Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - General Thread

RoboRat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122149270#Comment_122149270

A lad went to an academy with a camera and recorded himself calling out the instructor in front of his class. He was calling him out because he believed the instructor was a fake purple belt. The academy used to be run by a BB but he moved away from Ireland and left the academy in the hands of this purple belt. I think he was promoted to purple just before the BB left - I'm not sure of the timeline.

Darragh O' Conaill put up a post where he went off on the lad for storming the class. Originally the guy alleged that the instructor wasn't a legit purple belt, then on FB, he started saying the instructor was choking out young lads and so forth.

Needless to say, it didn't go as planned. The students of the so-called 'fake' instructor contradicted the argument and many head BJJ coaches were also critical of the guy for storming the class.

The video is hard to watch as it's so cringeworthy.

MrStuffins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122149951#Comment_122149951

Still waiting on that buffet. I'm bloody starving!!

RoboRat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150030#Comment_122150030

Purple belt minimum requirement for a seat at the buffet…

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122149951#Comment_122149951

Clown.

And is the guy training in an Irish gym? Doubt he'll be welcome at any open mats or seminars.

MrStuffins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150323#Comment_122150323

I assume he does. According to the thread on Facebook he's been banned form multiple gyms in Limerick.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150328#Comment_122150328

Some lads have no respect.

I'm hoping to return to training myself in the next few weeks now after about 5 years out. Not sure what it'll be like after such a break.

RoboRat

Back myself about 2 weeks.

Took over a club before covid and was training kids and white belts. Then covid hit and during covid was I doing alot of walking and mountain biking. Managed to mess up my heel... a spur was growing into my achilles. Was out for ages waiting for a procedure... crazy backlog after covid. Then 6 months physio. Didn't bother reopening the club, was just training kids and I wanted good rolls.

Went back to my old club and messed my knee up after a couple of weeks Had another surgery on my knee (4 in total, 2 on both knees). Out again for 6 months.

Finally back and it's mad... lads who were white when I was purple are now purple. Blues are browns. I'm easing myself back. I'm not there for the belts, just to enjoy myself.

I'm sure if the dojo stormer rolled with me, he'd be calling me a fake purple!

Insect Overlord

Aw man, I went to primary school with that guy. Used to help him with English and Maths when he was new to the place. He was always a little bit eccentric, even when we were 10 or 11!

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150586#Comment_122150586

I damaged my Achilles in late 2019. The guy I was rolling with dove in with a ankle lock and snapped it on. I didn't even have time to tap. I couldn't walk properly for months but was still making the odd class. Then COVID happened and I stopped training all together.

Went to one session late last year and ended up reinjuring an old shoulder injury because I didn't warm up properly and just overdid it. Another few months of pain and limited movement in my shoulder.

Now I'm hoping to get one class a week in for the next little while to ease back in. I'm in Wexford so will probably try Silverback and see what it's like, I see a few familiar faces in recent photos so should be a decent crowd down there.

Saying that there's a huge community of Brazilians where I live so I'd be shocked if there's not some rolls going somewhere with them which would save a bit of a drive. I've seen three or four guys who've the BJJ looks and the matching ears 😀 I must pop into the local Brazilian shop and ask.

MrStuffins

I'd given myself the goal of 100 sessions in 2024, which was only two a week, but I'll miles behind that because I just keep picking up little injuries.

Trained 4 days last week and after the last session felt a little twinge ...... and now these little twinges turn into week -long strains that I need to rest.

Been a blue belt for a little while and will be for another while yet I'd imagine. The lads who I was getting the better of a little are all passing me by and the guys who were kicking my a*s might as well be Rickson Gracie compared to me at this point 😂

Still, a fun journey all the same!

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122148990#Comment_122148990

No, but it's always the same nonsense.

Somebody sandbagging, somebody who cares too much about a cheap $1 medal. etc
Somebody not knowing the rules of a competition and overreacting, usually a parent

Obviously heading to FB with popcorn now

Black Sheep

I don't have a problem with anything that's been posted so far, but if anyone wants to make further comments/observations on this 'dojo storming', please do it over on that Facebook group.

That's where the parties involved are, that's where any comments should be made. Not that there's much more to be said, at this point anyway.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160477#Comment_122160477

Where can I see this video. The is gas. Tries to be a hero, epic backfire

Black Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122163604#Comment_122163604

It's in one of the Facebook threads.

BalboBiggins

Lads is it possible to do BJJ without getting injured? I just want to learn the basics for self defence but it seems that everyone gets injured if they do it consistently.

taxAHcruel

^ Almost no one I teach ever gets injured. There are some injuries in the school but rare. Competition is a bit more injury prone but even then it's rare. All sport comes with some level of risk. Even Lawn Bowling is not entirely risk free. When we choose a sport we are always balancing the risk with the benefits.

What injuries do happen - happen mostly during "rolling". The way many teachers do a class is 1) Warm up 2) Show new technique(s) which you drill over and over 3) "Roll" (fight for real against 1 or more partners).

Many injuries I have seen during practice rolling have been ego driven. That is the person did not tap out when he was obviously beaten. (S)he was so sure if they just had one more moment they could get free. And they just went a bit too long and something gave. Other injuries happen during the take down portion of a roll.

I've had a few injuries over the years but I am uber cautious and what few I have had - were quick to heal and not that detrimental. I am into archery and running so I am hyper protective of all my limbs.

So if you want to learn it and are genuinely concerned with injuries you have a few options:

1. Learn but don't "roll". There is no obligation to roll if you do not want to.
2. If you do the rolls - learn which opponents go hard and which don't. New white belts for example tend at times to be very ego and victory driven. They see roll time as a time to prove themselves rather than to learn and practice. So they go hard. It's perfectly common to say no to someone if they offer to roll and say yes to the next person. Generally no one takes offence to that and if someone does - we usually as teachers have a quiet word and explain that's not how it works. If you do want to go hard - learn who you feel comfortable going hard against.
3. If you can roll against people a belt higher than you - they tend to go easier, look after their opponent, and not spaz out as much. Of course you will "Win" less but winning during rolling is again far from everything.
4. If you roll tap out early. If you see you are beaten do not force the issue or try to power out of the hold. Sure in competition or a real fight you might use sheer will or power to get out of a bad position. But when learning technique - it's enough to end up in the bad position to tap and reset and start again. If you do not know the escape then tap early and tap often.
5. Do not be afraid to tell your opponent what you do and do not want from your roll. It's perfectly fine to say "No leg locks please" for example at any belt level. Or you can tell people "No submissions". So you can simply start in a bad position like mount and you have to get out of it and into a dominant position - then the other person has to do that - and back and forth. Simply dominate/escape over and over. If they are not into it that's fine - see above what I said about people learning who they do not want to roll with. No ego. For many BJJ is all about the ego of getting that tap. But for others the art of getting out of positions and getting the other guy into positions is half the fun.
6. Do not start from standing up, so no sweeps are required where a large % of injuries have a tendency to happen. You can start both on your knees, or one on back and so forth. You'll notice when rolling and starting from standing - your opponent will often instantly sit down. ( https://images.app.goo.gl/vuJErcyiiuuU71yA9 )
7. If there is a particular injury you are concerned with or feel you may be individualy more prone to - look up and work on excercises that strengthen that area AND all the supporting muscles around that area. If you have a concern about knees for example - then look into the knees over toes guy stuff as he works on not just knees but everything supporting the knees. And so on.
8. Work at home on general flexibility. Yoga isn't bad. But non yoga there are a multitude of you tube videos showing home work outs that are specifically tailored for the kind of movements and areas of your body that are jujitsu related.
9. If you feel a niggle or a suggestion you might be hurt and prone to an injury - don't force the issue and train. Listen to your body.
10. Sleep well. Nutrition well.

barryribs

On the topic, does anyone have any tips for turf toe? I can't seem to shake it at all. I've tried training through it, taping it, stretching it and the last resort, resting it.

taxAHcruel

Step 1 is of course to be 100% sure that that is what it is. A few things can present the same way as turf toe. Gout springs to mind but there are a few others. Generally Boards.ie tries to avoid members giving medical advice to each other so obviously the first advice is to go seek medical advice if you haven't already.

RoboRat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122207101#Comment_122207101

Yes, but you'll need to be smart and it also depends on your age and fitness level.

Choose who you roll with. Stay away from the lads who think they're competing at the mundials or the lads who spaz out.

Tap early and often. Biggest cause of serious injuries is people thinking they can get out of a tight position, only to find they can't. If you're caught, tap and restart.

Do a proper warm up, stretch well and stay hydrated. BJJ is like folding clothes with the people still in them. You'll end up using muscles in ways you never have before.

BalboBiggins

Thanks lads!

barryribs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122209174#Comment_122209174

Yea its turf toe alright, I used get it quite a bit pre-covid. I got anti-inflammatorys and was told rest it. Its the same every time, the tendon cramps and the joint blows up shortly after so hoping that someone may have tips to prevent it, or speed up recovery. It's not terrible for BJJ but an absolute disaster for judo

Black Sheep

If someone can afford it, the safest way to train is probably private lessons.

I've know a few people who had the cash for it, and it suited them to schedule their training at a time of their choosing as well.

Not that different to paying for PT.

Whether it's a good idea in the long term is a different question, but it's certainly safer than a class environment, less variables, total attention of your coach.

For an older trainee I think, again, provided they can afford it, it's potentially a good on-ramp into general classes if there's something they're apprehensive about.

In BJJ in general I don't think injuries are inevitable .. but over a multi year stretch I couldn't say to someone - with a straight face - that they're unlikely to be injured at some stage, if they roll with any degree of intensity on an ongoing basis.