There are significant disadvantages in BJJ for a big man. You don't even have to be that big, as long as you are bigger than your training partners. For example, I'm 6ft tall weigh 205 and although I'm pretty strong and have decent muscle for a 41 year old I was a lot stronger and had more muscle as a 20 year old at the same height. I'm not particularly large, but in my gym I'm one of the larger guys.
I find that as a big guy beginner (especially one with a wrestling background), I end up using my strength and weight. This doesn't really help me learn BJJ, or it does but not against guys my own weight/size/strength.
Today, I rolled with the smallest guy I've sparred with so far. He was a young guy, purple belt, maybe early 30's. He's about 5'7 and weighs maybe 150 or so. I'm significantly stronger than him, but he is one of our tournament winning guys (i.e. he enters lots of tournaments and ends up winning/placing in the top 3 in most of them, etc.) He has an amazing berimbolo and is so flexible that I've seen him completely stacked and still have a smile on his face and roll out of there.
So the first time, I was able to get side control. Actually he had me in guard, but didn't close his legs quick enough so I turned and got him in this headlock, and he ended up having just a half guard. I had his head quite tight, and kept on using one hand to get his legs off of me so I could get full side mount. After a while, my strength become no use. I got too tired holding him for a minute while he slowly, kept pushing my arm, shrimping, and then moving his foot. Finally, after a few minutes he got me in an arm bar. It was so lightning fast. I probably could have held out, but I decided to just stop since I didn't want to mess up my shoulder like last time when I fought off an arm bar but hurt myself in the process.
The 2nd time we went at it, he got me in guard, and when I tried to break his leg/pass guard, he took my back really quickly. He got me in a rear naked choke, but my left arm was strong enough to pull his arm down. Here's where my strength helped out. I was strong enough to tuck my chin in so his arm wasn't fully on my neck, and was strong enough to pull his forearm down so he couldn't choke me even though he had me really good. The problem was that I knew I couldn't keep it up that much longer, I was getting tired, but he could hold on all day. So I tried the move that the purple belt did on me last week, with one arm I started pulling up on his foot to see if he'd pay attention, and I noticed he let go of the RNC and then I turned to stack him, and he flipped over and got me in another arm lock. Darn, he was so fast.
Our 3rd time I was in his guard, and everytime I was able to break it he was able to pull me forward so I had to brace myself at which point he put me back in his guard. So I decided to stack him even though he's extremely flexible, I slowly got on my knees and then pushed up so I had him up in the air in my guard and then leaned over to stack both his legs and try to break free, but I wasn't quick enough getting my right arm to push down his leg so he was about to get a triangle, but then time ran out. I doubt he could have put a triangle on me, he didn't have my arm in enough and I was much stronger, so I could have pulled my arm back.
I mostly have to roll with purple belts, kind of gym policy, and these guys are so much better than me that as one of the bigger guys I inevitably use my size/strength instead of rolling light. I would learn much more if I rolled like a 150 pounder instead of a 205 pounder. Even though he could get out of it, when I stack or get head control I can hold them there but I'm still not skilled as to what to do.
During positional sparring, another big guy, a 4 stripe blue belt who is about 5'10 and 180lbs of pure muscle, and really strong. He usually submits me fairly easily when we spar, but during positional sparring I got head control and he couldn't get out of it. He said over and over that my head control is excellent. I told him it's my old wrestling background. Usually, during side mount one would sick one's leg by the elbow of the side you're on to prevent him from using that to roll you. I end up having them in a head lock of sorts, with my legs sprawled back. I have a long torso with shorter limbs, so I can put a lot of pressure on the head. I have to figure out what moves I can do from there, since that seems to be my strongest move. Even the big 280 pound purple belt said I have excellent head control, but that I can't just control the head.
As a beginner, I need other big guys or just other people to roll light with me so I can focus on technique. I wish I could spar with women and go about 50% only, but our instructor matches up people based on skill and size. We only have 2 women that I've seen at our gym, I heard there are more but they don't come when I do, and both of them are quite small (5'1, 5'2 and 120 pounds or less), so I never roll with them. I'll be traveling soon and hope I can visit some gyms and roll with either taller skinny guys or women so that I can go lighter. I can't help but panic and when an upper belt gets me in some move, I use my strength to get out. This is NOT helping me progress at all. I already have a reputation in my gym for being a strong guy, even though any of the upper belts can tap me out, a few of them have been gripped by me, so they mention I'm a strong guy. I totally lack technique and that strength is useless unless I get some good technique.
I have a terrible base. I need a stronger base so that I can work on my defense. Oh well, that's for the future. I just want to spar another white belt that's my level, so I can see where I'm at. I guess we'll see at the tournament. A few months ago, I visited this other gym and these small 4 stripe white belts with a year of training or 9 months of training would submit me easily with an arm bar or triangle even though I was much stronger and bigger. I'm more used to rolling now and at least have a basic strategy.
I think BJJ is fun b/c I'm not so intensely into it. I have fun when I get there, but when I leave I kind of forget about it. This blog is mainly a way for me to keep mental notes of my progress as a middle aged white belt.
I find that as a big guy beginner (especially one with a wrestling background), I end up using my strength and weight. This doesn't really help me learn BJJ, or it does but not against guys my own weight/size/strength.
Today, I rolled with the smallest guy I've sparred with so far. He was a young guy, purple belt, maybe early 30's. He's about 5'7 and weighs maybe 150 or so. I'm significantly stronger than him, but he is one of our tournament winning guys (i.e. he enters lots of tournaments and ends up winning/placing in the top 3 in most of them, etc.) He has an amazing berimbolo and is so flexible that I've seen him completely stacked and still have a smile on his face and roll out of there.
So the first time, I was able to get side control. Actually he had me in guard, but didn't close his legs quick enough so I turned and got him in this headlock, and he ended up having just a half guard. I had his head quite tight, and kept on using one hand to get his legs off of me so I could get full side mount. After a while, my strength become no use. I got too tired holding him for a minute while he slowly, kept pushing my arm, shrimping, and then moving his foot. Finally, after a few minutes he got me in an arm bar. It was so lightning fast. I probably could have held out, but I decided to just stop since I didn't want to mess up my shoulder like last time when I fought off an arm bar but hurt myself in the process.
The 2nd time we went at it, he got me in guard, and when I tried to break his leg/pass guard, he took my back really quickly. He got me in a rear naked choke, but my left arm was strong enough to pull his arm down. Here's where my strength helped out. I was strong enough to tuck my chin in so his arm wasn't fully on my neck, and was strong enough to pull his forearm down so he couldn't choke me even though he had me really good. The problem was that I knew I couldn't keep it up that much longer, I was getting tired, but he could hold on all day. So I tried the move that the purple belt did on me last week, with one arm I started pulling up on his foot to see if he'd pay attention, and I noticed he let go of the RNC and then I turned to stack him, and he flipped over and got me in another arm lock. Darn, he was so fast.
Our 3rd time I was in his guard, and everytime I was able to break it he was able to pull me forward so I had to brace myself at which point he put me back in his guard. So I decided to stack him even though he's extremely flexible, I slowly got on my knees and then pushed up so I had him up in the air in my guard and then leaned over to stack both his legs and try to break free, but I wasn't quick enough getting my right arm to push down his leg so he was about to get a triangle, but then time ran out. I doubt he could have put a triangle on me, he didn't have my arm in enough and I was much stronger, so I could have pulled my arm back.
I mostly have to roll with purple belts, kind of gym policy, and these guys are so much better than me that as one of the bigger guys I inevitably use my size/strength instead of rolling light. I would learn much more if I rolled like a 150 pounder instead of a 205 pounder. Even though he could get out of it, when I stack or get head control I can hold them there but I'm still not skilled as to what to do.
During positional sparring, another big guy, a 4 stripe blue belt who is about 5'10 and 180lbs of pure muscle, and really strong. He usually submits me fairly easily when we spar, but during positional sparring I got head control and he couldn't get out of it. He said over and over that my head control is excellent. I told him it's my old wrestling background. Usually, during side mount one would sick one's leg by the elbow of the side you're on to prevent him from using that to roll you. I end up having them in a head lock of sorts, with my legs sprawled back. I have a long torso with shorter limbs, so I can put a lot of pressure on the head. I have to figure out what moves I can do from there, since that seems to be my strongest move. Even the big 280 pound purple belt said I have excellent head control, but that I can't just control the head.
As a beginner, I need other big guys or just other people to roll light with me so I can focus on technique. I wish I could spar with women and go about 50% only, but our instructor matches up people based on skill and size. We only have 2 women that I've seen at our gym, I heard there are more but they don't come when I do, and both of them are quite small (5'1, 5'2 and 120 pounds or less), so I never roll with them. I'll be traveling soon and hope I can visit some gyms and roll with either taller skinny guys or women so that I can go lighter. I can't help but panic and when an upper belt gets me in some move, I use my strength to get out. This is NOT helping me progress at all. I already have a reputation in my gym for being a strong guy, even though any of the upper belts can tap me out, a few of them have been gripped by me, so they mention I'm a strong guy. I totally lack technique and that strength is useless unless I get some good technique.
I have a terrible base. I need a stronger base so that I can work on my defense. Oh well, that's for the future. I just want to spar another white belt that's my level, so I can see where I'm at. I guess we'll see at the tournament. A few months ago, I visited this other gym and these small 4 stripe white belts with a year of training or 9 months of training would submit me easily with an arm bar or triangle even though I was much stronger and bigger. I'm more used to rolling now and at least have a basic strategy.
I think BJJ is fun b/c I'm not so intensely into it. I have fun when I get there, but when I leave I kind of forget about it. This blog is mainly a way for me to keep mental notes of my progress as a middle aged white belt.
No comments:
Post a Comment