So I am a relatively new blue belt (4 months), 42 years old, 5'10', 210lbs, and I train as much as I can. Sadly that isn't as much as I want to. Between two jobs, an adoption, being a husband, I normally get two days in a week. I love BJJ and want to improve, but I am having trouble finding a rhythm or developing a game. I wanted to post my thoughts/questions here and get anyone's opinion that wanted to share.
I guess I'm not sure where to begin as far as developing a game. I train at a gym with some skilled rollers and I find myself on my back mostly. I've been working on developing my guard games as well as closed guard and half guard. How should I focus on one position? Ex. Should I only focus on half guard for awhile and when I feel proficient in it, focus on something else? Should I have something I'm working on at every position? Before that, should I mainly work on my escapes/defense? What did you do that you felt helped your game?
I guess take this with a grain of salt, im just a 1.5yr white belt.
My coach, and a number of the upper belts advised:
While learning the fundamentals, don’t undervalue ‘specificity’. If there’s a system that you seem to enjoy, don’t hesitate to do a deep study of it. At times it is better to become proficient at a particular system, than it is to only be familiar with a mixed bag of techniques. And once you’ve become proficient (or at least comfortable in that system; branch out to other systems that easily transition from it.
One lesson I wish I learned earlier in my journey is that at white belt your number one goal is not to memorize the techniques being taught in class but to learn concepts. Such as t-rex arms, framing, etc. I really didn't start submitting people till I made purple belt. But what I did get really good at is being very hard to submit. Defense is easier to learn than offense and a good defense sets up much easier opportunities on offense.
JRT6, post: 64646, member: 2970
One lesson I wish I learned earlier in my journey is that at white belt your number one goal is not to memorize the techniques being taught in class but to learn concepts. Such as t-rex arms, framing, etc. I really didn't start submitting people till I made purple belt. But what I did get really good at is being very hard to submit. Defense is easier to learn than offense and a good defense sets up much easier opportunities on offense.
I went through this a few months ago the blue belt blues but I figured out why. Difficult to explain but I spent 3 months on focusing half guard bottom now this is my go to place for defence & offence I’m still planning to ‘specialise’ on this outside class time.
It’s worked out really well for me I now have 15-20 attacks and chains and go to positions and in open guard I look for half guard not a perfect if they bypass me by not going into half guard but it’s helping as to developing a ‘safe place’
Guard retention, guard retention, guard retention. Don’t play anything but open guard until you have solid guard retention, then you can mess with closed and half guards. You will get passed A LOT so your escapes will get better too. But once you have solid guard retention and escapes you won’t be afraid to pull the trigger to attack from various guards.
I think it is always best to work on the things you're having problems with. When I was a blue belt I kept getting passed with knee cuts, so I started working on reverse de la riva guard and eventually that weakness because a strength. I'd advise starting with things that you're getting beat with and learn the defenses/counters.
Something else that might help is finding a partner or group of people you can work with outside of class time. This could be an extra session or just working 10 min before or after class time. Use that time to drill and more importantly positionally spar. Start from being mounted and try to escape. If you escape you win and just restart. If you get submitted you lose and restart. You can do this for 2-5 min, but make sure you focus on a specific area and don't let it turn into regular sparring. This can help you improve more quickly.
Dustin Letchworth, post: 64644, member: 37303
What did you do that you felt helped your game?
Next year I'm picking something else and they will know me for that instead. Then the year after that, another one. In 10 years I will have 10 very strong submissions that I can get from almost anywhere. I'm good with that.
JRT6, post: 64646, member: 2970
One lesson I wish I learned earlier in my journey is that at white belt your number one goal is not to memorize the techniques being taught in class but to learn concepts. Such as t-rex arms, framing, etc. I really didn't start submitting people till I made purple belt. But what I did get really good at is being very hard to submit. Defense is easier to learn than offense and a good defense sets up much easier opportunities on offense.