If I Were A BJJ Whitebelt again

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VIDEO DESCRIPTION

What if you could go back in time and start BJJ over as a white belt? In this video, Rick Ellis shares what he would do differently if he could be a whitebalt again.

[Mongomingus]

45 years old. 5 month white belt. My biggest beast to tame was my anxiousness. Ive slowed down and can go a whole 1.5 hour class or session. At this point I don't think about the belts, really, I'm having fun and it's changed my life. Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone who is seeking inner peace.

[bszeets]

Even as a 25-year old blue belt watching this, I've taken away so many lessons on longevity. Thank you Rick! I definitely am guilty of wasting my gym and yoga membership

[raytom]

I'm a 50 year old 3 year white belt and a third degree black belt in karate. My training partner is a 3 stripe blue belt a 6th degree black and 12 years younger than me at the same weight. We trained together for almost 2 years and I never tapped him. All that to say I watched your video on OLD man jiu jitsu. I slowed down, lasted longer, and it was the first time I was able to tap him.

[mouthguardcomic]

I would look for:

1. A great environment
2. Find out the promotion criteria (must have stripes/must be merit based)
3. Train no-gi to avoid hand injuries and grip problems ( or use universal grips)
4. Stay with gym until Black Belt (cross train if needed)
5. Work through and talk through problems...
6. Train at least three times a week/5 times if low on obligations
7. Never stop training (keep going even if injured/watch or teach if that's all you can do)... No gaps
8. Teach/When you have to know it, you learn much more...
9. Learn how to roll responsibly (so you can prolong your grappling career)
10. Learning is your responsibility... You must train like other sports train...

[KingJeraldL]

46 year old white belt with a few stripes. I realized that slowing down younger more athletic folks required me to get more technical rather than faster. I am the oldest white belt there and started a year and a half ago. I am competing in my first comp this Saturday and calmness is a super power. I train with the heavys due to my size (6'2" 265) but they are all upper belts. Been a humbling and ego crushing experience but gaining small victories. I appreciate your channel. Inflammation from YEARS of basketball has taken its toll. I am now focusing on mobility and flexibility. Oss

[eddie]

I went through your journey in the opposite order. I trained weights, mobility, and recovery and only got into BJJ at 40. I am now 42 and have noticed that unlike other students my age, I don't get injured and can definitely roll for a lot longer. Thank you for the video.

[JB-heek]

Thank you Professor. I just turned 48. Body isn't healing anymore from not only jiu-jitsu but all the yrs of hard labor. I feel good after training but prior just inflammatory full body arthritis pain. I was white belt little over 2yrs. I noticed later years in jiu-jitsu epiphany so to speak I was given blue by my Professor when I was no longer getting tapped. I was blue for roughly 6yrs. Just like you I wasn't good at just one thing. I had an "grammatical sentence" by then I was good at defending, then passing guard to side control then north south bc it became natural. Now I've been purple for little over 2yrs. I'm definitely not as in shape as I was when I started, but as good of shape as I was in, I got tapped in 30 seconds couldn't even finish full round. Now I'm less in shape but can do several rounds even 10 minute rounds with bigger stronger opponents. They dominate me but can't tap me and it takes me 8 minutes to catch their mistake and begin to work my offense and I usually get the tap around 9 minutes. But my arthritis has me not even working out off the mats anymore. I am thankful you came out with this video as I'm now 48 internally stressing how it's impossible for me to fulfill all three that you pointed out beginning of video. I am learning thru experience that I was having to have to pick two, although I couldn't put it into words as clearly as this video. I was actually doing the opposite attending class less but more competitive so I could try and heal as much as possible. So I'm going to show up more and sit out a roll in between. But going straight to defense while immediately setting up offense and catching them is where I'm most comfortable today not only bc I've gotten comfortable on my defense but to avoid injury, and soreness. Sorry long read but this video is exactly where I'm at in my jiu-jitsu journey. So thanks again, Professor, for the content!

[buzzardcry]

@Mongomingus I just started BJJ at 60... I survived my first full class and paid for it the next morning! 🤪 I can see the infectious nature of the sport and this is mainly due to the great people at the gym and culture they maintain within the group! Looking forward to the journey ahead!

[joncooke]

As a 54 year-old blue belt, your advice always resonates with me. Thank you.

[samandangieyingst]

51 yr old blue belt here, strength training and flexibility are a must. Train smart, choose your partners wisely, tap early. Mantra: don't get hurt. Thanks for the video.

[CocktailsByJay]

Great video and in formation Rick I’m a 57 year old white belt and I train 4 to 5 days a week. I’m passionate about BJJ and I agree with your ideas, frequency, mobility, intensity, weight and cardio training outside of BJJ and also recovery. Im in Whittier and may drive down to attend your SD Summit in April. Jay😊

[RicoMnc]

I started when I was 58, now 62 year old 130lb blue belt.

The winter blues is real, feels like it has been with me all my life. Sometimes I struggle to get to class 2 times a week Nov - Feb.

When I first started I tried to do weight training and BJJ, but after 3 months I realized I just couldn't sustain that. I did gain about 4 good lbs, which was good for me. What I have developed instead are consistent, disciplined home flex, mobility, and body weight exercises, including a pull-up/dip bar, and some small dumb bells.

Before even watching your video I have established goals for training more often and more efficiently. More lighter, "flowy" sessions, less tense, competitive rolls or drills. Sometimes it is a bit out of my control, but that's what I strive for. It's the only way I'm going to survive and be able to train for the foreseeable future.

One thing that is helping me so far is my new school has more newer (white belts) closer to my size. I have more opportunities to control the intensity and speed of a roll, although sometimes it is still a challenge to get the younger, quick, "scrambly" guys to slow down. In either case, I prioritize being a good training partner, trying to make the roll or drill beneficial for both of us. That's a whole subject in itself.

With larger or more experienced partners, the fundamentals, especially defense, are my focus. Learning to avoid or escape bad positions quicker can mean the difference between me having opportunities for offense or just surviving smashed under mount/side-control or defending my back from RNC.

It's now a constant struggle to balance between trying to get more mat time vs. enough recovery. These last couple of weeks I've been dealing with a re-aggravated injury, and seasonal illness/allergies.

[vinniegranger]

Hi Rick,
Really like the channel.
I started Bjj about a year and 5 months ago at age 61. I brought with me the physical baggage of 10 yrs of football, 5 yrs of motocross, 39 yrs of rugby, 42 yrs of track and field, 5 yrs of powerlifting, and a lifetime of idiocy. All competitively. All told 11 surgeries (7 knees alone). I'm just starting to see some things click on the mat, but I still struggle with slowing down and controlling my younger less broken partners. I am still a lot stronger than many, but my grappling cardio is not up there with the 20 and 30 yr olds I train with. I try my best to use technique and not strength when training, but when a younger, more explosive partner is attacking with seemingly endless energy and equal or better technique, I can't avoid getting gassed to the point of exhaustion. I try to just accept that until I get better at chaining things together it's going to be tough, but at this point, I can't help but fall back on using strength and explosion to at least avoid getting mangled which exhausts me. I am a strength and conditioning professional so I've been doing everything you mentioned regarding recovery and mobility but I'm finding I can't train Bjj and still keep my lifting where I'd like it to be. After a few 5 minute rounds on the mat I feel like I've been run over by a truck (a feeling I love but is tough to recover from) to the point that I feel like more than 2 rolls a week might kill me.

I never had the tumbling/gymnastics practice you mentioned and at this point, my joints are so impaired starting now would just make me more tired, creaky, and cranky.

Any advice would be appreciated .

Thanks

[daddyroostermotivate]

I workout 4-5 days a week and train jujitsu mon wed fri . My strength training and cardio is non negotiable no matter how cold it is. I also use my Ice pod for cold water therapy 2 times a week. This helps with my inflammation and soreness. I am a 50 year old whitebelt.

[skuirrelTV]

I'm 37 and I can't wait to be 40 to go to your seminar! 😂

[stuartclubb]

Really good points. Especially strength and mobility along with progressive resistance training. Finding partners willing to give progressive resistance to failure can be a challenge. Some upper belts will "let you work", others just smash. It feels like trying to learn how to deadlift, when all there is in the gym is a 500lb bar to train with.

I hope the summit is a great success.

[bigsarge]

Hey hey. 41 year old back belt here, 22 years of experience. I coach wrestling at the high school level as well. I’m 6’5” 290lbs and have been in the army the last 18+ years. I focus on calisthenics for fitness and positional sparring for newer people. I think positional/situational sparring is the number one way to improve quickly. And calisthenics builds actual body and core strength. My son just turned 15 in Jan and is 6’6” 280 and my daughter at 16 is 5’10” 190 so building their foundation was important to me. Anyways, I think your videos are a good look to the community. Keep killing it!

[andrewkarl]

Started Judo at 59 BJJ at 60, could not have hung in there without a solid yoga, Pilates, and lifting background.
What I would do different, start much younger.

[Simplo-mjyk]

Super helpful. I'm 44 and just started a few months back. I have been trying to find my balance and strategies for getting better. Lowering my intensity and increasing frequency has been important in my training. Also, compulsive stretching has been helpful. Thanks!

[OhYaSure]

43 year old 1 stripe white belt, and veteran beer league hockey player.

I’m trying to get 3 a week in, plus workout x 2, plus a hockey game. If I can manage my intensity and volume, I’ll up to 4-5 days.

I’m able to stay calm, mostly, but I’m a stronger guy in class and people play me hard (except upper belts). So I match what they give, and it usually increases even though we both say let’s keep it chill. Happens almost 95% of the time.