Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts

[CitadelArmyJAG]

I had wanted to take BJJ since I was in college, and I finally decided just to learn it on my own since I couldnt find any schools close. I have never taken martial arts before, but have a LONG wrestling background.

I got the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu basics, Intermediate, and Advanced series, along with the Bas Rutten's superior free fight techniques series. I watched each of the videos about a million times, taking copious notes and stopping the video to visualize and think through the moves, which I think really worked well for me to learn them. Rorian Gracie really is a good teacher (and Bas Rutten has some good stuff to incorporate).

Anyway, I found a training partner, who is a senior and the captain of the wrestling team at a local college (he has about 30 pounds). I have been teaching him a couple moves each day, which has helped me learn the moves better, and we have been drilling them for about the last 3 weeks every day

Starting this week, we started to include live-go training each day (about 30 minutes worth.) So far it has all worked well, as since we have been going live, I have been able to excute the moves well and feel comfortable in the various positions. Despite my partners size and strenght advantage, I am fairly easily able to submit him with a variety of chokes, armbars, footlocks, keylocks, hammer locks, etc. He is also getting a lot better each day, and is feeling good about our sessions. I am looking to get better at BJJ, maybe learn some Judo, and generally just become a more proficient fighter.

Anyway, I just wanted to ask for input from you guys. If anybody has any suggestions, comments about these instructional series, other books or videos that are essential, good drills, arts or disciplines I should look at, or just any comments in general, I would love to hear from you. Lastly, do you think it is possible to effectively teach yourself BJJ with just he videos and a parnter, and without actually doing to a studio?

There is one about 40 minutes away that meets 3 times a week, but I dont really have the money at the moment for the gas it would take to drive back and forth 4 more hours a week. Finally, I would like to eventually compete in BJJ. I will post a link to the studio nearby once I find it. UNtil then, thanks for your input!

[nForce]

You can learn alot from videos and training with a friend like you are, but you will develop bad habits as there is no one to correct you.

You'd be better then if you didn't train at all, but up to competition level in your scenario would be hard IMO.

[Geno]

Find a class, sign up and show up. Bless your heart - you've got the right idea but are going about it the wrong way.

btw bjj is one of the most useful ma.

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Originally Posted by Geno

Find a class, sign up and show up. Bless your heart - you've got the right idea but are going about it the wrong way.

btw bjj is one of the most useful ma.

Thanks Geno... What do you think about this? I found a guy here in town who offered to come help us a day or two a week to make sure we arent making mistakes or doing things wrong. He was a marine corps hand to hand combat instructor who happens to have a blue belt in BJJ. Do you think that would be ok? I am really trying to avoid the extra expense and time requirement that 4 more hours worth of driving a week would be.

Thanks

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Ok... The place 40 minutes from here is part of the Sualo Ribiero Jiu-Jitsu Association... http://www.srjja.com/

What do you guys think of this guy/association?

[BeSadTemporary]

No you can't learn from just the videos. You need actual partners and trainers. noob.

[Vince Vega]

I think that you will learn some from the videos, but when it comes to Jujitsu I think you really need an expert to teach you. When it comes to submissions and body positioning for leverage, there are a lot of little tricks of the trade that the videos might not go over.

[TwiztedbyDesign]

best go in to a place bro, you cant think about it as "i need to learn all the submissions then i will be proficient" because the positions are more important then the submissions. Its something you learn by doing .

[Slash_]

No Way you cant just learn it from a video you have to take real classes

[UNLVmike]

The video might give you some of the basics, but if you want to compete one day then you will need take a class w/ qualified BJJ instructors. There is so much to BJJ, so much that you can't possibly fit it into a set of video tapes.

I wanted to take a MMA/BJJ class out here, but I don't have the time or money. There is a place right around the corner that trains BJJ/MMA and the head guy is the BJJ coach for TUF season 2. A guy that trains there is also one of the welterwieghts competing. I walked in one day, it was an awesome place they even had a full octagon set up to train in.

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Originally Posted by BeSadTemporary

No you can't learn from just the videos. You need actual partners and trainers. noob.

Why dont you read the actual post? I have a partner and somebody who is helping us. And as for calling me a noob, I am sure you came out the birth control choked by your own umbilical cord, but that doesnt equate to actual BJJ experience.... Lol

Ok ok... Just kidding...

Seriously though, do you think that with the videos and a partner you can be alright without a trainer there every day? Do you take BJJ? Thanks

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Originally Posted by UNLVmike

The video might give you some of the basics, but if you want to compete one day then you will need take a class w/ qualified BJJ instructors. There is so much to BJJ, so much that you can't possibly fit it into a set of video tapes.

I wanted to take a MMA/BJJ class out here, but I don't have the time or money. There is a place right around the corner that trains BJJ/MMA and the head guy is the BJJ coach for TUF season 2. A guy that trains there is also one of the welterwieghts competing. I walked in one day, it was an awesome place they even had a full octagon set up to train in.

Wow... sounds cool. So are you training now?

[EphedraFree]

im assuming you wrestled for Citadel, what are your accomplishments

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Naa... I got recruited to wrestle, but I had already wrestled for 6 years and was more interested in trying out the military stuff and teams rather than wrestling full time... it wasnt possible to do both. You are either into the corps, or you are in corps squad (which comprises the athletic teams who are not into the military stuff.)

So I stopped wrestling my first year and started doing other stuff... I did triathlons, wrestled intramurals, did Rocks in the Ring every year, Cordell Airborne Rangers, Ranger Challenge, and joined the MMA team (which started my last semester and gave me my first real taste of BJJ.)

[Seraphil]

go to a place, use the videos to pick up new things that you can use in free rolling. you should have a solid base with wrestling in your background. what is your weight?

[UNLVmike]

Originally Posted by CitadelArmyJAG

Wow... sounds cool. So are you training now?

No, I wish I was... I work full time and go to school full time. I get to work around 7 a.m then after work, school, and they gym, I am not home until around 11 p.m.

My friend is doing it though, he loves it... he goes 3 times a week and says its awesome.

[Geno]

Originally Posted by CitadelArmyJAG

Thanks Geno... What do you think about this? I found a guy here in town who offered to come help us a day or two a week to make sure we arent making mistakes or doing things wrong. He was a marine corps hand to hand combat instructor who happens to have a blue belt in BJJ. Do you think that would be ok? I am really trying to avoid the extra expense and time requirement that 4 more hours worth of driving a week would be.

Thanks

Having someone accomplished in bjj to help will definately be better than just your partner and a vid. I don't see anything wrong with training that way until the opportunity to get into a class presents itself - you are still miles ahead of the guys that aren't training at all

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Originally Posted by Seraphil

go to a place, use the videos to pick up new things that you can use in free rolling. you should have a solid base with wrestling in your background. what is your weight?

I am usually a lean 205... However, I lost about 20lbs () in the past several months because I was out of the country, keeping long hours, had poor nutrition, and didnt have access to a gym. I am about 185 right now, and just now starting to bulk back up (and man is it a bltch getting back into that gym.)

[Seraphil]

Originally Posted by CitadelArmyJAG

I am usually a lean 205... However, I lost about 20lbs () in the past several months because I was out of the country, keeping long hours, had poor nutrition, and didnt have access to a gym. I am about 185 right now, and just now starting to bulk back up (and man is it a bltch getting back into that gym.)

i see, yes i would recommend going to a gym of sorts. Although the time spent driving to one and the money factor may be a bitch, its well worth it. BJJ for me is a very relaxing activity. But i took a break while im back at school, im going to do do muay thai for the next 3 months.

[CitadelArmyJAG]

When you guys started doing BJJ, did your joints hurt really bad after training/drilling? We are really careful about not cranking them and tapping, but they still feel pretty poorly. I figure it is just like when you start wrestling and you feel really sore, and it probably just takes your body time to get used to it.

[Seraphil]

Originally Posted by CitadelArmyJAG

When you guys started doing BJJ, did your joints hurt really bad after training/drilling? We are really careful about not cranking them and tapping, but they still feel pretty poorly. I figure it is just like when you start wrestling and you feel really sore, and it probably just takes your body time to get used to it.

over the summer i was going 6 days a week. in addition to lifting three days a week. My knees would begin to bug me, especially if i was using a butterfly gaurd or open gaurd with bigger men. otherwise, id get an occasional armbar that would hurt for a few days. Tho BJJ is hard on your joints at times(make sure to warm up properly) i gained some flexibilty from it. BJJ is great for core strength also my abs got really defined and my back gained a good bit of width/thickness from it tho my weight down from 192 to 185 many ppl commented that i looked bigger.

[CitadelArmyJAG]

I tell you what, more than anything else it is just a hell of a lot of fun. My training partner is a big dude and really has some good wrestling skills. I am really impressed with how quickly he is picking the stuff up. It is getting harder to get him with stuff I could get easily a couple days ago. This is good, as it will force me to get better. Anyway, with him having a 35lb weight advantage and being in much better cardio shape from wrestling year round, I am working pretty hard on just relaxing, wearing him out, and concentrating on technique, as I couldnt muscle him if even I wanted to.

[LegenaryMember]

If you wanna get stronger, just hold 5 pound dumbbells on each of your arms and do som punches like 200 times. And keep praticing this until you can do it with like 50 pound dumbbell in siwft motion. Once you can do that, you'll knock almost anyone out in few or couple punches. I guarantee it lol .

[TheCrazyCossack]

Hmmmm this thread seems strangely familiar..... where have I seen this before.....

Did you not like the answers you were getting in other places?

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Originally Posted by TheCrazyCossack

Hmmmm this thread seems strangely familiar..... where have I seen this before.....

Did you not like the answers you were getting in other places?

You must be confused....

[nForce]

blue belt is better the nothing BUT its best to train with black belts.

just go to that proper school 1-2 a week to make sure your doing your moves correctly and get ome advice of them etc etc then practise the other days

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Originally Posted by nForce

blue belt is better the nothing BUT its best to train with black belts.

just go to that proper school 1-2 a week to make sure your doing your moves correctly and get ome advice of them etc etc then practise the other days

I think you are probably right. I am going to call and see how much it costs to train with them once or twice a week. Did you check out the link to the triangle club and that Saulo Ribiero guy? What do you think of the place?

[JAGERBOY]

Anyone heard of any of these instructors?

http://www.griffonrawl-ohio.com/

[jiza101]

Im taking BJJ next year, how ****ed up can i expect to get ?? Keeping in mind i would be doing the begginers classes, they arnt going to snap my arm or anything are they

[CitadelArmyJAG]

Originally Posted by JAGERBOY

Anyone heard of any of these instructors?

http://www.griffonrawl-ohio.com/

Nope... place looks pretty badass though...