Bulletproof For BJJ Podcast #8: The 5 Things I Wish I Knew as a White Belt

[@tomsensale2104]

Injuries is what kept me fro me starting initially. Being bruised, sore, scratched, and banged up was fine by me, I saw it as the price you pay by training. Paying expensive hospital bills was something I didn't want to do because of jiu jitsu. Come to find out there's a number of ways to avoid injuries, not going too hard, not trying to muscle yourself out of situations, and tapping early and often.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Great points you make there, Tom. Absolutely, we can train in a way that reduces our injury risk. Glad you found a way to make the game work for you.

[@CalebSpears1]

I’ve been training for three years and not trying to muscle myself out of stuff has been the absolute biggest shift in my pain level and injury level. I feel pretty good all the time now aside from the occasional soreness or tightness, no major injuries in over a year while training 2-3 days per week

[@eddiecanonge]

The gym I started at did not care whatsoever about injuries. Just said roll lighter....I learned so much more after leaving his gym

[@EMBrown801]

I just started BJJ and started studying stoicism a few months prior. They compliment each other perfectly. I recommend picking up ego is the enemy by Ryan Holiday

[@bulletproofforbjj]

We are all about Ryan Holiday! That is a great book for sure.

[@---df5sr]

Lol at you telling people you study Stoicism.

[@PatientPluto]

​@@---df5srcase and point

[@nickhousman6222]

Amazing, my brother. Stoicism is an amazing practice.

[@ryanholtman8212]

I’ve just taken my second class today. Thanks for the pointers. I work out consistently and I’m out in the mountains hiking around whenever I have the time. I thought I was in pretty good shape before I started, boy was I wrong. I feel humbled, but look forward to the fitness and confidence levels this journey will bring!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

It takes time but once you have your good habits in place, you will improve quicker than you can realise.

[@lordassasen]

Still training?

[@celenawood4970]

you guys are great! I started BJJ 6 months ago and im OBSESSED! Thank you for the tips on ego and focussing on your deficiencies rather than your piers timeline to skill level.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Our pleasure!

[@headlessroland6047]

It's intriguing how a lot of what you talked about could be applied to almost every other facet of human life. The ego gets in the way of everyone who wants to be something; whether you're aiming at being a musician, an academic, or an athlete, and the list could go on for as long as there are endeavours for man to try. It seems necessary to get to know yourself on deeper level if you want to keep your mental health intact when trying anything. Just as the guy on the right alluded to, it's an exercise in trying to keep that wild animal, the ego, in check. And I've just realised that the hardest opponent in BJJ is probably your own ego.

[@joshroa9111]

Juju fear is real. I’m still scared of the mat enforcer who is dominant but also so humble, checking if I’d like to drill anything after the smesh. Grateful for the physical and mental smesh.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

smesh is love

[@AlkaRez]

​@@bulletproofforbjjsmesh is life

[@philipcurra3687]

I feel that the perspectives covered in this discussion are essential for consideration for anyone starting off in any sport.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

We appreciate you supporting the channel!

[@thedopesickshow]

From a Kimura I didn’t tap quick enough to I was in agonizing pain but still kept training lightly, but couldn’t sleep from agonizing pain of what I believe was a partially torn rotator cuff. After not being able to go light and told push through it I’ve had to take a couple months off. After watching this I feel less guilty about taking time off. I typically train bjj/judo (2 different gyms) 4x twice daily and 3x once a day, so not training drives me nuts but at some point it’s either rest or injuring myself to the point it requires surgery.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Managing the mindset when injured is a challenge, even more so for those with a big training output (like yourself). You gotta find ways to deal with it, and you should absolutely not feel guilty for not training when you think it's a smarter choice for your body.

[@thedopesickshow]

@@bulletproofforbjj I’ve got a pretty wild story, training literally has saved my life. 50 pages of the book that’s now a HULU show called Dopesick is about me. I’ve been off heroin since April 9th 2010 and while in a federal halfway house after doing 5 years. Paulo Santana was the only instructor in the area of a federal halfway house I was in to sign papers allowing me to train, luckily he’s the top guy in that area so I trained twice a day plus a private lesson literally from day 1 with him. Since getting hurt I started a KZbin channel that’s up to 3K in about 3 months and a TikTok up to 21K telling my crazy stories from my past, which is ironic because two literal bad things (injury and my past) have turned into a good thing! I don’t know if you’ll see this but it’s interesting enough to bring up about bjj for self defense. I was on bond for 2 years in which time I trained kenpo karate open to close 4 hours a day 6 days a week. When half speed self defense sequences failed the 2 days a month primitive level grappling trained at a karate school (we did actually roll those 2 days though) was enough to save me. It made me realize if that low level of grappling could work in an actual prison fight how valuable training with actual specialists would be. Since I live right I haven’t been in any fights since I started training (with the exception of one attempted mugger in Richmond). It’s helped keep me off drugs for 12 years now and given me a new group of friends that are family. Outside of training I don’t have friends, you’ve got to cut all the old ones off when you get right. Anyways, that was a bit long but the self defense part I figured would be interesting.

[@markdonaldson1703]

Thanks guys. Being 53 at the beginning of my journey some great advise. Osu.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Hey Mark, glad to help you on your journey!

[@ericstorer3469]

Did you have any previous experience like wrestling, judo , etc. Im 39 and looking into taking the journey myself. Only thing that worries me is I've had lower back surgery, 5 level fusion and plates & pins in both wrists from a accident 2 years ago.

[@zersurigao]

This is very helpful. I’m about 10 months into my BJJ journey and these are great reminders.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Glad to hear it 🤙🏼

[@sharlah4057]

Injured ribs - snap! - glad I'm not the only one! 3 months recovery :-(

[@bulletproofforbjj]

You certainly aren’t alone. Use this time well and you’ll be back before you know it

[@albertamador4583]

I kind of just started my bjj journey and have been training in the garage by a high purple belt and high blue belt for about a year. So just been looking for a gym and as a white belt my goal is to learn from everyone I roll with I feel. I just rolled with a 4 stripe purple and a two stripe brown belt at a possible gym im looking at going to, these guys rag dolled me, and were going 100% messed my neck up, and felt so confused as to why they would go at that level of aggression. I mean there were times I tapped 10 times hard mind you and the purple belt finally let loose. Brown was was full send double leg takedown like a wrestler slamming me down, smiling asking if i was ok. I felt like i was maybe being a baby after, but thinking about it still blows my mind. I felt like they were tryna put me in my place or something....but im a white belt in comparison to them im in my place of skill. Still going at it, but hesitant to return there. I want to go back, but dont know how to approach it. Im even hesitant to write this cus i feel like maybe im wrong here, maybe im looking at it wrong. Anyway love the video! New fan here

[@dwgangsat]

I wouldn't go back based on what you wrote. Are there any other gyms near by?

[@tomsensale2104]

Find a better gym. Everyone in the gym should be trying to not only make themselves better, but make everyone else in the gym better. And you don't do that by hurting other people and going that hard all the time. Also if you know a specific person goes too hard purposely, or tries to make a statement by hurting other people just say no when they ask to roil with you, if you pick your partners.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Hey Albert, thanks for this comment. I think Warren and Tom hit the nail on the head with their comments - this doesn't sound like the kind of place you want to train at. Higher belts shouldn't act like that. I hope you find another gym that has a better culture (I am sure there's one out there near you).

[@urbansamurai261]

In my experience that sounds like a very toxic environment feel comfortable to learn. These guys are showing off to lower belts 😂😂

[@habitualbuilder459]

I’m 3 classes into BJJ now. They keep me to the side sort of And have been teaching me the basics. I rolled with black belts first two classes and than another white belt the 3rd class. The two Black belts were pretty gentle with me. Both really cool guys. Clearly could annihilate me if needed 😂. I’m approaching it like it is. These people can break me in half, I respect them and the dojo. And hope to be embraced. If I got slammed first class I don’t think I would go back. Not saying you didn’t go into it gently. If you did, it feels like the wrong place to learn.

[@CesarChin3]

As a white belt, I definitely needed to hear all of this, thank you sirs 🫡

[@kameronoleary520]

I feel like people never talk about and I wish they did more- if youre a small guy, especially in the beginning, you dont have to roll with the heavyweights. I would get injured and beat up and just smashed on bottom by 215lb dudes for way too long. Im 145 and started only rolling 180 and lower. Such a nice change

[@bulletproofforbjj]

It does make a difference.

[@calmwater2529]

All these things are true guys! Thank you. I’m a white belt. I just started in January. I’m ready for the journey. I especially know the bruised ribs injury! They have healed due to rest. Training with them injured was a real deal. I hated to take time off to let them heal but it was necessary. The answer was closing the gaps so people couldn’t pressure my midsection. I learned this from the purple belt that was putting unbelievable pressure on my ribs while passing. Uggggh.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Ribs are tough but it's a good lesson to learn.

[@TonyFernandezjkdjedi]

Excellent episode! Man I'm glad I found this ... new subscriber here, this is gold fellows, Oss!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Hey Tony, great to have you with us! Oss

[@michaelnguyen8782]

What a gem of a podcast!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Glad you found us!

[@Guywithair2]

I pulled a chest muscle and I finally took 8 days off. I had to. I couldn't breathe to max without hurting. Slightest touch hurt etc. Rest when injured guys.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Rest up well my friend.

[@barkhadmohamedburale1194]

We wish we all new this as a white belt. Nice one guys 🤙

[@bulletproofforbjj]

yep 100. hindsight is a real mofo huh : )

[@Ryan-bq1sk]

So true! I am still dealing with my elbow pain from a year ago, and “taking it easy” is nearly impossible lol.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

man get on our elbow fix videos! fix those badboys : )

[@philesq9595]

Informative. Helpful segment.

[@JakeNukem3D]

I'm sending this video to all of our white belts. I wish i knew all this sooner instead of learning out the hard way.

[@sambinet2598]

Thanks gentleman, just the tonic, as I've been a little frustrated about my journey atm! 😅

[@vids595]

After 11 years of bjj I have come around to Renner's thinking that white belts should not start rolling day one, especially with oneanother.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

We tend to agree on this, not until they have some basic movement awareness.

[@buckets3628]

Great episode. Got me looking forward to get back in there

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for getting on board : )

[@kevins6709]

Thank you guys , I wish I had found this video sooner. Great conversation!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

same here : )

[@georgel.3357]

Another thing I would tell a brand new wb is, don't spar other more experienced wb's! More experienced wb's and some bb's are so eager to get that submission that they sometimes will hurt you or go too hard. Generally, a brand new wb should roll with purple's and up, b/c they will teach you.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

i think this might be hard in practice, as white belts often make up the bulk of some gyms/classes, however i see your point. It's a good one.

[@Cory_RN]

Great podcast! Thanks for doing these!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Our pleasure thanks for supporting the show!

[@rafaelmontagnoli6116]

I'm from Brazil, and it's "porrada" with 2 "r", and you pronounce like an animal's roar, the tongue doesn't have the open sound of "are" in english, the back of the tongue touches the top of the mouth (blocking the air) and you let the air through vibrating the soft palate, making the "rrr" sound. Porrada, rato (mouse), rei (king), ritual (ritual), rotação (rotation), rua (street). Also, the "r" in "Brasil" have a different behavior, instead of vibrating the soft palate, you touch the tip of tongue on the hard palate very fast, making a snap sound. Brasil, Brasa (ember), brejo (swamp), brigadeiro (chocolate sweet), bronzeado (tanned), bruxo/bruxa (wizard [men/women]). Really love my language and our culture. Wish the best to you that read all the comment, have a nice day!

[@TheShazaam2000]

Fantastic topic and insights on the subjects. I’ve had some of the same experiences and some I will look out for. Cheers boys. Oss 🤙🏾

[@bulletproofforbjj]

so good to hear bro! Thanks for listening

[@eltonblack9421]

Simple equation Volume x Intensity x Frequency = 1 You can't raise all these variables at once without suffering burn out. For skill acquisition phases of training lower the intensity. For competition preparation phases lower the frequency or the volume. Training should be phased into training blocks if you are a regular competitor. This is just a high level breakdown. The implication, the more your training is geared to skill acquisition ie white through purple belts, the less focus should be on hard rolls. Learning is accelerated when rolling is at controlled and progressive levels of resistence.

[@Glasspiperunner]

In my experience. The student who trains more days consecutively gets into the "inner circle" of the Academy and the "inner circle" to him/her more seriously, and they start imparting techniques and knowledge into that student. Meanwhile, the rest of us who have other responsibilities are unable to break into the "inner circle" and get more of a superficial training. Either way, this is how it is with humans: at work, clubs, family, etc. My ego gets so obsessed over this. As a child, I've always wanted to be a part of the "in-crowd," and it's my ego so focused on others that causes jealousy, bitterness, and other negative emotions. I've had to learn and still mastering the journey of self mastery. I can't control anyone or anything outside of me, but what I think, what I do, and how I react and move is under my control. Learning to let go and accept my position in the Academy, life, family, work, church, etc. I just focus on giving it my all to the best of my abilities, which is my life's work, regardless of who is or who isn't looking.

[@SergioRochaLopes]

Porra, usually just means “damn” or “damn it”: not actually a swear word. In slang it can mean “jizz” within its context. Porrada just means “taking or giving a beating”

[@johndough1218]

Great topic for conversation. I feel the frustration. Need to see it from another perspective. Thank you for posting! I am 11 years in Purpel Belt. Light feather, Master 7. Any way I agree! If one is in the game long enough, belts become less the focus., and there are different levals to each belt, etc! Again this is important to have a mental based journey, not just a physical one. Over training! OMG I am old, well trained and commited! Now a rest is needed before continuing! I need to find a new teacher/coach. The Europeans are coming up! Then the Worlds! If God Will's! The other topics you touch on, rest, sleep, recovery, injury, etc! Right!!

[@tc8065]

Thank you for the video. I feel lucky I'm at a gym that focuses on drilling and positional rolling over just rolling. I find it makes me get better in positions I don't like and makes me use jiu-jitsu as well as learn new areas of the sport. I've been at it 10 months and absolutely love the sport and the tribe I found. I hope everyone can find a place to train that they love and feel welcome. Jiu-jitsu is a special sport and one of the few that going 100% doesn't mean going 100% physically and aggressively. You actually learn more from the sport when you slow down and feel it. Great advise on the comparisons to others as well as burn out and taking care of your self! Super important! I train 5 days a week usually but I eat sleep and prepare my body and mind for it. Thanks again!

[@tyleredwards9382]

Hey man that's great! Positional rolling is really great for working various scenarios so you don't panic and have to think as much with live rolling. Good luck on you journey

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Oss!

[@ncournault]

Ego -> you tap too late Ego -> you roll at 105% Ego -> your training partner goes at 105% against you Ego -> you don't give time for your body to heal

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Ego is not your amigo..?

[@CJfunctional]

Great discussion

[@andrewkarl5174]

Injured? Just show up and watch. Get your mental reps, and keep to your routine.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

good call

[@kaimeguro1024]

I was thinking the same while getting injuries every time I roll as a white belt, the coach just said u need to roll more instead of building a system to mitigate the chance of having injuries😢

[@ricksanchezrosallini3482]

This is awesome!!!! Ahhaha my life 💯 about injuries. Ty!!!! Oss

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Hope those injuries don't get the better of you brother!

[@TheYouTubeMechanic]

14:13 as a newcomer, this scenario is what confuses me about belts. What the belt means is so ambiguous/circumstantial/subjective. The only truth is in the submission. That's how I see it. No gi is cool because it takes all the spookiness out of it. Removes a little ego I think.

[@akv-e5t]

The word does not come from the slang for sperm. Originally, "porrada" means a strike from a club. In current Portuguese it has many meanings like a punch or a great quantity of something. In BJJ it's used with the meaning of going very hard, treating it like it's a fight or just plain violence.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Thanks

[@rafadnza]

Thank you

[@davepurcell1318]

I injured my ribs so many times when I started boxing and then magically I started blocking shots with my arms and elbows and now never injure them. Now I’ve started ju-jitsu recently and I find the Injury’s don’t feel as dangerous of course but still very uncomfortable like multiple strains after rolling especially feel it the next day

[@ForOrAgainstUs]

"Take it easy... whatever the fuck that means." LMAO 😂

[@Patrick-sheen]

This should be the 5 things I still need to know as a 3 stripe Purple…the mind is our own worst enemy 😅

[@reiniervanramshorst1031]

The risk of injury is smaller than many more popular sports like football soccer rugby hockey handball skiing cycling

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Not sure thats entirely the case but if you have the stats it would be great to see them.

[@reiniervanramshorst1031]

@Bulletproof For BJJ it's hard to get good data on any kind of level playing field but anecdotally I think this is true and the reason it's counter intuitive is that you don't weigh the element of speed and momentum as much. Sports that involve sprinting and jumping and even sprinting and jumping towards one another (without mats!) open up a whole new set of forces and injuries even if Jiu-Jitsu has more close range contact. Anecdotally I was thinking about my Jiu-Jitsu coach who has been grappling in one discipline or another on a daily basis for over thirty years and had his most serious injury when he tore his ACL briefly playing indoor soccer too hard as a fun warm-up for Judo practice. But yes it's hard to weigh this because so many fewer people train Jiu-Jitsu than these bigger sports. Downhill mountainbikers just hit things harder than human bodies at higher speeds than happen in grappling whenever they fall and everyone falls. Many speed cyclists also quit after slamming and skidding on too much asphalt at high speeds. Skiing resorts charter whole flights to fly tourists in casts home and everyone seems used to it.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

@@reiniervanramshorst1031 Judo is the number 1 sport for injuries followed by Wrestling as far Olympic sports are concerned. This is based on stats from Charles Polliquin (RIP) legendary Canadian strength coach. BJJ has a huge rate of adoption of people over the age of 30 and they are not physically conditioned/ prepared necessarily for a contact sport. BJJ is the art of bending joints the wrong way and when you combine that with the least athletic development of any major sport I would say anecdotally we are more likely to see an injury to a Jiu-jitsu casual than any other sport. - JT

[@reiniervanramshorst1031]

@Bulletproof For BJJ I had more injuries in two years of teen league basketball than in 6 years of Jiu-Jitsu, and I'm that casual who started at 30. I think Judo and wrestling is different because of all the takedowns, which is the most dangerous part of Jiu-Jitsu training, moreso than submissions (I recall for example Eddie Bravo saying that) if you go hard when you're out of shape that's on you, in a way. I was 80 lbs overweight and very uncoordinated when I started, I guess I did start slow. I was always the biggest guy, that might be another thing.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

@@reiniervanramshorst1031 Being bigger is an advantage. Take downs and throws are as much a part of Jiu-jitsu as any thing else and if you add in leg locks thats a recipe for serious injury. Honestly there is not enough awareness around injury prevention and proper physical conditioning- that why we are here brother!

[@Brentley97]

Dislocated my jaw on Tuesday super fun

[@Scants]

developed some patellar pain last week from being in deep kneels while in someones closed gaurd or while trying to pass gaurd, for either too long or having my rolling partner shift their weight onto my low thighs. hoping to book an app with a physio this week to see what can be done. ive only got a couple months under my belt so im nervous to see how it effects me in class. would love advice if anyone could help.

[@derekross6649]

What are your thoughts on schools without a curriculum?

[@bulletproofforbjj]

If you find you can learn and improve there then it works for you. the main thing is to find a gym culture and people you like being around.

[@andrewkarl5174]

For me, what is cauliflower ear, now that I have one I’m cool with it, but that first morning looking in the mirror, a shock.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

and now you treasure it like a beautiful expression of your unique savageness. am i rite?! (i do)

[@pmartialartsx]

Great stuff except for the injury prep talk may cause anxiety which could inadvertently lead to injuries

[@pagefour6498]

6:13 I disagree. I kinda do. Not endlessly but seeing how long I can defend getting completely dominated gives me satisfaction at the end of a session. Maybe this isn't what he was saying so this comment might be off track.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

and it should give you satisfaction! fair point.

[@GG-mx9fj]

As a white belt it is about survival, so making it hard for them to tap you is good. Just tap early once they have your leg or arm to prevent any unwanted injury.

[@pagefour6498]

@@GG-mx9fj for sure. I try to resist the setup and if I can't turn out or stack or whatever, I tap. My ego isn't big enough not to tap in training. Thank u for your input

[@pagefour6498]

@@bulletproofforbjj I appreciate your input 🤙🏼

[@TrishCanyon8]

I rolled over my own hand, someone backed up and stepped on my foot. I don't care. It's hella fun!

[@sclay757]

So that issue of beating a higher belt or 2 and overestimating your skills what advice do you have for the reverse of that? What if your a white belt who consistently beats or at least is competitive with higher belts even when they do random drop ins at other gyms? I emphasized that to rule out the idea that maybe all the color belts suck at his gym lol. Anyway what if that's the case but you still feel like you don't deserve a promotion? Do you think that dare I say the person is being too humble? And if so what advice would you give for that?

[@sclay757]

I hate indirectness so let me be blunt. I'm an ex college football player who's 6'2" ,245 pounds and very athletic for my size. I've been doing bjj for a year in July. When I started I of course got smashed despite my athleticism and still get smashed sometimes lol but I'm able to present a problem for most higher belts even some purple and brown (and black belts when they roll with me for the 1st time or 2 lol) when I go for real. My point is that I often find myself underestimating myself thinking I'm only as good as I am being this new to bjj because of my athleticism and size and strength even though countless times I've had browns and black belts tell me I'm better than a white belt. Do you think it's wrong to have that mentality. Promotions are coming and I actually find myself thinking I don't think I should be blue but my competitive nature is also like I'm that guy lol. I suppose to simplify I'm asking how do you find a healthy balance between humility and confidence? I don't wanna walk around my gym like an arrogant a hole but I'm certainly not a timid guy either. In football I could let out my playful arrogance but in bjj that seems to be frowned upon.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Sean thanks for your questions - there's a lot in there, but your follow up comment clarifies it for me. In short I would say it depends. As an example, I train in a gym that has a couple of white and blue belts who regularly give me a hard time. They sound very similar to yourself - athletic backgrounds, size, coordination, and as such present a great handful for any practitioner. When these guys roll with me they give me no respect *in a respectful way ; ). As in, they bring the heat and chase the submission, or position like it's any other roll. They do of course have to dial it down with smaller, or less skilled team mates. My coach has always encouraged this approach, and sees it as the higher belts responsibility to know how to handle that, which I agree with. BJJ is very much an athletic sport (despite what some folks may say). The lower you are on the spectrum of great technique, the more you need to rely on your physical attributes. So to circle back around, I think you should continue giving your higher belt team mates a hard time, and using whatever you have, because they will be using whatever they have against you. The only counter point I will also make is that you must not let that inhibit you from addressing the areas of your game that are lacking. To your earlier point, I would enjoy this period of being the savage beast of a white belt that you are because it won't last for long (you will soon have a coloured strap around your waist no doubt).

[@sclay757]

@@bulletproofforbjj yeah I know it's a lot sorry to hit you with a barrage of questions lol. Hard to find people to have these conversations with. But to your point about scaling back against certain people yeah I've had to learn to do that a lot otherwise I'd have 1 or 2 rolls a day because nobody would wanna go with me lol. But honestly I appreciate it now because it taught me how to control myself early on and taught me to approach rolls differently with different people. With those I try to be more technical and less strength. But with people I know can take it, to your point I show them no respect lol. It's kinda a weird position to be in at times though because I'm naturally a deeper thinker and I pay attention to almost everything. So there's been higher belts I've beaten before (purples and above) that I can tell when I beat them I take their soul and they don't wanna roll again lol. So I'm like dang did I do something wrong should I scale it back against those people. My mentality is different because if it was me and a white belt got me it would drive me (in a healthy way) to be better and I'd wanna roll with them everyday until I sharpen my game. But I've learned everybody in bjj doesn't have that killer instinct which I understand and don't look down on them for it. I suppose my football and ultra competitive background has made it challenging to adapt to certain people in the bjj community. There are many like me, but more that don't have that mentality. Thank you for answering my question sir!

[@sclay757]

@@bulletproofforbjj update....so I did end up getting my blue belt last week lol. So I guess that means my time as the savage white belt is over lol. Any tips for a new blue belt with my size, athleticism, and mentality? I'm thinking I should just work on my guard for the next year since my pressure is pretty good, especially for a blue belt.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Congratulations! Nice to get the recognition. It sounds like your guard is whats lacking, so I think that would make an excellent focus for you : )

[@yo2stix]

I wrestled in the early/mid 90’s I came in hot and showed it all down in a matter of 3-4 weeks.

[@KhaosTy]

You know, I'm only a year in, the only thing I'm really afraid of is being one of those horror stories who are still at white belt after 5 years of training. Even though I train 5 times a week, record myself, ask for feedback, and try to fix mistakes, I'm afraid I'm the BJJ equivalent of the "special" kid with the bib on that everyone accommodates because they're nice. There's no reason to think that, but how am I supposed to know that until I wake up in 5 years with no progress?

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Don't be too hard on yourself. I know some grapplers who are still white belts because they never 'got graded' but can still give anyone a hard time. Keep training, be consistent and you will progress.

[@ericomfg]

Took me like 7 years to get a blue belt lol. Switching schools a bit, missing promotions, taking time off, injuries, etc.. don't give up!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

@@ericomfg Gotta be in it to win it! Glad you stuck at it brother!

[@joeyripswell]

Imposter syndrome might be worse lol. Imagine getting belted and thinking "oh no! Im not actually a purple belt!" Just keep at it. Personal advise would be that if you HAVE to use strength and athleticism to make your stuff work you have to use less and instead figure out timing, balance, grips and patience. If you can develop those aspects you will be a monster when you apply strength and athleticism with your techniques. Imo using strength as a white belt just creates bad habits. Play defensive and be unsubable. Blue belt is about escapes and reversals. White: 80% defense focus Blue: 60% defense focus Purple: 50/50 Brown: idk yet GL 🤙

[@Ruidac0]

That outreach from the coach in regards to injuries (the lack of) is what failed me and put me off for a long time. I got 0 empathy from the coach. Good point on having a physio.

[@steevemenard8108]

I train 13 Days In a row and the pain in all m'y finger is crazy

[@stevecolvin1234]

Por Hada? How is this spelled? (Yes I am a white belt)

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Porrada - The R is pronounced H in Portuguese.

[@VinnyDoesLife]

You know he was deep down bragging about tapping the world champ black belt. 😂😂😂

[@bulletproofforbjj]

gimme a timestamp for reference!

[@GG-mx9fj]

It’s around 16 mins

[@bulletproofforbjj]

@@GG-mx9fj To be honest there isn't any real pride in that statement, as the guy was exhausted and wasn't really rolling hard. It's just an example of how someone with a lot less skill can catch a much better opponent just being opportunistic. It's not really a reflection of good Jiu-jitsu. - JT

[@Yassin.ibn.farouk]

No comments?

[@bulletproofforbjj]

we got one now!

[@valorthom0328]

make it two!

[@Yassin.ibn.farouk]

@@valorthom0328 yeea! It's a party!

[@buckets3628]

Simone Biles??🤣

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Can't actually believe you left us a comment. You are the GOAT so full respect!

[@ablabla880]

Awesome stuff!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Thanks a lot we appreciate it!

[@ablabla880]

@@bulletproofforbjj Brother you safed my knees with your bulletproof for bjj on bjj fanatics.

[@moreboxes]

The real issue is when people don't let you tap; your partner goes 0 - 100 into an arm bar without a warning

[@dukeboymedia9460]

Well if people took care of their body before (AND DURING) jiu jitsu training there would be less chance of injury, know when to rest, and do some conditioning at least, you can’t go into battle without being battle hardened smh

[@bulletproofforbjj]

I do not disagree with you. I suppose the only counter point there is that a lot of folks take up BJJ without realising that they're going into battle.

[@leusmaximusx]

All martial artist must train in AIKIDO in order to purge the ego from harmful intent.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

THE REAL DEAL

[@jedsanford7879]

Havent even watched the video. #1 no doubt. Tape your feet. Please. TAPE YOUR FEET. KZbin it. I have a 2 month hole in my damn foot. Soaking it in salt water every day. Im from USA so you know, doctor is out of the question lol.

[@jayberrymiller1146]

I’m curious what you mean by “tape your feet”. Like tape toes together?

[@Bjj900]

Buy a massage gun. They are a game changer, 100 buys a decent one.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

They can help but we generally prefer a lacrosse ball or spikey massage ball.

[@Bjj900]

I had bad golfers elbow for years, massage gun cleared it up. Good for the large muscles in legs as well. Cheers for the videos

[@misoadeio]

BJJ competitions should be banned, as already done in Quebec and other regions of Canada. Stop crippling people that are ignorant of the risks they’re taking.

[@micaylapresley]

Can anyone actually understand anything they're saying?

[@bulletproofforbjj]

*SUBTITLES ON M8

[@oldschoolfuture999]

This bit really hit home @ kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ-TZ5t7qr-eedE . Hard pill to swallow but 100% we all progress at different times.