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It seems like this should be obvious, but in order to do something, you have to begin. I mean really begin. I don’t think you can actually say you’ve tried Jiu Jitsu unless you’ve put 6 months of consistent training in. My wife trained with me for two years, if she can do that, you can put in six months. Six months of training is almost nothing in Jiu Jitsu, maybe it’s one stripe. It’s roughly 50 classes training twice a week. Growing up my parents had the rule that I played three seasons before I could quit a sport. This is basically the same time frame, maybe even shorter. I understand that grappling isn’t for everyone, but I also don’t know if anything less than six months of training really counts as an honest attempt.
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Let’s talk about the underlying principles of sweeping someone. First what is a sweep? In submission grappling a sweep is going from a bottom guarded (legs in front) position to a top position. It scores two points. If you are not controlling your opponent with your legs going from bottom to top is a reversal and no points are scored. So how do you sweep someone? There’s only two things you need
Post control means I negate their ability to plant their arms and legs on the ground. Off Balance is causing instability. We combine causing instability with controlling posts on the side we are moving towards, then use momentum to follow to a top position and that’s two points for a sweep. If you want to do Jiu Jitsu for a long time, it’s necessary to have a why. Grappling is difficult and if you don’t have a something outside of just the desire to go, it will be hard to stick with it. My personal why at this point is I have to. Effectively I am addicted to grappling, and I am not fun to be around if I don’t get on the mats. I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger do an interview where he talked about the same thing. The world is in shades of grey until he works out, then the color comes. To make it to black belt, cultivating the need to train over the desire to train is critical. The journey is too long and too difficult to depend on motivation.
Training three times a week or more has always been the standard for improvement, but I think maybe that can be dropped down to two. Obviously the more hours you spend on the mat the more opportunities you have to improve, but there’s life and grappling is difficult. However, on the days you are not doing Jiu Jitsu it would be beneficial to do something else physical. It doesn’t have to be super strenuous, but take a walk, lift, climb, stretch, come to a WOD class, do something active each day. My advice is two times a week come hell or high water for noticeable advancement and more if you can.
I have a goal for all of my students, that they are well rounded. That they can execute their grappling in whatever position they find themselves in. Oftentimes in the course of being a gym owner, I have found that when people come to me from other places, they are often deficient in areas that I remember being covered extensively when I was a white belt. It happens regularly that colored belts walk in the door and are not able to execute an arm bar from guard on a willing partner much less someone who is resisting. I come from a state where the level of Jiu Jitsu is really high and maybe that factors into my expectations, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to hold someone to the standard of 20 years ago when our intent is to move Jiu Jitsu forward. If you run a school please do better. If you train with me, if you didn’t know the expectation before, now you know.
https://youtu.be/2GUFbs4mrhQ?si=aGA0BIarVwk288wJ
https://youtu.be/lJ7D-mWEiEA?si=2EEg3TG4rj9XrSE_ I feel like we are getting to a stage where a separation of professional grappler/ fighter and day job who trains a few times a week should be made. I don’t really know if allowing normal people to enter divisions where kani basami is legal makes a lot of sense. It’s one thing if you’re being paid to go out there, I’ve competed in matches where the ruleset was very open, but to pay to enter a local tournament, get your knee blown out, and still have to figure out your day job may not be the best path forward. The same is true in the training room, and I’m guilty of it as well. Lots of people think that the things you see in professional grappling and fighting are all fair game. In reality anything where you can’t abandon ship if the other person reacts unexpectedly probably shouldn’t be done unless both parties agree. In grappling as a hobby total control of what you’re doing is much preferred to an any means necessary high risk approach.
1a. Closed Guard- post control & sweep
1b. Beat hips and knees 1c. Butterfly guard- post control and sweep 1d. Beat hips and knees 2a. 1/2guard- post control and sweep 2b. Pass 2c. Up/Down- post control and sweep 2d. Pass 3a. Bronx Mount arm attacks only 3b. Reverse or disengage 3c. Back- arm attacks only 3d. Reverse or Disengage 4a. Mount- arm attacks only 4b. Reverse or disengage 4c. Side Control- arm attacks from mount or back 4d. Reverse or disengage 5a. 1/4 Nelson side- finish double closure 5b. Exit danger 5c. 1/4 Nelson turtle- finish double closure 5d. Exit danger 6a. RDLR 1/2 crab- acquire top position 6b. Stay on top and square up 6c. DLR matrix- acquire top position 6d. Stay on top and square up 7a. Spider web- finish triangle or back 7b. Exit danger 7c. Back- gi chokes only 7d. Reverse or disengage 8a. Takedowns you can name in Japanese 8b. Japanese takedowns 8c. Tackett drill 8d. Tackett drill You’re never too good for a basic class, an introductory class, or a fundamentals class. Whatever you call it, no matter what skill level you are, a basic class benefits everyone. I know this is true in grappling, because even after I got my black belt and moved across the country for a job teaching Jiu Jitsu, when I went to Bronx Martial Arts Academy, I still attended the basic/beginner class by choice. Igor who taught the class was still a brown belt then and it was great, I sharpened a bunch of stuff I still use. If you weren’t already aware, I have a two-dimensional art degree. When I was in school we had people who were already established artists in the community come in to take foundational courses. If people who are above your level still seek basic information and are making attempts to bolster their core skills that might be a clue as to what you need as well. I can’t say for certain, but I think this translates to nearly all aspects of life. You are never to good for the basics.
I like leg locks, I’ve always liked leg locks, I think everyone should learn leg locks. That being said it is tough to devote time to leg locks, because most rule sets for hobbyists do not promote leg entanglements. I’ve trained at places where you could heel hook in the Gi and I’ve trained at places where leg locks were frowned upon entirely. Being exposed to leg locks is beneficial, it is a part of grappling after all. I think this sort of goes back to my desire to separate hobbyists from people who want to be professional grapplers. If you want to leg lock, you should be able to, if you need your feet and knees, there should be a division for that as well.
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AuthorThis is the blog page of Chuva BJJ. It's where you will find information that seems pertinent to the academy. Archives
January 2025
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