The Reason This Brown Belt’s Armbars Suck After 15 Years of BJJ

Today's question comes from a BJJ practitioner who's been involved with Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for over 15 years. He asks if my game ever feels like trash. Meaning, do I have days where I feel off and even like I'm getting worse.
The 2nd part of the question concerns a basic BJJ technique that everyone knows but yet this Brown Belt struggles using during rolling.
So in the video I answer his questions and share a story of how I struggled using a very simple sweep that everyone learns early on in BJJ as a Black Belt. I also share how I improved in this weak area of my Jiu-jitsu game and how you can do the same with a simple idea on mental framing and preparation.
-Chewy
-----------------
Free Ebook: www.chewjitsu.n...
Video Courses and Products: www.chewjitsu.n...
T shirts: www.chewjitsu.n...
/ chewjitsu
/ chewjitsu
/ chewjitsu
Intro/Outtro Music : bknapp.bandcam...
If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville,KY.

[@localrudeboy4987]

My man reading Thomas Sowell! Let's go

[@thebuffalo2263]

One thing that really helped me with arm bars was using my head to direct my body to properly align and swing my leg over. Even if you push on the hip with your foot, you should still try and swing your head as far as you can and your body will follow. Makes them a lot easier!

[@kuhmpashun]

You earned a sub, not only for your great BJJ content, but because you quoted Thomas Sowell (correctly). My man!

[@jackmurak]

The thomas sowell quote! Boom!

[@tededo]

After 20 years of grappling, I remember having spent an entire year on the bottom half. My bottom half guard game got so much better, that guys were asking permission if I could stop working my bottom half, so they could roll and improve. Then few years later, I remember spending a few months working only on kimura from bottm, within my close guard, all I could hear was guys yellin or verbally shoting tap, tap ! My kimura were A1. Then cam my best era, 2019-2021, I dedicated my entire game to reset my survival game, you read awright. I've develop a rock solid defense to the point that no white and eraly blue belt could submit unless I gave them my arm or head of leg for free. Crazy. Right now, november 2022, I am committing to guard passing, and took me only few weeks to pass my instructor's guard even when he's 100% trying hard to stop me from passing. I've made myself the promise to spend 2023 on guard passing only. So far, my speed guard passing is working like a charm, cant wait to face my first stumbling block. So that predator zoom in laser sharp vision on one technique works so well, you're garantee to see your grappling game make leaps and bound, promise you that, promise you.

[@edmondlau511]

do you find yourself going back to working the stuff you focused on years ago? Do you go back to working bottom half and kimura?

[@tededo]

@@edmondlau511 Working on the kimura back again ? Never had to cause I found its neighbor: the kimura trap via some form of technical gift wrap hold, which is muc better than the kimura itself. Plus, I use the kimura as a threat to shoot for the guillotine. As for the bottom half guard, I use it from time to time but its too easy for me to use it, so I rather go over stuff I never tried before. The only game I still work and will probably keep in my A game is my rock solide defense. I work and refine it each and every class, and love it.

[@edmondlau511]

@@tededo Thanks for the quick reply! I always tell myself I suck, I tell my professor I suck. Maybe he's just being nice by saying "give yourself some credit" or "you're better than you think you are" but my mentality is I could win ADCC and still think I suck. Why? Because if I think I'm good, I'll stop finding motivation to keep learning and growing.

[@haraldodunkirk1432]

Games change over time. I’ve been at it on and off many many years. Used to be a guard guy, got loads of armbars and triangles. Then I fell in love with wrestling at 20. I’m very good at passing, back takes, sweeps. My submissions are mediocre to weak…. Still a legit black belt. Anyway, always stuff to improve on.

[@richardpanini971]

There’s no solutions, only compromises- thomas sewell

[@mraBJJ33]

I suffer from similar things, (also named Ryan so it's like you were speaking to me lol) what I figured out was that I was typically missing one key part of the move that would make it that much more difficult to pull off. So I started paying attention to steps of the move, do I have the proper grips, am I breaking their posture well enough, am I engaging and using my core and hips well enough are my legs clamping down and pinching hard enough? And after a while my technique would become more solid. On top of that it helped a lot to not have tunnel vision on the one submission, take the armbar for example, you could attempt the closed guard armbar but they pull their arm free, now the triangle should be available but if you're focused too hard on the armbar you will miss the window to snag the triangle. Chaining attacks in that manner has helped my game a ton so far

[@star_fossil]

Yes, my armbar game needs work. Thanks Prof.

[@josephyoung3709]

Great point brother. Thanks for sharing.

[@HeavenestStCyr]

It was definitely Thomas Sowell. 1:40

[@davidescobedo5965]

start with whitebelts, then move to comp white belts, then blue belts, ect... soon, hittn' armbars on higher belts will be doable) I think it was joe rogan and danaher that said trying new moves on bluebelts (as a black belt) will enhance your game quickly

[@scottrainbird6479]

I always enjoy watching your videos. 🤙🏽🤙🏽🔥🔥

[@jracee1]

Chewster: The other day, I was at the dojo preparing for nogi open mat. I was there early, and there was one other individual there(another student) who was a good 8 feet away from me at the time. I had to sneeze. So, I bent over, tucked my head to the side, away from him, angled it toward the ground, and sneezed uncovered. He was quite disgusted and said "hey cover your mouth!" Mind you, I didn't sneeze anywhere near the mat. Now, obviously the hand cover method is problematic, but in a grappling situation, the crook of the elbow method seems just as problematic. Which brings me to my question, what is the appropriate sneezing protocol in both gi and nogi? Gracias. 🙏

[@jon0830]

great analogy!

[@kevins.koenig2871]

I'm a purple belt and my armors are trash. I can hit them on brand new white belts and that's about it. They just physiologically make no sense to me.

[@triocha233]

Think of armbars as lines… Your knee line must be on top of his shoulder line Your hip line on top of his elbow line Feet pointing downwards Hips up boom Knots & Ropes.

[@silverarc4957]

My arm bars suck. I feel like this is a direct message to me.

[@nicolaslaquier]

I only hit armbars from bottom. My setup from mount is trash. I'd rather go a different route when I already have position.

[@esketit3701]

Hey chewy for some reason I don’t feel welcome at my gym. I feel like ppl are always talking behind my back. Is it just in my head? No one has been a dick to me or yelled at me or even declined to roll, but idk i just feel like they don’t like me.

[@JakeV.]

If you can't think of anything out of pocket you've done, it's probably in your head. Do you feel like that in other situations?

[@Tearfree709]

how does one send messages or emails to be answered by you?

[@ptrmancini3]

I’m also a brown belt with shitty armbars.

[@rollinOnCode]

yes everything is trash. now lets train

[@bobbyrose9283]

This will probably get no response..but I’m terrified to start training and join a class bc I’m 6’1 280 and feel I am to out of shape to start…am I right

[@j3ansley]

I’m 46 years old, 280 and 5’10”. Only way to get into bjj shape is to do bjj. I’ve seen plenty of people who can run marathons and such just gas out like crazy. Your cardio (and when to use it in bjj) will come.

[@star_fossil]

Get after it bobby rose, there are bigger boys than yourself out there rolling and tapping. And there is no getting in shape before you step on the mats, that's just stalling and a waste of your precious time.