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Don't Remember Everything As A BJJ White Belt

Stop Thinking About Techniques As A BJJ White Belt

July 15, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

Stop Thinking About Techniques As A BJJ White Belt

Recently one of my BJJ White Belts asked for tips on remembering techniques when he rolled. He said that there is so much stuff going on, and he can’t remember techniques when he rolls. He just brain farts.

In this video I share an analogy about how BJJ is like music in a way and I explain how it’s a little different than what you might expect. And you should NOT try SO HARD to remember techniques.

Don’t Memorize Everything As A BJJ White Belt

Many people who are new to BJJ start by trying to develop the ability to consciously memorize techniques during rolling. When in fact, it doesn’t happen like that. We call it muscle memory for a reason.

More often than not. Your body will figure out how to put it all together well before you can consciously think about what exactly you’re doing. This is why someone can execute a technique without being able to appropriately break it down and teach it to someone else.

If you do end up being able to consciously think about the techniques when you roll, it’s usually an afterthought. The move has already started and it’s just a fleeting thought in your brain.

In most cases, if you have to think about the technique you plan to use too much. It’s too late and your opportunity will be lost..

Saulo Riberio has a great quote, “If you think, you are late. If you are late, you use strength. If you use strength, you tire. If you tire, you die.”

I think what he is touching on is the importance of your body executing techniques in BJJ intuitively. Without having to remember techniques.

In my opinion this intuitive ability is developed through mat time and drilling.

You’ll know you are starting to develop this ability when you begin going off of “feel” opposed to thought.

Also, if you’re new to BJJ. Be ready for the occasional “Aha” moments that will occur from time to time. Where things seem to fall into place.

I share in the video that doing BJJ is like playing an instrument.

As a musician feels the music and knows exactly which chords to pluck just off instinct. The more your abilities in BJJ develop. You’ll find yourself doing things, not because you thought about them, but because they felt right.

So stop stop trying remember techniques as a BJJ White Belt. Remember what you can and be sure to drill your techniques a lot, and let your body do the rest. Muscle memory goes a long way, don’t let the mind get in the way.

Hope the video is helpful!
-Chewy
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Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips

July 7, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips

How to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt is something that I get asked all the time. Both from my students and from my Chewjitsu group online.

I remember this being an issue for me. Even though I was a young wrestler, I still struggled with being able to roll for a long period of time. I found that I just gassed out so quickly and it was frustrating.

One of the reason I had such a problem when I tried to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt was that I didn’t breathe correctly. It was really bad at times.

So bad in fact, that one of the commands my coach had drilled into my head for competitions was, “BREATHE!”

Yeah, that’s right. Not only did I drill my techniques but I also had to drill my breathing. When he yelled breathe. I would take a very deliberate breath. A big inhale, followed by 3 quick exhales.

In addition to breathing. Another thing that someone who wants to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt should do is to be more conscious of when they are using energy. Often I’ll see white belts being very tense and using LOADS of energy, yet nothing is happening.

Learning when you can conserve energy and when you need to expend it is one of the cornerstones to becoming more efficient. If you’re a BJJ white belt. You can simply think about the positions you tense up in and focus on relaxing in them to some degree.

In this video I share some details on both of these tips.

If you’re trying to roll longer as a BJJ white belt. Listen to the tips and give them a try!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Tips For Grappling After 30 ( I Feel Better At 31 Than 28 )

June 30, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Training /by Chewy

Tips For Grappling After 30 ( I Feel Better At 31 Than 28 )

Getting old and grappling after 30 years old is something I’ve discovered isn’t as bad as I was expecting. Eventually my body will break down as it ages. And hard rolling will be out of the question.

But for now, I’ve found several ways to lessen the frequency of injuries and stay healthy on the mat. Even though I’m now 30+ years old. I can honestly say I feel better than I did at 28.

In this video I discuss some of the issues I started having in my late 20s. Everyone tells you that as you get older you will just feel your body more. And this was the case for me.

In the video I share some of the simple things I started doing after I noticed my body felt worse and worse when I was around 28 years old.

The Secret To Grappling After 30

Making routine maintenance a part of my routine has been my secret to feeling better and healthier as I’m becoming older and grappling after 30.

Some of the benefits I’ve received by staying on top of my maintenance work is . . .

In general I feel less stiff and take less time to warm up.
By respecting my body’s needs. I perform better when I train hard.
I’m injured less and on the mat more.

Some of the different things I do to relax and repair my body are. . .

Stretching and deep breathing.
A more relax, yin, style yoga.
Myofascial release. Foam rolling, lacrosse ball work, etc.
Corrective exercises.
Believe it or not, walks. On my off days I like to go for a nice walk or hike.
Laying in my hammock. You might be rolling your eyes. But a lot of us don’t give ourselves proper time to rest. Even when we rest we feel like we’re being lazy or aren’t making progress. I know that’s a problem for me. Giving myself the mental OK that it’s ok to rest goes a long way.

Start At Any Age

No matter what age you are. If you take the idea that you are a high performance machine and work on developing a routine for your maintenance. I promise, you’ll feel and perform better when you’re on the mats.

Here’s the Attack The Back post if you’re interested in hearing more about my take on grappling after 30 and beyond.

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Should I Focus On My Strengths Or Weaknesses In BJJ?

June 28, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ /by Chewy

Should I Focus On My Strengths Or Weaknesses In BJJ

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A question that came up recently, and is one the comes up fairly often is, “Should I focus on my strengths or weaknesses?”

I believe that while we should never neglect our strengths completely. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to have glaring holes in our game just because it’s uncomfortable to work on them. As I’ll share in the experience below. Sometimes when we focus on our weakest points, it actually improves our strongest areas.

Focusing On Your Weakness Can Build Your Strengths

Here’s an early lesson I learned as a White Belt.

When I started BJJ back in 03. I was fresh from wrestling. So when I rolled I would get on top and try to keylock everyone. Top position was comfortable and things were good.

But. . .

If someone got on top of me. I was a turtle off my back. I couldn’t do anything. I got beat in the finals of a couple of tournaments because I got swept to my back. Once I was on my back I was just done.

Following these performances, my coach put me on my back for several months. No matter what we drilled or worked during class. I started from my guard during rolling. If I wanted to get on top, I had to sweep.

It was the best thing I ever did as a white belt. Not only did I develop an effective guard that I could use. But I was having fun with it.

When I started BJJ. The wrestler inside me wouldn’t allow me to mentally enjoy or commit to fighting off my back. As I became more comfortable though. Playing the bottom game started to be enjoyable and interesting. It was a whole new arsenal of weapons to experiment with.

In addition to that, when I did get on top I had more knowledge about what the bottom person was doing. So if they grabbed an arm or pulled on a grip. Because I was now experienced with the same attacks from the bottom. I could adjust and counter them accordingly. Being better on the bottom made my top game and guard passing better.

A month or so after this guard work focus. I caught an armbar in my last white belt tournament.

Tips To Working On Strengths Or Weaknesses In BJJ

-How do I find my weakness? The way that I often encourage my students to go about it, is to find where you are uncomfortable. Find somewhere that makes you cringe or where you feel lost. Find those areas and move towards them. You may even ask your coach for some extra time on the mat or a private lesson to give you some things in particular to work on.

– It takes time! Be careful not to write something off just because it doesn’t work initially.When you find your weak technique or position. Fully commit (mentally and physically) to it and see where it goes. Remember, it took me well over a month before I finally committed to playing a guard position and started experiencing success. This was after 6 months of training already.

– When can I do this? If you have access to an open mat. Do situational rolling from that position to build it up. If not, ask your coach if you could work from that area specifically. For instance. If you need to work off your back like I did. Ask your coach if you can start from a full guard during full rolling.

– Will I ever not have a weakness? No matter how good you become. You’ll always have areas of your game that are weaker than others. It’s a constant balancing act. A constant chase for the perfection that will not come. The broken ensō circle represents this continually state of being incomplete.

“The circle may be open or closed. In the former case the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development as well as the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfection.”

As always, thanks for reading!

-Chewy

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A Tip To Breaking Mental Barriers In BJJ (I Was A Dickhead Blue Belt)

May 18, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

A Tip To Breaking Mental Barriers In BJJ (I Was A Dickhead Blue Belt)

In this video I share a story about a crazy match when I was a dickhead blue belt (I’m ashamed to say) that pushed me mentally. I also give a tip to help you with your own training and abilities on the mat. How to break mental barriers in BJJ

I share this story because I get asked a lot about how to improve cardio for BJJ. But I don’t believe you can really know your true capacity until you’ve been past the point where your body says, “i’m done.” As I’ll share in this video, you have to get to that point and keep pressing beyond. Going beyond those mental barriers in BJJ will let you know what you can really do.

I believe I heard a Navy Seal say that even after you feel like you’re done and your mind is saying “no more.” That you still have an additional 40% left inside you. Granted I don’t know how you quantify 40% but the idea is that unless you break through your mental barriers you won’t know what you’re truly capable of.

Thanks
-Chewy

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3 Ways To Fight Hesitation On The Mat

March 11, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Competition /by Chewy

3 Ways To Fight Hesitation On The Mat
Recently one of my white belts asked me, “How can I take away the hesistation during rolling.”

He went on to explain that he would see an opportunity for a technique (extended arm, open neck, etc) but he felt unable to go for the move. For whatever reason he just couldn’t pull the trigger and go for it, he felt hamstrung and not willing to take the chance.

This is a problem many of us have faced and, maybe even, still face from time to time.

In this blog I’m going to share the bits of advice I gave to him and that have worked for me and my students over the years.

Drilling

Drilling techniques is a great place to start. Doing repetitions of a movement helps develop muscle memory and allows your body to execute the technique faster. I’m sure you’ll agree, the more you do anything. The more efficient, and comfortable, it becomes.

This applies to hesitation on the mat because if you are noticing the opportunity to execute a technique in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. It’s often too late.

With the fast moving dynamic of rolling. You have to be able to react quickly to the situation in front of you. There just isn’t a lot of time for thinking.

Instead of noticing an opening for a technique and then watching it disappear before you can take advantage. Having your techniques drilled to the point where they’re faster and require less thinking will allow your body to take advantage of the opportunities as they pop up.

Drilling Tips

I know not everyone has all day to train. So some great times to drill are before class, after class or during scheduled open mats or open gym time. I have many students who will come in during the middle of the day just to squeeze in some drilling. They’ll tell you themselves how beneficial it’s been for their game.

It’s also smart to put effort during the drilling time that is given to you during regular class. Instead of just counting down the minutes till rolling.

Try drilling 1 technique at least a 200 times or more before moving on to a new one.

Rolling With Less Experienced Training Partners With A Purpose

Using a new technique is tough against people of the same level. If you’re going tit for tat with someone and you make a mistake. You’re probably going to be in a bad spot afterwards. So most tend to stick to their “A Game.” But in order to really develop a move, you have to use it during live rolling.

This is where you can use your less experienced training partners. When you’re against someone you can control easily. The risk for messing up is less. If you go for the technique and screw it up. You’ll probably be able to get back to a decent position. By having less fear and anxiety you can be more comfortable trying new things on the mat.

As and added bonus. While you’re boosting a weak area of your game. You’re giving that less experienced person a chance to engage and work a little. Instead of being crushed. This is more productive for you and helpful to them.

Meat Head Analogy

Here’s a short analogy. If you were going to the gym and wanted to bench press 300lbs but your max was 150lbs. You wouldn’t put 300lbs on the bar. You would build up incrementally, right? The same can be true for you with your techniques.

There’s a gap between learning a technique for the 1st time and using it against someone of the same skill level. You can fill that gap by using your less developed techniques against your less experienced training partners. Over time you’ll be more comfortable with them and you’ll be ready to try them out during your rolls with people of the same skill level without hesitation.

Tip

Think of some moves that you are working on, would like to improve or are new to your game. Then when rolling with lesser experienced Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training partners. Restrict yourself to just those techniques and avoid your “A Game.”

Mentally Conquer Yourself

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu can bring out our mental weaknesses. Which is good! It forces us to have the presence of mind to work through them.

If you are finding yourself unable to pull the trigger because you are fearful or afraid. Identify the ridiculousness of that thought process and phase it out. Think to yourself, “What is the worst thing that will happen?” At worst you will lose the match or roll. But who cares, it’s a learning experience, and by taking the chance you are improving.

You’re also conquering the fear you might have, which is valuable by itself. You cannot hope to be the best that you can be in anything, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or otherwise, if you cannot dominate you’re thoughts and self.

Black Belt Fears

When I started competing as a Black Belt I had a lot of trouble going after it. I had a tendency to play it safe because I was afraid of losing or performing well. This fear of losing caused me to do even worse. My best matches in the beginning happened when I would be down on points and was forced to attack.

Following a bad performance I read something that stuck with me and changed my focus. Instead of focusing on beating my opponent and not losing. My focus shifted to overcoming myself, using my style of BJJ to the best of my abilities and winning.

I never wanted to walk off the mat again with the question of, “What if I would have gone for it?” burning in my thoughts. I never wanted to leave the mat with a feeling of, “I bitched out because I was scared.”

Since then I have performed the best that I ever have in BJJ competitions and it’s because I am able to let go mentally, and just go for it.

Tips

If there are particular situations that cause you anxiety or fear. Prepare for them. Whether it’s a competition or just a roll with a tough partner in the gym. Be ready to remind yourself how ridiculous it is to be fearful of trying something on the mat. There is nothing bad that can come from it. Just a chance to learn and grow. Combat the negative self talk with something positive. Give yourself a reason why you need to go for it, instead of focusing on why you shouldn’t.

For me, there is nothing worse than a “what if.” So it’s better to have went for it, than to have had the chance right in front of you and let it slip passed you because you were scared.

I hope these three tips help you improve your ability to take the chance and really go for the sweep, submission, pass or whatever it is you’re going for. You may adjust the strategies I’ve listed to suit you, which is fine. But at the very least, hopefully it will get you thinking.

Thanks for reading!

-Chewy

7 Simple BJJ Mount Attacks ( 2 On 1 Keylock Setup)

February 23, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Submissions, Videos /by Chewy

7 Simple BJJ Mount Attacks ( 2 On 1 Keylock Setup)

In this video I demonstrate 7 BJJ Mount Attacks that give you several submission and options that work by themselves or string together with one another. The series begins with a key lock setup and moves into armbars, back takes and chokes.

One of the common responses to defend the keylock in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu will setup the rest of our mount attacks. It involves the person turning to their side in order to grab the arm and bring it back to their chest. As the person turns they will have to compensate for our weight. So if we pop to a foot and release a little pressure it will allow us to take advantage of the angle on the person.

Simple BJJ Mount Attacks

These techniques are a solid, stupid simple, staples. It’s not fancy looking and you’re not inverting upside down. But the stuff works. I still use several of these techniques to this day against black belts and many of my white belts and blue belts use these in BJJ tournaments. I literally had one kid win the Chicago Open back in 2012 using the 2on1 setup to bow and arrow choke. He hit 3 people with it.

One thing I will add is that I was a little high in my mount during the video. This was to demonstrate the techniques and make sure that my hands were visible. During training you’ll want to drill these techniques a little lower to your partner or opponent during rolling.

I’ve gotten some great feedback on the previous drilling videos and I hope these 7 BJJ Mount Attacks give you some options or at least give you some ideas to think about in your own game.

If you have any questions or would like to see a particular position covered. Let me know!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Chain BJJ Drills – Be A Move Ahead Of Your Competition

February 12, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Training /by Chewy

Chain BJJ Drills – Be A Move Ahead Of Your Competition

One important lesson, in regards to BJJ drills, I’ve learned over the years is to chain movements and techniques together

A chess master can be shown multiple boards and they’ll be able to remember the exact positioning of the pieces. It isn’t because they have some sort of extraordinary memory. But rather they are so familiar with the chessboard and the patterns of the pieces that it becomes easy to recall them.

I’ve talked to good chess players before and they’ve told me that while they move 1 piece at a time, they’re moving with a pattern or a chain of piece movements in mind.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is the same, at least for me. My students sometimes think that I can somehow read their minds and predict their movements before they make them. But this isn’t the case. Instead it’s more of an intuitive thing. I FEEL the patterns of their movements and make my adjustments. But where they are moving with 1 movement in mind. My body has memorized chains of techniques and is moving in multiples. This is something that is a consequence of doing BJJ drills with connected techniques. Eugene Drilling

Going back to the chessboard. For every 1 piece they move I’m moving 3.

As anyone trains longer. The ability to execute more movements and techniques in tandem with one another becomes easier. But something you can do in order to speed up the process is drill techniques in connecting combinations.

The idea is to drill multiple techniques together in sequences so that once you execute one, you can possibly execute multiple if the conditions are right.

Think of guard passing to submission drills or moving from triangle to armbar to oma plata from the bottom.

Drilling techniques together helps take the hesitation away from potential opportunities that might pop up. You’re moving movement by movement, but your body has the ability to combine multiple movements together if needed. When you do this, you’re becoming the chess player who moves with a pattern in mind.

In several competitions I’ve been able to see the effect of this kind of drilling. One that really sticks out was a move back in 2013. I was taken down and then executed a failed butterfly guard sweep to x guard entry and sweep, to double under pass to back take. I drilled that sequence over and over again in the gym and when I got out on the mat in the finals it came off exactly as I had drilled it. I was able to attack with multiple weapons and not let up

2 Ways To Chain Drill

– Take techniques that you already know very well and find ways to combine them. For instance if you have a good double under guard pass and a good armbar from side control. Is there a particular defense that your competition uses that could give you the option of using the armbar? If so, drill that. Do your double under pass, have your partner give you the particular response from bottom you’re looking for and use your armbar.

– If you don’t have a ton of time to drill or don’t have the option because of your gym’s rules or scheduling. Use your lesser skilled training partners and active drilling partners. If you can submit your partner left and right with little effort. It’s very unproductive to just keep smashing them. Instead try to execute multiple techniques quickly and then give them the option of escaping or adjusting so that you can set up your next attack.

I’ve been teaching full time since 2010 and this is one of the tricks that keeps my cardio up and keeps my skills sharp. When I do this I’m constantly moving which is tiring, I don’t actually submit my opponent so the roll never ends and I’m using the connected techniques I’ve been drilling against someone who is actively resisting. The other benefit is that I’ve also giving my lesser skilled training partner a chance to engage and use their techniques too. So it’s a win-win, rather than just smashing them down and pumping my own head up.

I’ve been putting up some different BJJ drills on this page. Check it out. I try to make sure that all the drills flow with one another, rather than just being singular techniques.

-Chewy

Tips For Being A BJJ Spaz And Dealing With A BJJ Spaz

February 8, 2016/2 Comments/in Beginners, BJJ /by Chewy

Tips For Being A BJJ Spaz And Dealing With A BJJ Spaz

I saw this article floating around on Jiujitsu Times yesterday about a guy who rolled with a BJJ Spaz. You can check it out here https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/a-reader-question-i-hate-rolling-with-the-class-spaz/.

I wanted to write a blog post about this because as a converted white belt BJJ spaz. I know the frustration of being yelled at for being too rough or doing stupid stuff.

Over the years I’ve developed “gears” and can adjust my style to a small child or a super heavyweight bruiser in an open division.

But this wasn’t always the case.

When I first started I was the spazziest spaz ever. Seriously! My nickname Chewy came from that. Originally one of the higher belts called me a big dumb wookie and that turned into Chewbacca and then Chewy. But it was originally meant in the same way you would call someone a big dumb idiot. He said this because I fell into him and bumped into his face.

People would complain all the time at me for being reckless or being too rough on the mat. I hated upsetting everyone. They were my buddies after all and I felt terrible when I did something dumb. For some reason though, whenever it was time to roll, my switch flipped and I just went hard. This might have been partly a consequence from wrestling. I know wrestlers seem to struggle with slowing down a lot. I also think it was an effect of my low self esteem at the time. I didn’t want to lose.

It’s important to understand though, that when you roll with someone that is a little reckless with their movements. What you might call a spaz. They probably don’t mean to go so hard. Below are some tips for being the person who is rolling with the BJJ spaz and someone who is the spaz. Again the tips from being on both sides of the situation.

Here are a few tips to consider when rolling with a BJJ spaz

Understand that becoming more relax and less “spazzy” is a process that takes time. Just because you told your partner that he needs to chill out, doesn’t mean he will be able to. He can mentally be committed to relaxing and just training, but his body can have other ideas once you guys lock horns on the mat.
Keep them tight. When you give someone who is inexperienced or reckless with their movements too much space. They have a tendency to come crashing into you. Keeping them close will lessen that possibility.
If the person is super new. Do some situational rolling from the position you worked on during class. Many times when I rolled early on. Accidents happened because I didn’t know what to do, so I’d sling my body in one direction or the other to see what would happen. If they have a technique to focus on it will help eliminate the possibility of them doing something that might hurt you or them.
Use it as an opportunity to see how your BJJ skills work against someone who isn’t engaging the same way as everyone else. It’s good practice.
If they do stuff that is dangerous (elbows, headbutts, knees, etc). Talk to them and bring it to their attention. Again, it won’t be an immediate fix but it will bring their screw ups to their attention and over time help improve the situation.
If the person is being overly aggressive (no tapping, cranking submissions too quick, etc) bring it to your instructors attention. There is a difference between being inexperienced and sort of clumsy with your movements, and being aggressive and almost angry. If you get the vibe for the latter. Speak to your coach

Here are a few tips if you are the BJJ spaz (These are things that helped me).

Focus on your techniques. While you do need to experiment with positions and techniques to learn. If you’re a inexperienced practitioner. Really focus on what you’ve been shown. It will act as guide and help you from injuring someone. Many times I see newer white belts doing really weird stuff like squeezing on someones neck or spinning around with their elbows flung out. I try to get these people to focus on what I, or other instructors, have shown them in the past.
Do a little soul searching. Figure out why you feel the need to go balls out to win every single time you roll. Mine was because I was insecure and felt like that if I lost a roll, my day was a failure. Stupid yes, but that’s what I thought. Yours might be different. Either way. Understand that your BJJ progress is not predicated on whether you win every roll during training.
Roll with someone smaller or someone that you can easily control or don’t care losing against. Rolling with a couple of kids we used to have in class helped me tap into a slower gear. I didn’t care about being tapped or anything. They were kids. This allowed me to be more relaxed with my movements and just goof off. It gave me a feel for how I could turn down the intensity but still move around.
Put yourself in uncomfortable positions and learn to relax and be comfortable in the uncomfortable. Learn to stay calm and not to freak out when you’re in an undesirable spot.
It’s not the world championships every time you roll. On most days of training. You’re there like everyone else to get better and develop as a team together. Training is about building each other up, sharpening each others skills and growing with one another. Not about tapping them out and standing over top of them in victory.
BREATHE!!! I see so many newer people get crazy on the mat when they’re rolling. Then they take a deep breath and they’re able to relax. If you feel like you’re getting frustrated, angry or whatever, take a deep inhale and push the air out of your body. This always helped me. In fact, it was one of the queues my coaches used during my matches all the time. I would get to a position holding my breathe and I would just be going nuts. Then he’s say, “breathe.” With the exhale, everything seemed to slow down a bit and I was able to think more clearly which helped me relax.

So take it easy on those spazzy people in the gym, we all make mistakes. Be careful for sure, but unless you get the vibe that they are angry or just being mean. They are probably inexperienced and aren’t completely aware of how they’re rolling. They might even actively be trying to chill out.

If you are the so-called “spaz” in your gym. Learn to tone down the way you roll. Use some of the tips above and keep working. More than likely, as your experience grows, so will your level of comfort on the mat. The more comfortable you become the more relax you will be when you’re tangled up with someone during a roll. But keep training because even a crazy white belt spaz who freaks out on everyone and gets yelled at. . . can be a smooth rolling black belt that people enjoy rolling with.

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– Chewy