If you knew then what you know now

[discrawg]

I always viewed training as a kind of "all or nothing" experience. I would train really hard for a few months, then drop off completely, & let it come to a dead stop. Then I'd pick it up again at a later date, go hard again, & this cycle continued for years.

I would tell my self to keep the ball rolling, not to completely stop. Even if it isn't rolling as fast as you would like it to, keep it moving.
Train once a week if you're busy, or lazy, but don't take a whole week off if you can help it. That constant contact with your school, and momentum is very beneficial.

 

[JustTheTip]

If you could start training all over again what would you do differently? What would you tell new people just coming into the sport to do versus what you may have done?

I would have not trained as hard physically but instead taken ownership of my training to train more efficiently.
I tell new people to establish a system for learning BJJ. First concentrate on escapes,defense, and guard recovery. Do this for months before really going into submissions. Forget about winning rolls in class and concentrate on improving those things first. Use rolling to gauge progress then after class ask higher belts for solutions to probl;ems you encountered rolling that day. After getting fairly competent in escapes,defense, and guard recovery, concentrate on ONE submission and ONE sweep.Make sure this submission is a basic and legal one for White belt. Take ownership of that submission and sweep and study people in class and in videos on that submission and that sweep. Don't stop doing it until you are confident you can sweep/submit someone 2 belts above you with it if the opportunity presented itself. After you get to that point,concentrate on another. IMO too many people just mindlessly come to class,look at the move of the day,drill it unengaged, then roll doing their same few techniques they always do during rolling. I did this for years and progressed slowly. Then later I started taking ownership of my training and systematizing my own training as above and improved far faster but without training as hard or often.

 

[Dogstarman]

If you could start training all over again what would you do differently? What would you tell new people just coming into the sport to do versus what you may have done?

Ever since I was a child I wanted to do judo. The area I lived in had shitty karate schools , we didn't even have wrestling. I joined a tkd school. They did teach some hapkido. I was interested in learning that but the instructor liked tkd more so it was limited in what we learned.

If I could go back I would have joined the university judo club when I was in college. I just didn't really know any better and was to concerned with partying and having a good time.

 

[georgegreece]

start yoga from the beginning
stay away from sherdog

Not the yoga part but yes.

 

[Russky]

If you could start training all over again what would you do differently? What would you tell new people just coming into the sport to do versus what you may have done?

I knew answer to this question before ...

Now, after years of hard training I am thinking that there are no shortcuts. STFUAT. There is, however, a way to speed up initial development for a beginner, but it does not change much in the long run.

 

[throwboes]

Rest when hurt. I have chronic injuries now that started as little aches.

 

[redaxe]

If I could turn back time I would have kept healthier eating habits, drank less alcohol, and kept in better shape. I have let work and relationships be an excuse to not train as much as I should. Brb going to train now.

 

[Foppa21]

I would have gone to college closer to NYC or NJ, or any place I can get training.

Depends dude.. Training's training but unless you're gonna get $$$ going pro from it, edumacation is tops

 

[Foppa21]

If I could turn back time I would have kept healthier eating habits, drank less alcohol, and kept in better shape. I have let work and relationships be an excuse to not train as much as I should. Brb going to train now.

It's all in moderation. Unless your livelihood depends on it, BJJ is just now something I do in my spare time to get my mind off work etc. I still take it seriously, but I don't have the time or effort to make it the be all and end all anymore

 

[Knock Out Ned]

If I could turn back time I would have kept healthier eating habits, drank less alcohol, and kept in better shape. I have let work and relationships be an excuse to not train as much as I should. Brb going to train now.

Holy shnikees!!

Where the hell have you been? Haven't seen you post on here in forever. Glad to hear you're still at it.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Depends dude.. Training's training but unless you're gonna get $$$ going pro from it, edumacation is tops

You wont get a great education stuck in the middle of nowhere either. US News rankings just make it seem that way. Or at least that is the case when me and my peers were choosing.

 

[irc]

Really commit to long-term health if you're planning on becoming a black belt and beyond, because rolling injuries WILL catch up with you. This would include:

1. Actively and consistently work on flexibility and strength. Yoga is perfect for this because it not only helps immensely with recovery but it builds strength within flexibility.
2. Learn to relax. This is not something that can be taught, and most guys don't start to grasp this concept at all until around mid-level purple. Relaxing while rolling will mitigate injuries and conserve energy; it will also help your mind get into a place where the next move will come naturally, without needing to think and plan. Things will flow. You'll become effective with all your movements.
3. Consider whether competition makes sense for you. A lot, if not most guys early on think they need to compete. Think about your goals and where competing fits it. For the long term, it may make sense not to compete. It may make a lot of sense to compete. But think through the process - don't just do it without realizing why you're doing it.
4. Fuck your ego? This is one of the hardest ideas. Everyone has heard of "checking your ego at the door." But those words have a lot of meaning and are lost on a lot of people. I think putting this idea to practice takes active effort. Becoming successful with it may change you. What it can do for you is help you avoid being unnecessarily aggressive, curb your willingness to hold out on tapping, change the way you feel about where your place is within your group of guys, ultimately it will benefit you and your partners.
5. Realize why the "basics" are important. Since I've become a black belt, my quiver has become smaller and smaller; the things I do in every position have returned to centering on the basics and being effective there. This also has the added benefit of avoiding injury caused by a game that centers on the exotic or unorthodox - because those things always seem to entail more risk to your neck, back, and knees.

 

[Foppa21]

Honestly, nothing. All the good and bad experiences I've had have been beneficial to me in some way. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't be the person (and practitioner) I am today.

I hold the same attitude. Everything before leads to today. The butterfly effect if you will and as long as you're happy today, don't change anything.

I'm sure though, all things considered equal and assuming that positive change brings about positive effect, there's some changes out there proposed

 

[HtomSirveaux]

Drillers make killers. I should've just drilled and drilled and drilled.

Don't take it, and myself so seriously. I was never talented enough to make inroads on the circuit, let alone be a world champion so there was no point beating myself up about it. I should've just turned up, enjoyed myself on the mats and tried to be better today than I was yesterday.

Be more open minded when I rolled. For the longest time (white through to say, mid blue) I rolled way too conservative. Just stuck very much with what I knew and as such, I never evolved for years. These days, I try (within reason) everything and anything. Keeps things fresh and interesting.

Don't roll with guys that are just way too big. I totally bought into the hype that a little guy can beat a big guy. Yeah it's true... when the big guy doesn't know anything. But if they know something, it's gonna me a long round. Winning battles, losing wars type thing. And you can't come back the next day.

A lot of wisdom in this post. Definitely some food for thought for me on the seriousness and competition thing. Reconciling my dreams of success with the mediocre at best reality has been difficult lately

 

[winterbike]

That was always the dream, wasn't it? 'I wish I'd known then what I know now'? But when you got older you found out that you NOW wasn't YOU then. You then was a twerp. You then was what you had to be to start out on the rocky road of becoming you now, and one of the rocky patches on that road was being a twerp.

Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. - Bismarck -

That's how I see this thread.

 

[redaxe]

Holy shnikees!!

Where the hell have you been? Haven't seen you post on here in forever. Glad to hear you're still at it.

Haha what's up man? Yeah I haven't been on SD for a while but I'm still plugging away at jiu-jitsu. My instructor (Cindy Hales) just gave me a black belt a couple months ago, an honor I feel unworthy of. Been 8 1/2 years since I started and it's absolutely crazy how fast purple and brown belt went by. The last 4 years were a blur!

 

[RJ Green]

I'd have gone for it. I'm too old now. There were parts of some tournaments where I turned it on but I never practiced like that. I'll flip the switch but I don't leave it on, you know?

Also leg locks...I like to snowboard and paddleboard and climb and slackline and a bunch of other hippie bullshit so I don't play footsies because my doofy ass can barely walk as-is

 

[Vitamin C]

I'd skip another 15 years past when I started training and joined judo as a kid.
Then I'd wrestle in high school.
Then I'd train BJJ exactly as I have, only with over a decade of standing grappling experience.

 

[Vitamin C]

Congrats @redaxe!

 

[Kenny from MD]

I'd have started training all the positions that I avoided because they were too hard. For example, I'd have established a solid passing game before anything else. I'd have learned about pinning and pressure and movement. I would have learned to take people down and remain in base on the feet instead of jumping to guard for years and years.

I'd have taken more risks at tournaments, and used technique outside of my A game. Local tournaments are the best test for if something is working or not. I wasted a lot of time sweeping people and taking their backs, when I already knew ahead of time I could do that.

I'd stretch before and after every class, and never have gotten out of shape, even and especially when injured.

I'd have let go and submitted to the idea that I don't know everything, and that it is far too early in the learning process to have anything figured out. I was stuck on ideas and techniques for a long time that I was convinced were solid, when they aren't and have since fallen by the wayside.

I'd have gone to Brazil to train more when I was younger and had nothing else to do with the free time and lack of responsibility I had.