Don't Remember Everything As A BJJ White Belt

Stop Thinking About Techniques As A BJJ White Belt

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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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Low Guard Passing

5 BJJ Low Guard Passing Position Drills (Flow Drills)

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5 BJJ Low Guard Passing Position Drills (Flow Drills)

Being strong from the low guard passing position is important. The lower style guard passes allow you to put the pressure on your opponent and allows you to pin down their legs.

Just like anything else in your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu though. You have to be able to chain together and flow from one technique to the other. Being able to do this in BJJ, especially with your low guard passing. Allows you to attack from multiple angles and adjust to your opponent’s defense.

One of the common mistakes I see from people with their guard passing is that they will only have 1 solid guard passing technique and have no answer for their opponent’s adjustments. They’re guard passing is 1 singular movement without the back up it needs to be successful.

For me, if I have trouble passing standing, most of the time due to very active legs. I immediately move to attack with low guard passing. And most of my low guard passes in BJJ originate from a few basic positions.

This is why I like this drills in this video so much.

 

Low Guard Passing Drill Video

Instead of just learning the techniques. You’re doing drills that will help you establish a low guard passing position. Then after you can easily acquire the position. Adding in the actual guard passing is easier.

Also, the five movements in this video are flow drills. Meaning that you flow or chain from one movement to the next. This is great for building that ability to smoothly move from position to position and it’s a hell of a workout.

So if low guard passing in BJJ is something you need to work out. Try these flow drills and see if they help. I know they’ve worked well for myself and my students for BJJ competitions and rolling in the gym.

Oh, and I encourage you to add in some of your own movements when your drilling. Think about positions you get to and add them into the mix!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips

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Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips
White belt bjj spaz days

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 )

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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.

Click here to check out the full interview at Attack The Back.

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Should I Focus On My Strengths Or Weaknesses In BJJ?

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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."

“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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11 Solo BJJ Drills W/ Stability Ball (Guard Passing And Hips)

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11 Solo BJJ Drills W/ Stability Ball (Guard Passing And Hips)

Solo BJJ drills are no replacement for drills with a partner. But solo BJJ drills can be a great way to get some movement in when a partner is not available.

Maybe when you’re at home or unable to make it to the gym.

If I do solo BJJ drills. I’m focused on building good movement that will translate over to training. In this video I share 11 solo BJJ drills you can do with a stability ball that will help build your guard passing game and hip movement. BJJ is all about hips right?

 

Some of the movements may be challenging to you currently and if that is the case. Do what you can and work towards performing the movement as shown in the video. Also, BE CREATIVE! Think about ways you could perform movements that are tailor made for your game on the ball.

 

Turn This Into A Stability Ball Circuit Workout

Perform each drill or movement for 45 seconds to 1 minute and move through each drill without rest. Take a couple of minutes and then repeat if able. This would definitely be a solid workout. I know that just after filming these drills, I was soaked in sweat.

 

I’m a big fan of building movement. As a bigger guy I like being able to move with agility and quickness. Every big guy can be heavy but it takes a lot of work to be a fast big guy. So these drills are great for further developing that. Let that also be me encouraging all of you big guys out there to get moving on the mats and push yourself rather than always just being the heavy big guy.

 

I hope these drills help you with your BJJ training!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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

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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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BJJ Speed Drilling Session For Cardio

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BJJ Speed Drilling Session For Cardio

I received a message from one of the people that watches my videos. He said that he loves the BJJ speed drilling videos but doesn’t get much of a workout from it.

So I had one of our BJJ speed drilling sessions filmed to give you guys an idea of what one of our BJJ speed drilling sessions looks like.

The scheme of the BJJ speed drilling in this video was 2 rounds of 5 movements drilled at 30 seconds a piece with no rest until all 5 movements are completed.

Then we bumped the duration to 45 seconds and then to a minute.

By the end of the BJJ drilling session, as you’ll see in the video, we’re huffing and puffing and tired.

Again this is a speed drilling session so the focus isn’t on the most perfect technique. The focus is boosting cardio and using the movements quickly.

Just like when you’re rolling, techniques will be a little sloppier. When you’re doing the techniques and movements at a super fast pace, some “sloppiness” will happen. But this is important because adding stress to the movements will allow you to deal with the stress of trying to execute a technique during a roll, better.

So don’t beat yourself up if you stumble a bit on the movements. I know that when my students first get exposed to this type of stuff they feel a little frustrated because they either have to slow down or they fumble with the movements a bit.

TO do this yourself. Just pick some moves or techniques that you like and drill them fast. The less complex the move the better for speed drilling. If you have a more complex movement you can break down the move down into different segments. You can also combine several chains of techniques together and extend the duration of the drilling time.

I hope the video helps give you some ideas.

-Chewy

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Beating A Purple Belt When I Was A White Belt (Accept Losing)

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Beating A Purple Belt When I Was A White Belt (Accept Losing)

Have you ever competed and felt afraid of losing because you didn’t want to let people down? Instead of being focused on what you can do and how you can win. You were afraid of losing and just wanted to win. I know I’ve felt that way a lot over the years, and it’s been the cause for some of my worst performances.

Have you ever felt this way?

I know I have to tell my students to get this idea out of their head. They’ll come up to me and tell me, “I don’t want to let you down Chewy.”

I get it, I really do, because I’ve been in the position they are and I still catch myself doing it from time to time. I feel the desire to proudly represent our colors well. To win, not just for myself, but for us. . . for the team!

But many people let the fear of failure or the fear of letting someone down get the better of them when they step on the mat. I know that most of us feel a sense of duty to represent our gym a certain way.

That sense of responsibility can make someone super nervous and can cause a lot of hesitation when it’s time to compete.

Accept Losing

In my opinion, you have to accept losing as an option. It’s there and it’s possibility. Just like warriors of times past would meditate about the possibility of death on the battlefield in order to lose the fear of it. You have to accept losing is going to happen at some point. Acceptance with that possibility will allow you to be more focused on winning instead of trying not to lose.

 

I Beat A Purple Belt And Lost As A Black Belt

In this video I share two stories. 1 came from my days as a White Belt. As a white belt I was able to beat a purple belt in a big tournament. The purple belt was no slouch either and had more than 5 years experience on me.

The other from one of my early matches as a Black Belt where I let the fear of letting others down prevent me from showing my best self on the mat.

I know that some of my best days as a competitor came from the times where I had accepted the chance of losing and instead of being afraid of it, just decided to focus on what I can do.

If you struggle with these types of feelings. I hope the video helps!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Bjj Drills For Side Control Movement (On The Mats With Chewy)

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Bjj Drills For Side Control Movement (On The Mats With Chewy)

In this BJJ drills video I teach some fun side control movements. I’ve done a previous video showing these BJJ drills. In this video I take you along with me and a small group and go over the drills and give a little more of an explanation.

Side control can be an amazing position if you know how to use it. But often times I hear people say they can’t hold side control. This usually stems from a lack of counters to their opponent’s defense.

That’s Where These BJJ Drills For Side Control Come Into Play

In the video we cover the:
– Hop Over
– Hip Switch To Kesa Gatame and Reverse Kesa Gatame
– Identify the sweet spot for pressure
– Surfboard Switch
– Shin Cutter

Each one of these techniques is a great adjust to common defenses from someone on the bottom. They can also be used for great movement drills.

During this particular class we used them to warm up before we got into the more in depth techniques in our X Guard and 1 X system.

The reason I love these drills so much is that if you can move around your opponent’s defense it’s so much easier to fight them. For instance with the Hop Over. If my partner commits fully to defend on one side, if I am able to Hop Over. I can then make my way to his undefended side.

Also, by getting around the person’s defense with these BJJ drills we are more likely to have a stronger side control position.

As always,

I hope these BJJ Drills help you and your game. If you work them, I’m sure you’ll get a boost to your Side Control position.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below.

Thanks!
-Chewy

P.S Sorry about the clanging weights and music from the Crossfit side in the background!

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