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Frustrated Higher Belts Are Upset with This Tough BJJ Blue Belt

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Frustrated Higher Belts Are Upset with This Tough BJJ Blue Belt

Being a BJJ Blue Belt who can submit Purples , Browns and higher belts in the gym and competitions is a great thing right? Yes but it does come with some potential issues.

 

Recently I got a message from a young Blue Belt who is struggling when he visits other BJJ gyms while traveling. This is because when he goes to other Brazilian Jiu-jitsu gyms he’s able to submit or outmaneuver many of the higher belts on the mat. Especially when in No Gi.

 

Again, this should be a good thing. But he finds that many of the people inside these gyms take offense to it. They will get angry at him for beating them. He’s tried playing catch and release, but they still get angry. In the worst case, he had a choke on someone and they didn’t tap. He felt terrible after he was forced to wake the person up after they went unconscious.

 

Now, this isn’t right, and people shouldn’t take it so harshly. But it is what it is. People say “Leave the Ego at the door” in BJJ all the time. But it’s not that easy. Everyone has an ego. It’s not about eliminating the ego but integrating into your life and not being overtaken by it.

 

So, when dealing with people’s egos and the pecking order of their BJJ gym. People have a tendency to get up in arms and upset at times.

 

I used to have a destructive controlling ego myself in my younger days. I’m better about this now. But I was guilty of this kind of stuff at one time in my life. So we can choose to point the finger if we want. But I don’t find that very helpful.

Get to Know Your New BJJ Training Partners

So, in this video, instead of condemning the people that our friend is rolling with. I try to give him some practical advice about feeling out the people he’s rolling with, before he kicks up the intensity. This is in the hopes of getting to know each other a little bit on the mats before he opens up. This way he doesn’t bruise egos and so people can become a bit more comfortable with him.

 

I share this by touching on two separate situations. 1 was with my poor mindset as a young BJJ Blue Belt. The second was how I approach going to gyms when I visit now.

 

Hopefully if you ever get into a situation like this in your own Brazilian Jiujitsu training this video will be helpful to you.

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy

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2 days a week training

Is Training BJJ 2 Days a Week is a Waste of Time ?

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If you’re a father, mother, student or maybe someone working 60 hours a week who can only train BJJ 2 days a week. Is it even worth it? Can you get better at BJJ training on only 2 days a week, or are you wasting your time?

 

This is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu question I received from Instagram. The person asking this question is currently training No Gi BJJ 2 days a week. He has a ton of other interests. In general he’s just a fitness fanatic. And on top of all of that, he’s balancing being a family man and working a full time job.

 

Because of all of these other things on his plate. He’s wondering if he’s wasting his time training 2 times a week of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I mean can he really improve?

Don’t Let Excitement Knock You Off Track

In this video I talk about how people mimic the extremes of BJJ like high level competitors. And it’s not always in alignment with their goals. They get distracted by the excitement and fascination of high level BJJ competitions. Even though it’s not what THEY want.

 

Now I understand, I really do! BJJ competitions and grappling competitors are fascinating. And their performances inspire us. You can watch a crazy match online or some hardcore BJJ training session. And you’re instantly filled with energy to go to your gym and train hard.

 

But the problem is when you begin to constantly emulate this style of training. Regardless of whether or not you intend to follow that same path.

 

And in the the case of the person who asked the question. He has a ton of other goals and interests. So it only makes sense that he would not be as invested into BJJ.  And I try to explain why training twice a week is not a waste of time and how it can even be beneficial for your training because it can create better focus.

I Have Student’s Who Train 2 Days a Week and WIN!

Some of my students have been people who can only train a couple times a week. Every now and then if they are preparing for a competition they’ll train a bit more. But in most cases they do 2 days a week.

The interesting part about these people is that they hang with some of the people who train more just fine.

 

So if you’re in this situation, don’t worry! There’s plenty of growth potential for you in BJJ. And I hope the information in the video is useful for you! Don’t let competitions and the excitement of it shame you or make you feel guilty.

 

Oh and a side note for your competitors. Remember, BJJ often lacks a true season where tournaments stop. Be sure to implement mandated seasons for yourself where you back off the gas pedal a little and allow your body and mind to recover.

-Chewy
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What to Focus On as a New BJJ White Belt with No Submissions

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When you first start as a new BJJ White Belt, it can be overwhelming. There is so much going. It can be overwhelming and somewhat confusing about where to start.

I experienced this issue when I began training. And it is a question one of my new White Belts named Taylor recently asked me about. His question was essentially asking what to focus on as a new BJJ White Belt.

(If you’d like to read more about my early days in BJJ read this old post.)

So in this video, I share several tips about how I personally went about the initial phase of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as a brand new White Belt with little to no submissions in my useable technique arsenal.

Tips for a Brand New BJJ White Belt

I share some tips for people who are more comfortable on the bottom playing form Full Guard and I share some options for people who are more comfortable playing from the top positions.

The general idea in this video is that if a brand new BJJ White Belt. Your goal should begin as just being able to control position as best you can and survive initially. 

If you can control the basic positions (holding full guard, maintaining top position, etc) then overtime you’ll find that you’ll be able to mount some sort of offense attacks afterwards. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has the old saying of “position before submission” and this is so true. If you can control the position consistently and reliably. You’ll be able to have more opportunities to attack or defend yourself effectively.

But in the beginning, if you don’t have the ability to maintain positions properly. You’ll be hard pressed to mount any submission attacks or offense techniques. So this should be one of your main focuses in the beginning of training. So if you are brand new, and you’re wondering what to focus on during rolling or Bjj training. This is a basic answer.

So for all the newcomers to BJJ, I hope this video is useful to you!
-Chewy
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Using a BJJ Book

3 Easy Ways to Use a BJJ Book to Boost Training

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Want 3 tips on how to use your BJJ book effectively for training? Maybe the book is just filled with awesome content and BJJ techniques. Well how do you decide on which BJJ techniques to focus on and implement?

In this video I give several tips on how to use a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu book effectively. I focus my attention on Jiu-jitsu University, as an example since it was requested by one of the viewers.

He said that he bought this particular BJJ book in order to help him develop his grappling abilities and is wondering on how to make the best use of it for training and his BJJ development.

The Basic BJJ Book Tips Are. . .

1. USE THE INFORMATION! Don’t let the books, dvd and videos you consume go to waste. Put into motion the things you’re absorbing. Remember, information is just information. Execution of this information is what matters.

2. Focus on problems you’re encountering during your Brazilian Jiujitsu training. Oftentimes when we have a deficiency in our game. We somehow seem to find ourself there constantly. So it’s very helpful to plug the holes in your game. Find areas to help you focus on those areas is a good idea.

3. Focus on positions where you’re already effective. This will allow you to easily slide new techniques into the mix. Often if you’re already good at a particular position. Adding another technique you see in a BJJ book won’t be a problem.

3. Augment the training your BJJ coach is already covering. So for instance if you’re covering Guard Passes. Find more options on Guard Passing in the book to go along with what you’re already doing. This will help you further develop those areas and stay on track with your coach in your gym.

I also share an idea on how you might use a BJJ journal along with a BJJ book to hold yourself accountable in regards to the techniques you’re trying to add to your game.

I hope the video is helpful!
-Chewy

Additional BJJ Book Posts

3 BJJ Books for Anyone

My Favorite BJJ Books 

 

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Common Fear of an Older BJJ White Belt

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When you’re an older BJJ practitioner on the mat. Often you have to do things a bit differently than your younger training partners. Like moving a bit slower. Now, does moving slower during BJJ training make you lazy? This is a worry that one of our friends has currently with his training.

He is a 40 year old 2 stripe white belt and is wanting to move towards a slower Brazilian Jiujitsu game. This is because he often putters out during the Bjj rolling session when he tries to match the pace of some of his training partners. The issue he is having though is that he feels like his coach will look at him as if he is lazy and not progressing.

He also shares that he feels like he is kind of hanging on to his younger self and that part of the reason he goes so fast during training is because he is still trying to be that younger person.

In this video (below) I talk about slowing down your BJJ game to adapt to being an older guy or woman in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. While this is directed towards an older BJJ White Belt in particular. The same tip could be used for anyone in BJJ who is trying to make their game more efficient.

An Older BJJ Practitioner and Being Slower Doesn’t mean Lazy

As I share in the video. Moving slower when you’re doing BJJ doesn’t mean you’re being lazy or not progressing. In many cases, it just means you’re attempting to become more efficient with your movements and making everything count. Rather than expending lots of energy unnecessarily with movements that don’t really get you anywhere.

So whether you’re an older BJJ practitioner who is in the thick of Brazilian Jiujitsu and is looking to adapt to a slower game or if you’re just looking to slow down your game a bit when you’re rolling. Hopefully the tips in this video are helpful to you!

Thanks for watching!
-Chewy

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Are Leg Locks in BJJ More Dangerous Than Other Submissions?

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Are Leg Locks in BJJ really that Dangerous? Some people avoid them like the plague citing that leg locks are so destructive that they shouldn’t almost not be practiced at all. As if they are some evil section of grappling that should be avoided at all costs.

 

But in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, as I think we all know, all submissions are dangerous and have the potential to alter someone’s life in a very profound way. I’ve met people who have had permanent caused by things like armbars or rear naked chokes (improperly applied), which many unanimously agree are “safe” submissions to use in BJJ training.

Rolling is a Serious Game

Because of this inherent danger in everything we do on the mats. I think it’s always important to remind ourselves of just how serious the game of Rolling can actually be. We have a blast and it’s so much fun. But when it comes time to finish our training partners in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. We have to be smart.

Accidents happen in BJJ and people get injured. It’s just how it is and there is no way around it completely. But one goal we should always keep close to home as a training partner is to do everything in our power to ensure our partners leave in the same shape they came in. So if they were healthy and uninjured walked into the gym. They should be that way walking out.

Aversion to Leg Locks in BJJ

Many people have a certain aversion to Leg Locks in BJJ. I know that during my first few years of BJJ. A lot of coaches at this time talked about the techniques as if they were evil and just bad! It reminded me of the Dark Arts of Harry Potter or something.

But overtime they’ve become more and more prominent in BJJ and because of this more and more people are practicing them as part of their Brazilian Jiujitsu. I believe their prominence was caused by the gaping hole that was created by the lack of people in Brazilian Jiujitsu actually focusing on the lower body submissions.

I personally had to let go of the consistent idea that I had about leg locks in BJJ. That idea was mainly that they were too dangerous.

I’ve actually found through years of coaching that with proper knowledge they’re just about as safe as anything else. In fact, inside our gym over the last 3 years I’ve seen less injuries related to Leg Locks since we started practicing them on a weekly basis.

People are more sensitive to them now, they know how to escape and they know how to apply them with control. They know when to tap and how to adjust their body through the technique.

I know you may not agree. But I hope you at least consider the way you think about Leg Locks. Are they you’re own thoughts based on your own experiences, or are they the beliefs of another person?

Because through my experience as a BJJ Black Belt and Coach. Whether we are talking about an Armbar, Kimura or a Heel Hook in BJJ. . . they are all dangerous.

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Effective BJJ Kimura Finish (Even Works on Big People)

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One of my favorite submissions in Brazilian JiuJitsu is the Kimura. It’s a versatile BJJ submission that can be done from both bottom or top and a number of different Brazilian Jiu-jitsu positions. It can be used as a standalone BJJ submission or as a setup to other attacks and positions. And there are so many variations of the technique itself.

The Best Body Type For The Kimura

Just as a quick side note. From my experience in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. The Kimura seems to favor people with shorter stronger arms. Which is a physical quality I have. I’ve seen tall people use it. But it isn’t common.

 

In this video I take a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu question from Jeffrey from Twitter who inquired about tips on finishing the Kimura against someone who is pushing against his hip which prevents him from stepping over. I didn’t have a video of it but I assumed he’s trying this from side control.

Tips On This Effective Kimura

In this video I show one of my favorite Kimura finishes to use in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I do it in BJJ competitions and rolling in the gym. I bypass the stepping over the head part completely in lieu of just going around to North South to execute the technique.

What I like about this particular finish is that even if the person is grabbing their belt, or if you just can’t get their arm away from their body. You can still finish it. Just based on the way you twist the arm and attack the shoulder. Also, the way I am pulling on the arm usually does well to break the grip if there is one.

Just be careful with it, because they catch comes fast on this one. <====== Seriously, be careful with Kimuras. They’re incredibly dangerous if executed too fast!

So if  you’re looking for another variation of the Kimura in BJJ. Give this one a try. If you do, I hope it works for you!

-Chewy

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Why You Shouldn’t Teach BJJ to Yourself (When You’re New)

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What is the most efficient way to train BJJ? Is training yourself Brazilian Jiu-jitsu an effective way to learn the martial art? Should you teach BJJ to yourself?

In this video I touch on this subject.

Our friend Nate on Youtube sent a message saying that he wants to maximize his time and save money by training with his friend in a basement first before he eventually joins his local 10th Planet BJJ gym.

He’s doing this to sort of bypass the White Belt phase of his training and prepare for his Blue Belt. So he plans to do this by using his friend to teach BJJ to each other.

Why Is Smart Not To Teach BJJ To Yourself

As I share in the video I think this is a bad idea for your BJJ growth. Primarily because I’ve done it.

When I started training Brazilian Jiujitsu.  I started like Nate is thinking about and piecing together moves in my basement with my friends. This was the way I began my Brazilian Jiujitsu experience.

We did this for about a year.

I found a BJJ gym in Louisville where I would eventually train. And when I did eventually step into an actual BJJ program led by an expert. I realized I wasted so much time training myself! I learned more in that 1 day of training than I did in the year of trying to teach BJJ to myself.

In any form of Martial Arts. It’s always a more effective means to growth to learn from someone who has been there before.

If you’re contemplating joining a BJJ gym or training yourself. I hope the video is helpful to you!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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How I Setup Takedowns in BJJ

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When you’re going for takedowns in BJJ. What are you looking for? How do you decide which BJJ takedown to use?

Do you have a systematic approach to takedowns? Do you focus on looking for certain grips or adjustments from your opponent, or do you just lock up and cross your fingers that something will happen?

 

My Process for Takedowns in BJJ

In this video I give a little insight into what I’m looking for personally on my feet when I’m going for takedowns. Mainly I talk about how I determine the BJJ takedown I plan to use.

You’ll see, that just like any other position. I observe which grips i can secure and which grips my opponent gives me. From there I choose the best take down for the situation.

But most importantly, there’s a process to it! Just like any other position.

Often times. I see that most people don’t have a smart approach to takedowns in BJJ. They just lock up and move around until someone screws up. But yet on the ground they know exactly where they are going.

Likewise I try to give you some ideas on what you could look for when you’re on the feet in Brazilian Jiujitsu. So when you think about your takedowns. Think about the moves and positions and see if you have a process to everything.

You’ll have to excuse me a bit as I was super hyper in this video. And I’m kind of all over the place. This isn’t that unusual.

Hopefully these ideas will help you with your own Brazilian Jiu-jitsu takedowns. Whether its for training or competition.

Thanks!

-Chewy

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How To Be Aggressive from Full Guard As A BJJ White Belt

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Some people are naturally aggressive, while others seem to lack this innate quality.

Our friend Megan who is a BJJ White Belt  says she lacks aggression. In particular she says she lacks being aggressive from her Full Guard and is unable to pull the trigger when she is rolling in her Brazilian Jiu-jitsu gym. And this is a vicious spiral. Because she lacks aggression due to the fact that her guard just gets passed and she gets passed because she is unable to be offensive.

This is a common situation I’ve seen as a Brazilian Jiujitsu coach.

Some White Belts have too much aggression while others don’t seem to have any at all. Personally I was one of the White Belts that had way too much.

Being Technically Aggressive In BJJ

In this video I discuss some of the strategies I used to build aggression off my back. Because as a Wrestler who got into BJJ second. Being aggressive off my back didn’t come naturally in my BJJ training.

On the subject of BJJ aggression I also want to stress that if you don’t naturally have aggression. It’s ok. Many people are overly aggressive because of  negative factors. Things like ignorance to the positions and fear of losing can cause this.

My goal for anyone wanting to develop more aggression would be to do so based on their technical abilities. Rather than blind aggression. Being aggressive in BJJ is great but doing so without the technique to back it up will lead to a road block eventually.

Anyways, I hope this video helps out any of you trying to be more aggressive in BJJ.

Thanks!
-Chewy

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