Observations from 10 years of BJJ
In a Playboy interview from 1975, world-renowned Boxer Muhammed Ali stated that, "A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life."
By the time most BJJ players reach brown or black belt, they have close to a decade of training. That creates wear and tear on the body. The way you train after a decade of rolling will look different than your formative years.
Still, BJJ is a lifelong pursuit if it's trained correctly. Most players discover BJJ in their late 20's or early 30's. Unless you're Nicky Ryan, than you've already won BJJ by the time your 16.
For every observation below, I also provide a look at the flip side where the notion is taken past its point of diminishing return and can produce negative results. These are taken from my experiences and those of my training partners over the last decade.
Learning How to Pace.
In fighting, your gas tank is your bodies ability to sustain a workout, training or sparring session. The more gas you have in the tank, the longer you can fight. For most people, their gas tank is at their peak in their 20, to early 30's.
There may be exceptions, but most BJJ athletes, to stay competitive, will have to learn how to pace themselves as they age. Exploding into or out of every position may have made sense in the past, but now, instead, we should strive to use timing and understanding of transitions to work escapes or submissions. As a result, you'll get caught in 80% fewer armbars.
Dark Side: Many advanced players will not place a priority on their physical conditioning because they will rely on their experience to get them out. This is a mistake. Any serious player needs to understand the necessity of supplemental conditioning to keep your gas tank from drying up.
Details.
Details are kind of a big deal in BJJ. Arm placement, hip movement, grips. The devil is in the details. Cognitively, I knew this when I started, yet it was years before I was able to appreciate the gravitas of the details and the role they play in the sport.
For the longest time, I was very much action oriented, using physical attributes to make up for lack of details. That only works for so long. A great trick to start picking up on more information is to watch your coach in class when they break down a technique; watch for details that they don't mention, such as their hand positions, or where their weight is shifted as they transition. Pick up on what they do, not what they say.
Dark Side: Analysis Paralysis. Don't spend so much time worrying about minutia that you miss opportunities. Sometimes you just need guts and action.
Who's your coach?
Who's your coach? If you roll, you've had that question asked of you before. When looking for a BJJ school, there is an abundance of importance placed on finding a highly skilled or renowned coach. To an extent, this is reasonable as the instructor sets the atmosphere for the school.
However, there are things more important than how many times they placed in the Pan-Ams. Do they show up for class on time, or even show up? Do they remember your name and make you feel welcome? Are they on their phone for half the class, or are they helping you tweak your techniques as they walk around the room? Do they know how to teach and relay information in a way that others can understand? Do they allow sexual harassment at their gym by not eliminating problem students or coaches?
From an instructor's perspective, these things matter more than how many times a coach has stood atop the podium.
Dark side: We want a teacher that cares about our growth and is professional. Well, they also need to be able to grapple. The thing about BJJ is you can't fake being good. If your instructor never rolls with you anymore because of a mysterious injury, or they haven't given you a challenging roll since the first month that you started, then it may be time to move on. Don't get stuck training with this guy.