Yea... jumping guard is too "sporty" for me.
It's a legit tactic when your opponent can't slam or spike but our gym is MMA focused and jumping guard isn't practiced because it'll get you hurt badly in MMA.
No complaints though... he just played the game better than I did and beat me at it.
Next time I won't try to enter the clinch I'll just shoot hard for a single or double.

true dat

Anybody else get antsy as fuck when its been a few days of not training?  I notice my anxiety levels increase on days I'm not training.  I think rolling might be the best therapy for me.

Tell me about it. I've been out for three weeks due to a nagging rib injury. To top it off I still go to all the classes (my wife trains as well) to help out the instructors etc.

I had a shitty day at work and then went to open mat. I went from anxious and mad as hell to calm as a cucumber. I swear grappling is part of being human.

This.  If my back could keep up and not cause me pain I would go everyday.

Ok I checked out Unity this past week.

The shop is a dirty little hole in the wall joint that has a shit load of people training, most of which are really technical, with quite a few legit champions in the mix.

Very unpretentious and no-fucks-given attitude, come in and train for whatever reason suits you was the vibe I got. The instructor was spot on, I found myself without a partner when it came time to drill (not unexpected being the new guy) and he noticed, immediately paired me with a purple belt that was in my age group.

The basic drills class was an hour long and had about 30 people in it for the hour, another 20 or so arrived for the 1.5 hour class that followed. Everyone that was sr white belt and higher seemed to be extremely technical, there were two pairs of small females training close to me that I really think could have taken me.

I'm so rusty I would have been embarrassed if I gave a shit and hadn't been off the mats for about 2 years, as it is it will be a regular spot for me to train at while I'm in town. I was averaging about 5-7 miles walked on the fitbit everyday and training was a good time.

I washed my gear in the hotel bathtub and hung it to dry in for two days so I'm going to get a cheaper ultra-light gi for traveling that I can pack easier than my heavy GB training gi.

In short, if you are in the are its really worth checking out, a day pass is $40

On a side, whats the opinion on a good, cheaper travel/ultra light gi?

Mine is about 350g pearl weave I think, I saw some down around 275g single weave with ripstop pants that would be easier to pack and wash on the road.

I'm 5' 10", 220lbs, wearing a 46 regular in a coat.

I am an unabashed gi junkie. I have between 45 and 50 gi's. It's a sickness...

What I have for travel/light weight gi's that are awesome are made by Origin Gi's. Their Warrior Brand is their lightweight/travel series. They are very fair priced at $145. On top of everything else, their fit and finish are second to none. They are cut better than any other gi's that I have.

Another option are the gi's by The Jiu-jitsu Brotherhood. Also, lightweight, and well put together.

Finally... BJJ Globetrotter's make an exceptional travel gi. It is specifically made for people that have to travel. Their entire online presence is built upon traveling the BJJ globe.

I've been training BJJ since 1996, and have been through a LOT of gi's. The Origin, and Origin Warrior Brand are among the best I've ever owned.

Thanks for that info, I was eyeballing a Fuji Air for $100 but an extra 45 for an Origin is worth it.

My GB gi is super heavy and a pain to travel with, I washed my gear in the hotel bath tub and hung it dry for two days before packing it and heading home.

A light gi would help with that.

Tagging on the travel Gi post - what belt level is it okay to train when you travel?

I've been training for a year and a half, two stripe white belt. Appropriate to ask for drop ins when I travel?

I've been doing drop ins since early white belt you'll be fine doing it. Just call/email ahead of time and let whatever school know when you anticipate being there. Also find out any school specific rules.

As far as a travel gi I just picked up a Tatami Comp srs I'm not sure the exact weight but it feels really light.

yeah I call in first and get a feel for the place if possible, I'm not looking to be the next UFC star at 48 years old, if the place isn't well run I'm not going.

Awesome! We have a couple guys at my gym who have traveled and trained extensively - I'll get some tips on where to train from them

Very cool this thread is still active, I posted about 8 years ago, although my post has the pictures removed because photobucket wants you to pay now..........

ahh the joys of being an old ass grappler.

Went to a local place for the first time, great class, three blue belts (I was one of those) about 20 white belts of various stripes. I was the oldest male by far at 48.

My training partner was a 33 year old 3 stripe white belt, I was taking dudes lunch money on technique, he had me on cardio, too his credit he was trying to be careful and not break the old guy.

A hot shower, two Motrin, an ice pack and 2 bourbons on the rocks and I think I can sleep ok tonight

eta:

Imma start training at Marcelo Garcia's Academy in NYC when I'm up there monthly, really nice vibe out of that place, checked it out last week.

Awesome.  Keep it up! 42 here.  Rolling at 10th Planet Pontiac.

Finally made it back in the gym after I injured my LCL at a labor day open mat.  I was doing a sweep from half guard and felt 4-5 pops in my knee. Ended up laying off it for one roll and continued to go at it for an additional 40 min.  Afterwards the knee swelled up pretty good thinking oh fuck I tore something.  I had 3 opinions all said partial LCL tear and meniscus damage. After 2 months of waiting I finally got a MRI that said severe LCL sprain and early arthritis in the knee.

Fast forward to stepping back on the mat last week.  Almost puked at least 4 times but loved every minute of it. It’s amazing how fast cardio can go.  My knee is still a little unstable and sore, but very much able to train with a brace.

still at it, bumping it up here boss.

Just ordered a Flow Kimonos "Air" gi as well to take traveling with me, 350gsm single weave jacket, rip stop pants, $99 Amazon prime. I have high hopes for it so I'll let you know how that goes.

eta: My cardio is crap but my experience (1 stripe blue and wrestling experience) and size are protecting me from the young buck junior belts so far. I'm slow, steady and forceful, grind them down, gas them out and take advantage when they get tired.

Been at it for 14 months (4 stripe white belt; no wrestling experience), just now feeling like I am starting to understand what I don't understand. I started at 31 and wish I had started 15 years ago. I am having more more good rolls and actually beginning to see things. It has helped my ego that a few more white belts are showing up to open mat (for the past year I was typically the only first year white belt)  because my class only has one other white belt and he was a successful wrestler and I am not particularly athletic.

Anyways I am enjoying the ride and have come to the conclusion that  Jiu Jitsu is a mental toughness game, it is the toughest thing I have ever done. I have never continually failed at anything I have ever done until now, it took me 6 months to get over it.

It is at the same time the most amazingly rewarding and maddeningly frustrating thing ever.

Most of that is centered on ego. Take ego out of the equation. With ego gone you stop worrying about whether or not you are submitting or being submitted. You start understanding what is happening with the flow and recognizing opportunities and where you slip up and put yourself in compromising positions.

Absolutely. Took me months to get my head wrapped around that concept. Once it set in I found it much easier to progress.

Honestly it wasn't a macho ego thing just disappointment In myself. Now that I have somewhat of an Idea of the potential depth of jiu jitsu In am totally happy with getting wrecked. It is like looking at a pond and saying you understanding the ocean. I make it  in roughly 4 days a week. With 1 new white belt a new blue belt and then a bunch of damn savage upper blues, purples and browns. I wasn't providing myself much of a measuring stick on actual progress because they were getting better at the same or faster rate than me.

The vast difference of knowledge and skill between me and a say a purple belt drives me to learn.

With that being said I am perfectly content staying a white belt for about 5 years or more. I  don't care about getting a belts or competing I am having so much fun learning and working the rest of seems ancillary.

Remember white belts are supposed to suck.
At least that is what I tell myself.  

For me it was all about properly executing the handful of techniques I had been taught up to that point. Also, understanding what had happened to me and, later, being able to predict what was going to happen to me. Rolling with more experienced partners you simply are not going to have some of the tools you need to avoid submissions. If you get tapped and wind up with no understanding of how or why then it is largely a wasted roll.

Wow I got my purple belt today. Totally did not expect that.
My reward was getting to roll with an absolute murderers row of black and brown belts.

Damn I’m sore but it feels good.

Congrats!

Congratulations.  

Thanks everyone. Purple was a goal of mine.

I started 2 months ago at a Gracie Barra school here. Lots of fun, and very sore after. Are there any online sites that would be useful for a beginner to learn all of the submissions, guards, etc?

My opinion is that it's not necessarily beneficial to seek out a bunch of techniques at this point. I did the same thing after my first couple months because I was jazzed about BJJ and wanted it all. What I found was that even if I was aware of various techniques I was rarely in a position to execute them and if I was I was not able to execute them effectively or properly because I lacked solid fundamentals.

As a beginner, put a handful of techniques in your tool bag and practice those until you can execute without thinking. Learn to feel what is going on in a roll and focus on understanding what positions and submissions are being applied to you and how those are being set up. Build a solid defense and the offense will come in time. At two months it's positional control, escapes, and basic submissions.

QFT

Most people come out of the gate wanting to know about subs, the best thing to do is learn the basics very well. Learn to control your breathing and level of effort, how to keep your elbows and arms close to your body, how to protect yourself when in an inferior position. Attend class regularly and the rest will come.

That being said, GB has the entire curriculum (white to black belt) on DVD/download, the "fundamentals" is where you need to start. All GB schools should follow the same schedule and curriculum and it tracks to the DVD lessons.

I'm a mid level blue belt, I'm old and not very flexible, therefore I focus on a handful of "high percentage" submissions and how to perfect those and hit them from different situations.

eta: which GB school in TX?

Congrats!!!

Webster tx, professor Draculino

Any suggestions on schools in San Antonio, TX?  I'm heading to Ft Sam in a few months, and thinking about wondering about some weekend possibilities.

Awesome, I'm actually watching a interview with him now, one of the students over there (poppa rotzee) did an Reddit Q&A with the Professor.

Checking in!  Just found this thread.  I’ve been doing BJJ for 5 months, 2x a week.  Hope to get my blue belt in late 2018.  Train at Columbia Gracie in Maryland.

I just got the Jocko Willink DEF gi from Origin, it’s pretty sweet.

Btw, Helson Gracie is coming to my school in February for a seminar.  Worth checking out?

I’ve never been to a Relson seminar but I would imagine it’d be awesome.

My coach came to me last week and told me that I have the required knowledge and skill set to test for my blue belt but to let him know when I hit 18 months currently at 15 months  with 3+classes +open mats weekly. I think he lost his damn mind because when I roll with blue belts my size (5 10, 200 lbs 20 of which is absolute fat) i get fucking wrecked, hell many that are significantly smaller than me work me over.

I told him I had no desire to test or move up. That didn't go over well at all.

haha, I know how you feel I'm a 4 stripe white belt.  I got injured on labor day at an open mat and most of my peer group, most of which I tap on a regular basis got promoted to blue belt early October.  I was laid up until early December and watched them all get promoted while limping about.  Now that I've been back for a month and a half the anticipation/anxiety of the promotion has got to me a little bit.  I know its coming, and everyone likes to tell me its coming but I feel like I have a still have a bunch to prove yet.  I'm coming to the mind set of when I'm ready, my professor will let me know.  I never really got hung up on promotion, but now its starring me in the face its hard to not address it.

So I've been thinking about my game as an older guy and it's significantly different than most of my training partners.

I've been rolling with a guy that's 15 years my junior and I have 20+ years on 90% of the class (and its a big class).

I'm a big dude, nearly 50 years old, 5' 10", 225lbs, (18" neck, 34/35 sleeve, 46R in a suit coat)

Thoughts from an old guy:
1) I've realized my technique is much more focused, I study and target high percentage submissions, sweeps, etc. and avoid wasting effort on low percentage techniques.

2) Timing is a critical focus for me, instead of trying to muscle a technique or throwing something in randomly to see if it works, I "hold the pattern" and make minor adjustments and try to lead my opponent into making a mistake and creating an opportunity for me to go to the next step. This is very subtle and may be as simple as making a little space in a certain direction to bait them into moving that way or creating an opening in my defense to get them to commit. The key here is that I know where I want them to go and what I will do when they get there.

3) More athletic/younger guys try to "scramble", throwing everything they have at a quick pace and moving on to the next thing if it doesn't work. I counter this with "grind them down" strategy. If I have superior position I'll try to contain and threaten them so they struggle and gas out. If I'm inferior but not seriously threatened (on bottom, in guard, etc.) I try to control their posture and movement to protect myself and either open up a sweep or sub from there.

4) Trips and "off balance" maneuvers are a thing, the less violent the better, I prefer small movements to large ones and the simplicity can be deceptive.

5) My favorite subs are:
various arm bars, americana, kimura, various lapel chokes (cross collar, baseball, paper cutter, bow and arrow), ezekial from various positions, toe holds, knee bars, ankle locks and I study wrist locks extensively because old age and treachery will often overcome youth and skill

In short, subtle and sneaky is my thing, the less effort involved and the quicker I can get it done the better.

Well two days ago I received my blue belt. I was one of the few that did get formally tested (think my 3 instructors have been testing me and keeping tabs during open mat) so I wasn't really expecting it.  I guess the journey can actually begin now and try to survive. Don't know what to think still and I honestly don't feel that I was ready.

Nice.  Congratulations.

It seems that we are similar, except that I do no gi so some techniques are unavailable to me.

Congratulations.