Weekly Question Time… 🥋
What is your interpretation of a Black Belt?
Some of you are working toward it, some of you are not focused on rank, and some of you may not care about belts at all, and that’s perfectly fine. But regardless of where you stand, we all carry a certain vision, expectation, or feeling about what a Black Belt represents.
Take a moment and describe what a Black Belt means to you, in a few sentences.
What is in your jiu jitsu bag?
I carry extra stuff like a rash guard, spats, and pants. All things I have forgotten. They've also benefitted a training partner or 2.
Coat hanger in case the string needs to be put back in pants. Underrated accessory.
First aid kit, electrolyte mixes, a protein bar, mouth guard, extra deodorant and usually a toothbrush.
What do you value more during a roll, control or the submission?
I’d rather be in complete control the entire roll with no submission, than catching a lucky submission in the first minute.
I’m talking in a training session.. in competition by all means catch that lucky submission and conserve energy!
What’s up everybody? I was wondering when you step onto the mat for a sparring session, what’s your mindset? Survival and defense? Hunting submissions? Working on specific positions, methods? Or just rolling and reacting? Or something entirely different?
For me, I’ve confronted this question every time. Survival, has been my default at all costs. I’ve found when attacking I get submitted or put into bad positions. So I work on my control. My intention is to roll to my partners body type. Take space away or give it. Get on their back or their side or attack where they’re not defending. I’m mostly defense and maintain base.
Besides those and many other thoughts I have a plethora of things I’m working on. Besides making it fun and not staying in my head.
Above all, after I step off the mat like I stepped onto it. I acknowledge that I am very fortunate to be doing this hard thing at my age. OSSS.
What is your favorite guard to play and why?
For me it is half guard which has a bunch of sub-sets within half guard itself. My game can stay close to the same between No-Gi or Gi and I don't lose a large subset of my game immediately without the grips. It doesn't matter how large my opponent is, I can always wrap my legs around 1 of their legs. It can slow the game down which is needed when going against good athletes. Many more.
Also my class is starting up today, Monday 2/23 for No-Gi Study and we will be working on bottom half guard for those interested!
If rules are meant to be broken, what jiujitsu rules do you like to break?
I don’t mind giving up my back. It is easier to escape than side control and I can attack you with arm locks and wrist locks if I can control your elbow.
If you could instant obtain a high skill level in any position, which would you pick and why?
I'd take half guard. It's one of those positions that just doesn't stick with me so I'd love to no longer have to learn it and focus on other positions or moves.
