Struggling with Stronger lower belts? 

My recommendation to any other higher belts who are struggling with lower belts is always the same: 1. stop trying to 'win' and think every move you make has to work. This mentality kills your confidence, growth and most importantly for that roll, cardio. no cardio = no ability to use technique = purple belt becomes a white belt. I can't stress cardio enough - DON'T CARDIO YOURSELF OUT trying to force something - which leads to 2 and 3. 2. read the situation and play a game in accordance to who you're rolling. Don't try to tap out a young, athletic and fit guy in the first 2 minutes unless they give you easy submissions - you're only going to make yourself tired. Also realistically try to gauge if the guy can actually threaten you - don't gas yourself out trying to retain guard if the guy isn't realistically going to be able to submit you. just accept you made a technical error and technically get yourself back into the roll. Avoid 'battles' and capitalize on weaknesses. Energy should be used to survey and open these opportunities. 3. This is a physical sport. Just because you have the technically superior positions doesnt mean the opponent can't use their physical attributes to beat it. Normally they can't, normally they might gas themselves out by doing it, mechanically they shouldn't be able to, but sometimes, they do and they still have carido. It's the name of the game. Acceptance is key.

It happens all the time especially as you get older and the class starts filling with younger, faster, stronger, bigger, guys. There will be those one or two "naturals" who are just good at it from the time they come in the door. If you read BJJ University by Saolo, Ribeiro, he will recount the story of his last roll with the late Helio Gracie where he dominated the practice match with the great grandmaster. But Helio saw jiu-jitsu as a means beyond tapping everyone out and accepting his physical limitations embraced survival as success. He said to Saolo Ribeiro, "You couldn't tap me out so you did not win". So getting older, and losing your stride happens not just to the best of us; but to the very best. It just hurts a lot more when it happens to us. Belt color is also not a reflection of who is able to tap out who. A world class blue belt who has only trained a few years full time might tap out a beer league black belt but does it mean that the black belt who trained 10 years doesn't deserve his black belt? Absolutely not. They're just in different leagues. The belt also represents the time you put into training, the knowledge you have acquired, and, as you go up the ranks from purple belt forward, your ability to teach and coach lower belts. There's a great Bernardo Faria video where he addresses the fear that many feel in BJJ when they get promoted because they feel they can't live up to the belt. This is a weird dilemma seen only in BJJ. You don't see people getting anxiety over a promotion anywhere else. I think this dilemma is because BJJ is one of the few martial arts where you are constantly putting yourself on the line both physically and mentality. It is a brutally honest martial art that quickly shows you your weaknesses and often times its hard for the ego to take because we judge ourselves harder than how others judge us. Only thing you can do is to learn to deal with it because it often never goes away.

man, i needed this. i'm a 42 year old brown belt, and the target is huge especially for the young, athletic blue and white belts.

Totally agree!! Months away from my black belt , I’m 6 foot 3 and 90kgs and I even struggle with a few dudes that are smaller then me lol, I have good and bad days. I totally am of the belief that no one is the best and anyone can get tapped regardless of their belt.

Very glad I just discovered your channel! As an almost 40 year old purple belt, this great advice! 👍🏾👍🏾

Another great video like always!

52 y/o blue belt here, thank you for this, I needed it.

Lol, I’m 60 & avid practitioner of bjj- brown - 2 stripes.. I’m a huge bullseye for many😂🤣

Great advice 😄👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I feel the same frustration. I'm a 43 years old, 5'3 145lbs Purple Belt. I don't have the cardio, strength or speed that I once had. I have to rely on my technique, leverage and timing but in most cases that is not enough when going against someone who is younger, larger and has better attributes/athleticism.

Great video. I took a break from BJJ for almost three years and it was a mistake. Jiu Jitsu is amazing at any age. I had pleasure of training with Sonny many many years ago. He is an amazing instructor and most importantly even better human being. Heart of gold. Glad to see this channel. Lol, a while ago you told me not to quit Jiu Jitsu. You were right. I just visit Jay and Jimmy and they rekindled the flame. And yes I got tapped out a lot.

Size and strength play a big factor in jiu jitsu. The fear is of a possible "demotion" which should never be the case. Nothing to be ashamed of being tapped by younger and stronger dudes.

From the 4 stripe white belt perspective: I'm working very hard in training 4-5 times a week. Upper belts are a metric and a chance for me to evaluate myself, come into a level of awareness of my own progress. It's stress free, for me. And if I threaten a pass, or sweep or submission it reinforces the training and effort. I don't "go hard" against upper belts but they do get the best I have to offer, for what that is worth. I have never tapped a purple belt or higher but I have seen the disappointment when I passed the guard of my brown belt coach. But at the same time, he was the one that taught me how to do it.

I'm a white belt and fairly athletic/ bigger so I give most of the higher belts a tough time. But I'm not really trying to tap higher belts, I'm trying get better positioning and awareness vs them, if subs come on I don't try to force them. I'm just trying to get better rather than learn a few 'moves'. I've noticed most of the other white belts will improve In an aspect of the game like X1 type of sub, and if it doesn't work will get frustrated and overuse their physicality. I'm new to BJJ, but it seems like the ones who roll with more a playful attitude come out better in the end.

AAAAAND a lot of guys lie with their experience. A guy who trained 5 years will say he trained 2 years. A guy who trained 10 years might say he trained 5 years. A guy who did 5 years MMA, 5 years wrestling, 10 years judo will sometimes say he only have been training JIU JITSU for 1 year and then say he's a "beginner". In my first MMA fight, my opponent said he was a beginner, he had been training MMA for 1 year. BUT, he forgot to say he was Belarusian champ in Kickboxing, he was a purple belt in BJJ, AND had a 2. Dan black belt in Karate. But beginner in MMA. "beginner".

I've had this happen enough to learn your ego can't get bruised if you leave it at the door. At the end of the day I'm still growing. I focus on my development, not so much on anyone else's.

Great advice. I'm a 49 year old brown belt. I know the feeling!

Great 👍🏼 advice - btw, when I subscribed it said 200!! I think we all go through this - we judge ourselves by our last roll or live drill - you tap a higher belt or monster your level and feel like Superman; next day a tough, strong white belt gives you trouble and you go home thinking you suck - just had it happen to me last night - I obsess about correcting the hole(s) in my game...what I’ll do differently next time...

few people gets to be black belt, ego is just huge obstacle, im brown belt now, im 56 years old and I do struggle when I roll with lower belts that are younger and much more explosive, difficult to control, etc. I have to tap sometimes specially after rolling with a few persons at the end of the class for 3 or 4 minutes each. I convince myself by using some philosophy, it is a sport that keeps me in good fit, healthy and at the end when we all form to salute each other I feel good when I hear some young people says that I inspire them to continue, that has no price because Im doing the right thing. Maybe, i could have been playing futbol or basquet but instead I play BJJ and many of my friends are either gone or watching tv getting huge with diabetics or addicted to drinking. Im addicted to BJJ and.. I have an objective I will get my black belt do not know when but unless I die I will NOT stop this incredible journey. my children are also coming with me, too I imagine sometimes that all of us that do martial arts are fulfilling the legacy of our ancestors from every place in this planet but also, somehow as we roll we discover more ourselves.

I'm a 44 year old brown belt and a few weeks ago I had this really strong 2 stripe blue belt hang with me for two full 5 minute rounds. I thought something was up so I asked him after open mat and he admitted to wrestling in high school and having a black belt in Judo. He had also been held back a bit on his blue belt due to relocating for the military. It happens.

I'm 51 year old black belt. Struggling lately with people I've always beaten. A very very tough lesson in keeping perspective and my ego in check. Jiu jitsu introduces you to how to lose and being humble as well as the many wins I've had.

New subscriber. Long time BJJ guy. Great advice! #Oss

I’m 45 and yes is hard at days but is when is time to push more about cardio 👍

Nice video's guys! Just a little tip, your camera seems to be out of focus. When the 2nd guy at 2:36 comes in the focus seems a bit better.

Hi, I've been a blue belt for the last 2 years and I feel my gi closed guard is pretty solid compared to other blue belts. I can pull of subs and sweeps from that position with medium confidence, so I've been thinking about trying some other guards like lasso or spider. My question is, if I'm having success with closed guard, and my open guard defense is about just as good, why should I learn such convoluted open guard positions? Thanks, and good luck with the channel. P.S. I intend to learn all those positions, I'm just being difficult.

I am a white belt 38years old. I did 5years of mma when i was 20 - 25 then i stopped. Start bjj no gi and gi a year ago. i tapped out many blue belt in our gym. I tell them everytime, nothing to be ashamed off coz i probably did more ground training than them.

Good days and bad days but never regret training regardless

That shirt is fire!!!

Can you please choose randomly who wins the T-shirt? I feel like I subscribed way too early 😂

Don’t sleep on that middle school wrestling! 🤼‍♂️

Why has no one else talked about this? Thanks

Styles make fights!

Peoples don't understand what matter the most Time on the clock , time on the Matt , experience !!! doesn't matter how many time you tap experience , experience , experience , time , time , time , reach the stars , and tap often

I’m 40 and a purple belt and it’s just part of the deal with age. I have a hard time with guys who are 25 and have 50plus lbs on me.... makes you better you have to learn how to get them into stagnant positions and use timing and tech

43 yo purple 4 stripes, I can manage most people in the gym technically but cannot compete being stronger, faster or more explosive than the 21 year olds.... because I'm not stronger, faster or more explosive. Either you catch them technically and if not, just tap. No biggie

Best way not to get subbed by lower belts don't roll with them just kidding everyone has something to offer to help you advance your game roll on 🤙

Great video Osssss

also, competitive lower belts are also almost always stronger than non competitive higher belts. More conditioning, better drilled movements, more continuous training, stronger competitive mindset, all makes a diff so players in a gym really should differentiate themselves in terms of competitive players or hobbyists and never cross compare. Also, an extremely rarely practised or out of practise higher belt is no higher belt at all, there should be a demotion system in such a case, my own humble opinion. I am 45 but my strength, speed and level of conditioning and stamina is much better than non-professional young dudes half my age so age is no excuse really, its how much work you put in. Right now, at least, there is no 20 plus yo young hobbyist chap in my gym that has a better stamina than I do.

I can feel the disappointment in the force... lol

I'm not athletic, first sport I ever did apart from some weightlifting was BJJ, and as a 4 stripe white I dominated a same weight brown belt in his 40s, to the point where he started resenting me and throwing hissy fits like a bitch. Someone show him this viseo

Its actually not uncommon to see white belt come in tap out advanced level ranks. It happens from time to time. Especially if they have experience in other martial arts. We have a judo brown belt that is a bjj white belt, he taps out advanced level people "Judokas can grapple". I have experience in Hanmudo 4 martial arts in one Hanmudo is judo and Jiujitsu inspired but im a white belt rightfully in BJJ. Familiar with alot that most white belts aren't especially if they have absolutely 0 experience. They got a wrestler that is breezing by very fast in BJJ. It happens. Of course advanced guys don't like it but it happens in combat sports. Like maestro said im the video everyone will get tapped in this sport..

👍

Isn't that like telling a boxer not to get knocked out by a guy with less time in? Life don't work that way.

focus please . Look blurry

I'm a zero stripe blue belt with 15 years of MMA. Please accept my deepest apologies.

Lol 😂

You look like the guy who fought in a basketball court.

Jesus saves. Love you guys.

Lets remove belt system on bjj

If you are getting beat by white belts as a purple belt, you need to reach back in your gym back and put that white belt back on lol.... belts are bullshit and only represent how much money and time you’ve spent at the gym. Train to be proficient and don’t worry about who has what belt