Bjj

[Nalyk]

Any bjj practitioners in the house? Been doing it for a little over a year now.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I am on again off again since 2010. Mostly no gi when I do get to roll. I prefer combat submission wrestling, simply because of the people I know who do it.

How close are you to your blue belt? Or are you one of those go getters that did it in a year?

 

[Nalyk]

Nah, just got my 1st stripe recently. But I wasn't exactly insistent when my instructor brought up promotions back in the winter. I just show up and do my best. I'm in no rush, I do bjj to fight my own demons mostly if I learn something along the way, so much the better.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Being on the mats is definitely a great place to use up all your aggression and negative energy. Or forget about whatever is bothering you.

I am older now, in my 50s, and not really feeling the competitive nature anymore. The mat burn, injuries, rolling with smelly people, and having my joints bent the wrong way, is not nearly as enticing as it used to be. Fortunately, I have not caught anything like ringworm or staph.

Grew up kickboxing and doing semi and full contact karate, so that is much more my bag. Hardly ever even spar that now. Content to do bag and pad work most of the time. Rather have the workout now than the conflict inherent to it. I felt differently until about two years ago. A laundry list of injuries has caught up to me, and it is time to mellow out.

 

[Nalyk]

I did karate for a long while before I got into grappling. Did shotokan interspersed with Shito-Ryu for the better part of a decade all put together.

I do miss kata some, but that's what open mat is for.

 

[z1ggy]

I don't actively train anymore; just not enough time. Although that's kiiiiind of a cop out, I do have time for it on weekends but I choose to participate in other hobbies.

I did BJJ for about 3 years straight and earned an unofficial blue belt (not awarded to me by somebody under the Gracie family, etc) in no Gi style. I still have my Gi and belt from the times I did attend traditional classes under a Gracie trained black belt in my closest still. The traditional dojo I attended was very long paced as far as progression. White to yellow took some people 3-4 months if the instructor wasn't too keen on you. To go from yellow-->OJ-->Green might have taken some people a year or more. Three years to blue. 5+ for purple.

It's been about... 6 years since I've rolled at all but honestly after literally training 4-5 days a week for 3 straight years in my early 20's, it would likely all come back to me pretty quick. The physical aspect would be much more of a challenge (cardio, strength, flexibility) but I am thinking about getting back into it again purely for the exercise, maybe going once or twice a week.

I was actually considering doing some NAGA comps, but I was always too insecure about it.

 

[Nalyk]

The competitive aspect of bjj or really any sport had never really interested me. In bjj I feel like winning or losing has more meaning when compared to other sports, but I just can't bring myself to care. I can lose and lose and lose in the gym and it had less risk because I'm around people I know and trust. I've always been more interested in the learning or analytical aspect of martial arts that I get exercise and feel better after is an added bonus.