Using Strength in Competition is OK

[TheMood]

I was as a competition yesterday and I was walking to see a match when I overheard someone complaining/explaining that they lost their match because their opponent just used a lot of strength. I am fairly certain that is OK and allowed by the rules of every bjj competition. I was really surprised to hear this be said.

What do you guys tell beginners (I am assuming he was a beginner) at your gym? I feel like telling new people not to use strength is the wrong way to explain what they should be doing. Strength matters and is important. Telling someone not to use strength is a disservice in my opinion. We generally do not tell other people to not use speed, flexibility, or some other attribute. This is something I have been trying to figure out a better way of explaining since we have had some really strong guys join my school recently. Being strong is good and they should use it. I want to provide meaningful guidance that isn't relax and don't use strength.

 

[Eisenhans]

I never heard the phrase "I lost because the other guy was so [physically] strong". "Too fast", "too tough", "too clever", yeah, all of it. But never "too strong".

 

[Waldorf]

I hear the other guys was "so strong" all the time at comps. However, when people criticize the use of strength in BJJ, I think what they mean is the inefficient use of strength. Shooting your wad trying to escape out of a bad position by hulking out, or grabbing something and pulling on it as hard as you can to get the tap. With less experienced people it works a lot, but leaves more open to injury and often leads to failure when applied against somebody technical enough to counter. When somebody critiques the use of muscle what they are usually saying is your doing it wrong and trying to make up for it with exertion. Instead do it right and you get the efficient power of your whole body behind it . However to learn how to do it "right" you often have to be willing to step back the attributes to develop the sensitivity and positioning to make it work.

That being said when you lose you lose and whining about why it happened is just sour grapes and protecting your ego.

 

[yetanother]

I want to provide meaningful guidance that isn't relax and don't use strength.

You need to relax. If you don't you will feel light when on top unless you are fat.
Even if you have a lot of heavy muscle you will just carry your own weight if you are tense.

 

[asian-glow]

I'd be interested in hearing how people approach this as well, particularly with more experienced guys. I've been rolling with certain guys for years. My instructor is always trying to get them to relax but they never do. We're talking blues and purple belts. Hell we even had a black belt that never relaxed. All of these guys are around mid 30's. I'm starting to wonder if it's just harder for people like this to reform their movement.

 

[yetanother]

My instructor is always trying to get them to relax but they never do. /QUOTE]

Dunno, it's something that is super helpful but I don't see how people who don't use it can do it. I feel they hear it but it's impossible for them to use strength while still being (partially) relaxed.

 

[Fla graplr]

Strength is a skill when applied properly. Use it.

Styles vary. Dont expect a cookie cutter approach. I dislike when super traditionalist expect their students to do exactly as they did. They may be 150lb and student is 215lb.

So for the original question....people have said this about me many times. They are really making excuses and hinting at potential drugs use without actually saying it. As if that justifies it in their mind, and makes their girlfriend who just watched another man destroy his ego forget all about the L.

 

[TheMood]

You need to relax. If you don't you will feel light when on top unless you are fat.
Even if you have a lot of heavy muscle you will just carry your own weight if you are tense.

This is very helpful thank you.

Strength is a skill when applied properly. Use it.

Styles vary. Dont expect a cookie cutter approach. I dislike when super traditionalist expect their students to do exactly as they did. They may be 150lb and student is 215lb.

So for the original question....people have said this about me many times. They are really making excuses and hinting at potential drugs use without actually saying it. As if that justifies it in their mind, and makes their girlfriend who just watched another man destroy his ego forget all about the L.

I agree that strength and using weight is a skill. I have worked with huge beginners that felt lighter than my 150lbs instructors. There is clearly some skill used to make the light people feel so heavy.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

A white belt competition is mostly won by the most athletic guy (saves the savage kids of now)... it’s utterly moronic to complain about the guy using “too much strength” in competition... it’s a valid excuse though to say “the dude was just to strong”... not the same thing

 

[TheMood]

I completely agree with you, Rage. The way this was said sounded like a totally pathetic attempt at justifying losing in a competition.

When I started it was astonishing to me how weak I felt. The reason I felt so weak is because I was really weak in hind sight. I started going to the gym and lifting when I started bjj and it made a big difference. I still feel week relative to some guys but I know I am much stronger than where I started from. Now some people tell me that I feel strong when I roll and I love it. Even if it is supposed to be a backhanded compliment it never bothers me.

 

[Eisenhans]

I'd be interested in hearing how people approach this as well, particularly with more experienced guys. I've been rolling with certain guys for years. My instructor is always trying to get them to relax but they never do. We're talking blues and purple belts. Hell we even had a black belt that never relaxed. All of these guys are around mid 30's. I'm starting to wonder if it's just harder for people like this to reform their movement.

Do Tai Chi for a few months. Not kidding. It's really just about getting accustomed to being relaxed. You don't even have to do Push Hands or anything like that, just do the run-of-the-mill Beijing Form (aka 24 form?) 1-2 times a day. That's enough.

 

[yetanother]

Do Tai Chi for a few months. Not kidding. It's really just about getting accustomed to being relaxed. You don't even have to do Push Hands or anything like that, just do the run-of-the-mill Beijing Form (aka 24 form?) 1-2 times a day. That's enough.

Does it help with being partially relaxed while still using strength?

 

[Smelly_feet]

Ehm I basically won my first match today because I was stronger, or really had better endurance than the other guy. I had about a minute more in the gas tank than the other guy. Before this it was a back and forth battle. Would anybody argue you can’t use to much endurance or is it just strength? I think the whole thing is so stupid. BJJ is a sport so of course strength is a major factor. We are put into classes that represent the skill level you are at so then strength and endurance plays a huge role in competitions. For beginners the idea is that they loose their heads if they use to much strength so it’s a good idea to train not using strength to “win”. You have to learn to be calm and collected but also be able to be relaxed while giving it everything your body can handle. Think Marcelo was talking about not being able to open his hand after competitions because he was using so much strength. How do you think Khabib, Maia or say Marcelo developed their squeeze? It’s not like they have a secret technique to chocke people. In training yeah you have to roll a lot so to get a lot of rounds in you have to go light most the time but also go hard when preparing for competitions. It’s like in climbing.. You practice a problem until you have the technical aspect nailed to perfection and then it’s all about having the strength to do it.

 

[berimBOWLoh]

yea i really hate when i show up to these comps totally unprepared and these goons are using Performance Enhancing Workouts (PEWs) and Performance Enhancing Healthy Foods (PEHFs) to give them a competitive edge. Im over here not doing shit for weeks, eating sour patch kids and hostess cupcakes and these cowards wanna show up all ripped with kale shakes and chicken breast??

I hope they feel righteous with their tainted wins. If they didnt take those shortcuts i would be way on top.

 

[Wrestler160]

I remember a comment I heard from one of the guys I used to train with years ago say that he hated wrestling because all they use was strength lol

I wanted tell him that maybe those wrestlers are just better than you.

 

[Quebec Nick]

In competition, if you're in the right weight class, you should be able to handle someone who uses a lot of strenght. I'm not really explosive and explosive smashers can get the better of me, but I'm technical enough to avoid being in deep trouble. I've other athletic abilities up my sleeve, I'm flexible for most of the BJJ positions I use and I have a lot more cardio than most of people I roll with.

I won't enjoy competing with an agressive, strong, explosive smasher but when I manage to keep them in my guard for 2 minutes and they are completely washed up, now it's my time to roll over them.

But I would like to say that in training, against guys way bigger than you (20 + pounds) it really suck when they just smash you

 

[Eisenhans]

Does it help with being partially relaxed while still using strength?

Absolutely. You even learn to apply strength while being totally relaxed (subjectively). You could probably also learn this from a good boxing or wrestling coach, but hey.

 

[Fla graplr]

yea i really hate when i show up to these comps totally unprepared and these goons are using Performance Enhancing Workouts (PEWs) and Performance Enhancing Healthy Foods (PEHFs) to give them a competitive edge. Im over here not doing shit for weeks, eating sour patch kids and hostess cupcakes and these cowards wanna show up all ripped with kale shakes and chicken breast??

I hope they feel righteous with their tainted wins. If they didnt take those shortcuts i would be way on top.

I love this lol.....this is fighting! WhaT kind of lifts weights or runs! RoIdSSS