Anyone do BJJ?

[Liverlips]

I am 40 but signed up for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes last month. I have only taken three classes but am already hooked. There are a few other guys in my small class of about 8 regulars and several part-time enthusiasts. All are younger than me and most are bigger/stronger and more experienced in BJJ.

Because it is not your typical white-belt BJJ class (I take it at a gym that is mostly dedicated to boxing and kickboxing) I am being thrown in the deep water right away with sparring. My wife is not thrilled as I am coming home exhausted and beat up but I'm determined to get better.

So I'm wondering if there are any other BJJ students on CF. If so, how advanced are you and where do you roll? Any advice would also be welcome.

 

[chris371]

No, but i started boxing a week ago. Got my ass whooped in my first sparring but have improved. I used to only lift weights ( im 6 ft5 and 270) but Brock Lesnar has inspired me to take up a combat sport. Ive got the arm length of a guy thats 6 ft 9, so i can just about jab the hell out of anyone. Plus all the weight lifting helps me push people away to keep my distance.

Look forward to sparring with one of the bruthas at the gym. They all dance around and think theyre Ali. Cant wait to jab them in the face

 

[Liverlips]

Thanks for the response, Chris. At my gym there are a few blacks but they mostly stick to boxing. I boxed a bit in the military so may take it back up again.

In my BJJ class there are two Hispanics and one Arab guy but they are all very cool and I have no problems with them. The rest are young white guys and it is good to see so many of our young people go into the combat sports. Perhaps they know they will never get a fair shot in football or other team sports due to the racist caste system.

Best of luck to you in boxing, man. Fight with a chip on your shoulder, especially when you are fighting a "superior afflete." Master the quick jab and always tuck your chin in (the two most important lessons I remember from my boxing days).

 

[Bronk]

... i started boxing a week ago. Got my ass whooped in my first sparring ...

Yeah, I feel your pain. As a kid I received boxing lessons from a neighbor of ours who was an ex-prize fighter. We sparred in his garage with his sons whom he had already schooled. My first sparring was a revelation. They did a number on me and I got so hacked-off that I just began chasing the other kid around the garage trying to knock the hell out of him. It takes a ton of discipline and good conditioning.

 

[chris371]

Thanks for the advice. I saw evidence of the caste system when one of my friends raved about the black guy at the gym and his great footwork and athleticism. He felt this black guy was by far the best athlete in the gym.

Since you guys have boxing experience: how do I beat this one black guy, he has quick feet and upper body movement, and always tries to keep distance between him and his opponent. He dances around his opponent constantly, and only seldomly throws punches, but they are fast and strong. Hes an extreme "finesse" guy.

My plan is to attack him directly with my super long jab, but fully extend my arm the whole time ( thats what ive had success with thus far). Basicly keep him at bay with my long arm, but put the pressure on at the same time with the jab. Then i plan to switch it up real quick and get in super close quickly and give him some hard swings from a close distance.

So strike from far and then surprise him by getting in close in a split second and laying into him. What do you think?Edited by: chris371

 

[DixieDestroyer]

LL, I've trained BJJ for years (on & off) & am a Purple belt (1 stripe). I prefer no-gi rolling, as it's a bit more "realistic". I also trained Muay Thai kickboxing in the 90s & know some "101" catch & freestyle wrestling & krav maga. I'd like to start training MTKB again (fall or early next year). BJJ is awesome for cardio & ground defense!

 

[Liverlips]

Chris,

I would hesitate to give you advice as I only dabbled in boxing and it's been a while since I trained. Seems like if you leave your jab out too long you could be open to a counter. But there has to be some guys in your gym you could ask about proper strategy.

 

[chris371]

Oh yeah, theres some i could ask. I just dont want to openly ask them " how do i knock out the coon "

Wouldnt go down too well.

So far keeping my left extended has worked because of the sheer length of it.

 

[Liverlips]

Thanks Dixie. Sounds like you have a solid background in both stand up and ground fighting. Have you ever had to use your BJJ or Muay Thai in a real fight? What keeps you from training more regularly?

 

[Liverlips]

Chris, you can just ask them in general about fighting elusive, quick fighters who like to dance. At this stage I'm sure you will soak up new knowledge like a sponge.

Keep us posted on your progress and don't be discouraged!

 

[chris371]

Alright, i will.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Thanks Dixie. Sounds like you have a solid background in both stand up and ground fighting. Have you ever had to use your BJJ or Muay Thai in a real fight? What keeps you from training more regularly?

Thanks LL. I wish I had went into full-scale MMA in my 20s, but I missed the ol' window of opportunity.

I'm a pretty big dude (6'8, 335), so not many folks mess with me. Also, I have lengthened my "fuse" (once I got married & had kids), and don't go to bars/clubs anymore...so I've managed to avoid scraps through most of my 30s. However, I'm not proud to say I got in quite a few brawls in my 20s.

I wasn't as verse in BJJ back then, but was training MTKB...and used it a few times. I found that elbows, thai clinch & knees work great inside & not many dudes expect a (properly thrown) leg or a teep kick, so they tend to lower their hands. Once the hands drop, you can sneak in a stiff jab to combo off. Most of my fights were in/around bars, nightclubs back in my single days, and they didn't last long.

I have a vicious streak, so I was also partial to fighting "dirty"...headbutts, shin stomp & throat gouge, etc. I'd not recommend some of those tactics (for legal reasons) unless you're fighting for your life/safety. I wouldn't be above a knee to the doo-dadz or any eye gouge if someone was threatening my family, etc. However, MTKB, Krav Maga & Wing Chun seem to be practical for "bar" type brawls.

 

[Liverlips]

Thanks Dixie. Being in my 40s I don't forsee getting in a fight anytime soon. But by doing BJJ I'll klnow I can handle a lot of situations. I will also teach my son and nieces/nephews.

Like you, I wish I took the combat sports more seriously when I was younger. Oh well, never too late to start.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Good stuff LL. I've taught my 2 oldest sons some 101 BJJ & freestyle wrestling. I'm also thinking of maybe competing in NAGA in the spring (need to cut alotta weight to max my cardio before then).

 

[GWTJ]

I trained in BJJ. I posted my experience with it here:



BJJ experienceEdited by: GWTJ

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

just a small word of caution, gentlemen.

BJJ works well, very well in fact, in a one-on-one scenario if weapons aren't involved. i have taken a couple of classes and the stuff works. i have even used alittle of it in scraps on the basketball court with thugs who thought they were tough. i'm not even basic in its use, but even the little i know has proven useful.

however, it is an extremely poor choice of self defense techniques if you are concerned with defending against more than one opponent, or if your attacker has weapons.

i know it's isreali, but Krav Maga is an excellent self-defense technique for the types of confrontations that are likely to happen with the darker variety of troublemakers. if you can find a school close to your home, that is. unfortunately for me, there isonly onelocation in Arkansas that i am aware of, and it's not near me.

all that being said, i feel that it is VERY important to know how to defend yourself. taking BJJ or nearly any of themany other martial arts out there is better than nothing, regardless of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various methods.

 

[jared]

Three classes and hooked huh? I know the feeling. I've done BJJ for about a year and a half now. I trained at a couple places in Phx, one large, one small and am now searching for one in my new home in Texas.

My advice is to stay humble and not take setbacks too hard. You'll have moments where you think you've got something mastered and then you'll find yourself on a cold streak where you can't land your money move. There is always room for improvement so don't get complacent. Subtle differences in body positioning can mean the difference between choking the bejesus out of someone or just sending a bunch of lactic acid to your limbs and gassing out. In time you'll learn to relax, start thinking several moves ahead, and chaining techniques together.

Oh, and invest the time in proper positioning, sweeps, transitions, and escapes. They're not as sexy as subs but there's a reason for the adage "position before submission".

I would recommend the site http://www.submissions101.com/ for their solid library of short videos demonstrating various bjj techniques.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

JC, good points sir. The last thing you want to do (vs. multiple opponents) is go to the ground, as your likely to get stomped/kicked. Krav Maga is indeed great against weapons & multiple opponents. I prefer a mix of Krav Maga, MTKB & old fashion dirty fighting (headbutts, eye/throat gouge, knee to the nadz, etc). If it goes to the ground, I deploy a mix of freestyle & catch wrestling + BJJ.

 

[Liverlips]

Good stuff LL. I've taught my 2 oldest sons some 101 BJJ & freestyle wrestling. I'm also thinking of maybe competing in NAGA in the spring (need to cut alotta weight to max my cardio before then).

Dixie - what is NAGA?

 

[DixieDestroyer]

LL, NAGA is the North American Grappling Association which hosts the country's oldest and largest Submission grappling and BJJ tournament (Gi & No Gi)...

NAGAEdited by: DixieDestroyer

 

[Liverlips]

Thanks man. I'll check it out. Once I know what I am doing maybe I'll give it a shot. I assume they have beginner/white belt divisions?

 

[DixieDestroyer]

LL, NAGA has divisions for all ages and all skill levels/belt. The best of the best complete in Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) tourney (which MMA fighters have completed in). Some of the world's top BJJ players include White/Brazillian Robert Drysdale & Dean Lister.

ADCCEdited by: DixieDestroyer

 

[Westside]

I am glad to see there are two J's in the title thread...!

 

[Liverlips]

Good point, Westside. Ironically, one of the best BJJ guys is named BJ Penn. Don't think anyone ever makes fun of his name though (at least to his face).

 

[Liverlips]

Dixie,

Yeah, my favorite BJJ fighter is Demian Maia, a white Brazilian. He is fighting tomorrow (as I'm sure you know). In fact, I'll start a UFC 102 post.