Bjj whitebelt 2 years still suck

[nostripewhite]

Been training off and on for 2 years, I'm a white belt. My main issue is lack of aggression during rolls, and I gas quickly. I submit mostly from the guard or half guard and almost exclusively kimura. My guard gets passes fairly easily. I'm 200lbs 5"8 and look athletic. But I don't feel myself improving, and today I got heel hooked by a blue belt that was like 150lbs and 5'2. When I ask my coach what I need to improve on he always says cardio. Idk what to do

 

[RJ Green]

train more consistently and improve your cardio

 

[lechien]

White belt getting heelhook by blue belt.

Wft!!!

 

[Hotora86]

Been training off and on for 2 years, I'm a white belt. My main issue is lack of aggression during rolls, and I gas quickly. I submit mostly from the guard or half guard and almost exclusively kimura. My guard gets passes fairly easily. I'm 200lbs 5"8 and look athletic. But I don't feel myself improving, and today I got heel hooked by a blue belt that was like 150lbs and 5'2. When I ask my coach what I need to improve on he always says cardio. Idk what to do

2 years and still a whitebelt?
Either you suck horribly or your coach sucks. Actually, even if you suck horribly, your coach still sucks just as much, since the coach is there to, well, COACH you and help you improve. If you haven't improved in 2 years and you don't know why, you don't know what to do and the only advice you get is "improve cardio"... then your coach sucks.

Work on your cardio anyway (if you gas) but try visiting another club for a change and see what they tell you.

Also, mind what you eat - you may gas quickly because of bad nutrition!

 

[SummerStriker]

Most BJJ instruction is useless. If you aren't gifted and in the first group of students that join the school, you'll never get anywhere without a high IQ, most places, most of the time. You have to take matters into your own hands.

The best way is to get a basic grappling guide online or make your own by figuring out what the list of most useful BJJ moves are. Whatever you put together will be wrong, but it will be on the right track. Buy some BJJ private lessons from a purple or brown belt that's hungry to teach but will let you drill on him. Master the complete list of basics. Maybe a solid 6 takedowns and 100 ground moves, with multiple entries for the take downs, but only the easiest ones you can get by winning a grip fight.

After you do all that, you'll know enough BJJ to teach yourself for a long time.

I trained for about that long and didn't know how to do anything. After 2 years the only way I knew how to get out of side mount was by feeding my leg under them to encourage them to mount, then feed them and armbar so I could come up to my knees. It was horrible and I was never corrected. I didn't get better until I took an interest in the art and learned to teach myself and force the correct information out of purple belts.

Remember that most of these people who are good are either very smart, or were in the first batch of people that got a lot of private attention, or they started very young. They will tell you that certain skills will come with time and rolling, when they probably will not. You have to learn specific things, like how to hold your body in each position, where the best place for your hands are in each position, and how to hand fight into those positions. They won't tell you how to do those things, most places most of the time, unless you make them. You have to educate yourself so that you know what questions to ask.

A couple years ago I was training at a gym. One of my partners had competed 5 or 6 times and had four stripes on his white belt. He didn't know how to upa or recover guard from side mount. I taught him. It sort of made me mad. They weren't teaching the guy shit.

 

[Orion]

You have to take matters into your own hands.

This x100. I've actually gone a bit too far the other way becoming a technique/DVD collector, but I've learned so much from studying matches, DVD's, forum posts, and asking other purple+ belts that I've been able to give myself a full curriculum starting with the basics.

I never liked the whole "just sign up here at our gym and hop in on the merry-go-round style of techniques where your first day might include learning a darce that you dont even know how to get to but its the technique of the day so lets go" style of teaching. It really does take some self study to fill in the gaps unless you're just a savant, so hone in positions you may be getting stuck in, or sequences you may be getting lost in (i.e.: you can pass with a knee slice, but once in side mount you don't have a specific plan -- get a concise plan and drill it).

From there, work with partners after class or at open mat to work on your moves/weaknesses and pick their brain. If you keep getting stuck in certain spots, start asking your training partners what they did to get there or what you can do better to prevent them from getting there. Don't passively take a beating and then just hope it gets better without doing anything specifically to address your personal flaws.

With that said, you have to be relatively consistent to see results in applying your plan. I don't know what "on and off" means to you, so I can't gauge where you should or shouldn't be. There's some guys at my school that take 2 month breaks at a time -- you can't expect to get anywhere if you're practically starting over all the time.

 

[Hotora86]

Most BJJ instruction is useless. If you aren't gifted and in the first group of students that join the school, you'll never get anywhere without a high IQ, most places, most of the time. You have to take matters into your own hands.

The best way is to get a basic grappling guide online or make your own by figuring out what the list of most useful BJJ moves are. Whatever you put together will be wrong, but it will be on the right track. Buy some BJJ private lessons from a purple or brown belt that's hungry to teach but will let you drill on him. Master the complete list of basics. Maybe a solid 6 takedowns and 100 ground moves, with multiple entries for the take downs, but only the easiest ones you can get by winning a grip fight.

After you do all that, you'll know enough BJJ to teach yourself for a long time.

I trained for about that long and didn't know how to do anything. After 2 years the only way I knew how to get out of side mount was by feeding my leg under them to encourage them to mount, then feed them and armbar so I could come up to my knees. It was horrible and I was never corrected. I didn't get better until I took an interest in the art and learned to teach myself and force the correct information out of purple belts.

Remember that most of these people who are good are either very smart, or were in the first batch of people that got a lot of private attention, or they started very young. They will tell you that certain skills will come with time and rolling, when they probably will not. You have to learn specific things, like how to hold your body in each position, where the best place for your hands are in each position, and how to hand fight into those positions. They won't tell you how to do those things, most places most of the time, unless you make them. You have to educate yourself so that you know what questions to ask.

A couple years ago I was training at a gym. One of my partners had competed 5 or 6 times and had four stripes on his white belt. He didn't know how to upa or recover guard from side mount. I taught him. It sort of made me mad. They weren't teaching the guy shit.

This is pretty shocking to me. I've only been to BJJ class a few times so I can't judge from experience. I spent less than a year in Judo before that (5 days / week) and Thursday was the ne-waza day. We would drill getting into positions, holds and possible submissions from there. Their complexity was adjusted based on the belts. Blackbelts would also help newbies and point out better ways of doing stuff. I learned a lot in that time, used it later on in sparring and still remember most of it.

Isn't that how it's supposed to be? In BJJ class is there no teaching? Do you just roll the entire class?

 

[JagRoss]

train more consistently and improve your cardio

What do you recommend doing for cardio?
It's one of my biggest problems as well.

My cardio improves when I roll hard regularly, but it's never been anything I would consider "good".
When rolling with people around my level, I gas much faster than they do.

 

[AdrianT]

I dont think your cardio is the issue (unless you are a fat unathletic sob) but rather lack of technique. Are you sure you are not forcing everything? It's normal to gas if you are fighting for your life the whole time, but if you are relaxed and technical you should be fine.

 

[Hotora86]

What do you recommend doing for cardio?
It's one of my biggest problems as well.

My cardio improves when I roll hard regularly, but it's never been anything I would consider "good".
When rolling with people around my level, I gas much faster than they do.

What and how often do you eat?

 

[2008]

Your probably going to be a 4 year white belt like me, nothing wrong with that if your not a world beater.

Unless your muscular or have a large frame, your sort of heavy for your height at 5'8 and 200lbs. You should be 175/180lbs for your height.

Maybe your gasing because your overweight, I had that issue, still do.

 

[EndlessCritic]

Been training off and on for 2 years, I'm a white belt. My main issue is lack of aggression during rolls, and I gas quickly. I submit mostly from the guard or half guard and almost exclusively kimura. My guard gets passes fairly easily. I'm 200lbs 5"8 and look athletic. But I don't feel myself improving, and today I got heel hooked by a blue belt that was like 150lbs and 5'2. When I ask my coach what I need to improve on he always says cardio. Idk what to do

The solution to cardio is to keep rolling. But, if you find yourself constantly exploding during rolls, you're clearly doing something wrong, which will lead to gassing out.

 

[JagRoss]

What and how often do you eat?

I eat 3 times a day.

Breakfast is one of: (oatmeal + fruit) or (eggs + toast) or (flatbread + lentil sauce) with tea (no sugar).

Lunch is normally: (rice/pasta + meat) or I'll get a wrap/subway.

Dinner: (rice/pasta + meat) or (chicken sandwiches).

I don't eat fast food often (once or twice a month max).
When I live by myself I don't eat much junk (cakes, sweets, etc)—although when I'm staying with family I end up eating a lot of junk.

I'm slightly asthmatic, but nothing major (don't wheeze while training).

 

[Hotora86]

I eat 3 times a day.

Breakfast is one of: (oatmeal + fruit) or (eggs + toast) or (flatbread + lentil sauce) with tea (no sugar).

Lunch is normally: (rice/pasta + meat) or I'll get a wrap/subway.

Dinner: (rice/pasta + meat) or (chicken sandwiches).

I don't eat fast food often (once or twice a month max).
When I live by myself I don't eat much junk (cakes, sweets, etc)—although when I'm staying with family I end up eating a lot of junk.

I'm slightly asthmatic, but nothing major (don't wheeze while training).

Sounds almost like you're on a diet. I don't think that's enough if you are physically active.
Consult a nutritionist.

 

[zeli_papa]

Most likely the problem here is your lack of consistency and the way you roll (lack of technique, too tense/spazzy) , for cardio I would recommend swimming, great overall workout and perfect for undoing the damage bjj causes to your body

 

[tenniswhiz]

What do you recommend doing for cardio?
It's one of my biggest problems as well.

My cardio improves when I roll hard regularly, but it's never been anything I would consider "good".
When rolling with people around my level, I gas much faster than they do.

You said you were training "on and off".
So you took major chunks of time off on the 2 years?

 

[Quebec Nick]

Most BJJ instruction is useless. If you aren't gifted and in the first group of students that join the school, you'll never get anywhere without a high IQ, most places, most of the time. You have to take matters into your own hands.

The best way is to get a basic grappling guide online or make your own by figuring out what the list of most useful BJJ moves are. Whatever you put together will be wrong, but it will be on the right track. Buy some BJJ private lessons from a purple or brown belt that's hungry to teach but will let you drill on him. Master the complete list of basics. Maybe a solid 6 takedowns and 100 ground moves, with multiple entries for the take downs, but only the easiest ones you can get by winning a grip fight.

After you do all that, you'll know enough BJJ to teach yourself for a long time.

I trained for about that long and didn't know how to do anything. After 2 years the only way I knew how to get out of side mount was by feeding my leg under them to encourage them to mount, then feed them and armbar so I could come up to my knees. It was horrible and I was never corrected. I didn't get better until I took an interest in the art and learned to teach myself and force the correct information out of purple belts.

Remember that most of these people who are good are either very smart, or were in the first batch of people that got a lot of private attention, or they started very young. They will tell you that certain skills will come with time and rolling, when they probably will not. You have to learn specific things, like how to hold your body in each position, where the best place for your hands are in each position, and how to hand fight into those positions. They won't tell you how to do those things, most places most of the time, unless you make them. You have to educate yourself so that you know what questions to ask.

A couple years ago I was training at a gym. One of my partners had competed 5 or 6 times and had four stripes on his white belt. He didn't know how to upa or recover guard from side mount. I taught him. It sort of made me mad. They weren't teaching the guy shit.

I really love your point of view on the matter. My gym is very strong on sparring wich means that there's less time for techniques. The coach also seem to want the blue belts and purple belts to learn new stuff even in the beginners' class. For an exemple, on the last begginers class, we learned a variant of the scissor sweep, when a lot of white belts can't even do a scissor sweep and a complex north south lapel choke. I was with a girl in her first month at the gym and she had no clue what was going on.

So when the ''first class'' started a couple years ago, everybody was learning the basics at the same time. The new folks are basically entering the curriculum ''mid-semester''.

I'm lucky that I was very much into the sport before going there and that I had some basics from my MMA class where we really learned the basics (like shrimping for getting out of side mount ).

I also watch a lot of videos. I rarely go from scratch on something that I have never seen in class but I take a subject about what happened in sparring or about a technique we learned and just go from there.

I still go to my MMA grappling class where we spend most of the time on drilling the basics and it always help me out for my BJJ sparrings

When you think about it, Gracie academy/ university gets a lot of shit for their combative stuff and the no sparring in the first year, but at least they get the basics right. From what I've heard Gracie Barra is also very strong on the curriculum and what you should know before getting promoted, I don't know if it's spread across the 400 schools but I heard it's that way in my area. But it doesn't mean that they will teach you the basic, just that you won't get promoted if you don't have them.

 

[JagRoss]

You said you were training "on and off".
So you took major chunks of time off on the 2 years?

I'm a different person from OP.
I hijacked his thread a bit.

 

[Thycidides]

Most BJJ instruction is useless. If you aren't gifted and in the first group of students that join the school, you'll never get anywhere without a high IQ, most places, most of the time. You have to take matters into your own hands.

.

I don't know if this is as true as you claim, at least not in 2017. I get the impression that more gyms are offering beginner classes that teach the basics and a stable curriculum rather than the move of the week model. If your gym doesn't offer that find a different gym.

Also it seems to me to get good at BJJ and really see progress one needs to train more than 2 or three times a week.

I train 6 days a week for example. I do conditioning class and Thai boxing as well for overall cardio and fitness.

However, I agree that a lot of time in BJJ is wasted. part of this is because a lot of casual bjj students people like to learn a 2 new move rather than drill a triangle escape for a half an hour.

Also coaches don't like to give too much attention to someone that is isn't really commited and they don't know very well. It took my coach about a year to really take an interest in me, Its a big gym and a lot of white belts come and go.

 

[andrewm2211]

2 years and still a whitebelt?
Either you suck horribly or your coach sucks. Actually, even if you suck horribly, your coach still sucks just as much, since the coach is there to, well, COACH you and help you improve. If you haven't improved in 2 years and you don't know why, you don't know what to do and the only advice you get is "improve cardio"... then your coach sucks.

Work on your cardio anyway (if you gas) but try visiting another club for a change and see what they tell you.

Also, mind what you eat - you may gas quickly because of bad nutrition!

If you think that it's weird for someone to not have their bluebelt after two years you rather train with exclusively naturally athletic folk, or a Gracie CTC

Edit: I read further and see now you don''t even train BJJ. That answers that, no need to respond.