Anyone train BJJ?

AllisonSmith254

I need to lose weight, just for life in general, about 40-45 pounds. But, in the short term, I need to drop a weight division for upcoming tournaments so as not to be in the "and up" weight division a*k*a HELL.
And, of course, also to get faster and smoother on the mat. I feel like the extra weight is holding me back form progressing.
Anybody else out there into Jiu Jitsu?

SweetHeresy

...are you me??

I've competed twice in the "and up" division and I feel your pain...probably quite literally. lol. I'm trying to get below 160 which is about 25lbs more to go. Add me! How long you been training for?

Sweet_Heresy

(I logged in under the wrong name lol, add this one instead, my bad)

AllisonSmith254

LOL! Been training for a year and a half but I have followed the sport for many years. This last tournament I got stuck in Nogi with only 1 other person 60 pounds heavier. While I do enjoy a challenge, I also enjoy not feeling like my ribs are being broken.

How long have you been training?

Sweet_Heresy

On and off for 2 years...more "off" than I'd like because I work full time and go to school. I've trained in martial arts since I was 10 and I miss the days where I could just train and not be bogged down by adult life. Lol.

I'm hoping for more mat time in the new year

AllisonSmith254

Definitely can understand that. For me, it is pretty much, work BJJ and that is about it lol. It is hard to see the younger guys/girls in there who have so much free time to devote, I wish I would have started many years ago.

I am interested in seeing if dropping this 15 pounds by tournament time (and more wight in the future) will affect my strength level. I have a lot of muscle mass (for a female) and I don't want to lose my strength. I wonder..as I slowly creep down the scale , will I still be able to handle those larger people that I roll with? Wonder how I can make sure i keep the muscle but lose the fat...?

Random BJJ related question time:
Top Player or Guard player?:
Favorite submission?:
Favorite BJJ Athlete?:

Matt200goal

Blue Belt - BJJ is my obsession...I mean hobby that I really like

RE your questions (bear in mind that I'm a relatively junior blue belt & with the exception of a few brand new white belts that may or may not "stick around" - but really hope they do - I'm pretty much the most junior guy where I train).

- I would prefer to be on top, but often find myself fighting to get back to guard after they've passed it
- Favorite submission: whatever I can get but the one I seem to be able to get the most is a cross-choke from technical mount. Sometimes I can use that to set-up an armbar, but not always.
- Fabricio Werdum (cuz he's a big guy like me- although I'd prefer to be a little less heavy)

shabaity

I train bjj. Plan for my first tournament in the spring. I'm kinda on the heavy side for a female so I'm working on weightloss now in hopes I can be a competitive weight by then.

AllisonSmith254

It is not easy being female in this sport shabaity, glad to have some company!
Hi Matt, glad to see another "hobbyist" lol!

shabaity

It really doesn't seem to be I've gotten to the point I'll drill with the other females but I grapple with the guys most often. They at least don't limp noodle and fight back.

Matt200goal

AllisonSmith254 wrote: »

It is not easy being female in this sport shabaity, glad to have some company!
Hi Matt, glad to see another "hobbyist" lol!

Allison - your answers to your questions? Just to keep the conversation going...

AllisonSmith254

Oh, sorry! lol!

Top Player or Guard player?: Top player (or half guard only)
Favorite submission?:baseball bat choke
Favorite BJJ Athlete?: Lucas Leite

Random sidenote: today it seems that the entire inside of my ear has turned purple. Interestingly, the outside of my ear is just fine so I am struggling to understand ho I could have injured myself only in that area. Jiu Jitsu seems to be the sport of mystery bruises.

I have dropped 3 pounds so far after a week of logging everyday, how is everyone else progressing?

Matt200goal

Love the baseball bat choke - I usually have more luck with the no-gi grip even in the gi (often have trouble getting grips in deep enough).

Yep - I'm always sporting a bruise or two or more...

RE: Ears. Lucky for our little gym, one of the brown belts is a Vet. Best pre-cauliflower ear drainer around...

shabaity

I'm not sure I like rnc so much because it's been drilled so much since I started or because I like it. I'm used to fighting from bottom but I honestly prefer from the knees or standing set up a gator roll or lions ride to rnc. I'm not sure how far I've gotten lol scale need batteries.

Matt200goal

What's the "lion's ride?" I haven't heard that one before.

As an aside, I love the etymology of BJJ: some things metaphorical Japanese, some things metaphorical Portuguese, some things named after a fighter that made it famous, some things descriptively named, and then some crazy Eddy Bravo names for techniques...

debrakgoogins

I don't but my son is law is the reigning No Gi world champion for his division with the IBJJF. I could ask him what he does.

debrakgoogins

AllisonSmith254 wrote: »

Favorite BJJ Athlete?:

I may be a little biased because he is married to my daughter but my favorite BJJ athlete is Moises Antonio Lopez or "The Honeybadger".

shabaity

There's another name for it that I don't remember that's just what it's called in my local school. I train thru a Machado school not one of the Gracie schools so some names are different. Basically take the back roll forward during the roll adjust arms and grip to rnc.

Matt200goal

@shabaity - aaah, got it. Part of my earlier etymology comment - I love that stuff!

shabaity

Lol I think that counts as crazy eddy bravo name. Either way it's been part of drill at least somewhat 5 of 12 monthes this last year so I like it and can land it from a few different positions but I don't feel I know enough to have a favorite.

Matt200goal

LOL, I'd put it likely in the English translation of metaphorical Portuguese (RNC in Portuguese is Mata Leo - "Lion Killer"). Eddie Bravo stuff to me is "The Vaporizer," etc.:

shabaity

Either way is fun even if not very useful against someone bigger than me.

Matt200goal

LOL

AllisonSmith254

One time during one of my daughters matches I started yelling out random Eddie Bravo/10th Planet moves that I had heard to confuse her LOL. There are so many! I had no idea what they were by the way, but it was fun, nonetheless. Honestly though, since I have stubby limbs but am very flexible it would probably be the perfect system for me.

Matt, if I could learn to pull off the nogi bb choke successfully I could die happy, Unfortunately, it has yet to happen, but not from lack of trying haha.

Matt200goal

No gi BB choke - I got choked out so many times by a particular brown belt that a) I've learned to defend it pretty well and b) can sometimes get it (on folks that don't know how to defend it) from Knee on Belly.

Have seen videos of folks doing it from bottom side control and other positions of perceived disadvantage - I want to get to that level...someday

shabaity

I love arm bar from the bottom position of guard.

Matt200goal

That is a nice sneaky one!

shabaity

Sneaky is a good thing.

yoniwe

Bjj from gjj

Sweet_Heresy

AllisonSmith254 wrote: »

Random BJJ related question time:
Top Player or Guard player?:
Favorite submission?:
Favorite BJJ Athlete?:

1. Top player, but trying to improve my guard game. All the barbell squats I've been doing has given me an iron grip guard though lol.
2. Favorite submissions gotta be RNC. Seems to be what I go for most times. I constantly try oma platas but can never pull them off cause I tend to roll with the big guys.
3. I'd go with Garry Tonon cause he was one of my professor's students.

Question: Do you guys train gi, no gi, or both? Any preference?

AllisonSmith254

I prefer gi. I feel naked without grips. I train both though, but gi 3-4 times a week and nogi, usually just once a week. Ironically, my only gold has come in nogi...still can't figure out why...