Congrats!!

Interesting how belts are promoted.
My instructor makes white belts compete in in-house tournaments four times before promoting to blue belt, tournaments are held ever 3 months. Miss a tourney, you're a white belt another 3 months. Because of Covid & a missed tourney I'm going on Month 14 and have two stripes. I should make blue belt this year barring something unforeseen happening. KNOCK ON WOOD!

For blue belts, a stripe is awarded every two tournaments.
Purple belts get a stripe every two tourneys, once you get 4 you are eligible to get promoted if he thinks you're ready.
Brown belts get no stripes... you get promoted when he thinks you are worthy.

So I have another 2-1/2 years or so to get my purple belt, then another 2 best case for brown.

I didn't really get into to become a bad ass black belt... more just to stay active. Now my goal is just to reach "competency" which I would say is purple belt. Anything after that is gravy. I hope to continue as long as I can... really enjoying the ride.

as far as a good look into how my team is doing things, a few months ago my professor posted this:

Quote:

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1. Be consistent at class. Not every class every day. You need to be there as often as possible. My thoughts are 1 hour a week is not training, 3 hours a week is good to learn something and progress at a normal pace 1-2 years per belt. 6 hours a week is good for 1-1 1/2. Anything more is reps that can't be replaced and will solidify your learning.

2. Compete. Normal competition is 3-4 times a year for each belt and 1-2 open mats a month.

3. Don't be an *******. If I give you a belt I am signing off on you as a whole and I can rely on you to the level and speed you earned your belt.

4. Belt testing. I came up testing for every belt I have and usually require the same, but sometimes I don't require it. If I ask you to test it's because you are rolling in your own manner consistently and can teach others this style with little effort. What I need you to be able to do is "everything" and be able to teach it if it you don't use it by brown belt.

5. Belt is for gi only and you should train both. I am not sure when it became cool to give belts out to nogi students but it is dumb and serves no purpose.

I have grappled since 1984 and we always only had starters and back-ups. I have and continue to base my nogi ( I prefer it to be called submission grappling) on time and competition results and that is what you get not a rank belt.

You could have the worst wrestler in the world as the best coach or the best wrestler is the worst coach...and they got that recognized as that a great competitor or coach rarely both.


That what I can think of now off the top of my head and will most likely revise it later.

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Good list and refreshing to see instructors being transparent/open about their criteria. Some schools keep their promotion criteria shrouded in secrecy or are totally arbitrary. Each year at our belt ceremony my instructor shares his philosophy (which includes many of the same things).

The one thing he also adds is "Don't EVER tell me you feel like you're ready for your next belt. If you ask me for a promotion I can guarantee that you will wait at least an extra year". He says it jokingly, but he's serious.

How are things at your schools in terms of class size? At our school classes are as big as ever, despite a number of folks having caught Covid (mostly our competitors). I really want to get back on the mats and my knee is recovered, but I've had a good friend my age hospitalized with Covid for the past 5 days and it's made me worry about going back for now, especially with a vaccine on the horizon.

Sweep4-2 said:

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The one thing he also adds is "Don't EVER tell me you feel like you're ready for your next belt. If you ask me for a promotion I can guarantee that you will wait at least an extra year". He says it jokingly, but he's serious.

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Brown belt here. Haven't really trained since March. But if our instructor did this I'd ask this every year.

I've only trained 3 months since last March. Had a dream several weeks ago that I went to class and couldn't figure out how to put my gi top on. My instructor kept saying "come on we are waiting" and everybody in the class kept just shaking their heads. But I couldn't get my hands/arms into the sleeves.

I woke up and was genuinely frustrated. Not sure what to make of it.

Wow, anyone see that OU Football Player vs Wrestler/MMA guys fight in that bathroom? Really unfortunate outcome (and disgusting floor), but some decent examples of controlling distance, space, position, etc. and how devastating they can be.

Also a really good example of how dangerous a shoving match with the wrong guys can be.

I saw it and was strangely satisfied watching it. Was contemplating it today while drilling duck unders.

Two months out of minor-ish shoulder surgery and feeling just about 100% on the mats. Stretch goal was a March comp but I don't think I'm going to quite get there.

Yeah I saw it- it should be a good reminder to always take a quick glance at the ears before deciding to pursue hostilities. However I think most people who choose to fight in public already lack the intelligence and common sense to do such things. The OU guy was lucky he didn't have his career ended with a shoulder lock or arm bar, both of which were readily available.

I am really excited as I will be able to return to the mats soon- I was able to get a covid vaccine last week. My wife is a teacher (first year teacher too- what a year to be a first year teacher!) and I had agreed to hold off returning to training until one of us got a vaccine since she already gets enough potential exposure at school or risk making her quarantine in case I caught it at the gym . She is getting hers this week as well. We have a trip planned for Spring Break so I am planning on starting back up after we get back- it will have been an entire year off the mats at that point.

There were several guys who started about the same time I did and they kept training through the pandemic and all got their blue belts in the fall. I missed our schools last promotion day before the pandemic- I would have probably gotten 3-4 stripes on my white belt if I had made it. But alas, I am still a no-stripe white belt lol.

Any one have any advice/resources for a BJJ specific weight lifting program? I'm a small guy and just get manhandled sometimes on the mat by partners that are not better than me. I need to get stronger. I'm not looking to beef up, but I'm sick of getting thrown out of side control and slammed on all my sweeps.

My go-to workout is a park workout with dips, push-ups, pull-ups, box jumps, bur-pees, sprints, medicine ball and ropes. But my strategy is to stay lean, flexible and have monster cardio. I lose plenty of rolls, but I never lose because I'm tired/gassed. Other guys I know do Olympic lifting and rely on pressure, control and power passing.

But it depends on the type of workout you like, the type of BJJ game you're building, etc There's good free stuff on YouTube, and also good $ stuff on BJJFanatics.com.

I realize you didn't ask about technique......but just wanted to comment. The issues you're experiencing (thrown out of side control, slammed on sweeps, etc.) are fixable in a lot of cases with adjustments to your position, posture and movement/reaction to the reversals. Ask your coach/instructor if he or she is seeing anything that you can adjust, tweak, etc. in your game. It could be something you can fix in just a few sessions of training. Also, when you get reversed, smashed, etc. don't be afraid to ask your training partner what they are seeing, how they're doing it, etc.

I will admit that there are monsters on the mats that are huge, and strength/size can be a pain to deal with when the disparity is big. But the reason an advanced belt can easily control a big/strong lower belt is almost all about technique. Hope that helps...not trying to derail your original question. Just trying to help share some experience.

Is anyone competing at Jiu-Jitsu Worlds in Houston on April 10th?

https://www.jjworldleague.com/events/houston-2021-adults-gi

Sweep4-2 said:

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Wow, anyone see that OU Football Player vs Wrestler/MMA guys fight in that bathroom? Really unfortunate outcome (and disgusting floor), but some decent examples of controlling distance, space, position, etc. and how devastating they can be.

Also a really good example of how dangerous a shoving match with the wrong guys can be.

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NSFW language, but this is a funny breakdown of the fight and how MMA and BJJ gaining in popularity should make dudes less eager to start bar fights

That is hilarious (and true)! Love the part about the Affliction shirts too.

A number of years ago I had a really bad ear injury (top half and bottom half split) and It had to be stitched back together in the ER. Lots of folks admired it thinking it was a BJJ injury.

But it was the result of falling (passed out) in a Macy's and hitting my head on a table while shopping for a tie. Not very glamorous or tough.

Competing at Jiu Jitsu World League in Dallas this weekend (Frisco technically)

Thanks for your advice. I know that eventually good technique will prevail. But in the meantime, while I'm still working on that, I'd rather not get manhandled. I've been training a little less than a year, so I obviously don't have great technique. But there are a couple guys at my school that have been there less than 3 months and literally bench press me off of them and can muscle out of my sweeps. I'm small, so I'm trying to build a game of speed, mobility, flexibility, and technique, but I need something in the interim as I develop those skills.

Sure thing, happy to share. It sounds like you're focusing on all the right things, which is great. Check out the workout below. I haven't done this workout, but Grapplearts.com has high quality material and the guy who owns the site (Stephan Kesting) is a good guy.

https://www.grapplearts.com/bjj-strength-training-the-top-6-exercises/

Nick Rodriguez also has a series on building strength/conditioning (and he is in crazy good shape), on BJJFanatics.com but it looks pretty intense (and I've also heard he 'supplements' his workouts haha). I wish I could be built like that, it would definitely help my BJJ game.

Also, I know it's not 'strength' related, but something I've found beneficial is yoga. Not like the 'gentle meditation' type yoga, but 'athletic' yoga. My instructor's wife teaches Yoga for BJJ, and it is rough! But her two main forms of fitness are training BJJ (she's a high level competition black belt) and yoga. And she's one of the strongest people I've ever rolled with, regardless of gender or size (she's 5'11", competes at 125 lbs). And the Yoga is a big part of it.

Not much to report here this week, but it was a great week for training. Everything has been clicking lately and my rolls have been getting better and better. Can't get enough of this.

Awesome, glad to hear it. I returned after a three month absence and it was terrible. It was a day after I ran my half-marathon and I was still dehydrated and out of it.

I got beat up pretty good and am sore, but no new injuries and it feels good to be back.

Normal pyramid: do this unless otherwise specified. 3 sets, aiming for 9-10, 8-9, and 5-7 reps. The 1st set should be tough and the 2nd and 3rd sets should be darn close to failure. If you want to fry yourself, after the 3rd set, quickly strip 20 pounds off the bar and immediately do a few more reps with the lighter weight.

MON: back
Warmup: 5 minutes on cardio rowing machine + easy stretching
Bent over rows OR a rowing weight machine
Lat pulls + shrugs superset: 3x10 for shrugs, pyramid for lats
Deadlift: 3x6. if you don't have good form, do a few sessions with a trainer or watch videos on YouTube + record yourself to learn it. Otherwise, you can F up your back

WED: chest, tris, shoulders
Warmup: 5 minutes on cardio rowing machine + easy stretching
Incline bench: 1-2 light sets then the pyramid
Triceps presses + rear delt raises superset

FRI: legs and back
Warmup: 10 minutes of walking on a treadmill with lots of easy stretching followed by some light squats
Squats: a couple of warmup sets then 3 heavy sets (pyramid)
Lat pulls + shrugs superset: 3x10 for shrugs, pyramid for lats

SUN: chest and triceps
Warmup: 5 minutes on cardio rowing machine followed by stretching
Dips: a bodyweight set followed by 3 weighted sets
Triceps presses (pyramid)

That's a super streamlined workout that'll only take you 30-40 minutes a session despite hitting all major muscle groups 2x a week. Add ample protein and calories and you'll be much more muscular in 6 months and jacked in a year.

Thanks!

I realize that this forum is mostly focused on training technique, conditioning, etc.....but was curious if anyone is following the drama that surrounds Gordon Ryan wherever he goes.

That whole Ryan vs Atos feud is really getting nasty, and it's hilarious. Galvao confronts Ryan and gets slapped 2x. Then Gabi Garcia challenges Ryan to a match. That match would be a complete joke and would hopefully never happen.

BJJ went from fairly boring and respectful on the international pro scene to bizarre pretty quickly.

Yes, it's getting have a bit of a WWE tinge lately. The slaps and lack of reaction were over the top.

ETA: I smell marketing ploy more than rivalry.

Today was my first day back on the mats since just about a year ago- it was great to see everyone and get back to training. As much as I tried to stay in shape since last March there is just no replicating rolling. My main focus was just getting to a couple of different positions- cross collar + sleeve grips when recovering guard, single leg x and hit a few sweeps from there, pass guard a couple of times, and break open closed guard a couple of times. Felt like I was about to puke following a 2nd round of rolling. Maybe with a little bit of hard work I'll get that 1st stripe on my white belt lol.

I think Galvao vs Ryan would have been interesting several years ago, but not so much today. Two legends but one at the end of his career and the other in the prime. Plus, Galvao's style doesn't match up well with the DDS / leg entanglement game.

In terms of the WWE mentality, it seems like there's getting to be more of that kind of thing. Seems to coincide a bit with these televised/streamed promotions....so makes one wonder a bit.

But of course, there's always folks who lose their tempers. One of my teammates was competing in a nogi match thru a local promotion in Houston and the match ended in a DQ, but it quickly escalated into a full blown fistfight that spilled into the audience (and some of the audience joined in). Definitely was NOT planned by the promoter, but it sure got a lot of chatter on social media.

Gordon Ryan definitely has a brash personality and isn't afraid to start stuff. He almost reminds me of UFC's Colby Covington, but I think Covington is more of a act and Ryan is just naturally like that.

Anyone here train in the Highland Village/Flower Mound/Lewisville gyms?

I am probably needing to train somewhere new with my gym not holding lunchtime classes or even grappling with actual opponents still...

Its sad because I have been there since 2015 and now I haven't trained in a year because of all the above...

Yeah, agree re Ryan and Covington.

Btw, taking things even further in the WWE direction, it appears that Craig Jones and Gabi Garcia have verbally agreed to compete against one another at a future WNO match.....

I don't think it'll actually happen, and if it does hopefully it's showcased as an 'exhibition' otherwise we'll have gone from slightly ridiculous marketing hype with the slapping to completely ridiculous....

I train at Kama Jiu Jitsu in Flower Mound. Available lunch training everyday (M-T-Th 10-11; W-F 11-12).

cpscAG06 said:

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I train at Kama Jiu Jitsu in Flower Mound. Available lunch training everyday (M-T-Th 10-11; W-F 11-12).

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That's one place I was looking. Any idea what kind of rate I can expect? Just ballpark...

cpscAG06 said:

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I train at Kama Jiu Jitsu in Flower Mound. Available lunch training everyday (M-T-Th 10-11; W-F 11-12).

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I watch a lot of their videos on YouTube. I like how he even did a video on "the slap" lol.

Got second place in our in-house tournament today in the 220+ white belt division... there were 4 of us.
Lost first match to my nemesis (and friend) the wrestler who ended up winning by doing some choke from top north south position. Not real sure what to call it... seemed like a breadcutter almost.

Won my next match by hitting a single leg & jumping immediately on a cross collar choke for a win in about a minute. This guy had previously beaten my wrestler friend in another tourney so I was pretty pumped to beat him. (Former tech football player as well... I thought about chanting SEC after he tapped, but held off for decorum's sake and he's a good dude)

Next match again went for the single leg & missed, opponent shot my leg & hit it. He didn't keep his head up so I was able to get a nice deep guillotine. He started driving into me, I scooted my hips out & was able to get good pressure & finished that one in about 1:30. Was 17 years older than this opponent... score one for the old guys!!

Nice! Congrats on doing well in the competition, and also in being able to finish your opponents with submissions. Not an easy thing to do. Also nice that y'all have a great combination of competition and camaraderie....always makes it more rewarding.

I returned to competition format training last week and had the opposite outcome you had. We did four 8 minute rounds and I was in survival mode for most of it. The good news was my opponents were about 20 lbs less than me (I roll at 5'11", 170 lbs). Bad news is that they were all about 20 years younger than me! So it was a rough day.

Quote:

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The good news was my opponents were about 20 lbs less than me (I roll at 5'11", 170 lbs). Bad news is that they were all about 20 years younger than me!

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Lol I know the feeling! We have a very young blue belt I roll with from time to time. He's 18, about 150# and has been doing BJJ since he was 11. Dude is FAST and slippery as an eel. Loves to go inverted. Total opposite of what my 200+ pound training partners do. I am worn out physically & mentally after rolling with him.... it's like I'm in slow motion. Good times