Breaking Grips In BJJ : 2 Ways To Break Collar Grips In Guard

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Breaking Grips In BJJ : 2 Ways To Break Collar Grips In Guard

So one of the readers of the blog sent an email to me recently. He asked if I had any tips about breaking grips from inside the full guard. After class I went ahead and did a short video on 2 techniques you can try in order to break the collar grips. They’re two that I use often and have plenty of success with.

Breaking grips is such an important part of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. In BJJ if you control the grips you more than likely control the match. Think of it this way. What do your instructors say whenever you’re working on a technique? It’s usually instructions for where your hands are to be placed.

Thinking of it that way. If you control where you’re opponent’s hands can be, then you control the match. Make sure that you’re putting forth time in your training for breaking grips.

Hope the video helps!

Chewy

 

 

 

 

Best BJJ books

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I get asked all the time about what are the best BJJ books to buy. Often times it’s from new students who want something to study when they get home, or by students who don’t have a ton of time. I’ve got nearly 20 different BJJ and grappling related books. One of which is a book called Dynamic Strength by Harry Wong. It was a mislead gift explaining the in and outs of developing strength for Kung Fu from a ex girlfriend. You can see why she became an ex.

There are two standouts amongst the pile of pages that sit in my office. They both highlight two different cornerstones of training.

 

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Jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Riberiro with Kevin Howell

Most books fail to capture the intricacies of a technique, if they do they’re typically not plotted out very well and in most cases they don’t hit the whole spectrum of positions. Saulo’s book does a great job of giving tons of fundamental techniques from all of your standard positions. He also combines his technical knowledge with his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu philosophy. In addiiton he includes a breakdown of what it means to reach each belt, most of which I personally agree with. I think this is especially significant for newcomers. I’ve had this book since I was a 24 year old brown belt and I still reference this book as a 30 year old instructor. If you’re a beginner or even a more experienced practitioner looking for a good overall book to study. It’s hard to go wrong with Jiu-Jitsu University.

 

Drill To Win by Andre Galvo with Kevin Howell

This book really emphasizes the importance of drilling. Proper drilling is something I think many Brazilian Jiu-jitsu players lack. Often times they don’t know how to drill in the most efficient and effective way possible. If you watch a wrestler you’ll see them completely drenched after a drill session. Many times young BJJ practitioners with no previous grappling experience drill techniques slowly and in their entirety. Then after a few reps they default to rolling. In Andre’s book he demonstrates seemingly endless drills which combine techniques with lots of movement. He also illustrates the importance of drilling certain parts of a particular position or technique. Instead of drilling a full technique, many of the drills in the book advertise drilling broken up versions of their complete counterparts.

I personally bought this book in 2010 because I wanted to start becoming a more agile and mobile “big guy” opposed to being a smasher. I’ve always loved watching guys who were just all over the place. This book really helped me do this. Often times when I roll full speed with someone new, they’ll comment on how much I move for a big guy. Many of the drills in this book, as well as drills I’ve created for myself (which were inspired by this book), have helped make me a fast big guy.

By the way if you haven’t noticed yet, if you want to make a BJJ book. Kevin Howell is the cat to talk to.

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So if you are on the market for a book and you don’t own either of these. I would suggest picking them up. They’re great for overall technical development at almost any level. They’re both incredibly dense in information and don’t have a lot of fluff. Hope that helps all my guys in the gym, or anyone reading, with questions on which books they should look into.

 

Chewy

IBJJF Bans Jumping Guard for White Belts

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Recently the IBJJF banned white belts from jumping guard in competition. I started competing in 2003 and I prefer less rules. I think less rules make it the game more fun and force people to stay current with all techniques. Not just those that will help them win a tournament.

But I understand what the IBJJF is doing. They’re following the sport of Judo in many ways. As the sport grows they are trying to increase safety for the individuals. With that in mind, this isn’t the most terrible rule they’ve come up with. Jumping guard isn’t the smartest idea for several reasons, regardless of belt, which I talk about in the video. Now if the IBJJF would start tackling the stalling issues, I’d be happy.

Why I quit MMA

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Whenever a newer student comes into the gym they’ve often done a good deal of homework. They’ve checked out our website, read our blogs and watched our videos on Youtube. With that, these new students have often watched several of my MMA fights. Once they make it to the gym they often ask whether or not I still fight. When I tell them no, they’re always surprised since I experienced a fair amount of success with a combined record of 13-0-1.

It’s funny how we will often coast through aspects of our life the same as we have been with no real change. That is, until something happens, something that wakes us up and forces us to make changes. For me that aspect of life was fighting. I would fight once or twice a year but didn’t put much stock into the whole thing. It’s funny, when I first got into BJJ it was because I wanted to fight. But the longer I practiced BJJ the more I just wanted to do BJJ. I loved grappling and the overall atmosphere and brotherhood-like nature of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. MMA and fighting is cool but I didn’t enjoy the community as much. I also hated a lot of the douche-bagery that accompanies MMA. Too much macho-tough-guy stuff for me, keep in mind I make nerdy historical comparisons to BJJ. It just wasn’t me. I enjoy competition and testing myself.But I’m not nor was I ever fighting or competing to prove myself to others.

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That “something” that I talked about earlier came after my last fight. The picture above was right after the fight. If you look at it, you’ll notice I’m not even staring at the camera. This was because I couldn’t see where the camera was. My student next to me laughed when I asked, “Who are you?” after he asked to get a picture taken. The reason I asked was because, again, I couldn’t see very well. During the fight I had taken a fairly hard shot to the side of the head. One of those shots that wobbled the legs and made you wake up 3 steps back from the last place you remembered. It’s a weird feeling. If you’ve ever been choked out then you have an idea. When I watch the video of the fight and see the overhand right connect to the side of my head followed by my body stumbling back. I can still clearly remember the flash of unconsciousness that came followed by my inner voice going,”Woah that’s not good.” Followed by a desire to hit the guy back and my inner voice saying, “That mother %^@#%!.“ After being hit in the fight I kept myself together and eventually won the fight by north south choke in the 2nd round.

After the fight was over I was left with a big blueish spot right in the center of my vision that persisted for an hour or so. To get an idea of the lack of vision I experienced, make a fist. Now place the fist against your face so that your wrist presses against your nose. Now move the fist about 2 inches from your face. That fist represents that big blue spot. If you’re following along then you’ll realize how much of my vision was impaired.

The excitement and relief of winning was flowing through my veins after the fight and I laughed off the blue spot. At the time I thought it was funny. I took a sort of pride that I had gotten hit hard enough to be concussed and still won the fight. But after the thrill of the fight had worn off that blue spot created doubt in my mind. Doubt about why I was fighting. I didn’t necessarily love it. Not like I loved Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Also, in order to fight I had to spread my resources amongst multiple disciplines which meant I couldn’t be the best that I could be in BJJ as long as I fought. Lastly, if I was going to sustain possible life altering injuries, why would I do it for something I didn’t love? I would ,and have, racked up numerous injuries as a result of BJJ. But I love Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and would gladly do it again. Back then if you asked why I continued to fight I wouldn’t have been able to give you a good reason. Possibly to perform for my students and to test myself, but that’s it. However, if you asked why I continued to compete in and practice BJJ, I could have talked your ear off for hours.

So if you’re one of the new guys in the gym looking up information on me or you just stumbled across this blog. The reason I stopped fighting MMA was because I loved BJJ more and wanted to be the best I could be at that one thing. I love the training, brotherhood, community and art form of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. There’s nothing quite like it.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu questions from White Belts

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Brazilian Jiu-jitsu questions from white belts.

The following questions are from white belts at my gym. If you have any of these questions yourself I hope the post is helpful.

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1. How do you learn a move or submission you’ve been obsessing over well enough so that you can use it during rolling?
Drill it! Maybe you learned it from an instructor at your gym or maybe it’s something you saw on the internet. Wherever you picked up the technique, if it’s something you want to really get the hang of, drill it. Especially in the beginning, new moves have a certain uncomfortable unwieldy quality. You feel awkward and slow to execute. To remove that, you need to drill. Start the drilling off as slow technique drilling where you focus on hitting everything spot on. Then as you feel better, speed up the drilling and eventually have your partner offer some light resistance. Some “sloppiness” is ok once you speed it up but keep it within reason. The idea is to remove the thinking involved. You want to be able to initiate the move without having to think when you’re rolling.

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2. How do I not get so hung up on getting a colored belt or stripe?
Many BJJ practitioners get caught up, fixating on their belt or stripes. Don’t! Don’t chase belts or promotions. In most BJJ gyms you’re going to wait between 1.5-3 years between belts (depending on your training). That’s just too long of a goal to keep you motivated during the rough times where you get a little down on yourself. I did a post on this subject previously here. https://chewjitsu.net/2013/08/17/10-years-in-bjj-and-10-lessons-ive-learned-part-2/

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3. How do I break plateaus or periods where I’m not getting better?

Hitting a standstill, or at least what feels like a stand still, with your Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is unavoidable. We all hit snags along the way. Often times they aren’t as bad as you might think. Many times you’re just comparing yourself to your peers who are learning similar material and rolling with the same partners, and likewise, making their own progress. So with everyone progressing it’s hard to realize that you’re improving.

If you are hitting a true plateau. They’re pretty easy to deal with. Most commonly you’ve gotten slightly complacent or continued to find yourself doing the same moves and techniques in the same positions. Without any change to help spark improvement you’re going to end up in a slow grind.

The solution? Find some new moves, techniques or positions and throw them into the mix. If the moves are in a new position or are completely foreign to you. Then expect to spend time drilling first. After the techniques are drilled to at least a basic level of comfort, start implementing them into your rolling. You’ll probably screw up a bunch and get out positioned or submitted along the way, but the scrambles and failures will help spark new improvements in your game. Gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet right?

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4. How to stay focused on yourself rather than fall in the trap of worrying about others and their progress?
It happens to all of us at some point. We get fixated on how others around us are doing. Maybe someone is making faster improvements than us or maybe they were promoted before us. Whatever it is, it’s important not to fixate on others if it bothers you. The best way to deal with this is to simply start by realizing that you’re worried about someone else’s game rather than your own in an individual sport. Just like wrestling, we all exist on a team but in the end we are individuals. We roll as individuals and we compete as individuals. When you stop and think about how silly it is to be focused on others, its easy to stop thinking about it.

To keep your mind focused try setting goals for yourself. It might be a tournament, losing weight or hitting 3 armbars during the rolling portion of class. Just ask yourself what you’d like to get out of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and then work towards that. If you’re unsure how to get there, talk to your instructor.

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5. What are the best moves to focus on as a white belt / newcomer?

Fundamentals.

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6. How long should I wait before I compete?

Whenever you feel comfortable enough to get out there and give it a try. I honestly think the sooner the better. Many people who take on Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and have never wrestled or competed before build tournaments into something that they aren’t. They wait and wait. . . and wait for the perfect opportunity that never comes. I remember one of my guys that waited till he was a high-ranking blue belt before competing. After his matches he said, “I really wish I wouldn’t have waited so damn long to compete.” Remember, competitions are tough but it’s just rolling with people you don’t know in front of people.

 

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7. Why do we start from the knees during rolling?

In my gym we start on the knees during some of the classes for a few reasons. One is to control space. I don’t have enough mat space to house 40 BJJ practitioners doing full rolls from the feet. Two is injuries. Early on I am trying to protect BJJ players from their spazzy selves. Keeping new students grounded helps ease them into the process early on and prevents injuries. In the meantime we can use wrestling and take down classes to teach them the basics of take downs and fundamental techniques like break falling and being in a proper stance. At my gym we do plenty of full rolling from the feet and take down work. In addition we do lots of situational rolling where we might start inside the guard or whatever position we are working on. That said, I do like having people start on the knees from time to time (especially when they are newer) to get them use to pulling someone into the guard or dealing with the scrambling that can happen when people are going for position. I know some people say that starting on the knees is useless and builds bad habits. But I think as long as you are learning how to perform take down and supplementing wrestling and/or judo into the training, it’ll be fine.

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8. You’re a black belt and have had your own struggles. How have you dealt with your own trials in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?

For me, once I started training, quitting was never an option. Just like all of us I had setbacks. Injuries, job and family intervening. . .girlfriends. But I always kept training. Unfortunately I have a hard time relating with people who take on BJJ as just another thing to do. For me it was life changing. But a few things that have helped when things were tough is this.

  1. Ask yourself, “Do I want to be good at BJJ?” If the answer is yes, be prepared to train for a looooong time.
  2. I give myself reminders. When I was a blue belt I wore a purple sweat band on my ankle to remind me that I needed to train hard to get my purple belt. As a brown belt I wrote, “you suck, get in the gym!”, as the greeting on my phone after I lost a match in a tournament. The greeting which would stare back at me every time I glanced at my phone helped me from being lazy.
  3. Blocks along the road are going to come. When I was younger and something got in the way I would get really depressed, eat bad and sulk. Now I’ve grown to expect them and when they come I look for a way around them. Likewise you should expect them and be prepared to work around them. They may come in the form of injuries, jobs or something completely unexpected, but they are going to come. Try to work around them instead of having long layoffs. Consistency is important for BJJ.
  4. Enjoy the time spent with your training partners and get to know them. The closer you are to them the better off you’ll be.
  5. One of the most helpful things for me early on was my buddy Chris. We trained together and lived together. We would go to the gym, train and come home and drill on mats I bought for our room. Likewise, get a gym buddy or buddies. Build a relationship with someone in the gym where you can call them up to drill and train during open mats or use each other for support.
  6. Drilling can of boring. I think of it like eating your broccoli. It’s good for you but you kind of want something else to eat. Drilling is good for your game but it’s always more fun to roll. I know much of my early success came from drilling. I would drill sequences over and over again and they became easier and easier to hit during rolling and competitions.

Just don’t quit. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a weird thing. It works for everyone but no one’s path is the same. There isn’t a clear-cut route to success. There are things that you can do to improve. But everyone progresses differently. Just don’t quit. “Black belts are simply white belts that never gave up.” I know that quote gets overused a bit but it’s the truth. When I was a white belt I never thought I’d be a blue belt and a purple belt was absolutely out of the question. I eventually ended up receiving my black belt after 8 years. Do the same. Focus on the day-to-day. Enjoy the training, the health benefits and time spent with your buddies. Soak up as much knowledge as you can. Go compete. Immerse yourself in BJJ, don’t let quitting be an option.

As always,

Thanks for reading

-Chewy

How I got my nickname of Chewy

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A really common question I get, probably the most common, is where I got my nickname. Most people who meet me ask if it was because I was really strong, or maybe I was exceptionally hairy or maybe it was some sort of Star Wars reference. To all these I have to say “No.”

Before there was this guy

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There was this guy

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That’s right. I used to be a super chubby kid with a definite lacking in athletic ability. Then I started wrestling. I truly believe that wrestling was one of the things that changed my life for the better. Wrestling gave me the inner confidence to allow me to be, well, me. Wrestling also allowed me to see the consequences when hard work and gritty determination are used to achieve a goal. My wrestling coach used to say, “you’re the masters of your own destiny,” when talking about working hard and going after what you want. That motto from wrestling really stuck with me. I guess most impactful though, is that wrestling led me to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

The reason I bring up wrestling is because I had a great nickname from wrestling, which considering this blog is about my nickname, seemed like a fun thing to throw in to the mix. My wrestling nickname was, wait for it, Tugboat. Yeah, Tugboat. After my first wrestling match when I was still a hefty teenager I wheezed so badly that it made an almost horn like sound. My coach got a kick out of it and it stuck. Just like Chewy, Tugboat became my alternate name for that particular sport rather than just an occasional nickname. When they would call my name over the speaker system at tournaments it was always “Tugboat Albin.” I’m not sure what is wrong with my given name of Nicholas or even the shorter version of Nick.

 

On to Chewy

So, then there is this guy named Mike Colley

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When I first started BJJ during my senior year of high school he was a green belt (a solid white belt). One day we were rolling and I did something. I can’t really remember what it was but it was something a spazzy white belt would do. Just to give you an idea of what I was like at that time. I would come into the gym hopped on pre workout like supplements and I would roll accordingly. Armed with a wrestling base, an overly competitive streak and too much caffeine, I was the textbook definition of a spazzy white belt. Right after I did whatever it was that I did. Mike said in a fit of justified irritation, something to the effect of “you big dumb wookie.” He would then periodically refer to me as Chewbacca which replaced “dumb ass.” But I feel like that’s how you know you’re IN with a group of close knit guys, when they start messing with you. At this time Mike was like the verbally abusive big brother I never needed. Eventually the nickname just sort of stuck and has since become my Jiu-jitsu namesake. To be honest, if it wasn’t for Facebook, I’m not entirely sure many people in the gym and BJJ community would even know my real name.

So there you have it. That’s where I got the nickname, from being an ultra spaz on the mat. I’ve grown to love it, although it is a little weird that I’m a 29 year old man who is called Chewy instead of his real name of Nick about 90% of the day. The other 10% being divided up in no orderly fashion amongst Chew, Chewster, Chew Chew, Mr. Chewy, Chewbert, Big Chew and Nick. I like to think of it as kind of like a super hero. They have their regular name for the public and then once they’ve donned their costume they become Superman, Batman or whatever. Only mine is just sort of reverse. Oh and I don’t have super powers . . . stupid.

So, thanks Mike, without you I would just be a black belt with an ordinary name.

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To be new, is to be a spaz

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Dear new white belt . . . new spazzy white belt. Rolling with you can be incredibly dangerous, as your style of Jiu-jitsu is an ad hoc mixture of basic full guard and passing principles mixed with a combination elbows, head-butts and knees. You’ll bust lips, leave bruises and say “sorry” more than you ever thought possible in an attempt to piece together some semblance of fluid Brazilian Jiu-jitsu technique. You probably feel clumsy and slightly self-conscious because you realize your clumsy nature and inability not to injure your training partners on the mat. You may have even been scorned by a higher belt at some point for your jerky nature. I feel your pain and know your plight. New Spazzy White Belt, I used to be you. Every black belt, used to be you.

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4 Ways To Deal With Anxiety In BJJ Tournaments

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4 Ways To Deal With Anxiety In BJJ

 

 

My first competitive match in a one on one sport came back in 2000. Even though that was nearly 14 years ago I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was terrified. I didn’t feel like I was going out to wrestle, I felt like I was going out to my execution. Have you ever felt like this before a BJJ tournament?

 

 

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About 3 years and well over 100 wrestling matches later, I had my first BJJ match. I had been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at this time for around 2 weeks and was given a crash course in the rules of the tournament 2 days before the competition. You’d think that the years of wrestling competitions would get rid of the nerves before a match, but it didn’t. I was still very anxious and my mind found itself in its normal irrational state, where the only thing I could focus on was the next match. Maybe it was because BJJ was new to me?

 

 

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But, last year was no different. While I was warming up at various tournaments, regardless of whether it was a local tournament or a big IBJJF competition, I felt the nerves. It might come as a surprise to some, that after 13 years of competition under my belt I’m still not free of the pre match anxiety. But I’m not and I’ve actually grown accustomed to, and in a strange way, I sort of enjoy them. It kind of makes me feel alive.

 

A lot of BJJ practitioners have never done a one on one sport before.

Competition is something that is deeply entrenched within Brazilian Jiu-jitsu culture and many newcomers, in my experience, have never competed in a one on one sport. Because of this a lot of practitioners have never learned how to deal with the nerves before a match.  A common question I get from students is,”how do I get rid of the nerves before a match?” They always seem so surprised when I say you don’t and that I still get nervous.

 

The tournament I didn’t have any pre match jitters

I remember only one tournament where I didn’t get my pre-match jitters. I had just finished 3 MMA fights and when I got to the tournament I just felt super relaxed. I didn’t have my customary bubble guts (In case you’ve never heard the term, I’m talking about that funny feeling in your stomach). I came in with the outlook of “no matter what happens, I’m not getting punched in the face.” Needless to say, that tournament didn’t go so well. When I got out on the mat I was just flat and lacked that urgency needed to win a competitive match. I’ve lost matches before, but during this match. . . It’s hard to explain. I’ve been beaten plenty of times but I’ve never felt unable to fight back. This was, by far, the worst performance I can remember, ever.

 

 

Some nerves are good

You definitely wouldn’t want to get rid of your nerves completely. Your body can do some super beneficial stuff for performance when it’s stressed. But I get it, being nervous isn’t enjoyable. I remember early on in my grappling career I used to want the same thing. I thought no nerves would be helpful.  Now I understand that having nerves before a match is a good thing; it gives us our “edge.” It is important though, to have a way of dealing with the jitters. If we don’t keep our pre match anxiety in check, it can leave us exhausted before we step out on the mat.

Below I’ve listed some ways that I have personally learned to deal with the anxiety leading up to a match. This includes BJJ and MMA competitions. Keep in mind that I am probably slightly more anxious than the average person. Oh and if you’d like to read about some of the interesting things your body does when it’s stressed. Do a search for “fight or flight response and sports performance,” and you’ll find some really fascinating stuff.

 

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4 Ways I Deal With Anxiety Before A BJJ Tournament

–          Simply accept that the anxiety you feel before a match is your body’s way of getting ready –  

I tell my students, “It’s simply your body getting ready for battle” when on the subject about their nervousness before matches. I’ve found personally and through the experiences of others, that by accepting, and anticipating that your stressed body is going to go a little haywire you can more effectively control it.

–          Focus on yourself – In my experience the most important thing to help channel my heightened focus prior to a match, is to zero in my thinking in on myself. While I am in an irrational state of mind brought on by the stress of an upcoming match, it’s very easy to build my opponent up and become fixated on the negatives. Going down a slippery slope of “what if’s”. Instead, I reel it in and concentrate only on my techniques and abilities. I visualize myself successfully using my techniques in the match and having with my hand raised. If I execute all my techniques perfectly, I win, right?  This has always helped me over the years. Especially in MMA where bodily harm is a high probability and in recent years as a black belt when every opponent is a beast in their own right.

–          Music – I try to keep myself as calm as possible before matches. When the match or fight is hours away I will listen to something that calms me. In most cases I listen to a lot of classical music. Then as the match gets close I start my warm up routine and listen to something that gets me pumped up. I find that listening to music that gets me excited long before the match ends up making me tense and leaves me exhausted by the time my match finally is up. Staying relaxed till its time leaves me with more energy for the match.

–          Practice mock tournaments with your friends in the gym – Military manoeuvres and war games are used to prepare units for battle. It gives the armed forces of a country the chance to test strategy and get an idea of how things might work without actual warfare (Sorry, military history nerd coming out again). Mock tournaments in a gym are a great way to get a taste of what it’s like in a competition without having to go to an actual tournament. We do these often in my gym. Having that clear “win or lose” situation with points involved and people watching really helps prepare us for upcoming matches. We can also test out strategy by placing ourselves in unique situations (such as being down by points with a short time limit to mimic the end of a match).

 

So don’t let your anxiety and nerves hold you back! Get out there and compete!

 

As always, if you have any questions. Feel free to shoot me a message.

Chewy

 

Stuff my White Belts ask me: “What kind of gi should I buy?”

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Common question from a new white belt: “Chewy, what kind of gi should I buy?”

My answer: Early on I think the type of gi you wear matters very little. As a newcomer to BJJ you won’t be able to detect the small differences that exist between the different kimonos out there. You may notice a difference if you get a heavier gi opposed to a lighter one, but that’s about it.

My advice is to find a gi that you find visually appealing, is within your budget and is from a reputable source. Other than that, don’t pay too much attention to the extras.

Although single, summer, pearl weaves and any gi label “light” are going to be a little lighter and cooler, that doesn’t always mean better. I personally, prefer a heavier gi. Don’t be afraid to test it out and see which type you like best.

Pay attention to the sizing chart of that particular company as many gi companies have different sizing for their kimonos.

Before you buy, do a search on youtube or google for a review of the particular gi you intend to purchase and see what you can find. These reviews can be helpful about learning how much the gi shrinks up, fades, fits, etc.

In regards to colors, I personally feel that you should wear whichever gi color you like, but check with your gym. Some academies have rules against colors. Sometimes they even have stigmas around white belts wearing colors like black gis. This isn’t common but its something to keep in mind. In addition, if you plan to compete in IBJJF tournaments, you will be required to wear certain gi colors.

Fun Fact: Many gis are made in the same factories overseas and in some cases, Kimono companies simply copy another competitor’s design and rehash it as something for themselves. So don’t get too worked up about the special features on your new gi. Focus on finding something that you will be pumped about wearing when you step on the mat.

If you’re new to BJJ and had this question, I hope this blog helped you. If you still have any questions, consult your instructor or send me an email and I’d be happy to assist. 🙂

As always,

Thanks for reading!

—Chewy

10 years in BJJ and 10 lessons I’ve learned (Part 3)

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“Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It’s a state of mind – you could call it character in action.” – Vince Lombardi

 

“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.” – Napoleon Bonaparte” 

(I like to think to interpret this quote with “courage” replaced with “mental toughness.”)

 

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” – Mahatma Gandhi

 

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Fun video of Cary Kolat sharing a story of mental toughenss. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjzVVT8JTeM

 

10. Mental Toughness- I often talk to my students about the pesky voices that will present themselves when they find them in bad positions, when they become tired, or when they are nervous. Do you know what I am talking about? Have you ever been exhausted and stuck under someone’s crushingly heavy top pressure, having a conversation inside your head about whether or not to give up the fight? I have. The situation reminds me of the old cartoons where you would see a devil and angel sitting on top of the character’s shoulders. Except instead of urging me to do something nefarious or kind, part of me says “keep fighting” and the other side says “He’s so heavy. Just give up position, its ok”. If you’ve never experienced these sort of thoughts, then you are tougher than most. Over the years of training I’ve been able to minimize and for the most part extinguish that voice that tells me I should give up. Early on it was very tough for me and required a lot of mental focus not to succumb to those mental suggestions caused by frustration and fatigue.

One of my favorite aspects of competitions or extremely competitive rolls is that they can definitely help bring out the best in us. They can also bring the worst out. If I may, I’d like to share a story of a tournament match I had years ago.

One very insightful competition match that I experienced came from the days when I was a blue belt. I had finished finals for school and came down to a tournament in Tennessee. I did not cut weight nor did I pay much attention to my weight. I had been busy with school, barely trained for the tournament and just figured, “what the hell, I’ll just compete.” I ended up winning my division fairly easily, but the real fun came in the open division. As luck would have it, I fell right at the weight cut off. The weight divisions were 193.9lbs and under and 194lbs and over.  I weighed in at 194.5lbs. . . go figure.

My first match pitted me up against a bruiser wrestler. His name escapes me but I do remember that he weighed around 225lbs with a substantial amount of that being lean muscle. I also remember that he had wrestled in college for 4 years. I also recall being a bit intimidated by his much larger physique. Once our match began the first few minutes went very poorly for me. I was taken down several times and the point spread was up to 12-0 in his favor. Then he mounted me, and this is where things got interesting. See, this tournament had a skunk rule. Meaning if he was up 15 to my 0 then he would receive a technical win. The mount being a 4 point move, meant that he was 3 seconds away from securing the win and thus making me look like I didn’t belong on the mat with him.

This is a moment where I personally had this conversation with myself. I remember this moment vividly. I was so angry for letting him get so far ahead on points. He was strong and had used his wrestling to deny me my usual comfortable top game position. I was just frustrated. Somehow I dusted away the frustration and turned it into determination. I thought to myself “I can’t give up this easy! I need to at least make him work for his win.” Fun Fact, when I compete I am not always worried solely about winning. Yes, winning is high on the priority list, but win or lose I want it to be a good competitive match. Anyways, after having these thoughts rush through my head I manage to escape mount and rally back. Once I made it out of mount he never scored another takedown or a single point for that matter and I was able to rack up 10 points. With about a minute of the match left and the end closing, he shot in for the takedown, I sprawled and attempted a guillotine choke and pulled guard. The choke didn’t stick and my arm slipped off his sweaty neck.  Then I attempted a kimura sweep. He stuffed the sweep but I caught a snag on his arm, transitioning to the kimura, I desperately tried to crank the arm to finish. This moment in the match was kind of neat because it was only a few seconds but I remember noticing everyone in the crowd around us, minus his teammates of course, cheering for me. I was the smaller BJJ guy trying to topple the larger wrestler. I also remember looking of my shoulder as I held onto the kimura lock. I could see his face getting redder by the second as he flexed his arm, keeping it stiff and denying me the finish. Lastly I remember looking at my arms shaking as they were fully flex and fatigued from the long match and a voice in my head encouraging me, “Come on!”.

Sadly I was not able to finish the lock and the bruiser wrestler had his hand raised in victory. I suppose the silver lining was that I wore him out during our match. Because in his next match he was finished in 30 seconds via armbar by a guy we all called Brazilian Mike. Strangely enough Brazilian Mike wasn’t from Brazil or Brazilian. If I was able to wear him down that much, in my mind, meant that it was a good match. The best part about this particular match was that it gave me a clear example of how powerful the mental side of things can be. After reflecting on this match, I realized how valuable it is to have the ability to deal with frustration and uncomfortable feelings while being under heavy physical and mental pressure.

There is an interesting feeling that happens during a tournament match or competitive roll in the gym. That feeling is when you feel someone’s body relax and give up, even if it is just for a second. Think back to your own experiences. Have you ever had a good roll with someone and were trying to secure a pass, sweep or submission, and eventually after a struggle you felt their defensive hand positioning and body positioning give way to your attempts? You may even know this sensation from being the one who mentally broke and allowed the person to pass, sweep or submit. During this match I was almost the one that mentally broke. I was fortunate enough to have the resolve to wipe away the defeatist mindset and come back strong in the match. This was a result of hard training and preparation.

 The Take Away

After reading this I want you to think for a second. Have you ever let your own personal demon get the better of you during your training? Have you ever found yourself rolling in the gym or in a competition having a conversation inside your head contemplating giving up when things get a little tough? Have you ever been training and just got frustrated because you were in a tough spot and ended up making tons of mistakes as a result of your own frustration? Maybe you just find yourself not pushing through a little discomfort caused by fatigue and sitting out a round during training. If you do any of these things, like most of do, then I have a simple challenge for you. Push through it. Developing mental toughness is very much a personal thing. I can’t develop mental toughness for you and you can’t develop it for me. Your coaches and training partners can help assist, but ultimately, it is up to you to push yourself past your perceived limitations.

 

5 Tips

  • Simply be aware of your faults. Start by thinking about situations where you feel the most frustration of discomfort. After pinpointing them, prepare for it next time. Drill to correct mistakes and be ready to relax in those rough spots. It’s always easier to deal with something if you’re prepared.
  • Positional rolling. Let’s say that you have a horrible time escaping mount and it’s a position that causes you the most trouble. After you drill some escapes. Grab a partner with a good mount and perform escape or submit rounds from mount. Meaning, if you escape, restart in mount and if your partner submits you, restart in mount. This concentrated exposure will desensitize you to the position and allow you to become more calm and composed.
  • Learn to push yourself in training when you’re uncomfortable.  When you become tired or fatigued and feel like you’ve reached your limit. Keep going! Train yourself to push through the mentally accepted limitations and learn to function even when you’re uncomfortable or tired.
  • Hard rolling. Going hard in the gym will help you develop the kind of grit you need to be assertive on the mat. It will also help you develop the resolve to continue fighting even when your opponent is coming at you strong.
  • Being in good shape helps. If you are preparing for a tournament it really helps to be in good physical condition. From my experience many times people mentally break because they get tired and fatigued.

*Note that training hard and pushing yourself past your limits is not necessary day to day, all year round. However, if you are experiencing hangups anywhere or are preparing for competitions, its definitely worth doing.

As always, thanks for reading!