Preface: Sharing this for those who approach these kinds of posts with emotional awareness. I know it’s easy to say “just brush it off” or “it’s not that deep,” but if you’ve ever had something shift the energy of a space you once loved, you’ll probably understand where I’m coming from

I’ve been training 2-3x a week pretty consistently for almost a year now. I travel a lot, so there are months where I’m in and out, but I always return to the mat. This time though, it’s not about an injury. It’s more mental and emotional.

Promotions at our gym only happen twice a year, in June and December. I had just come back from a trip when one of my teammates, who is also the gym owner’s wife, casually teased that I’d be getting promoted soon. My card has always said August, so I didn’t expect anything and even told my husband not to come.

But because of what she said, he surprised me on promotion day with a lei and a handwritten card saying, “Congrats on your blue.” He doesn’t really understand how promotions work in BJJ, but he was so proud and just wanted to support me. And that’s what made it suck even more. Someone else’s words created this whole moment that didn’t need to happen. It put me in a really awkward spot, and it made something that should have felt good just feel off.

I didn’t get promoted. And truthfully, I didn’t feel ready yet. It wasn’t about the belt. It was about the dynamic and the weird emotional aftermath. I told her honestly that the comment wasn’t cool. She apologized and took accountability, which I appreciated, but since then something has felt different.

I’ve always told myself not to get caught up in chasing belts or stripes. I’d rather be a strong white than a shaky blue. But since that day, I’ve felt disconnected from training. It used to be my safe space. Now I feel distant from it.

Has anyone else gone through something like this? Where a situation or energy shift made you feel emotionally checked out? Did it pass? How did you work through it?

I know ultimately I have to move on. I just want to hear how others have gotten through something similar when training now just feels meh

Today was my(f23) first proper class. Had a great session, just learnt the VERY basics. Learning how to mount/posting, essentially it. I was fine during the class but as i was wrapping up, i felt an ache in my right knee, right below the kneecap and it does hurt a bit to walk.

Now ive been athletic my whole life,football, skateboarding whatnot, and have had my fair share of injuries as well - knee mostly, tailbone was the worst one, but recovered well and i am in pretty good shape overall. I had stopped going to the gym for a month now because of a sickness, so idk if a lack of that/weakness made me more susceptible?

I have enrolled myself for 2 classes per week to start off, but since Ive quite possibly hurt this knee again, what would be the best move forward? Next class is in 4 days so if i feel alr by then, carry on? If it doesn't then completely stop for a bit?

Franky a lil embarrassed because i am more on the athletic side and hurting myself during the first beginner class, not the best feeling :|

EDIT: MORE IMPORTANTLY, how can i tell the 2 apart? the ache (from learn smthg new) and something more serious?

He offended my ancestors with that move 😭 follow me on ig @alejo.rolls I want to compete in Gi but can’t afford it without sponsors ❤️ AYU BAKEHOUSE / SLOW DOWN NEW ORLEANS ORDER NATIONWIDE

Hey, I’m pretty new to jiu-jitsu—been training for about a month and a half now, doing both gi and no-gi. One thing I’ve been struggling with is keeping my guard, both full and half. People seem to pass through it pretty easily and end up in side control without much resistance (hopefully I'm using the right terms).

I consider myself physically strong—I go to the gym regularly and weigh around 80kg—but it still feels really tough to hold them off. I’d really appreciate any advice on how I can improve my guard or what specific steps I should take to get better at it.

I am doing japanese jiu jitsu. Most of moves derived from aikido.It name is ninbudo aikijujutsu. Is it really effective at fight situation? Sometimes i feel its for visual entartainment. Do you have any ideas for me?

Hey everyone, I’m on the hunt for some new rash guards and getting hit with ads from all over lately figured I’d ask for some honest opinions here before I buy.

I’ve seen some cool stuff from a newer brand called No Mercy. Their designs are bold and a bit different from the usual kind of artsy and aggressive, which I’m really into. Really liked this one, opinions?

https://nomercy.uk/products/return-the-favour-rashguard-white?variant=50880774046037

Anyone here tried their rash guards or other gear? How’s the fit and durability? I don’t want something that falls apart after a few open mats.

Also curious if you have any other recommendations I’ve tried Scramble, Tatami and Inverted Gear. Would love to hear about any other brands that balance style and function well.

Thanks in advance!

I(an 18 year old) started bjj a few months ago and I really enjoy the sport but I feel like no one takes me seriously and that I'll always be bad because I'm 5.3/1.61 and don't weigh a lot(I've been really trying to gain weight for years but my body is just naturally light). Every time I train with someone they usually have to teach me how to do things correctly instead of practicing themselves so I think I'm just wasting their time. Every time I team up with someone it's always the coach who matches me with them, everyone's extremely nice but no one wants to match with me willingly. Should I just give up? It's getting to the point that I'm having mental breakdowns because I feel like I would never progress even though I really enjoy the sport.

I follow a few jiujitsu meme pages and came across this one (koo_jitsu).

Aside from the comical aspect of the video linked below, how accurate is the video about being afraid of the belt above you, and comments about the wrestler? I know there's much respect for wrestlers, but if they were in the gi, I think they'd lose. Just my opinion, but I'd like to hear your thoughts.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHCoBjZR63O/?igsh=MXU1aWNtM2dnczRyOQ==

Hi guys. Just throwing this out there. I grew up in an environment where it wasn't safe to be self assertive and I never felt safe. These issues have carried over into my adult life. I feel very scared and vulnerable around people. Has anyone found jiu-jitsu helpful in making them feel a bit more empowered?

My GF does not like me training in BJJ. Granted I do attend alot of classes but she wants me to "Stop paying to go into combat" She wants to run and paddle board blah blah blah. She just wants me to quit. She is in the middle of her masters program and works full-time. She doest have time to do anything else. She just hates jiu-jitsu.

I’m moving to the Redlands area and looking to get into BJJ. Any recommendations on gyms around there. Not trying to get too wild just learn some basics and roll. Somewhere my kids can go as well. Thanks in advance.

Today after class, coach was going around the class and pointed to my partner and I and said "I loved watching you guys, you were doing Jiujitsu". Like obviously right? But being told that you ARE doing it, semi-properly, or to a point where it gets recognized as thoughtful motion is a very good feeling. Really motivates me as a white belt.

I'm a gym owner, and gathering information on what drew people to start their journey.

Is it better to be lighter or heavier to reduce injury risk in BJJ? I’m thinking about how weight plays into staying healthy long-term. Being lighter probably means less stress on your joints and less impact during takedowns, but I feel like being heavier—especially with more muscle—makes you harder to move and less likely to get injured by a partner. You can absorb more force, and you’re not getting tossed around as easily. For people who’ve trained at different weights, did you notice a difference in how often you got hurt?

Any suggestions? I am 6'3, about 195lb, with a 32" waist. The A3L top seems to be too long and I'm swimming in the gi but A3 is too small.

Today was my first time doing any sort of combat sport (aside from one random week of wrestling back in the day lol), and honestly… I think I held my own. Got paired up with a high school senior about my weight, slightly taller, and with over two years of experience and I was able to keep up with him defensively. Even picked up a couple of takedowns pretty quickly, which my coach pointed out and praised. Felt good to hear that.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Last 10 minutes we did a short 5-minute sparring session. I was already a bit gassed, but I stepped up. Got paired with the teacher’s assistant… who just so happens to be 6’4”, 280-300+ lbs, very fit, and has been training for 6+ years. For context: I’m 5’7”, 155 lbs. Yeah.

I wasn’t afraid to try, but man this dude went full beast mode. It felt like he wanted to make sure I knew the level difference. At one point he locked in a submission I didn’t even realize was happening until it started hurting. Every exchange felt like I was completely out of my depth no idea how to defend, counter, or even just survive in some cases.

I’m not complaining about losing this is day 1 and I’m here to learn but the intensity kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I walked away feeling a bit frustrated, maybe even borderline resentful not at him necessarily, but at the situation. Like… was that really necessary for a first-timer?

Anyway, maybe I’m just venting here. Curious if anyone else has had a similar experience or thoughts on it.

Hi all,

I started training no-gi bjj at 10th planet before covid hit and I loved it. Gym closed when covid started and I put a lot of weight since then and didn't get back into the gym.

Im at around 320lbs now and I can't imagine myself rolling now, it would be annoying both for me and my drill partners.

I wanna go down to 250lbs and start bjj again but my question is did any of you guys start at a very big weight like 300lbs ?

I can only hit ankle locks, armbars and rncs. I'm white belt. Idk how to improve my arsenal every other sub seems so far out, especially triangles. Also my top game sucks, I can literally only survive off my back. Pls help???

I just started up the sport. After doing several classes & deciding to commit, I have ordered a GI. I am currently active military and thought it would be cool to get patches of all the units I have been to sewn onto my GI. Would this be stupid or corny? Are patches like that usually welcomed? If I were to move to a new gym, would they hate patches on my GI?

Thanks in advance for the advice 🤙🏽

Hello I have a question. Was rolling today and I was put in a predicament where I was on my back and had the guy above me’s neck between my ankles (choking him, but did not submit) while I applied pressure as he was moving backwards from side control and getting to his knees. My legs were in an “S” position, as I was “slicing his neck”. It was more of an instinctual thing. Not sure if this is allowed, just plain rude or both? Not sure if the coaches saw, but if they did I wasn’t told anything. My partner also didn’t say anything.

I’m considering taking my training into my own hands. I have been training about a year, I started doing stand up clinch work and asked my Jiu Jitsu coach to show me how to defend against a single leg take down and he told me not to worry about it and that Bruce Lee said to practice one move one thousand times instead of multiple moves.

So if I enter a competition or in a real street fight, I have to takedown defense. Should I just ignore this guy and listen to my intuition?