Best way to train

[thugpoet]

There have been many conversations in the past about best ways to train over the years.

I want to know what you guys think is the best way to go from no nothing white belt to bad ass black belt?

 

[tekkenfan]

There have been many conversations in the past about best ways to train over the years.

I want to know what you guys think is the best way to go from no nothing white belt to bad ass black belt?

5 years of privates with john danaher everyday

 

[Bubblun]

Train as much as your finances and your body can handle.

If you can stay in the gym all day, do it.

 

[THEfightsAREfixed]

Mat time complimented with scholarly studies of technique and competition film, cross training wrestling, judo, sambo and even dabbling in some striking and slaps on the ground

A strong work ethic, minimal ego but just enough to motivate to progress, cultivate relationships with training partners you trust with your body and a natural inclination to protect yourself at all times

 

[JinKazama]

Patience

 

[thugpoet]

While I appreciate all of your posts. Id like to dig a bit deeper.

If you could do it all over again how would you approach your training to progress?

 

[Coconutwater]

While I appreciate all of your posts. Id like to dig a bit deeper.

If you could do it all over again how would you approach your training to progress?

Avoid rolling with heavy guys and stick to your own size most of the time. Sure, roll with a heavy every once in a while to know the difference but generally speaking, roll with people your own size. Also, make use of lower belts to actually test yourself in bad spots and to try new moves. Don’t experiment on people with equal skill or size until you can pull it off on a lower rank, you need to get muscle memory first before having a realistic chance of gogoplata-ing a fellow purple or whatever.

Rolling with big guys only wears out your joints, tendons and ligaments. You will get injured at some point, regardless of how clean your technique is.

 

[lechien]

While I appreciate all of your posts. Id like to dig a bit deeper.

If you could do it all over again how would you approach your training to progress?

Take ownership of your own learning and progress.
By the time I reached blue belt, I started researching techniques that I wanted to learn because my old instructor did not know them. The funny part is he was against the modern bjj stuff. But now he lost most of his senior students because he keep telling off for trying stuff he did not know.

The irony is that later he is paying thousands of dollars via affiliation to learn and promote the modern techniques that he used to make fun when our blue belts were drilling.

To be honest, I think you have to find that give the information if required but also be able to guide through your personal journey.

I am not here teaching trying to mold another version of myself

Become a black belt version of your own self .

 

[asian-glow]

Training Facility (most important)
I did a lot of bouncing around and training at schools that were subpar because they were inexpensive. I made a huge 2 year mistake at one school where I continued to train because I felt guilty and it was essentially free. I wish I had valued my time more than money but what can you do when you're young - BJJ is expensive. I tried to make the most of it but at a certain point you are no longer the limiting reagent.

I also wasted a ton of time trying to find people to drill with. If I was at a school where people were already self motivated to drill this would have been easier.

Mentality (second most important)
"Relax" is usually good advice for most people but it was not for me. All the way up until about a little past blue belt I was too relaxed - I was always trying to flow roll. Hindsight 20/20 thing but I think I would have gotten more out of my rolls if I had maintained a base level of intensity. I believe Bernardo Faria suggested that one should roll as hard as they can without getting gassed or hurting themselves or their partner; I believe this is the ideal way to roll. Then again, maybe I needed the loosey goosey years to develop better feel and technique. Maybe the more intense rolls are only useful once you have some tech under your belt.

Being too relaxed also got me hurt a lot. I now always keep the boxing mantra of "protect yourself at all times" in my head. Sometimes I forget it, get injured, and need to be reminded of this lesson.

At this point in time I have trouble comparing myself to black belts. DirtyHolt seemed to suggest to me that when he began to see himself as a challenger and perhaps even a equal to other (high level) black belts, his game turned a corner. I'm going to try adopting this mentality.

Off mat work (e.g. lifting, flexibility, mobility, etc.)
I need to lift. It is not an option for me. I treat it like brushing my teeth - I shouldn't be even talking to people if I haven't brushed my teeth. I was always 150lbs, which I think is the minimum weight one can be to handle bigger people only because I've seen Rafa do it. I will never forget his nogi match with Roldofo Vieira at ADCC. Nothing really happened but it blew my mind that Rafa was able to hold him Vieira off and even give some back. Rafa is a physical specimen though. I thought to myself "if Rafa can fight monsters, maybe I can too, if I lift". Let's ignore the other factors that make Rafa a beast for now.

I don't even see lifting as an offensive measure, as something that will make my takedowns better or my chokes tighter or whatever. It is purely a defensive strategy. By that I mean that it cushions my joints and allows me to better support my frame. I went down to 135lbs after a surgical procedure and no offense to people that weight or smaller but I felt extremely vulnerable despite only a 15lb weight drop. I felt like my skeleton couldn't even support other peoples weight when framing.

Furthermore, lifting is just good daily maintenance (like brushing your teeth) and allows you to counterbalance all the pulling and awkward positions bjj has you do.

BJJ also took away a lot of my flexibility. I realized I needed to continue to work on my mobility and flexibility to be safer, perform better, and just be healthier overall.

I would mention sleep and diet but I don't find these things to be as important for me.

TLDR:
1. Go to a good (i.e. competitive) school
2. Enter each roll with the proper mentality
3. Don't neglect off the mat work like lifting, stretching, and mobility.

Also obviously these 3 things are unique to me. I also think they if #1 is true, then just about everything else will happen by osmosis.

 

[DatCutman]

I started training 16 years ago, but so much of that was wasted time.

As a white belt I spent so many rolls desperately clinging to closed guard or half guard without really doing anything, just surviving. What a waste.

Didn't want to learn takedowns. Didn't wrestle in high school. What a waste.

Didn't compete a lot when I had more time/money. What a waste.

Didn't stretch/train/foam roll outside of BJJ. What a waste.

Was late in tapping a few times due to ego. What a waste.

Wouldn't tap to "more-crank-than-choke" chokes out of ego. What a waste. Also why I can't sleep on normal pillows.

Focused on flashy fun moves over substantive basics. Hard to say if it was a waste. Imanari rolls and flying armbars were fun. But you also get tired of failing and losing in competition. Hard to say.

I've booped around a lot of gyms in my journey. Wish I had spent more time in ones that were better at delivering fundamentals. So much of the shit I was taught was just flat out wrong. Hell, first guard pass I was taught was the god damn gracie gift. I wonder what life would have been like if I had started at some great school from the start. Alas, we all have our paths to tread.

 

[thugpoet]

I started training 16 years ago, but so much of that was wasted time.

As a white belt I spent so many rolls desperately clinging to closed guard or half guard without really doing anything, just surviving. What a waste.

Didn't want to learn takedowns. Didn't wrestle in high school. What a waste.

Didn't compete a lot when I had more time/money. What a waste.

Didn't stretch/train/foam roll outside of BJJ. What a waste.

Was late in tapping a few times due to ego. What a waste.

Wouldn't tap to "more-crank-than-choke" chokes out of ego. What a waste. Also why I can't sleep on normal pillows.

Focused on flashy fun moves over substantive basics. Hard to say if it was a waste. Imanari rolls and flying armbars were fun. But you also get tired of failing and losing in competition. Hard to say.

I've booped around a lot of gyms in my journey. Wish I had spent more time in ones that were better at delivering fundamentals. So much of the shit I was taught was just flat out wrong. Hell, first guard pass I was taught was the god damn gracie gift. I wonder what life would have been like if I had started at some great school from the start. Alas, we all have our paths to tread.

First pass I learned was also ther Gracie gift but we didn't call it that.

For me I ve always wondered what you life would have been like if I had gone to a school that was more Bjj focused.

I have a strong dislike for technique of the week style gyms. I always wondered how anyone made it to real competitive level going to schools like that

 

[Your Noodly Master]

There have been many conversations in the past about best ways to train over the years.

I want to know what you guys think is the best way to go from no nothing white belt to bad ass black belt?

I'm only a brown belt, but for me the most important thing I did for my first year was survive and learn to defend. As others have said, you need a good gym especially with colored belts that help you as much as they smash you. Now six years in I'm able to see attacks coming and tapping is rare. Learn to defend the attacks long before it even becomes a submission attempt.

Offensively I started with a strong top game and avoided bottom guard. It wasn't until a foot injury that forced me to be in guard that I improved. Moral: don't avoid positions because you'll end up everywhere.

It's been said before, the secret to getting better at Jiu-Jitsu is just showing up. Consistent training for years will get you to your goals.

 

[Uchi Mata]

It really depends on your situation and level. If you had total freedom, go live on the mats at AOJ or Renzo's and just do whatever your world class coaches tell you to do. If you're a more normal person just wondering how to optimize the time you do have on and off the mat, I'd recommend the following:

• All belt levels - train as much as you can, do what your coaches tell you to do, compete as much as you can

• White belt - watch a lot of competition footage but not technical footage
• Blue belt - Start digging into the technical repertoire. Try to learn and play with as many different positions and moves as you can. Start doing some research online on your own regarding positions you find appealing. Don't try to add a bunch of stuff you're not working on in class, just try to get different ideas of how to approach what you're already learning.
• Purple belt - It's time to start honing your A game. Best way to do that, if you can, is to drill the hell out of the things you find yourself gravitating to in rolling. Drill a lot and positional spar a lot. This probably won't be available to you in class, so if you do have open mats or can arrange other time then do so. Study the top competitors' games that you like in depth, and try to do some of what they do. But going to class alone will start providing rapidly diminishing returns once you're past blue belt.
• Brown belt - At this point it's about honing your game and cleaning up any loose ends. If you haven't done much no-gi, start working more on that and get your no-gi specific game up. If there are certain positions that you occasionally end up in that aren't part of your A game but where you feel a bit lost, research and work on those more. You shouldn't have any real holes in your game by the time you get your black belt, though of course like anyone you'll have things you're better or worse at.

 

[RemyR]

Best way to train:

Show up to class. Repeat.

 

[dsdoubled]

In the beginning I think it is important to foster the elements of your art that you seem to have a real affinity for. Practice it live with a partner as much as possible. Drill as much as possible. Steer your lifting towards it. Obviously you should do everything but figuring out what you are good at and honing in on it will A. improve confidence, B. have a carry over effect to other elements of that art, C. get you really good at something. D. it will give you an ace up your sleeve to rely on while you develop a more well rounded skill set.

This may be controversial but im just relaying my own experience. When I first wrestled I was horrible. My leg attacks were dreadful. I couldn't escape to save my life. My gas tank was shit. One of the coaches saw that I had a knack for the clinch and upper body stuff. I tried it, and it turned out to be true. Everything changed. I won more exchanges in practice, won some matches, gained confidence, spent more time in the gym and on the mat, became excited about it, etc. Over time I became stronger, in better shape, confident, and had a better understanding of wrestling in general. I then got better at everything else.

So I guess this would be my advice if your just starting out and you suck. If youre naturally pretty good maybe another approach is better.