How have your opinions of BJJ changed over the years?

[EOW]

Blew my knee out in 2010 as a purple under a Pedro Sauer blackbelt and unfortunately never made it back

Life got in the way as it sometimes does. I still absolutely love the sport, though. Nothing like it imo.

Thats a shame mate, ever thought of picking it back up?

 

[Nozza]

A belt in BJJ, even a blue one, hell even a white one with a couple pieces of tape, used to mean that person could pretty easily beat most any other martial artist. Things are much different now.

Did it though? How do we know that?

 

[Balto]

Did it though? How do we know that?

Because we actually did it back then.

It was super common for guys from other martial arts (and even other BJJ schools) to come in and want to spar. It was not like a dojo storm or anything; the guys were usually respectful. But yeah they totally came to roll and wanted to see how they stacked up against you.

Most of the matches were just grappling, but if they wanted strikes we allowed that too.

It was at least once a month, sometimes more often.

 

[Balto]

The challenge matches were pretty cool actually. I kind of miss them. There was rarely any animosity. Guys just genuinely wanted to know who would win. Usually you ended up friends with the guy afterwards.

That's how I met my first BJJ instructor actually. We were doing no gi grappling (not really BJJ yet), and I saw him on the mat we used finishing up before we started. Of course I wanted to see how I stacked up against a real BJJ blue belt, so we had a match. He got me in an armbar after about ten minutes, we became friends, and we joined up together. It was basically the plot to Double Dragon III.

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

Technically, the biggest change is thinking of jiu jitsu as a bunch of interlinked concepts rather than a series of moves.

I started at a JJJ school doing sub grappling and supplementing with 10PJJ books - which have an algorithmic approach. One move follows another move. Action reaction. Set pathways, decision trees.

In the past couple years, my jiu jitsu has become more opportunistic and expressive. Part of what opened my mind up about it was less focus on competing. Rather than thinking of imposing my game in (for example,) closed guard, I try to just break their posture, control an arm and see what happens.

 

[Nozza]

What and then people started coming in and beating blue belts as the years went by?

We don't get challenge matches at our gym so we don't get to test this now. There is some bizarre kung fu type class on after one of our sessions but it's full of fat old dudes messing around with oriental weapons. I'm pretty sure any of our whites would handle them under any rules.

 

[Balto]

What and then people started coming in and beating blue belts as the years went by?

We don't get challenge matches at our gym so we don't get to test this now. There is some bizarre kung fu type class on after one of our sessions but it's full of fat old dudes messing around with oriental weapons. I'm pretty sure any of our whites would handle them under any rules.

People just don't really come by to challenge like that anymore. And a lot of the blue belts now would be scared to do it. When you tell them what it used to be like, they say like "Wow I don't want to do anything like that."

The whole idea of having to defend the mat is pretty foreign at this point, but it used to be like that.

 

[the heed]

The whole idea of having to defend the mat is pretty foreign at this point, but it used to be like that.

That all depends on where me thinks
If you go to a place like Ralph Gracie's gym, especially the one in SF with Kurt
I think they will welcome a challenge and will have no problem finding people to accept it

 

[Rico]

Thats a shame mate, ever thought of picking it back up?

Yeah, I think about it all the time. But I simply don't have the time anymore and I'm getting pretty old lol. I wrestled for 8 years through school so BJJ was the natural progression for me. I still love it andfollow it as much as possible.

 

[Mike Piekarski]

When I started in 2005 I didn't really follow the jiu jitsu scene so it is hard to say how it changed. Back then my coach (a purple at the time) took a few challenge matches and eventually found his way into MMA. My guess the self-defense jiu jitsu era was less common and more people wanted to get into MMA. This worked well for me when I transitioned into MMA.

I started getting away from MMA training once I moved for grad school and started following jiu jitsu more closely. Now with the current trends of double guard pulling and no interest in takedowns/passing I'm losing interest and getting back into MMA.

 

[JustSomeGuy]

Interesting thread. I've been away from BJJ for about 6 years now. I trained in the mid to late 90's (after seeing UFC 1) on and off up through the early 2000's as money/time allowed. Then I didn't do any BJJ for a bit in the mid 2000's, with just a little 10th Planet stuff around 2008.

The stuff that Balto has been talking about in this thread resonates with me. Way back when, if you were a blue belt, you were a badass and you knew that when other people walked in the door and wanted to test themselves, that you had to be prepared to be called upon. I experienced that quite regularly back then.

I'm going back to my first BJJ class next week and I am interested to see how it is now compared to then. I want to see if my old body can hold up anymore and also what the culture is like now.

 

[Nozza]

People just don't really come by to challenge like that anymore. And a lot of the blue belts now would be scared to do it. When you tell them what it used to be like, they say like "Wow I don't want to do anything like that."

The whole idea of having to defend the mat is pretty foreign at this point, but it used to be like that.

I'm sure you're right but what I'm trying ascertain is: if it doesn't happen anymore, how do you know the blues wouldn't still win? The attitude might not be there now but maybe the skills are as good or better?

I'm pretty sure there are guys at our gym who'd happily take on all comers.

 

[MarcoRugeAss]

I remember seeing Paul Vunak a few times when I went to the classes in West Hollywood off Pico. Rickson trained in this karate dojo off a back alley.

The magical American and Kimura. It all seemed like magic back then. During the sparring phase of my first privates, Rickson would wiggle his fingers when I had the mount to remind me to take the Americana.

Yep. I was that lame.

Respect.

I regret that the first BJJ gyms on the east coast didn't open until I was almost 28. I would have loved to experience BJJ when I was still in my athletic prime.

Edit: Looking back, the first dedicated BJJ gym in my area opened when I was 31, but you could get instruction at places that had it as a secondary art before that.

 

[TalkShowOnMute]

One funny thing that I noticed as well.. (and I do not consider myself old school by any means..I've only trained actual gi jiu jitsu off and on since 2007 or so).

But I've literally had at least 3 guys(guys that have been training a couple years..2..maybe 3) ask me what I train, or trained before, when we roll.


I guess they find the way I roll with them unusual because I don't really play(or actually know) many of the new guards and "moves".

I really just work closed..a bit of wannabe Telles turtle stuff...a bit of butterly..and mostly a top game with a lot of focus on pressure..inflicting discomfort and some leg locks. I also sometimes like to ad-lib and try to come up with submissions from different places, but that isn't prevalent.


But anyway, the question has been almost the same each time.."What do you train? Is that catch wrestling/sambo?" or some variant of that.

I think that is a pretty funny question.

----------------------------------------

So I guess what I'm saying...there are at least some people that are semi-new to the sport..(only a few years training) that "only" really know about the systems and styles that have been popularized in recent competition. You hit them with a Telles kimura from turtle or something like that and they think you train sambo or something. They almost don't consider it to be jiu jitsu. (I say jiu jitsu is whatever works..lol)


Just something funny I noticed.

 

[Monkadelic]

It's been interesting reading through all this. I'm going to my first BJJ class in London this week. I'm a judo beginner, and my intention is to sprinkle some BJJ skills over my newaza, although who's to say I won't get more into the jits and veer more in that direction?

Not being a BJJ player, I was unaware of berimbolos, 50/50's etc until reading through f12. I'm hoping the gym (Carlson Gracie), is more focused on 'traditional' styles as from what I can see that should be of more use in judo.

But I've literally had at least 3 guys(guys that have been training a couple years..2..maybe 3) ask me what I train, or trained before, when we roll.

Funnily enough, I've had that in the two judo clubs I've been a member of, too. I think it's because I always fall back into guard when taking part in newaza randori.

 

[Calibur]

I'm hoping the gym (Carlson Gracie), is more focused on 'traditional' styles as from what I can see that should be of more use in judo.

Carlson? LOL. you'll be JUST fine.

 

[Monkadelic]

To be fair, as a complete beginner I'm sure it doesn't really matter where I go. Fundamentals, baby.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

Mostly I've just witnessed BJJ evolve/change.

I've noticed things are different stylistically than when I first started. You have a lot more white belts playing open guard, DLR, berimbolo, and stuff. Back when I was a white belt it was a lot of closed guard and take downs. Maybe some DLR thrown in here and there. BJJ seemed more applicable to self defense to me.

I've also noticed that people in general nowadays seem a lot less tough and more prone to complain about getting smashed, crossfaced, other guys using strength, etc. Also, people complaining about getting tapped to many times or thinking more experienced guys should go easy on them.

When I was a white belt and blue belt I just took ass whippings and kept my mouth shut. Nobody went easy on me, because I was little. Nobody expected anything from anybody. You slapped hands and rolled. If you got your butt handed to you, oh well. On to the next person. You accepted it and kept a positive attitude.

I guess one of the main things that has changed for me is my opinion on belts. I feel like I've become a bit jaded. Don't get me wrong, it feels REALLY good to get promoted and be recognized for all your hard work, but I don't put very much stock into them anymore like I used to.

Even with all the ups and downs, in the end it's something I still love and feel passionately about.

 

[orangeclay]

I started about 8 years ago. What I've noticed most is the attempt to move BJJ mainstream and make it more appealing to a broader audience and, thus, more commercial and marketable.

Upside, the gym I train at actually now has a dedicated women's bathroom and changing area - total plus. Downside, in making BJJ more like other already commercial martial arts, I feel promotions are a times being given for attendance rather than skill.

 

[Wanderlei Industries]

Threads like this make me happy because it shows how fortunate I am to train with an instructor who teaches nothing but basic old school fundamentals with judo and wrestling.