Month: December 2022

• Getting My Fourth Stripe on My White Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

  You’ve come a long way since walking into the gym and signing up for a jujitsu membership.

  Just walking through the doors and deciding that this is something you want to dedicate your time to, is a feat unto itself.

  A reminder that most people don’t do jujitsu, most people who do join end up leaving for various reasons, and most people who stay for a bit end up quitting at blue belt. At least that’s what they say.

  Just over a week ago I got my fourth stripe on my white belt in Brazilian jujitsu. It means a lot more than the other three stripes.

  This fourth stripe I actually feel like I’ve earned it and deserve it. That’s not to say I don’t trust my head instructors judgment, when giving out stripes. I think it has more to do with my lack of self-confidence from when I first started my martial arts journey.

  Who knows how long I’ll have my fourth stripe for before I get the coveted blue belt. Then the fun can really start.

  How many stripes do you have on your white belt? If you are a higher belt, do you remember what it was like having four stripes on your white belt?

  Here are some observations about being a four stripe white belt:

  Survival

  I’ve had enough white belts and blue belts and the rare purple belt tell me I have good defence.

  That’s a wonderful compliment at this stage in my game. That being said, I almost never go for or attempt a submission finish.

  The only technique I try for is a head and arm choke from side control or mount.

  It works less than fifty percent of the time. I’ll take it, that’s pretty good for me.

  Escapes

  With survival usually comes escaping. At least that’s what I’ve experienced. Or you’re saved by the buzzer, which is a white belts best friend.

  At this stage in my game as a four stripe white belt, escaping from someone taking my back is getting easier. It’s not easy though.

  But it’s now not impossible. Escaping from side control is still challenging and I haven’t found my favourite way of escaping that, in no gi it’s a bit easier for some reason. I think because we’re sweatier.

  I still get caught in arm bars and triangles. From white belt to higher belts. I must be doing something wrong.

  I think that I tend to put my hands out when passing and lean over too much, what can I say I love putting the pressure on when I pass.

  It’s the wrestler in me I guess. Gotta keep them arms in.

  Mindset

  Why keep showing up in the first place?

  I like to say I have a white belt mindset. Always eager to learn, being a newbie in an ever growing and evolving martial art.

  I bet even higher belts still have that mindset. There were times I really struggled with wanting to keep showing up.

  But after I got my third stripe I knew I was on the right track. After getting my fourth stripe I can see the blue belt in my sights.

  I still have a long way to go to get there but I am not stopping. Not now when I’m so close.

  What do I think blue belt is like?

  I feel like being a white belt in bjj is the tutorial in a video game. And the real game hasn’t even started yet until blue belt.

  My defence will still be a work in progress but it will be harder for whites and blues to submit me. It will happen but not as much. The higher belts will still destroy me, of course.

  At blue belt that’s when I will get my attacking and escaping game going. With a tight defence I can feel comfortable and confident in attempting attack techniques and submissions. Maybe something OTHER than a head and arm choke.

  What do YOU think it will be like when YOU get your blue belt?

  2022.12.22

• My Jiu Jitsu Game: A Breakdown Analysis by a Black Belt

  A BJJ black belt by the name of Matt, was nice enough to reach out to me with an idea. Matt is working on a BJJ idea where he offers people a chance to submit footage of a competition match or a rolling session, and a black belt (him) reviews it, and returns the footage with commentary. I said that’s cool and we exchanged emails.

  The following is a summary of his analysis…

  Analysis – Strategy

  Since my match was mostly stand-up, that is, my opponent and I were stuck jostling instead of attacking for most of the match, Matt starts off by giving me some strategy ideas for takedowns. For example, ankle picks and collar drags are relatively safe from back exposure to your opponent. And if he can’t get his best takedowns in under a minute, he looks for a chance to pull guard into specific sweeps he likes. An if those don’t work than maintaining a good open or closed guard. A lot of the match was stalemating in stand-up with grips, with not a lot of grip breaking. For example, I had more wrestling grips like undercooks and collar ties. Matt suggests that I get comfotable with collar grips at the collar bone, as they have pretty much the same control as a collar tie.

  Analysis – Crossing My Feet

  In the match, I had a bad habit of moving laterally with my opposite foot. And as a result put myself in the position of potentially being tripped as my legs where momentary crossed (as you see in the picture below, I’m moving to the left but using my right foot first). Lucky my opponent didn’t notice.

  

  Analysis – Hip Toss

  Since I sort of froze up and forgot a years worth of my jiu jitsu, some of my old wreslting habits kicked in. I tried to do a hip toss but was too far away. Matt said ‘spacing’ is important for executing a hip toss correctly, I needed more hip-to-hip connection. I used to get them no problem in wrestling but with the gi grips, my opponent wasn’t going anywhere. I was just too far away and he had tight grips on my arms and collar. He also mentioned that hip tossing in BJJ is high risk, as you’re basically exposing your back to your opponent. Also there is no extra points for amplitude for takedowns in BJJ, if there is a dramatic high flying toss, it gets the same number of points, two, as an ankle pick.

  

  

  

  

  Analysis – Grip Breaking

  Matt suggests that I need to have a goal of practicing and playing with different grips while at the BJJ gym, and to figure out what grips work best for me. For example, the same side sleeve grip or cross side sleeve grip, and “When you break these grips, try and break them in a way where you keep that grip. Let’s say that I’m ripping your hand off my lapel, well to do that I have to grab you, right?. When I grab your sleeve, I’m going to break the grip and keep the sleeve, and look to work from there…use that grip that you got, and go with it.”

  Analysis – Posture

  Have you ever seen competition photos on Facebook or other social media from events like Grappling Industries, NAGA, or IBJJF? Matt noticed that most people, all levels, have stand-up posture like my opponent and I do in the photo below. Our weight is out in front of our feet, hips are far back, great for someone who loves ankle picks and the snap-down. Matt says it’s a common posture in BJJ and more people should be taking advantage of their opponents poor posture.

  

  

  Analysis – On the Ground

  There wasn’t much ground play in this match. But after my failed head and arm toss, my opponent gets on top on me and I recover in a quarter guard (which I didn’t even know was a type of guard ha). I should have tried with all my might and turned into my opponent. Matt points out that I can’t recover guard while I’m facing away from my opponent. I need to plant my feet and turn back into him.

  

  Conclusion

  Thanks to Matt the black belt for taking the time to do a breakdown analysis of my current BJJ game.

  Basically, I cross my feet too much and try high risk tosses but have too much space and I’m off balance. An even better opponent would have crushed me. I ended up losing the match in points. I’ve done two comps, two matches, and still haven’t scored points. Lucky I signed up for my third comp and will look to do better! That’s the plan anyway.

  2022.12.09

• Signed up for another Jiu Jitsu tournament for January 2023

  I signed up for a No Gi AND Gi competition. Round Robin. I’ve never done a No Gi Comp but why the heck not. This will be my third competition ever. I’m currently 0-2 in competing in bjj. I have a good feeling about this next one.

  I have to make sure I don’t psych myself out either. Looking at the brackets everyday is not a good idea. Fear can keep people from competing. Fear of embarrassment can keep people from even joining or trying Jiu Jitsu.

  Why the heck am I going to train for a martial arts competition at the age of 37? Why would I put my body and mind through that? Am I trying to prove something to myself? Not sure. But I know I want to have fun. And BJJ is fun.

  I’m going to train on the mats AND in the gym. I need to be lifting more weights this next seven weeks since I will be in a heavier weight division, 170lbs, I’m currently 160lbs.

  I now have a focus and motivation for going to the fitness gym. For years I haven’t been able to make weight-lifting a habit. Hopefully now that I have a goal of actually being competitive this time around it’ll motivate me to keep going to the gym at LEAST three times a week.

  I got to say I’m excited about this next competition. I feel my wrestling skills will be more prominent in No Gi since there is no material to grip when hand-fighting and for my stand-up. But when I’m in someone’s closed guard in No Gi, like what the heck do I even grab? In training I sort of grab on to my opponents arms or wrists and try to post on them, is that correct? I’m need to look in to that. No Gi is like a different martial art than Gi.

  Anyways, have you tried a free trial jiu jitsu class yet? Try it out!

  Fun in Adobe Illustrator…

  

  

  

  2022.12.07