tips for those who enjoy pain
1) Enroll in a martial art.
I think I've gone through enough of the basics to start talking about my bjj experience. I started going to Seattle BJJ on May 15th. Our main instructor is Mamazinho (which, for some reason, means "little mother" in Portuguese), and Rodrigo seems to do most of the administrative stuff, but he helps out with teaching sometimes. He's recently had neck surgery, so he's trying to heal before rolling (that's what we hip cats call sparring) again. Both guys are super cool and super Brazilian. They both emphasize knowing your limits, which is nice for me since my limits are very low right now. I guess my only complaint is that they don't really emphasize the whole "what you're trying to do" aspect and they favor the "here's how you do" aspect of learning the moves. I think if I had a better idea of the theory behind the move, it would be easier for me to pull off and adapt for other situations. But this makes it more fun to learn on my own.
Before I talk about the actual moves I've learned so far, here's some other important things to remember:
The first thing to realize when starting out in ANY skill-based activity is that you're the low dude(ette) on the totem pole. You will lose to everyone else all of the time. If you're like me, you'll spend the first few weeks trying to prove that you're a prodigy and will instantly master the art. This is not true at all. Hardly anyone has a natural talent for martial arts right off the bat. Humble yourself as soon as possible and you will be able to learn at a much faster rate.
Don't overexert yourself. Lots of people try to prove that they have heart and they can "tough it out", but if you try this in a martial art you WILL get hurt. And getting hurt only keeps you from training. Know your limits, drink your water, take breaks, do what you need to do to stay healthy. You'll be able to go longer the more you train.
A very important aspect to learn, especially if you're big like me, is that BJJ is about TECHNIQUE and not about STRENGTH. BJJ was developed so that little people can beat big people, so obviously strength is inferior. You need to get used to fighting without trying to overpower your opponent as soon as possible. I still do it subconsciously, and it only tires me out. If you do the move right, you won't NEED to overpower your opponent.
But most of all, relax. It's not about winning, it's about learning. If someone beats you while you're rolling or doing specific drills, they are learning just as much as you are, and you both win.
I think I've gone through enough of the basics to start talking about my bjj experience. I started going to Seattle BJJ on May 15th. Our main instructor is Mamazinho (which, for some reason, means "little mother" in Portuguese), and Rodrigo seems to do most of the administrative stuff, but he helps out with teaching sometimes. He's recently had neck surgery, so he's trying to heal before rolling (that's what we hip cats call sparring) again. Both guys are super cool and super Brazilian. They both emphasize knowing your limits, which is nice for me since my limits are very low right now. I guess my only complaint is that they don't really emphasize the whole "what you're trying to do" aspect and they favor the "here's how you do" aspect of learning the moves. I think if I had a better idea of the theory behind the move, it would be easier for me to pull off and adapt for other situations. But this makes it more fun to learn on my own.
Before I talk about the actual moves I've learned so far, here's some other important things to remember:
The first thing to realize when starting out in ANY skill-based activity is that you're the low dude(ette) on the totem pole. You will lose to everyone else all of the time. If you're like me, you'll spend the first few weeks trying to prove that you're a prodigy and will instantly master the art. This is not true at all. Hardly anyone has a natural talent for martial arts right off the bat. Humble yourself as soon as possible and you will be able to learn at a much faster rate.
Don't overexert yourself. Lots of people try to prove that they have heart and they can "tough it out", but if you try this in a martial art you WILL get hurt. And getting hurt only keeps you from training. Know your limits, drink your water, take breaks, do what you need to do to stay healthy. You'll be able to go longer the more you train.
A very important aspect to learn, especially if you're big like me, is that BJJ is about TECHNIQUE and not about STRENGTH. BJJ was developed so that little people can beat big people, so obviously strength is inferior. You need to get used to fighting without trying to overpower your opponent as soon as possible. I still do it subconsciously, and it only tires me out. If you do the move right, you won't NEED to overpower your opponent.
But most of all, relax. It's not about winning, it's about learning. If someone beats you while you're rolling or doing specific drills, they are learning just as much as you are, and you both win.