BJJ beginner - How long before you're "decent"

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LSVTEC

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I have no grappling experience whatsoever and have completed my 5th class in BJJ. Whenever we roll/spar towards the end of class, I get my ass kicked. I'm 5'7'' 170lbs but feel weak as hell compared to others. I can't keep others in guard/butterfly as they seem to pass with ease and I can't sweep. When I'm mounted or put in side mount, I feel as if I can barely move. And I get submitted left and right.

Kind of a shitty feeling just getting handled so easily...even by white belts. Did everyone else go thru the same growing pains when they started? How long before you felt somewhat comfortable in terms of positioning, sub defense, etc?
 
It's really nice having brand new people show up. Because it's much easier to gauge how much you've learned compared to completely new people, as opposed to your peers. They tend to learn right along with you, so the skill gaps tend to remain the same.

In a year or so, you'd be decent against completely newbs. It takes a long time to get actually decent.
 
OK. Well I go 2x/week right now and thinking of upping to 3x. Gotta get as much mat time as possible
 
depends on how you define decent, but i don't think i tapped someone out for like 6 months.
 
Decent meaning I at least look like I have a clue as to what I'm doing. Any person I roll with, regardless of belt, can do whatever they feel like. I just wanna be able to at least put up a "fight" haha.
 
LSVTEC said:
Decent meaning I at least look like I have a clue as to what I'm doing. Any person I roll with, regardless of belt, can do whatever they feel like. I just wanna be able to at least put up a "fight" haha.
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By your own operational definition, I suppose once you develop some semblance of what you should be doing in each common position, you will be decent.

5 classes isn't nearly enough time to do all of that, and you will probably need at least a few technique classes for each position as well. Ie. one day you would need to cover attacking the back, another day, maybe the same day though, you would cover defending from the back. Or passing guard, and guard retention.

Basically its like TalkShowOnMute said... :icon_lol:

In all seriousness though, I think once you develop a good sense of base, posture and aren't tossing limbs out to get locked up like an epileptic orangutan, you will "look decent."
 
I just started myself as well, and after the first class, I figured out a few things.

First thing I figured, is Im quite abit stronger then the guys I roll with, BUT I try not to use the strength, instead I focus on the techniques I was taught. Sometimes I get caught up in the fun of rolling and "muscle" out of things when I should be using techniques, but generally I try to use technique.

Also at my first class I was kind of concerned about how good I was doing, how good I should be doing, etc, then one young guy told me, "man just relax, have fun, and try your best to learn the proper way to do shit. take it slow and practice". So I took his advice, and I really dont worry about "getting my ass kicked" Im the new guy, I SUCK right now!

Just have fun with it man, and try to learn the techniques. Im by no means any good at all, but it sure makes things alot more enjoyable not worrying about shit.
 
Yeah, I consider myself a noob as well and I was pretty disheartened with being the last in the door (in a small class) for a good few months and being the least skilled/most easily tooled guy in the room.

However, some newer guys recently arrived, of various ages, sizes and fitness levels, and it was immensely fulfilling to see the progress I'd made when rolling with them. I'm not exactly dominating them or running through them (I still have a lot to learn and make many mistakes) but I'm better than I was.
 
I define "decent" as not getting subbed constantly or stuck under mount for the entire roll. That said, I am just beginning to feel like I am decent these last 3 or so months. Not constantly in survival mode, controlling positions better, etc. I have been training for a couple months shy of two years. Just stick with it TS, roll with everyone in class and after enough ass kickings things will start to click every so often. Those moments are awesome!
 
I have bean training for a little over 5 years consistently and im just starting to feel decent. Its all relative however. After a year of training consistently I think you will start understand how to move and understand how to escape bad positions in turn end up in good positions. It wont take that long to start seeing progress in training however.
 
I'd say "decent" as in "you don't suck" takes about 2 years depending on how often you train. I've rolled with a lot of blue belts who are still pretty terrible though. "Good" takes at least like 4 years--basically until purple.
 
somewhat comfortable , handling white belts, basic positioning, ~1.5 years

to be decent-good 3-4 years plus

that's training 4-6 times a week consistantly after the first few months
 
LSVTEC said:
I have no grappling experience whatsoever and have completed my 5th class in BJJ. Whenever we roll/spar towards the end of class, I get my ass kicked. I'm 5'7'' 170lbs but feel weak as hell compared to others. I can't keep others in guard/butterfly as they seem to pass with ease and I can't sweep. When I'm mounted or put in side mount, I feel as if I can barely move. And I get submitted left and right.

Kind of a shitty feeling just getting handled so easily...even by white belts. Did everyone else go thru the same growing pains when they started? How long before you felt somewhat comfortable in terms of positioning, sub defense, etc?
Click to expand...

i actually walked into the bjj gym the first day and tapped everybody out easily. then when i returned from narnia i realized only the reason i was losing was due to plain experience, when i trained more i won more
 
LSVTEC said:
I have no grappling experience whatsoever and have completed my 5th class in BJJ. Whenever we roll/spar towards the end of class, I get my ass kicked. I'm 5'7'' 170lbs but feel weak as hell compared to others. I can't keep others in guard/butterfly as they seem to pass with ease and I can't sweep. When I'm mounted or put in side mount, I feel as if I can barely move. And I get submitted left and right.

Kind of a shitty feeling just getting handled so easily...even by white belts. Did everyone else go thru the same growing pains when they started? How long before you felt somewhat comfortable in terms of positioning, sub defense, etc?
Click to expand...

Don't think about the time, just train as much as you can.
 
For me decent means when you'll have your first tape, patience.
 
Two years... I define decent as able to protect yourself from a white belt in any situation.
 
I'm 6ft 120kg (250lb?) train for couple of years but very on and off, just had around 6 months off, still have classes where I get handled, other classes I do ok.
 
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