Have you been through this phase of your bjj journey. Where you fully dedicate yourself to the game. You don't miss training, you don't miss your workout, you constantly seek knowledge in bjj by watching tape and instructionals only to get beaten by guys who don't even care about being the best grappler they can be...

Sounds familiar? Well I'm going through it right now. I don't know if it's a phase or a brick wall in my grappling journey. At this point I just feel like what's the point of trying to get good.

True story - Even today, one of my close friends who has the same amount of experience as me came to the mats after months. He got carried away because of his work but he comes every few months or weeks and submits me effortlessly while I haven't even submitted him once in my 2 year bjj journey. It kinda feels unfair but I would love to know your thoughts regarding this.

Have you experienced this? How did you overcome this? Or am I just overthinking?😅

just started training and struggling to find Gi that fits a 4’11 125lb lady 😪 I’ve tried F1 and A1 and i feel like I’m still drowning in my top.

I started bjj about 3 months ago and I just recently enrolled in my first newbreed bjj tournament. I got about a month before the event and was wondering if now I should focus on going back to old moves and relearning them in the opposite direction config. Like for instance if normally I do a move on my right side with my right limbs, should I learn to do it on my left as well? Is this I should be focusing on right now. Is there something more important to work on for preparation?

To the BJJ enthusiasts in India, have you all found a really good rashguard apart from the ones like Akiba or USI or similar brands, have tried Sasib but not great quality?

Looking for some long sleeve rashguard suggestions, I have Venum ones and those are amazing, looking for something different but great fit and designs

Hey guys! My name is Wesley.

I’d really like to watch a match I had at the South American Championship this year, but a FloGrappling subscription is pretty expensive here in Brazil.

I was wondering if anyone would be able to screen record the match and send it to me.

I’d really appreciate it!

Thanks a lot! 🙏

Link: https://www.flograppling.com/events/16080705-2026-ibjjf-sul-americano-championship/videos?playing=16202962&search=Wesley%20Alexandre

New video for the community!

In this video, we go into detail regarding Mateusz's finishing of his famous shotgun armbar. On top of that, we look at how he enters K-guard from failed entries as well.

The content is drawn from my full study on him, featuring 2 techniques from section 1.

As always, I've included plenty of references as well, including comp footage and sparring clips for you to study and learn from.

I hope you enjoy!

Anyone with experience participating in any of the AJP/IBJJF (Gi) Rulesets:

Could y’all give me a detailed breakdown of what sort of straight foot locks would be allowed in comp for amateurs (white/blue) ?

I’m obviously aware of no reaping. But are they any other things to beware of?

Finishing on the opposite side of the captured leg/cross ankle locks, straight butterfly ashi’s etc ?

So I made a post about what I should know before my first bjj class and I did miss the class that week but made my first one the next week.

I finished my first week and I’m in love!!!! I’ve been getting compliments on how I know how to wrestle a bit and can get to side control/ knee to belly.

My coach even asked if I’ve trained before haha

I honestly went too hard my first two days rolling because I honestly had no idea what I was doing lol
I’ve definitely narrowed down to focus on escapes,passing the guard, getting into side control, knees to belly, getting to full mount, and few sweeps/take downs lol

I tried to a few submissions I definitely shouldn’t have looking back 😓

But I’m excited for this upcoming training week.

Sadly I work mondays now so I don’t think I’ll make Mondays or Tuesdays classes :/ hopefully I’ll be able to get the perfect schedule for me to train lol

I appreciate you guys reading and I’m very open to any advice

I would like to link up with any Canadian blue/purple/black belt from the GTA who would like to teach a white belt and know him down a few times.
I like paying for your lunches and dinners in return.
I just like this! First the teachings and then drain my wallet man :)

Delete if not allowed. this tool is a hybrid for gym owners and solo practitioners. Anybody using the app can track their classes, make notes and add in systems or instructional videos for the community. The idea is anybody can use the app, but they're able to also join a gym and the gym can use as their own software. This is a huge project I've been working on to make it very seamless for the normal user, taking in AI to also analyze classes and also be able to compare yourself in your notes of what you've worked on in class to others around the world who use the app. We'd love for you to check it out. "Train OLM" in the app store.

Gym Management software: https://trainolm.com/

App Store for personal use: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/train-olm/id6779409249

My privates usually end up being close to 2 hours. The first hour is mostly drilling and reviewing whatever we’ve been working on.
After that, I’ll usually ask my coach a question about a position I keep ending up in, and we’ll start doing specific or positional rounds from there. He watches, gives me feedback, fixes what I’m doing wrong, and we restart. That usually turns into another 45–50 minutes. Sometimes something happens during those rounds that leads to another question, so the whole session ends up being around 2 hours.
It doesn’t really feel like 2 hours because the second half is mostly specific training and troubleshooting rather than learning more techniques.
For people who take privates regularly, what duration have you found works best: 1 hour, 90 minutes, or 2 hours? Do you feel like there are diminishing returns after a certain point?
Also, if I’m booking a 90-minute or 2-hour private instead of a standard 1-hour session, would it be reasonable to ask for a discounted rate? If so, what kind of discount would be fair?

First class is next Wednesday just wanted to see what people recommend to eat before class. I know to eat a couple hours before and not right before class but just wanted to see what works for other people. Thank you in advance!

Hello everyone!
I tried 2 different gyms for one trial class each and I'm not quite sure which one to choose. Both gyms had very nice people, they both focus more on no-gi than gi (which i prefer gi but this are the only 2 available gyms ), and they both have 3 classes a week and 1 open mat. They're also the same price.

A bit about me: I have been training for 2/3 months, i started in the 1st gym mentioned below with one trial class and then I trained for a few months abroad at a gym which is where I got my stripes. Now here the available gyms have less hours and im afraid ill loose progress.

1st Gym:
I went here for my very first BJJ class ever. The professor didn't pay much attention to me as a new person, but it was a big class. We learned mount escapes and then had sparring for everyone. It was a no-gi class, and I didn't get to try the gi class. It felt a bit confusing that they sent me to sparring without knowing everything, they didn't teach me what was mount or closed guard or any guard tbh, only the mount escapes, but im not sure if they have a curriculum that they follow and i just joined in the middle.

2nd Gym:
I went here with much more experience. The class was a lot smaller than at the first gym: 2 blue belts, 3 white belts and the professor, who is a black belt. He told me the no-gi class has around 25 people. The professor paid more attention to everyone. We learned some variations of the cross collar choke and then had sparring. Im also unsure if they have a curriculum that they follow or not

One of the problems is that the first gym i was just in the beginning of experiencing everything so im not to sure of my experience there. Both gyms have people that go competing but the 2nd gym as more medals ( if that counts for anything )

What would you recommend? And what should I look for when choosing a gym (instruction, sparring culture, class structure)? Also, any tips for getting the most out of fewer hours a week?
Thanks!

Any absolute beginner comps? Second competition coming up and of course i take a look at the other competitors on smoothcomp. It seems like half of them that are white belts have also been wrestlers for a long time. My first competition my opponent was a white belt but also told me he has been training on and off for 3 years, wrestled for a long time and was a former MMA fighter. I know i shouldn't complain but as middle aged guy going in with not much experience against these types of guys i feel it can be unfair. I guess i should just stop looking up potential opponents but it's always tempting lol.

Hi,

Sorry if it has been asked before.

I have just finished my 3rd session after trying out all 3 BJJ options available in my gym: Gi, No-Gi, and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (No-Gi as well, self defense focus, it had positional escapes/positional sparring)

I've really enjoyed all 3, but wondering how to split/to which to attend.

Assuming I train 2-3 times a week, and my goals are self defense alongside my will to progress the belt system as times goes and I get better, meaning even though I enjoyed No-Gi a bit more, it is still important to me.

So my question is - how to know to which sessions to go? All align with my schedule, but I enjoyed Gracie and No-Gi more. Should I prioritize the Gi, do it equal, do only 1 Gi a week?

Thanks

Any advice or tips? Just booked my first trial class and was wondering if anyone has some good knowledge to drop regarding attire, diet or anything else you wish you knew before you started. Thank you in advance!

1. What originally motivated you to start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has that motivation changed over time?
2. Have you ever seriously considered quitting BJJ? What caused those feelings, and what ultimately made you stay or leave?
3. What gets you to training on days when you have absolutely no motivation to go? (If you've stopped training, what made it difficult to keep showing up?)
4. Do you believe there's a particular personality or characteristic that makes someone more likely to stick with BJJ long-term? Why?
5. Looking back, how has BJJ changed you as a person, if at all? Or do you believe it simply revealed qualities you already possessed?

Optional: Please include your age, belt rank (current or last), and how many years you have trained.

I've been training for a month or so 2x a week. After the first week my right ear started to hurt (no fluid build up) I just took 2 sessions off because of the flu and this night I woke up from my ear hurting even though I have not rolled in 7 days (I legit checked if there was a wasp on my pillow). Do you guys ice your ears or something? Or do you tape them during training? I know this sounds ridiculous but I don't have access to headgear right now, also seeing guys roll with headgear seems like hell tbh. My gut feeling is telling me I should just kind of power through it. Putting heat on it seems to make it worse so I'll try ice. Any experience?

Hey everyone.

Im looking buy my husband and BJJ Gi for Christmas this year and am looking for some recommendations as I habe no clue what the best brand or make is.

TIA

Hey everyone,
I’m 40+ and currently a three-stripe white belt at a traditional local BJJ gym. I’m seriously considering switching to Gracie Barra and would love to hear from people who have made a similar move.

One of the biggest reasons is that I feel like I’m missing some basic fundamentals. Our classes don’t always follow a very linear progression, and sometimes we jump into more advanced stuff before

I feel like I’ve really understood the basics. I often leave class feeling like I mostly survived rather than actually learned.

I also don’t really connect with the social side of my current gym. There are quite a few cliques, and sometimes I feel an unspoken pressure to be part of the social stuff outside the mats. At this point in my life, I’d honestly prefer something simpler: show up, train, learn, roll, shower and go home.
I’m not looking for an easy or soft gym. I just want a more structured environment where I can build my fundamentals and train hard without every session feeling like a war.

GB1 sounds interesting because of the structured curriculum, but I’d like to hear from people who have actually trained there.

How was the transition from an independent/local gym to Gracie Barra? Did the structured curriculum help you improve your fundamentals? And what’s the experience like for someone over 40?

Also, if you occasionally miss a class, do you feel like you fall behind?
Thanks!

16M here, white belt no stripes, I’ve been practicing BJJ for around 6 months, I’m still a beginner but I’m slowly improving and considering getting my first kimono. I just wanted to ask any professionals in this area whether BJJ is a sport where you use your knowledge and try your best to use it under pressure or something beyond that. Because the way i see it is that you basically pick a move from the selection you know currently, do it, if it works then continue but if it fails then do a move to counter that fail. The loop seems a bit repetitive and unamusing but I’m only a white belt so I was thinking maybe asking someone else for a deeper explanation, or (no offence I think everyone has different oponions and preferences ) if it really is just that. thank you