Help me out, please!

[BruceOnJuice]

Originally Posted by Vitamin C

Missing five months is a pretty long time considering you seem to already be pretty new? Those guys who you dominate before keep training in that time, so they get further along the curve than you.

Also, it sounds like you might be approaching your rolls in a negative light. You not only create the dichotomy of winning or losing a roll, but you say you make that decision that you have lost when the roll has just begun.
Your rolls are for training. Not for winning.

Pick a few open guard sweeps or concepts that you want to train, and get a willing partner to stay before or after class to drill it with you.

Very good advice.

It sounds like you care way to much about winning and losing. You need to change this mindset or you wont get very far in BJJ. Good luck my friend.

Bruce

[AzRich75]

You sound like a gigantic pussy that cannot face adversity. Nut-up or gtfo.

[JMG1134]

When I injured my knee, I was out for about 2 months without any training, and then slowly over the next couple of months got back in to technique, then some drilling, and finally sparring. When I finally got back to sparring, my knee was still not 100%, so I couldn't work my guard or top positions. I'd have to let guys start in mount or side control. So, I did. For 2 months. Nothing but that.

Before I got injured, my guard got passed alot, and then I got smashed in side control or mount, with no chance at escape. Now, I still get passed, but I rarely get trapped or under side control or mount anymore, and subs from there are a lot less common than they used to be.

My point is, put yourself in those frustrating positions on purpose as often as possible. Try new things, tap a lot. Eventually, they won't be as frustrating, and you will have answers to them.

And then, realize that after all that work, you still suck...but then, we all suck, right?

[Gidselgrisen]

Originally Posted by Sean-Roberts

send me video of yourself rolling and ill help you out.

What a nice gesture! You rock!

[flyinghalfguard]

go look at some videos on half guard and escaping side control, or ask for help at your gym

these are the positions which are causing you distress, not the fact your open guard sucks

[snoop dogg]

ts if you dont enjoy it, then quit. you shouldnt try to force yourself to like something.
if you really want this and are just getting frustrated, then be patient. breathe and take your time. everyone learns at their own pace. just be humble and spark your interest through bjj vids

[kinkykid]

TS, it kind of sucks that you made this post 2 days ago and haven't checked in since. Other than a few posters telling you to "nut up or shut up", you've gotten a lot of support and advice. Including Sean Roberts telling you that he'd watch some video and give you feedback. Hopefully, you're just in the gym training and haven't had time. Good luck.

[georgwilhelm]

Originally Posted by Sean-Roberts

send me video of yourself rolling and ill help you out.

Thank you for this very nice offer, Mr. Roberts!
I hope you don't mind if I come back to that in a little while. At the moment nobody is never making videos of himself rolling at our club. So this would be a bit weird. I would have to find somebody to meet with outside class to take a video. And although I get along well with everybody I don't particularly meet anybody outside class. I will work on that though. So thank you!

[tenniswhiz]

Originally Posted by SamVDW

Just focus on getting better and you'll be fine. You won't always constantly improve. You'll have days where you feel like you went backwards, but that is part of training. I think you just need to relax and think of something to focus working on.

I like this. Not just for BJJ either, but for every other endeavor in life as well.

[georgwilhelm]

Originally Posted by KGB256

TS says he's been training a year. He's been back for 2 months, and was injured for 5months.

12 -2 = 10 - 5 = 5.

So after 5 months, he missed 5 months. His guard sucked then, and (understandably) his guard still sucks 2 months after coming back.

TS claims to have trained considerably more than folks he trained with back when he started. Not sure how that could be true, given the length of his injury.

This is bizarre. TS seems to be surprised that people made progress while he was out. He seems to be putting expectations on himself of being as good as someone with 12 months experience when he only has 7 months actually on the mats.

Gotta lighten up, dude. You missed as much time as you had under your belt. It's natural to backslide with that long of a layoff, and even more natural for your peers to make substantial progress in your absence. The difference between 2 years and 2.5 years is big, but not nearly as big as 6 months to 12 months IMO.

To be a bit more precise:
I did 8 months, then was out for 5 months, then came back 2 months ago.

Of course, I'm aware that others will have improved in my absence. But I was talking about two guys specifically of whom I know that they hardly ever trained during my absence and that they trained less during the time in which I trained. I was just surprised that I had such problems against them compared to when I started out, knew nothing and just used some kind of balance and quickness to get into a good position.

Now I try to play open guard and it never works out. While I am always being passed I seem to be unable to pass other people's open guards. I really lack knowledge about grips and what to do with my arms and legs. I always sit on my but and pull one arm and the same side lapel and push with my legs... but w/o a real plan. So maybe someone could point me to a video with an introduction to open guard, grips etc??

As for the others: Actually, I still do enjoy BJJ a lot! Just the last few weeks have been hard. I have always somewhat sucked but recently I got the impression that I am unable to improve, that just keeping training won't do the trick for me.

And I know that I should not think so much about "winning" and "losing"... it just sucks when you feel that you are weaker than basically everybody (with the usual 1 or 2 exceptions). You learn techniques and you never get to apply them because you find yourself in side control or flattened out in half guard and from then on it's just a battle for survival.

@kinkykid: I was working. You know, somewhere I have to get the money from to pay for the gym and also for my internet connection. lol. (and I was actually thinking about what I could do to be able to take up Sean Roberts' offer)