your opponent does, but with enough drilling you can cover them all.

OOOSSSS Ledinho! Reactions from key positions drilled until automatic:)

IMO: Postures in key positions, Fundamental Pressures, Survival postures, Escapes, Fundamental Knowledge of Submissions, Most importantly 'Objective' e.g. ''take down, pass guard, mount then choke'' Not ''flying toehold''

Richy06

Israel Breezy Tailor wrote: »

I can't even pronounce it!.

It's like saying coriander in an English accent and replacing the C with an R! I think.

r_obric

Crusher wrote: »

Hi guys,
.... just looking to see if there ways to improve my game...

its easy really, spend more time on the mats, 1 - 2 sessions a week will make for slow improvement...

peteclarke

EnjoyChoke wrote: »

Just scrap

Good idea, but gi or no gi?

EnjoyChoke

peteclarke wrote: »

Good idea, but gi or no gi?

50/50

paulmclaughlin

The Gentle Art

1. Make every roll feel like the finals at Mundial. ALWAYS bring your A game. Unless you roll hard all the time you aren’t progressing.

2. Don’t bother washing your gi. In fact, keep it in a ball in your bag. That way when you put it on it’s already wet. Nothing like grabbing a guy with a cold wet gi.

3. Always leave your gi pants at home. Grapple in your top and shorts. Sambo style! When you do that don’t forget to grab the other guys pants legs for all your passes.

4. Always beat down new guys. That way they know the power of BJJ right away. They need to know how effective it is.

5. If you know a cool counter to what the teacher is showing be sure to show it RIGHT AWAY. Especially when the instructor is talking. That way you can look cool. By the way, every technique has a counter.

6. Always use full resistance in class. Especially when in learning stage. If your partner is learning an armbar for the first time you need to give them full resistance so that they know how that feels. Don’t let them get it!

7. If you are about to get subbed switch into coach mode. Coach your partner through the rest of the technique. That way you get credit for HIS sub.

8. If you get tired in a roll wait until you are in a bad position to stop.

9. When you get tapped by a bigger guy always tell them after the roll “Dang, you are strong!” That way you can blame their win on their strength instead of their technique.

10. Keep track of everyone you’ve tapped, what you used to tap them, and when it happened. Relive those moment with your classmates before every class.

11. Gun after everyone who is higher rank than you. That way you can put a notch on your belt for tapping out a higher belt.

12. When you get a tap immediately jump up and do a victory dance. Make sure everyone in the room knows.

13. Drop in and out of class as you see fit. Don’t bother to do the warm ups. If the material doesn’t look cool to you be sure to pull your buddy out of class and grapple on the side of the mat while class is going on. ALWAYS do this if class is covering something you’ve learned already. Review is for white belts.

14. Along those same lines, always show up late. That way you don’t have to even bother with warm ups.

15. When you have a visitor in from another gym you MUST put a beat down on them. That’s the only way they will know how good your gym is. It is your job to uphold the reputation of your gym.

16. Nobody minds if you roll with open sores. Go ahead and grind that scab in my face. I don’t mind at all.

17. Long fingernails are a great sparring weapon. Don’t cut them. Toenails either.

18. Small joint locks are your secret weapon. Grab and twist fingers. Do it hard and fast.

19. Don’t tap! Doesn’t matter that the arm is totally straight and you can hear the tendons ripping. You might still get out! Your pride is worth it.

20. Slam on all submissions hard and fast! That way you get twice as many. Doesn’t matter that your partner won’t have time to tap until it’s too late.
This is BJJ. If you don’t want to get hurt then take up yoga or TKD.

21. Refuse to warm up with teammates before a tournament. Helping others in your gym is for sissies. Besides, you’re already warm.

22. When working with a partner on drills, make sure to go 5 or 6 times when it’s your turn, but only let them go once or twice. You have to make sure you get your reps in! One good way of doing this is to “forget” to, say, go to guard after working in your partner’s guard. If they try to remind you, just tell them you are busy watching other people.

23. Also while drilling, feel free to stop in the middle to get up and talk to your other friends–or to interrupt two people who are working to start a conversation with one of them. Jiu-jitsu is for socializing.

24. Make sure to constantly correct what your partner is doing, especially when you’re brand new. They’ll appreciate the advanced guidance.

Crusher

Thanks for the replys so far. My coach who is excellent by the way says 50/50 technique/Rolling. Syllabus is quite complex and my coach looks for perfection on everything, and rolling is every chance I get regardless of their belt colour. What I'm looking for really is a head start getting a game plan togeather. I'm rolling with Blue and Purples and getting my fair share of taps on them. I wanted to get a game plan togeather, my coach thinks one of the best ways is to study other peoples game plan then develop my own, thats why I'm asking for pointers. Not worried about the belt grade, looking to improve my rolling as I want to compete(even though I'm 40).

EnjoyChoke

Crusher wrote: »

Thanks for the replys so far. My coach who is excellent by the way says 50/50 technique/Rolling. Syllabus is quite complex and my coach looks for perfection on everything, and rolling is every chance I get regardless of their belt colour. What I'm looking for really is a head start getting a game plan togeather. I'm rolling with Blue and Purples and getting my fair share of taps on them. I wanted to get a game plan togeather, my coach thinks one of the best ways is to study other peoples game plan then develop my own, thats why I'm asking for pointers. Not worried about the belt grade, looking to improve my rolling as I want to compete(even though I'm 40).

If you're a 40 year old White belt regularly tapping out purple & blue belts, I'd stay on the path you're currently on

cowzerp

EnjoyChoke wrote: »

If you're a 40 year old White belt regularly tapping out purple & blue belts, I'd stay on the path you're currently on

On the flip side this could mean he's a big strong guy that's tapping lads by just overpowering them, if that's the case progression will be slow, if you can't technically get subs without out powering opponents then technique is not great.

Best advise for big lads is drop strength with lighter lads and make yourself focus on technique, you'll Tap people less but improve way faster and the strength will still be there when you compete to add to your good technique.

arybvtcw0eolkf

cowzerp wrote: »

On the flip side this could mean he's a big strong guy that's tapping lads by just overpowering them, if that's the case progression will be slow, if you can't technically get subs without out powering opponents then technique is not great.

Best advise for big lads is drop strength with lighter lads and make yourself focus on technique, you'll Tap people less but improve way faster and the strength will still be there when you compete to add to your good technique.

Just to add to that.

Paul has had the patience of a saint getting me to focus on technique and not my strength.. For a strong person this is very hard at first, but the results will come if you listen to your coach.

Chris89

I think blue and especially purple belts should be able to handle a strong white belt without too much trouble, nine times out of ten anyway, sure if you have a big shrtong lad he might brute you in to submission if you let your guard down, but overall technique and experience should prevail.

EnjoyChoke

What if they're a Luta Livre black belt Chris, what then?