Dealing with imposter syndrome and looking for strategy advice (No Gi)
I Had a great No Gi sparring class tonight overall. I always try to set specific goals for my rounds, especially when working with lighter or less experienced partners. But there’s one guy I roll with who is basically my kryptonite.
For context, we are similar in size (I'm 6'4", 115kg), but he is an absolute oak tree. I literally cannot move him. He’s a 4-stripe brown belt, a former pro MMA fighter, and has about 20 years of experience.
Here is how our rounds usually go: he passes my guard effortlessly. I spend the rest of the round defending submissions until I can finally scramble to turtle. But the moment I try to launch any offense from turtle, I get flattened back out and end up right back on the bottom.
As a brown belt, getting completely shut down like this definitely triggers some imposter syndrome. I know the problem-solving aspect is good for my jiu-jitsu, but I feel like I should be able to generate more offense, or at least cause him a few problems.
Has anyone else dealt with a training partner like this? Is developing a highly offensive turtle game the answer here, or should I be looking at a completely different strategy? Would love to hear how you guys approach this.
4 Comments
Honestly, I don’t think this sounds like imposter syndrome as much as it sounds like you’re using the wrong measuring stick.
Similar size does not mean similar problem. If he’s a 4-stripe brown belt, former pro MMA fighter, 20 years in, and physically stronger than you, then getting shut down by him is not evidence that you’re bad. It’s evidence that he is exactly the kind of person who exposes every late reaction and every loose connection. Annoying? Yes. Useful? Also yes. Rude of him to be good at grappling, but a good puzzle to try to solve.
Speaking as a turtle player...Strategically, I probably wouldn’t jump straight to “I need a highly offensive turtle game.” If you are getting flattened every time you try to work from turtle, the issue may not be lack of offense. It may be that your turtle is already too compromised by the time you start attacking.
I’d break it down into smaller goals:
First, before turtle even happens, try to identify the moment where the pass becomes inevitable. Is he beating your knee line? Winning chest-to-chest? Forcing half guard and smashing through? Taking away your inside frames? If he passes effortlessly, the turtle problem probably starts earlier than turtle.
Second, in turtle, make your first win condition “do not get flattened.” Knees under hips, elbows tight, hands protecting neck/hook entries, hips mobile, head not buried under his chest. Turtle is a highly transitional position, not a parking space like how many people use it.
Third, pick one exit and build everything around it. For example: turtle to sit-out, turtle to single leg, turtle to re-guard, or turtle to granby/hip escape. Don’t try to build a whole attacking turtle system at once. Against someone that good, you probably need one reliable direction before you need a full menu.
Fourth, ask him for positional rounds with constraints. Ask him if you can start from turtle, or even pull turtle immediately. That gives more exposure, quicker to play with what starts to work and what completely gets shut down.
Against someone like that, the goal may not be to suddenly start styling on him. It might be to find one part of the exchange where you can make him work. That is usually where the next layer of strategy starts. And obviously Eduardo Telles, Craig Jones, Priit Mikhelson, etc. are all good resources to improve on your turtle game.
That's great advice above!
With what you describe I would focus more on butterfly, half butterfly and half guard.
Getting to those positions instead of turtle.
There's a lot more sweeping and offense available.
It would force him to defend instead of just smashing and being on offense.
(For context I'm 5'3" 158 so used to weight and strength disadvantage. Often get sweeps on youngbloods 20-40 lbs heavier.)
First and foremost, I'd thank him. He's the guy that is going to push you and teach you a valuable lesson as a future black belt. I wouldn't worry so much about turtle guard or any position in particular, I'd focus on how and why he's beating you mentally. Keep in mind he has loads of experience and has trained MMA for two decades, he's a different breed that has been taught since before we had YouTube to pass and dominate on top. Guys like this, much like those crazy wrestlers that have been doing sprawls before they were old enough to walk don't come around as much as they used to.
Secondly, you said that you spend the rest of the round defending submissions thus gaining invaluable experience in defense, breath work and composure. As you level up these skills and learn his game you'll start to see the openings he's leaving you and crawl your way back to the top.
Lastly, this feeling is the tip of the iceberg, think of it as an opportunity to finally get pushed and learn more as opposed to imposture syndrome. The only thing you could possibly do wrong is allow the Ego to take control but, clearly, you know better than that and are looking for ways to improve instead of winning the moment. Even after 25 years I'll have an insanely good purple or brown belt come at me like I stole their wife and I take it as a time to improve, learn their game, evaluate the holes I've developed in my technique and return fire.
As I said, this line of thinking/feeling doesn't really ever go away and as a black belt you'll have less and less of a yard stick to measure your growth. Your students will start to bite at your heels, catch you with your own game and push you to evolve. The best advice I can give is to always go into class with the mentality of a brand new white belt, you're going to get smoked from time to time but you're going to learn and love the process. Don't beat yourself up, that's your training partners job.
P.S. If you REALLY want something that will bridge the gap and bring him into the pure jiu-jitsu world. Use the lock-down, big strong guys hate it.
Pred500 has the reply 💯
We are all training and are on our own paths. I feel like it isn't in our own best interest to compare to others we train with.
I've trained at a few different gyms. Ones with a hundred white belts and ones where there are hardly any. At the gyms with 100+ white belts, you are going to see your progress and any skill you have acquired against opponents at the same weight and age. What about the gyms with hardly any inexperienced guys? Get ready to get smashed a lot. I had to personally change my mindset with this.
I used to be that spaz. Not the worst spaz I've seen but I still wasn't the best training partner. Getting injured and having to sit out a while humbled me. Being at the bottom of a heap of very good, qualified individuals, I just feel honored that I am able to train with them. It's about learning and bettering myself. Not about winning anymore. If I get an occasional submission, it's cool but not the overall goal.