2girlsdad said:

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What do you do when you realize you're just dumb when it comes to understanding bjj? I'm a blue belt after 7 years of training (yes there was a bicep tear break, then covid, then 10 months off due to young kids), but my god I SUCK. My only saving grace is I'm strong and on the bigger side (5'11" @ 220lbs). If it wasn't for that, I would get owned every time. Right now, I can make it through a roll, but really only playing defense and trying not to get submitted. After the number of years I've been training, I feel, looking at my peers, that I should be more advanced. The problem is nothing sticks, I feel like a 6-month white belt during a roll.

Guess I'm just coming to realization that bjj isn't my thing and I have to come to terms that I'll always just be serviceable. I'm not going to stop, especially since my 7-year-old daughter does this and I want her to continue, plus I do enjoy rolling even though I suck. Heck my wife started about 10 months ago and she learns quicker and retains things better and will probably be a purple belt before I get my first blue stripe.

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I feel ya.

I very much have to learn by rote. I just hit 4 years of this and I still go to the intro/beginners class in addition to advanced/competition class because it 1. Helps me to fill in the cracks in my foundation and 2. Helps me when I help others.

There was no beginners class in my first gym so I felt like I was behind the curve there.

I also focus on one thing for a good while in open mat, whatever choke or escape or sweep I'm working on and get higher belts to help me or give me perspective until I feel like I'm more comfortable with it.

Don't worry about your wife picking it up faster, I can't explain it with science but they pick this up faster than most of us do. We might be bigger/stronger etc, but their brains are more techical with this stuff IMHO.

Keep showing up.

Without rolling with you or watching you roll, it's difficult to say where you should focus.

But most blue belts I've coached are overthinking the BJJ game and trying to focus on too much too soon. As a blue belt you should be REALLY good at fundamentals and execution.

Question: when you roll/train, do you have a plan/strategy and do you stick with it?

A couple closed guard sweeps, replacements, passes, subs, etc well executed is miles better at blue belt than a flimsy patchwork of high level stuff.

I probably use a smaller collection of reliable stuff as a black belt than I used as a blue/purple.

Are you even having fun? Been doing this for about 15 years and I still think I suck but I'm having a great time. The key to getting better is mostly mat time.

IMO, I would say you need to do some self reflection on your game as it stands now.
What are your favorite guards to play, control positions, submissions, sweeps, etc.?
Drill, train, roll your "core" game over & over again. Then expand from there.

Sweep4-2 said:

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Without rolling with you or watching you roll, it's difficult to say where you should focus.

But most blue belts I've coached are overthinking the BJJ game and trying to focus on too much too soon. As a blue belt you should be REALLY good at fundamentals and execution.

Question: when you roll/train, do you have a plan/strategy and do you stick with it?

A couple closed guard sweeps, replacements, passes, subs, etc well executed is miles better at blue belt than a flimsy patchwork of high level stuff.

I probably use a smaller collection of reliable stuff as a black belt than I used as a blue/purple.

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As a fellow blue belt myself; I'm curious as to what are the fundamentals I need to be really good at lol.

Haha, same thing we all need to be better at.

Closed/half guard, high percentage sweeps/subs, strong posture and grip fighting, defense to basic subs, a handful of basic subs, always either being on top or fighting to the top.

Advanced stuff is fun, but when I'm gassed, I go back to closes/half, look for collar chokes, etc. the same stuff I learned as a white belt (but can execute a little better now)

The only other thing I'd add is resist the urge to pull guard. Blue belt is the time to build a takedown and passing game, even if you 'lose' in training.

Something I would add here or specifically focus on is escapes and reversals from bottom side control and mount. As a white and blue belt, you spend a lot of time here anyway, and if you can get really good at escaping and reversing those positions it can transform your Jiu jitsu.

Nah, no need to escape. Just use the buggy choke when stuck in side control.

Just kidding, you are 100% right. I'm sometimes appalled when white/blue belts attempt funky subs from bad positions and then stare blankly when asked about things like framing, incremental guard recovery, basic sweeps, etc (failure of the teacher mostly not the student).

Gnome Sayin said:

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Are you even having fun? Been doing this for about 15 years and I still think I suck but I'm having a great time. The key to getting better is mostly mat time.

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I suck but I enjoy myself. I really suck some days but I've done it long enough that they don't detour me.

Just keep trucking.

eta my reply was for 2gd not a fifteen year vet

Signed up for JJWL Houston XV in Rosenberg.

Hoping to improve upon my 2 losses at the last event!

Saw this way back on page 3 and we just can't be having that...

So, July check in, how is everyone doing with their training?

Also, anyone on this board going ot Las Vegas in August for Jiu Jitsu Con/Worlds?

Sadly I've been out since late last year. After I got diagnosed with a torn labrum, along with other issues in my right shoulder my orthopedist told me stay away from BJJ when I got a guided cortisone shot earlier this year. It lasted twice as long as the first one that wasn't guided before I started getting pain in there again, but it's back now to the point I can't do shoulder exercises when I work out. I have distal clavicle osteolysis, which can only really be addressed with surgery where they go in and shave off some of the clavicle.

I started traveling for work back in the spring and I can't justify getting surgery until the end of the year because I make a good bit of additional money by traveling and we slow down in the winter. I miss rolling, one of the black belts at the gym reached out last week to check in on me and it stinks that I probably won't get to go back until next year. All this came to a head not long after I got my blue belt so I feel like one of those stereotypical blue belts that gets it and stops going and I never wanted to be that guy but I'm 45 and bodies break down. I still watch a lot of BJJ on Youtube and just get down on myself that I can't go, and when I'm home I have to drive past the gym all the time because of how close it is.

I hope everyone else is doing better than I am at the moment, sorry for the pity party.

I'm afraid to say I'm actually in the same boat. I am still a white belt and right about the 12 month mark I had to take a break due to shoulder pain that just continued to get worse and worse even with rest. I finally went to a doctor and got an MRI that confirmed a torn labrum along with some other more minor stuff. I also got a cortisone shot that helped tremendously, but I still have quite a bit of pain and weakness along with limited range of motion. I'm slowly getting better, but I really don't wanna set myself back on my recovery so I haven't been back to class in about three months. It definitely sucks and I am kind of contemplating my future with it.

Sorry to hear that since I know exactly what you're going through. The surprising part was the pain wasn't because of the tear but because of how bad the arthritis was. The first orthopedist I saw must not have done a good enough job explaining it to me. When I got the second opinion that's when I understood the tear wasn't the part that was the main problem. Even though I can't do chest/shoulder exercises at the gym it's still better than when I was rolling because I couldn't even put weight on my right elbow sitting up in bed and the pain would wake me up if I rolled onto my arm. The guided shot is definitely better but it was way more expensive because it had to be done at a hospital. My doctor said I can get one more this summer if I feel I need it but that's it, after that it needs to be surgery.

The MRI report mentioned arthritis but the sports stock I saw made it seem like a lot of the problem is the tear. Yeah I had about two months where I pretty much slept in the couch because it would keep me from rolling over onto my side or belly, which would be extremely painful. Also could barely put on a T-shirt or scrubs or a jacket without severe pain. That is all quite a bit better but still Somewhat debilitating. I also happen to travel more in the last three months than I ever have in my life so that didn't help with PT, but I should be back on a normal routine and starting back to PT and lifting weights. Really hopeful to get some strength back and eventually get back to jiu-jitsu.

My doctor also mentioned potential of another shot in a few months, but I really don't wanna start going down that road. I guess it's better than surgery, but I really hope to avoid any of that.

Good luck with it!

Still goin strong after nearly 2 decades. Getting older though and things are starting to break down but I'll keep at it as long as possible. Don't get discouraged and keep at it while you still enjoy it.

I'm still at it, though work has been very busy & it's only been 1-2 times per week vs. the 3 I used to do.
Hopefully this fall I can get back to a regular schedule & keep progressing. I've got 5-1/2 years in BJJ behind me at this point at 51 years of age. I wish I started earlier!!

At twice a week here still. 2-Stripe Purple.

Competing at JJWL on the 19th. Decided to go up a weight division to avoid dieting (168 -> 182).

Our gym has had better attendence in the last few months which has been real nice.

Plus you get to beat up on me! I'm 4 months in at 39 and horribly out of shape (5'5" and 235), but I'm finally not gasping for air and needing a break after every round. It seems just about everyone is much more experienced, half my age and in great shape, out of shape more than me but huge enough to manhandle me. In 4 months, already seen a few new folks come and go. Something always aches, but I can live with that. Despite getting smoked on a regular basis, I'm absolutely loving it. This is so much more fun than any other form of exercise I've ever done. Hoping to avoid injury and stay at this a long time. My son (7) and I started at the same time, and it's all he talks about. I want to make that last as long as possible.

Still training, but limited with kids sports. Almost 6 years in. 4 stripe Blue belt at Kama Jiu Jitsu in Flower Mound, TX

Have trained very little and am considering hanging it up. It's been almost 18 years and between some recent injuries, doing terrible at competition training and a new hobby (ultra distance trail running) I'm just not feeling the desire to be on the mats as often as I need to be.

I'm gonna do a race later in July and then hop back on the mats for a couple months and see how I feel, and then make a decision. I know they say that BJJ gets rid of ego, but I still don't like that purple belt me from years ago would trash current me if we rolled against one another.

Sweep4-2 said:

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Have trained very little and am considering hanging it up. It's been almost 18 years and between some recent injuries, doing terrible at competition training and a new hobby (ultra distance trail running) I'm just not feeling the desire to be on the mats as often as I need to be.

I'm gonna do a race later in July and then hop back on the mats for a couple months and see how I feel, and then make a decision. I know they say that BJJ gets rid of ego, but I still don't like that purple belt me from years ago would trash current me if we rolled against one another.

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Its a rare bird that runs AND rolls but I'm glad to see someone else that does it.

Hate to see you completely hang it up though.

Sweep4-2 said:

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...but I still don't like that purple belt me from years ago would trash current me if we rolled against one another.

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my blue belt self who did a lot of wrestling would blast my current sorry ass

Competed yesterday at JJWL Houston.

I got the take down but popped a rib when solidifying my position. I managed to hold top position for nearly the entire match, and won 9-0.

I had to forfeit the Gold Medal match, Still winning silver, which sucks, but I was pretty pleased I could win a purple belt match while injured.

Probably out for a few weeks now. The rib isn't broken but its definitely raised above the others.

Congrats on putting yourselves out there

Won one and lost one in our inhouse tournament this past weekend. Gracie Humaita Austin vs our Cedar Park location. Kids tournament and adults up to blue belt.

The age and weigh classes had to be fudged just a bit so that everyone could be in a bracket, I'm a Master 5, Heavy, but had to roll against younger guys that were roughly within 20 or so pounds...ish.

The guy that I lost to was from my gym actually. I've rolled with him numerous times before, he's a lot to deal with, heavier than I am and 20yrs younger. In a real fight, I'd have to go to the tool belt against him...

The guy that I beat put a serious scratch above my right eye that is still stinging on Monday morning, so ...yay.