Yes, that's right. I'm actually internalizing technique. My question to all of you guys who are learning BJJ. When did you finally get past that feeling of utter and perpetual confusion and say to yourselves, "Ya know.... if I keep this up, I might actually be pretty good?" Was it pretty much right away? 3 months? 6 months? I'm not talking about getting belts or anything like that. I'm talking about that point where you are actually executing some basic techniques successfully and it dawns on you that you recognize in the brand new guys many of the mistakes you used to make. For me, it was during sparring on Friday when a newer guy threw his hands up on my collar while I had him mounted, and I finally successfully saw it AND turned it over into an armbar. Yeah, call me a slow study, but I know that 3 months ago I wouldn't have seen it and 1 month ago, I would have seen it too late.
Happened to me a few months ago. I still suck though, as yesterdays showing at Grapplers Quest put on display...time to get back to the gym and get ready for next month
Kempofist, I'm gonna suck for a loooong time! It's funny what a couple of months does, though. One of my training goals for 2007 is to compete in at least one tournament, and in January I was thinking maybe Fall... or toward the end of 2007. Last week at class, less than 2 months later, I mentioned to our coach that I'd like to try one this Spring. I figure, I'll get my butt kicked, but if I don't compete, I won't really know how I'm doing. It'll give me a bar. So, did you compete in a prelim or something at Grappler's Quest? How did that go?
Oh I put myself in a no-gi division I shouldn't have and got utterly outclassed. Gi division I was doing awesome, till I got cheesed trying to secure a RNC. Guy pulled my sleeve all the way down my arm so I couldn't get it across to choke (or do much of anything for that matter). Tricky stuff, but I was winning the whole match before that so it ****ed me off.
It took me a couple of months until I thought I might ever be able to get stuff on people. I'm still rubbish, but I know what I should be doing in every position now... I'm just a bit late.
Interesting thread. Yeah the BJJ takes some time to sink into my thick skull. At the moment I've got to roll against guys who all outweigh me by a fair bit... but in that I've found a certain freedom to say 'oh well... I'm gonna tap so I gott go for broke'... and amazingly.... I don't end up having to tap every time. A lot of times yes... but not every single time. I've actually done a good job at getting their back or being able to get out having been mounted. That's not to shabby when the guy mounting me weights 110kg and is 6'3". /end BBJ pat myself on the back post
Oh, it was probably more than 6 months into it! On Saturday mornings a few of us would show up to roll informally in tshirts. It wasn't a class, it was just a few guys who wanted more practice time. I sucked, but I showed up week after week because I wanted to get better. One day the other dude couldn't submit me. We were going and we were going and he couldn't submit me. Then suddenly I got his back and tried for a choke. "Hey," he says. "You're getting better!" He wiggled out of the choke and arm barred me or something, but the important part is that I was getting better. I actually took the offensive for a moment and attacked him with a recognizable move. I still lost, but that's not what matters.
Exactly! It's about seeing progress. I actually recognize where I'm at along a ladder of progression. I see where I'm at now, can see where I'm headed and where I've been. It's about realizing that you're no longer at the bottom. I remember one day we were sparring and I was paired up with a blue belt. He was working on stuff and I know he was going light, putting himself at risk to work on his escapes. Anyway, at one point he takes my back. We'd been working on that all week long, so I just tried to relax and work out of it. I turtled up, got a death grip on one of his arms and began moving it around to the far side of my head. I really didn't feel like I was at risk for the RNC, and I guess he decided that he wasn't going to get it so he tried to transition to... something. I have no idea what (maybe he was going to try an armbar, now that I think about it). I just know that I hadn't let go of his arm, hadn't lost my base at all and all of a sudden I see his back exposed. I was like the friggin' face sucker from alien I was on his back so fast. I had my hooks in and just went for it. In retrospect, it must have looked pretty funny. Anyway, I think there must be a moment like this for anyone who's not a prodigy, where you just sort of stumble and bumble along for months, and then, wham, you're doing something on purpose... and it works!
Kempo - I really wanted to be at the grapplers quest tourney but couldnt make it. Glad you got the chance though! Congrats!
