question of the week, what has jiu-jitsu most impacted you on a very personal level, that has helped you cope with life most devastating moments of your life?

Time for our weekly question.

What’s a lesson or skill you have learned or developed on the mats at Jiu Jitsu that you have then been able to transfer to other areas of your life off the mats?

For me, an important one has been being able to prioritize and focus on the things that actually matter and move me closer to my goals and to minimize the things that aren’t as important and to avoid the things that I would consider to be outside noise or distractions. Let me know what you think in the comments below! 

I spent a lot of time grappling before I was even aware of jiujitsu. Wrestling matches are structured so differently amongst duration, scoring, and objectives, that I always wanted to push the pace and would inevitably gas out. I spent several months attending open mats with the objective of rolling every round. Eventually, I was able to control my pace and roll every round. 

What have you figured out that you struggled with for longer than you have anticipated?

Do you have a favorite Jiu Jitsu practitioner to watch? Is there a Jiu Jitsu practitioner’s game that you try to emulate? Are they the same or are they different?

For me, I really enjoy watching the Ruotolo brothers compete. They are both very aggressive and exciting. They push the pace and are always looking for a submission. Like a pair of Vipers. 

But the game I try to mimic more would be Gordon Ryan. A much slower and methodical approach to submission hunting. Trying to eliminate all variability while not assuming much risk. The excitement is in the details, not necessarily in the explosive nature. 

What is your method to build a game for BJJ when you start going to open mats?

For me, I picked a starting position in guard, passing, and attacking. Personally I picked bottom half guard, top half for passing, and side control. I picked one technique from each and tried to get to 1 of those 3 spots as much as I could during each roll and tried to hit that technique. When the technique failed, I tried to figure out why and kept working till I had some success with people my level and muscle memory started kicking in. Then I added a second technique that directly works off the first. Example, in bottom half, I stated with underhook to dogfight knee tap, then added limp arm, then the roll through, etc. Slowly over time, I built a game 1 item at a time.

Don’t be afraid to backtrack and pick small items to get better at. I spent weeks just framing from bottom half with the biggest guys I could find. Not even trying to sweep, just seeing how long I could hold them, manage weight and figure out how to move them. 

Hey everyone! It's time for our weekly question ❓

What's one skill (in Jiu Jitsu or life) you'd like to master before earning your Black Belt? Share your thoughts and let's discuss ways improve together!

#JiuJitsu #BlackBeltDreams #WeeklyQuestions

Here’s a question for the week. 

At the beginning of your journey what was a technique that came to you easily? 

For me it was the bow and arrow choke. I was able to get that choke pretty often. 

What about you?

Hey everyone, time for the Weekly Question.

What's the one thing that you struggle with no matter how hard you try?

Let's have a good discussion. Maybe your strength is someone else's weakness and we have a chance to really work together and help each other.

Check the comments for mine!