BJJ stagnation

A

apacheindian

White Belt
@White
Joined
Dec 1, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
BJJ white belt here, been doing it 5 months. I really love BJJ, but many days I feel like I am stagnant, and I just can't move like the colored belts. I see some of the smaller blue belts easily hold their own against white belts 50+ lbs heavier than them, yet when I have one of those big white belts mounted on me, for the life of me I can't figure out how to get out, I'm just trapped, helpless. And then when I roll with purples, it feels like I'm a puppet and they are controlling my every limb, my every movement. The browns and blacks seem half asleep when I'm rolling with them.

Is there something wrong with me? Will it "click" one day? Or does it gradually click?
 
That's evidence that ju-jutsu actually works. Had you've been able to do what the experienced cats are doing after only 5 months, what would be the point? Just accept that you're at the bottom of the food chain, and stick with it.
 
Give up if you don't get your purple bet before the end of the year.
 
Identify your weak positions and drill the escapes for those positions.
Your job as a white belt is to survive and get back to guard. Sweeps come after you can successfully (and technically) escape bad positions.
 
Keep going. You'll get better.


Also, drill mount escapes. Seriously, if you feel like you can't get guys off of you in mount, ask your instructor about mount escapes, find ones that work for you.
 
I didn't pass a blue belt's guard until about month 9, lol. Didn't tap out another white belt until my 3rd month. Hang in there. Keep showing up and you'll be fine. Still have not met a person that could not pick up jiu jitsu.
 
This is encouraging. Additional challenges I face:

Breathing & Exertion - I've been told that my face is purple when I'm sparring. I also sweat profusely, get gassed out quickly, and have very sore fingers every morning upon waking.

Moving - When I watch the upper belts roll, they are actually rolling i.e. constantly moving from one position to another. When I "roll" otoh, I'm usually stuck in one position, holding on for dear life for like a minute, then stuck in another position, then maybe one more, then the 5 minute round is over. I don't think the upper belts enjoy rolling with me, and I want to remedy that.

?
 
set small specific goals to work towards, like a particular strategy, tactic, or technique.

trying to just grasp it all at once can make it difficult to improve as problem areas or bad habits can become obscured by confounding factors, while more essential elements can become overshadowed or under-utilized by the same token.
 
apacheindian said:
This is encouraging. Additional challenges I face:

Breathing & Exertion - I've been told that my face is purple when I'm sparring. I also sweat profusely, get gassed out quickly, and have very sore fingers every morning upon waking.

Moving - When I watch the upper belts roll, they are actually rolling i.e. constantly moving from one position to another. When I "roll" otoh, I'm usually stuck in one position, holding on for dear life for like a minute, then stuck in another position, then maybe one more, then the 5 minute round is over. I don't think the upper belts enjoy rolling with me, and I want to remedy that.

?
Click to expand...

That is what beginners do. And no upper belts do not like grappling with you. Does it feel like your cardio is shit? You need to remember to breath. And give up position if it hurts when you are holding it.

Also you just need to keep showing up. Of course upper belts are doing what they want they have been doing it for years. You have been doing it for months.
 
the 'click' is realizing it never clicks. you just get more better at getting your ass kicked less.

the attrition of grappling practice pays dividends in quality of life. don't concern yourself with 'winning' against so-and-so, or hitting the night's lesson PERFECTLY at open mat.

it's okay to have expectations. BJJ teaches us to meter them. any time i've got a hankerin for some humble pie all i've gotta do is ask my instructors and they'll whip some up on the spot.

whether or not you develop a taste for that is up to you. i'm a big, hungry boy.
 
White Belt Problems

I gas too fast
I get handled by higher belts
I don't know what to do
I'm not good yet
 
Ive been grappling for nearly 2 years coming up to - granted im not that consistant getting down the mat sometimes, but ive only ever got a few taps/sweeps on the regulars and they usually destroy me...all the time, but you feel like every session you do feel you have progressed abit...thats just me though
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,263,331
Messages
57,222,492
Members
175,588
Latest member
MateusNardello

Share this page

Back
Top