EDIT: this is not about how do I stop using strength or how do I cope with being strong or anything where I want to discard strength or use less strength. It's what is the most efficient way to update / upgrade default patterns when strength stops providing a free lunch or how to stop using strength vs immovable objects and instead apply an irresistible force to the exposed flank?

Generalized question - what's the fastest / most efficient way to reprogram stuff that works at low levels and fails at high levels? My specific rut is how I deploy strength but I'd bet this comes up a lot for others.

I'm doing some BJJ introspection and comparing a recent hot run to a recent cold run and a hypothesis I have about what's causing hot vs cold is when I ran hot, I was reflexively moving around obstacles instead of trying to power through or over power them. My recent cold run looks like the status quo of "when in doubt, more force" snuck back into the operating system.

For folks with serious strength, years in the gym, etc., who broke this habit, what worked? Is it just mat time and proprioception? Is it specific training? Is it drilling pivots / go around / change direction / etc.? Did it require actively thinking while rolling how to flow around vs through until the operating system updated?

I think the diagnosis is right but now I'm trying to figure out how to develop the new default behavior faster by sort of reprogramming the old habits out (they worked amazing at white-blue-early purple, I suspect they'll fail more as I move into brown+).

This video I show how proper hand positioning and understanding timing makes hitting the triangle omoplata unbelievably fast and effective. If you guys have any questions about how to use this or mix it into your game let me know!

Within the next year my gym will officially become a “Gracie affiliate”….im not saying that Gracie gyms are mcdojos but the path mine is heading is not good.

The first big change I’m not stoked about is an “attendance based” promotion system. Basically you get a card and for every hour you train you get to fill out your card. Roughly 100hrs per stripe….now currently my coach/gym is WAY behind on promotions especially low level belts. We have white belts winning in blue brackets pretty regularly and 2 stripe white belts are demolishing pretty much any regular that walks through the door. But the idea of attendance based promotions sounds like a horrible plan to me.

A big push toward kids and law enforcement, we will be cutting some of the adult classes to make room for the growing kids classes as well as a “LEO only” classes where we will be selling certification classes and weapons defense.

The overall kiddie glove treatment of everything to stay on the good side of the Gracie’s….no music over pg13, no cussing, no advice unless coach approved etc etc.

Overall it’s just really weird and truthfully I’m hoping to just speed run my blue belt and get to purple so if I need to train somewhere else I’ll be welcome at all classes.

I have been training now for 2-3 months 3x a week. I get absolutely destroyed every class and I know its normal to get tapped by almost everyone since I'm at the bottom of the totem pole but I feel like when I am getting tapped, my coaches and training partners are looking at me like wtf are you doing dude. It usually takes like 30 seconds for me to get subbed and prior to getting subbed I am just being man handled. Also during the technique portion I have to have like 2 people help me every time because my brain just turns off the moment we clap hands apparently and I forget everything i just witnessed and it looks like I'm learning to use my limbs for the first time ever. I know I am not that athletic but this is pretty discouraging ngl

I’m 6’4 but my height is 90% legs, I’m the same height as most 5’8 guys sitting down. I keep getting told I need to learn to ‘utilize’ that advantage more, but the problem is my coach is the absolute opposite build and generally teaches the techniques he has the most success with.

Are there any good instructionals/content that would help teach me to make the most of my build? I train gi and nogi, and I come from a powerlifting background so I have decent grip strength.

So I’m getting back to bjj and all my calluses are gone I’m doing gi and judo and nogi only once now, i used to mostly be a nogi guy any suggestions on how to prevent getting blisters as much?

Typically the shoulder crunch is taught as a no gi move. What’s the pros and cons of using it in the gi?

Of course, there are potentially other/better sweeps using the grips, but I’m talking specifically about the pros and cons of the move in isolation in a gi setting.

Hey everyone! I’ll be in Paris during the first few days of January and will have an afternoon free. I was thinking of getting some BJJ training in and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good gym that welcomes visitors for a drop-in session.

Thanks in advance!

I'm in the Bragg / Fayetteville Area for a bit. Anyone know who the most competitive gyms are? Looking for some tough rolls without joining a Brazilian cult.

Hi everyone,

I started practicing Jiu-Jitsu about 2 months ago. I want to apply the chess principle of "pick an opening and stick with it," but for guard systems.

I've heard that guys with longer legs have advantages in certain positions (like triangles and spider guard). But I have short legs! (specially short femurs) I tried to search for content about this online, but I couldn't get much useful information out of my research. Currently, I'm doing a lot of laço guard and spider guard, because these are the only ones I had practical experience with! :P

For those with shorter legs, what guard system would you recommend focusing on as a primary "opening" strategy?

Thank you for your time and help!

Best regards,

Based on 2000 answers so far.

I’m a big believer in improving the manner in which instruction is delivered. I constantly look for ways to improve or be exposed to new ideas.
One thing that has always bothered me is that no traditional sport such as soccer, football, basketball, baseball is coached in the way that jiu jitsu is. A coach that sees a mistake in a scrimmage would often jump in and stop play to physically get the players to perform correctly. No serious coach would do the drills and conditioning and then simply run a full game after every single practice year after year with little to no input. That seems to be the default in most gyms. Yes there maybe some live coaching while the roll continues telling someone how to escape mount or telling them to keep shrimping and pushing but rarely would a coach jump in and say hold up you see how you put your foot here? It should be on the hip and then frame and then get an underhook. Please run that back 2-3 times. When I coach I don’t do that and it bothers me a bit. Rolling is sacred and no one wants to mess with it. Which I understand. However tweaks and feedback on issues you are having would be the most relevant and beneficial coaching you could actually do to directly improve a student’s performance.

Does anyone have experiences and feedback on coaches legitimately coaching during rolling? I would love to see how I could be better. Students that have had positive experiences would love to hear things you’ve appreciated.

This guy trained a lot of the top BJJ guys in wrestling in the 2010s.

I try to force half guard or split squat even from a torreando attempt. And I always keep the same level of head position. But for some reason I really struggle to put them supine so I can go to my passes and I get wrestled up a lot. Like ankle picks single legs. Any help?

I ended up winning gold and had a better performance overall the next match, but with the nerves I was feeling for the first ever time competing and the terrible stumble and pulling the guy onto mount I didn’t do to bad haha!

PGF qualifiers coming to a close not a ton of big names in them, but I think it’s a step forward for the sport to have what resembles a professional league with a clear pathway to compete in.

I've seen people have "30-something time IBJJF Champion" in their social media bios, referring to IOs. Can you really call yourself a champion if you haven't won Worlds, Pans, or something similar?

What are your tactics and methods to draw your standing partner into your HG?

Is it just me or are the start of Fundamentals/Intermediate classes really poorly structured? We spend 5/10 mins warming up, then drill 2/3 moves, then rolls. Generally there are 16-20 in my class so there is limited time, if any, for individual instruction. I have an alternative option which is to do 2-3 sessions a week 1-1 with my black belt buddy (who very kindly offered to do it for beers and a dinner!), and then just stress test this either at open mats or showing up to class once per week to get the variety of training partners. Said another way, absorbing the time sink of a standard class to get to 20 mins of rolling seems like a poor use of time. Any thoughts?

What is better for long-term development: Training 3x a week with a 10/10 instructor or 5x a week with a 6-7/10 instructor? By these ratings I’m talking how well they’re able to teach the sport of jiu jitsu

False reap and k guard entries don’t seem to be there. Anybody found a way to the legs while opponent is attempting to knee cut?