Really struggling and falling behind in BJJ

[Evenflow80]

A little bit of background:

- Started training about year and half ago
- was 34 when I started, turning 36 next month
- I'm about 5'8" and 170 pounds.
- I've always had very tight tendons making me very inflexible. I can't touch my toes from basic stretch.
- I would day cardio is subpar. Usually one 5 minute roll completely exhausts me.
- I train more than anyone at my gym. 5 sometimes 6 days a week. Yesterday I went twice noon and night class.

Generally speaking, I get subs very rarely. I get submitted every class. I struggle with everyone above a 3 stripe white belt. And right now we have a 2 stripe white belt, early 20s, wrestled in college, taller than me but weighs the same, and he's been kicking my ass.

I'm narrowing it down to cardio , problems at home/ work/financial, and my tendencacy to prefer guard as my main issues. I'm sort of know in my gym for using butterfly guard and sweep a lot and my professor seems to love that for some reason. However once it gets passed and I get side controlled or mounted it's a struggle to recover.

I know this is next to impossible to assess me without watching me roll, but when you were a brand new blue belt what helped you truly break past mid/high level white belts and occassionaly submit felt blue belts on a semi consistent basis?

I'm guessing many blue belts to through the "blue belt blues" so curious what your experiences were if you can even remember

Thank you

Edit : unrelated but don't want to flood forum, but what age is good to take my son to bjj class ? He just turned 5 a week ago and has minor speech deficiencies and is pretty hyper. Thanks

 

[Dirty Holt]

Describe what you consider a normal class that you are doing 6 days a week, sometimes 2x a day?

 

[dmwalking]

Ask your professor to watch you roll and see if he can help you out. If a 5 minute roll exhausts you, you may be using incorrect technique. I've always had terrible cardio and I just make sure that that I never muscle anything and I'm good. I call my approach jiu jitsu jenga. The way I play jenga is I tap every block to see which one is the loosest so I can slide it out with no problem. When I'm playing jiu jitsu, I'm doing the same. I'm nudging and pushing different points to find a weakness and then I attack that. Path of least resistance. Really helps me conserve energy. If a guy is much faster than me, I play slow and defend until I can find my opening.

Maybe your problem is that you don't have enough tools in your box. Maybe you're too predictable. I don't know. Just don't quit.

 

[Evenflow80]

Describe what you consider a normal class that you are doing 6 days a week, sometimes 2x a day?

Duh should have mentioned that..sorry.

Class changed a few months ago and now instead of 15 minute warm-up, 30 mins technique drills with a partner, and 15-20 minutes roll the professor now just uses up whole hour to do techniques. It sucks and many of us complain about it because some of us have to go back to work family etc and moving the live rolling to open mat after class sometimes I can't roll as much as I want.

Generally i squeeze in 2-3 rolls a day, but Saturday class is 45 minute straight rolling only which is nice.

Thank you for any help or advice

 

[Evenflow80]

Ask your professor to watch you roll and see if he can help you out. If a 5 minute roll exhausts you, you may be using incorrect technique. I've always had terrible cardio and I just make sure that that I never muscle anything and I'm good. I call my approach jiu jitsu jenga. The way I play jenga is I tap every block to see which one is the loosest so I can slide it out with no problem. When I'm playing jiu jitsu, I'm doing the same. I'm nudging and pushing different points to find a weakness and then I attack that. Path of least resistance. Really helps me conserve energy. If a guy is much faster than me, I play slow and defend until I can find my opening.

Maybe your problem is that you don't have enough tools in your box. Maybe you're too predictable. I don't know. Just don't quit.

Ok, I will try testing that today in class. Seriously I'm open to any suggestions.

I thought about being too predictable. Almost everyone now knows I try to pull guard and scissor sweep. I'm starting to let people pull guard instead and I try to escape and get top

Yeah definitely won't quit that's for sure. Even if I suck I still have a ton of fun

 

[drobins427]

Stop worrying about who taps you in the gym. Enjoy being grinded on by that 20 year old. Don't always pull guard or everyone will know and shut you down. Step out of your comfort level and don't compare yourself to other people. This is your marathon not there's. Just keep showing up. Sounds like you hit a plateau. One day you'll come in and smoke everyone.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

Duh should have mentioned that..sorry.

Class changed a few months ago and now instead of 15 minute warm-up, 30 mins technique drills with a partner, and 15-20 minutes roll the professor now just uses up whole hour to do techniques. It sucks and many of us complain about it because some of us have to go back to work family etc and moving the live rolling to open mat after class sometimes I can't roll as much as I want.

Generally i squeeze in 2-3 rolls a day, but Saturday class is 45 minute straight rolling only which is nice.

Thank you for any help or advice

What made my game sky rocked was to actually have a plan as a white belt... focusing in something a path... a mental map of the things I was trying to work on or at least i was at. I alwasy loved to play guard, when I became proeficient in triangles (in white belt terms) it enlighted me to what I needed to work on, made my Bjj journey as Lot more fun also... then came armabars then back attacks and so on...

 

[mattemate]

Mix in some yoga.
Find a high level guy with a body type like yours and learn their game.
Get really comfortable with two to three moves from positions you end up in most frequently

 

[lechien]

A little bit of background:

Generally speaking, I get subs very rarely. I get submitted every class. I struggle with everyone above a 3 stripe white belt. And right now we have a 2 stripe white belt, early 20s, wrestled in college, taller than me but weighs the same, and he's been kicking my ass.
r. Thanks

In my club, after 1 year and half training, you would be a 3 stripe white belt anyway so I would not worry about too much.

 

[Evenflow80]

In my club, after 1 year and half training, you would be a 3 stripe white belt anyway so I would not worry about too much.

Thanks! Yeah I did think i got my blue way too fast to be honest.

 

[Foppa21]

How often do you train? If you're training infrequently, well you reap what you sow. Yes some will progress faster than others but if you're not able to put the time in, then you will progress slower than others

 

[Evenflow80]

How often do you train? If you're training infrequently, well you reap what you sow. Yes some will progress faster than others but if you're not able to put the time in, then you will progress slower than others

5, sometimes even 6 times a week. Minimum 4 days though but that's rare

However due to way class is now run I don't roll/spar as much as I used to. Average 2 or 3 rolls a day

 

[Foppa21]

5, sometimes even 6 times a week. Minimum 4 days though but that's rare

However due to way class is now run I don't roll/spar as much as I used to. Average 2 or 3 rolls a day

If you're training that much, you shouldn't have cardio problems. In fact, at 5 to 6 times a week, depending on the intensity of each session, you might be overtraining.

Don't compare yourself to a guy in his 20s that's wrestled at a high level. It's apples and oranges and will only get you down.

Do what you can and keep at it. It'll click, like literally one day, everything will fall into place and when it does, you'll get a ton of confidence and it'll grow exponentially. I remember the precise moment it clicked for me. I started years ago and still suck. I stank as a white belt, was overweight (though I didn't feel it at the time) and have never been physically strong ever). I was always barely hanging on (actually I still do it to this day) in most of my rolls. One day I was rolling with one of my regular training partners who always passed the same way. I and hanging on for dear life then remembered a sweep I'd been shown a month ago and had seen in a magazine which had a few more details. I figured stuff it, I've got to start asking different question to get different results and just tried the technique. It worked, I got a ton of confidence from it and made huge improvements in my training.

 

[KikoJones]

At your belt level, you and I seemed to be the same weight, height and train the same amount but I'm 10 years older. You'll have to take the cardio into your own hands. I actually took private lessons to strengthen fundamentals as a White Belt. Technique wise, I specifically worked or got into those difficult positions to understand what was happening or how they "were getting me". Film yourself rolling. I have a GoPro and review those videos to see what's happening. Get your coach to review them with you. Sometimes is things that you've trained but need to be reminded. The results were that I won Old Man Worlds in 2016 as a Blue. YMMV

 

[Forceof1]

I second that you may be over training. Or, perhaps you need to add some cardio in outside. Perhaps sub one noon class for a HIIT or Kettlebell workout.

Second- if you only train at one place, and don't switch up your game- your progress will stall. Everyone knows what you are going to do, and is prepared to counter it.

You are on the right track by focusing on top game / passing. Allow yourself one scissor sweep attempt per roll, but focus on your counter to their counter. Or add a new, complimentary sweep or position. Ignore initial results, getting passed, etc while you are adding new things. It's part of the process.

And finally- the best measure of progress- imagine you rolled against the "you" on the day you started BJJ. It would be a joke, correct? Now, imagine rolling against the "you" from six months ago. You still would beat that guy pretty easily. Now, figure out what the "you" six months from now needs to improve to beat the "you" today, and work to become that guy. It sounds goofy- but it carried me through purple and blue belts, and I've seen it work wonder with our 12-18 month guys who hit that plateau.

Oh, and fuck 22 year old wrestlers. their 10 years of mat time counts, their 15 years younger counts- as long as you are hanging in there be happy! As an almost 40 year old brown belt I can handle them, but man its a lot more work than pure belt rank would indicate- so don't let it get you down.

 

[lechien]

Thanks! Yeah I did think i got my blue way too fast to be honest.

Well.

I meant that I give a stripe for consistent 6 months of training.

By the time they get 3 stripes, I start evaluating if they are ready. Lot of time they need to stay for the fourth stripes and then another 6 months.

But I also would promote to blue if they win some competitions and think it is no longer fair for them to compete at white belt.

 

[Evenflow80]

Well.

I meant that I give a stripe for consistent 6 months of training.

By the time they get 3 stripes, I start evaluating if they are ready. Lot of time they need to stay for the fourth stripes and then another 6 months.

But I also would promote to blue if they win some competitions and think it is no longer fair for them to compete at white belt.

From what i understood from other coaches at my academy, our professor views stripes on a white belt as just motivational tools to retain and motivate new students. What counts is getting your blue and he only gives you that when your ready.

Basically he views all white belts regardless of stripes as just white belts.

 

[Evenflow80]

I second that you may be over training. Or, perhaps you need to add some cardio in outside. Perhaps sub one noon class for a HIIT or Kettlebell workout.

Second- if you only train at one place, and don't switch up your game- your progress will stall. Everyone knows what you are going to do, and is prepared to counter it.

You are on the right track by focusing on top game / passing. Allow yourself one scissor sweep attempt per roll, but focus on your counter to their counter. Or add a new, complimentary sweep or position. Ignore initial results, getting passed, etc while you are adding new things. It's part of the process.

And finally- the best measure of progress- imagine you rolled against the "you" on the day you started BJJ. It would be a joke, correct? Now, imagine rolling against the "you" from six months ago. You still would beat that guy pretty easily. Now, figure out what the "you" six months from now needs to improve to beat the "you" today, and work to become that guy. It sounds goofy- but it carried me through purple and blue belts, and I've seen it work wonder with our 12-18 month guys who hit that plateau.

Oh, and fuck 22 year old wrestlers. their 10 years of mat time counts, their 15 years younger counts- as long as you are hanging in there be happy! As an almost 40 year old brown belt I can handle them, but man its a lot more work than pure belt rank would indicate- so don't let it get you down.

While my body feels sore and tired a lot , i only really roll 2 or 3 times each day. Technique drills are pretty low intensity.

6 months ago...damn I can't even remember how good I was

 

[Evenflow80]

Well.

I meant that I give a stripe for consistent 6 months of training.

By the time they get 3 stripes, I start evaluating if they are ready. Lot of time they need to stay for the fourth stripes and then another 6 months.

But I also would promote to blue if they win some competitions and think it is no longer fair for them to compete at white belt.

Wow... so on average 2.5 years for a blue belt ? That sounds like a lot

 

[jack36767]

While my body feels sore and tired a lot , i only really roll 2 or 3 times each day. Technique drills are pretty low intensity.

6 months ago...damn I can't even remember how good I was

You are a borderline middle aged man with no real experience in combat sports or even serious competitive sports. “Only” Doing 2 or 3 rolls a day plus drilling is overtraining for you. You also care too much about “results” I.e. taps.. than how you actually perform. Cut back on the training. Add lifting or cardio and yoga. Make 10 minutes of your practice equivalent to 30 of someone else

You’ve also made enough posts that it is apparent that you feel “entitled” to doing better because you are there 5 days a week. Do the work