Getting worse at BJJ - Help!

A few thoughts...

Physically - are you overtraining or not getting enough rest?

Mentally- it's normal to get stale with any activity and need a change or a short break.

Competition - maybe entering a comp would give something to aim for. You could ask training partners just to spar things like guard retention for a round to improve those weaknesses. People are generally happy to help somebody prep when they've a comp coming.

After a comp it might give a better benchmark of progress against people at a similar stage of life than the young, fast guys.

All the guys I'm rolling with are younger and faster than me (lots of mma guys and wrestlers)

MMA guys and wrestlers are usually very explosive and athletic in their movements. And they'll hold you down like their life depends on it because for wrestlers the pin is the aim and for MMA guys, being on top and staying there is much more important due to strikes being involved. Couple that with their natural speed and energy from being younger and you've got a problem. There's a reason that competitions are not only split by belt but by weight and age too.

You've also stated it's in the last few months and you're feeling tired. Has anything in your diet, sleep, workload, or training load changed? For instance, you mentioned you're currently working on levelling up with strength and conditioning, maybe you're taking on too much or not adjusted your nutrition to match your output. I had a period where I felt very sluggish and devoid of energy, it turned out my iron levels were very low and I was back to full capacity once that had been rectified.

It could be your still improving while your other training partners are improving at a faster pace

I would recommend ( if it is financially possible ) talk to your Instructor and explain your areas of concern. Then set up a couple of private lessons, maybe one a week for a month or so

When your in class and rolling afterwards, wait a few rounds until everyone is tired out and done crushing each other, grab a partner and ask them to work with you on the areas you feel need strengthening

As for feeling tired you may be overtraining, try cutting back your rolling hard after class, to just two or three times a week

Good luck

I feel you man. I am 44 but a white belt, so i have to live with getting submitted all the time and have a similar gym. I wonder since you are a brown belt and have been training so long, is it a situation of needing to adapt or reinvent your game to being older as compared to doing things like you have always done but struggling to make it work now.

I think I just got lazy being efficient. Now my efficiency needs to be improved.

I also need to work to just get up out of bottom instead of laying there.

Also going to look at guard retention techniques, and rework side control escapes.

Also going to stop pulling guard...lol

Mindset can make a big difference. I’ve had times when I felt similar to how you’re feeling. What made the biggest difference was just mindset about seemingly small things. For example, I decided to be more aggressive with denying my opponents grips, rather than accepting them, and it changed the tempo of my rolls significantly. Instead of dealing with dominant grips, I was the one causing my opponent to deal with my dominant grips.

I'm also in my 40's. There are big differences between us and 20 year olds.... I carry around a mindset where I'm grateful to be able to train... getting smashed by the kiddos doesn't sting. Work in health care and see so many in their 40's who are already decrepit.

sanenurse, post: 64151, member: 31196

I'm also in my 40's. There are big differences between us and 20 year olds.... I carry around a mindset where I'm grateful to be able to train... getting smashed by the kiddos doesn't sting. Work in health care and see so many in their 40's who are already decrepit.

Me too.... 53, and happy to just be rolling, but I find myself being overly defensive. Lately, I've found that I'm overloading on techniques but not having a real plan when I roll. I mention this because it could be part of what you’re running into... facing people w/less knowledge and thus a more simplistic direct plan of attack. They think less, act more (faster).

More drilling in specific area of your game that you are the best at or want to be the best at. This advice is more guard game oriented. Some people are super explosive in NoGi so that in mind you really need to be specific with grips, hooks etc.
Age and overtraining may give some explanation for yor situation, but I just think people know your game very well and by avoiding that they get to better positions more comfortably.
- drilling/learning controls for your position (outside normal class times)
- tweaks and minor adjustments to your regular game.
- major component that might be lacking in your game is guard recovery/guard retention. Learning this makes wonders for your game.
Not pulling is not an option. Lol

I am 60 years old and I can totally empathize with your situation. First thing start a journal identifying how you feel at any given time, what/when you have eaten, identify sleep paterns how well you sleep. Training when and what you did, finally
after rolling write down your thoughts. By doing this your have something for to reference a base point. Then go see a doctor and a dietician, and provide the information pertinent to that profession. other issues that would affect your performance might also be stress ie your job, home life etc. Write it down then at least you have something and if you change something write it down and see how that affects your performance.

I'm a four stripe brown who had to take off several years. I feel like a fraud on the mats now. I was never a dominate player to begin with. I had a defensive/ counter attack game, and now that my defense is rusty and my attacks slow clumsy I'm barely surviving. Especially in open guard. I feel your pain.

JRT6, post: 64337, member: 2970

I'm a four stripe brown who had to take off several years. I feel like a fraud on the mats now. I was never a dominate player to begin with. I had a defensive/ counter attack game, and now that my defense is rusty and my attacks slow clumsy I'm barely surviving. Especially in open guard. I feel your pain.

JRT6, post: 64337, member: 2970

I'm a four stripe brown who had to take off several years. I feel like a fraud on the mats now. I was never a dominate player to begin with. I had a defensive/ counter attack game, and now that my defense is rusty and my attacks slow clumsy I'm barely surviving. Especially in open guard. I feel your pain.

I'm planning on doing kettlebell work, light cardio, and hyper focusing on weak positions to improve.