Jordan's Blog

Tag: bjj

  • Failure: Get Some

    I am a goal oriented person. I set fitness goals, financial goals, nutrition goals, goals for sleep, and (near-term) goals for my kids. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to the realization that most goals move from the linear progression to step progression. So rather than every event or every day being a “step in the right direction”, eventually you accept that some days are maintenance or strategic resets.

    Sometimes advancement is a slow, meandering red line.

    So I am trying to get more comfortable failing, specifically with respect to jiu-jitsu. I traveled to GB Pelham and for 105 minutes of the two hours I spent there today, I felt like I should take a few stripes off my belt. [In case you are traveling to Alabama, the staff and students are very welcoming and helpful. And there is a lot of cool GB/BJJ info on their site.] But I finally made a modicum of progress in my last roll. So I’ll keep failing and coming back for more instruction by those better than me. We have to be comfortable failing in safe environments so we won’t fail when times are truly stressful.

    I’m normally the guy getting his face smushed. Photo from Pexels.

    For my own review (and maybe yours!), here’s what the professor covered today:

    • Closed guard to arm bar
    • Closed guard to teepee
    • Closed guard to scissors sweep to reverse sweep

    Here’s what I learned: when you are mounted, keep your arms tight to your chest and don’t reach around your partners head.

    Here’s what I need to practice more:

    • Single leg takedown
    • Escaping closed guard
    • Hip escape/shrimping from bottom

    I think if I stick with those three, everything else will be cream cheese.

  • Jiu jitsu

    I’ve started training/playing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!  I took the plunge on 5 July and have been going 3-6 times per week since then, excluding when I am out of town.  My primary class has been 0515 MWF, which really serves as a better wake-up than coffee.  Recently I earned my second stripe on my white belt, and am starting to slow down, breathe and plan my moves during rolls.

    Here’s a few thoughts of what I’ve learned so far:

    1. Plan your next move.  Most of the time I still react rather than have a series of moves planned out, but I am making progress on this.
    2. Maneuver.  A strong, frontal assault will likely fail.  I am one of the strongest in the class, but this strength is often my weakness as other more experienced students spin around me, crank my neck, and/or lock my ankle.
    3. Breathe.  It is easy to tire yourself out when holding your breath.
    4. Engage multiple attacks.  Four points of control are more secure than one.
    5. Momentum.  Using your opponent’s energy, velocity vector, or attack for your own purposes is better than trying to fight them directly.

    All of the above five points can apply to life in general, arguments with a spouse, or work negotiations.  I know I will keep learning and continue to be grateful to my training partners for their knowledge.  BJJ is a fascinating sport in which your partner guides you through how to choke them best.