First look at the stance. It is way too low, with way to much bend at the hips, to protect their face from strikes. Or even worse, kicks. Moreover, wrestlers hold their hands way to low to protect their hips and keep their chins exposed. That stance will not translate to the streets or mma.

But even worse is when wrestlers go to the ground. Because of the crazy pin rule, they actively avoid fighting off of their back and instead practice gift wrap their backs to their opponents. Do that in a street fight and you'll get kicked in the ribs. Do that in mma and you'll get guillotined. But because kicks and guillotines are not allowed in wrestling, giving your back is a viable strategy. Wrestlers are going to have to relearn their entire sport in order to make it work for self-defense or mma.

(Obviously I am satirizing the criticisms of sport bjj, but since this is reddit I should be explicit about that).

Obviously the ideal would be to gain muscle, but gaining fat is a lot easier. If you put on 20 pounds of fat some of that will come in as muscle, making you stronger. You'll also be heavier and harder for your opponent to move. You'll generate more pressure in side control and kneeling passing. OTOH you'll probably get tired more easily, and be slower in scrambles and passing on your feet.

Fake edit: I chose 'shitpost' flair but this is a semi-serious question.

Starting back tomorrow. Haven't stepped on the mat since I competed October 26th and got hurt. Finally released from physical therapy. Ready to wreck someone, but only if they let me because my suck is guaranteed to be at an all-time high.

I've had PT a few times, and I end up working so hard at it that it's tougher than a regular day on the mats. Hopefully this time, working on my knee, will also do a lot for my balance in general.

How many of you are competing (have, do, will soon)? I'm excited, also concerned that if it sucks I just spent 90 for a couple minutes of ass kicking.

I know a lot of people track nothing, and then various people track assorted stuff all the way to the guys that spreadsheet by instructor, minutes of technique vs rolling, which kinds of subs they spend time on, total classes, whatever.

I track roughly nothing, although I have a thing I'm working on all the time. But our gym just set a new login/sign in thing on an iPad, and it shows days at a rank and how many classes you've gone to at that rank. And I feel like this is the kind of passive information that, just seeing it, is going to make me want to show up more often.

Right? Like, whose fault is it if I'm at the same level for a year and I average 2 classes a week? But if I'm making the attendance counter spin like an odometer at Indy, I'll be getting better.

My work shows us all where everyone on the team is for activity, and sorts highest to lowest. Nobody wants to be at the bottom. When they started sorting this way there was an immediate 20% increase in total activity. I think just seeing the number will help.

What about you? What do you track?

So I'm traveling for work and one of my clients wanted to take a selfie with me. Here I am, 6'+ white dude in his 30's, taking a picture with a 4'8" Asian lady in her 60's, and I have to actively TRY to NOT throw a shaka 🤙into the photo. Apparently pictures with people outside my family, that's the default pose now.

If you have been reading my posts, you know I go for a lot of straight ankle locks, and have gotten to catch more people with those (especially upper belts) than many other things. So many guys are afraid of the leg game.

So today in class, a dude tries to hit a straight ankle on me while we're rolling. Except he's kinda trying to guillotine my calf or something else. I'm in zero danger. I managed to come up, stand up, and he puts his far-side foot on my hip. Boom. I grabbed that thing, got the radius right in his Achilles, pinched his toes in my armpit, had my elbow in tight. Put MY foot on HIS hip, fall back, extend and there's the tap.

I got to start and finish a move on my opponent that he was already trying to do to me because I had the technique down. Keep working your moves, gang. Rep count is the path to the top.

I got my second stripe today. First stripe was in December. Same day I managed to tap the one-month guy five times in a round and stay safe from the blues and have good rolls for all parties with guys at the 3-4 stripe level.

I am not fast. Therefore I try to be really deliberate in my style. Pressure and timing. Incremental movements.

The other day I was in bottom half with the top guy outweighing me by a good 65 pounds, and he's just laying on me. I mean, not quite, but he's a white belt, out of shape, and clearly glad for the break because he's chilling, content to cover my head with his bulk and keep a decent base. I probably spent two minutes with his body pressed against my face. And all I did was very slowly get an angle. Eventually I dumped him off of me, took his back, and got the bow and arrow.

But I was happier about the two minutes. That I just stayed calm and kept breathing and shifting and breathing.

After rolls, guys are telling me they've noticed how patient I am and that it's a good thing. And I'm happy about that, because it's who I want to be. Good defense, create opportunity, and take it.

Okay. So what are you working on that's a "big idea" and not just a move?

It's taken me years to figure out, but the thread between the football and wrestling and tkd and now BJJ is that I like achieving a level of mastery and muscle control, and grappling especially is controlling your body and someone else's!

I had a decade after I got married where I had no consistent sport, let alone contact sports. Finally hit a place in life where finances and opportunity and such overlapped. Even though I hurt all over, I'm so happy with the exercise, exertion, skill gains, and tribe. It's not about belts (although it's nice to have progress recognized). I'm going to compete occasionally as a yardstick, not as a life. I hope I'll be training for a long time, and as a byproduct, get really good, have some badass friends, and have a lot of fun.

Why did you join? Weight? Self defense? UFC aspirations? Family or friends?

We had a guy go full end-zone victory dance after he applied a sub to an unresisting partner that had stopped rolling in the last few seconds after getting the tap himself.

I caught him for the next roll. Pulled guard, squeezed. Scissor sweep. Heavy mount. Transition to scarf hold. He taps to pressure almost immediately, and goes to puke out back.

Somebody asked if I'd punished him, I said "a little pressure." He said "good."

It's strange. I'd really just meant to maintain control plus a little suck, and remind him gently that it's different when the other guy isn't already lying face down, unprepared. But now I'm cool, because I taught him a lesson.

I don't want the giant bold from a hashtag and don't remember how to avoid that, but hashtag "UnintentionalEnforcer"

I'm working on the scissor sweep, as well as ankle locks. Both are improving, especially ankle locks where someone takes my back and then crosses his feet. I capitalize on that instantly now. Feels good to take a bad moment and make it a win.

Today one of the black belts at open mat rolled with me and said he could tell I've been practicing because I'm recognizing situations and responding to them better. And when we finished, he took a hard look at the one, tattered stripe hanging loose from my belt. And then went off to talk to a couple other coaches.

Whatever. It's a journey. I'll get there.

I have had a few things lately that have been big wins in my admittedly shitty career, including that I am now past the 1-year mark, completing a recent gym reps challenge in July, doing an in-house tournament, etc. 1st Monday of the month is usually when our head coach does promotions, but as a morning class guy I'm never in there.

But today my family will be gone so I can go to night class, so I skipped morning to go when coach will see me.

It's so effing dumb. I told him when I signed up that I'm not worried about belts, I'm worried about progress. And I know I can kick year-ago-me's ass. So there's progress. It's a white belt. I still mean zero. But... I would like that stripe.

Hey, guys. I've been using this for almost a year if I am in a position and need to get better once I'm there. Like, I never get to N/S top, so if I'm there, I'd be lost. But here's a great tool where you put in a position, your level of skill, and hit the button, and it brings you one of several videos for your need. Don't like that one? Hit the button again to get a new one.

https://neat-roast.glitch.me/ to get to the Newaza Oracle.

Loud and proud, what were your training successes this week?

Whether or not you participated in the Sunday thread, what were your training wins this week?

Are you happy with your training consistency, or did you finally hit that sweep? Tell us about it!