My biggest lesson from Jujitsu so far is that too many Jujitsu nerds neglect the athletic/strength aspect. Winning in grappling has a hell of a lot to do with strength and good cardio. It's not just about how fast you think or how many techniques you have memorised. If you don't believe me then take a few months off just to improve how much you can get bench and squat and see what happens the next time you spar. Jujitsu people hate to hear that but it's true.
I compete in the ultra heavy weight category and getting my squat to 365lbs made way able to compete there otherwise I’d be bullied by the strength of these guys
Exactly. Like yes if some dude who has no jiu-jitsu experience goes against a weaker black belt he's gonna lose. But let's say one guy is very strong and a brown belt, and he goes up against a weaker and smaller brown belt, then you can really tell what difference strength makes.
@@Itz_Elite_Gaming depends on the attribute disparity. If it’s very large indeed experience may not even matter at all. There's a video online of a power lifter sparring with a BJJ guy and he wipes the floor with him just by doing a few simple wrestling holds.
I got my brown belt 2 weeks ago after almost 13 years of mat time. Have had 2 surgeries in that time as well. I started this journey at the age of 34 and I'm damn proud of myself!
@@apoplecticangel2832 Yea, shoulder and knee. The shoulder (The sinew that's connecting bicep to shoulder was torn) got damaged coz my arm was stuck some form of lasso and I had monentum forward so the angle of the lasso got weird. Knee literally exploded, it's called an Unhappy Triad and I got swept from a standing postition.
@@oldtimerbjj damn that sucks. Any advice on how to avoid injuries like that? I just started my bjj journey I’m trying to be safe and avoid major injuries
2 stripe brown belt here; I've been training for 11 years now and my personal advice to all of my fellow BJJ mat rats is to look out for your training partner! Tap early and tap often. Don't let your ego get in the way. It's not worth getting injured because you didn't want to tap. Also, keep your fingernails and toenails trimmed and your gis clean. Clorox laundry sanitizer additive works great to keep your gi free of odor causing bacteria. My favorite detergent specifically for white gis is Arm and Hammer plus Oxy with a purple cap. For my blue gis I use Cheer, Persil or Gain plus Clorox laundry sanitizer. If you have a Sam's Club membership their Member's Mark brand makes good detergent too. Lysol makes a laundry sanitizer as well but IMO Clorox is the better one. Hope this helps. BIG OSS!
@@amandah5478 Damn that's crazy. I remember one time about 6 years ago I was visiting a gym in Austin because that's where my sister lives and this dude's gi was so dirty it was YELLOW. And of course he'd pick me to roll with but man that experience was horrible. After training rounds that day I shot straight back to my sister's house and put all my stuff to wash immediately. If I ever come across someone like that again I will REFUSE to roll/train with that person.
Any Advice for a 17yr old about to start BJJ on Monday? Should I know techniques beforehand or should I go there clueless? Should I use my strength completely to avoid getting manhandled or should I focus on technique?
@@NickHalden-by8ui I'm only a white belt, but I would say go in and just listen to what your professor tells you. Be respectful of your partner, you don't want to injure them. Leave any ego at the door. You're going to suck and lose no matter how strong you are . Be clean. I love bjj and im sure you will too.
I was a blue belt forever. I just couldn’t get to my purple belt break through. Finally about a year ago, I started specifically rolling with lower level ranks and started putting myself in really bad spots, working out then putting myself right back into the same bad spot. So I hate drilling, but I found that this could be my drilling with actual resistance. I started with (1) strip white belts and eventually worked up to (2) stripped blue belts. This got me better and better. Eventually I not only was escaping but during the escapes I was setting up submissions during the reversal or transition. I got my purple belt over a month ago now. I am confident in almost every position now. My guard passing is probably my weakest area at the moment but I’m starting to do the same things. It’s definitely getting better.
This is the way. I think I slowed my progress for a while by JUST rolling with higher grades, so that even when I was doing technically the right escapes, but not *perfectly*, I still didn't get the correct feedback that they were correcet (if that makes sense). Keep going!
@@JoelSnape1 yeah, I am hitting things on mid level brown belts pretty regularly. Kimora trap to back take the other day. He definitely wasn’t expecting it.
I appreciate the advice. I’m a three stripe blue belt trying to put all the pieces together. Hardest thing is figure out what I should be working on. I know I need better consistent escapes and a couple more combo attacks.
4 year blue belt here 😊 I don't feel I'm ready to move on until I'm consistently beating people at tournaments and I am almost there! That is the only time I will feel personally that I am ready for a purple belt. I dont want to feel like I don't deserve my belt again like getting my blue belt.
@@bryceolsen3527 the first 2 weeks I got my purple I was called out by these young guys. I’m 43, 5’5”, and 165lbs. These guys were 25 ish, 5’8”-6’, 185-200lb (2-4) blue belts. One guy I rolled with for 3 rds without stopping, and eventually I caught his back and put a rear naked choke on him, second guys I had to put down sooner and they put it on me. I submitted both of them with in the roll. All no gi rolls. None of these guys were holding back on me ether. If I had any reservations on me being a purple belt, that went away after these rolls. Same within the unspoken pecking order at the 3 gym I train at. I am not a competitor I might start competing eventually but right now I’m good.
I've been training for 13 years. It took me 12 years to get my black belt. I feel like the learning never stops. You have to continue to do new things and evolve especially when you train with the same training partners who catch on to your moves. I used to compete a lot at blue and purple belt, but now as a black belt, I'm just chill and have fun. I hope to continue to train, stay healthy and continue to evolve my game as I get older. The fun is the growth. There's no limit to it.
Yeah, and the game keeps evolving too - some of the stuff being brought in from wrestling is completely changing what I thought was best practice. And yes, the journey is the fun. Thanks for the comment, Nicole! Glad you found the channel.
After a person learns the basics of all your points, enjoying the journey is the most important, I think. Especially Blue and Purple! After that Black Belt has been wrapped around your waist, you hug and thank your professor and give your speech to the class, you have the rest of your life to enjoy! Not that you cannot learn more or different aspects, but it is just not the same.
Thank you Joel. I have a goals list and a notebook for study but I love the new goals you suggested for jiu-jitsu. I'm one month in. (71 and gettin' after it.)
Glad it's helpful! And yeah, it really does work. Not just side/mount etc either - try it from positions like knee shield, X-guard, starting in trap triangle etc
Been training since ‘04 Got the Brown Belt 2 years ago Uncertain when and if I’ll ever get the Black Belt There’s still a ton to learn, a ton Props to this dude
I'm nearly a year in of no gi. Here is a smart tip that no one has ever mentioned: Shower prior to class and put on LOTION on your skin well, especially your knees and elbows!! It helps tremendously on the severity of mat burn!!!
I'm in my mid forties and still rolling as well, ALWAYS do your stretches and maybe combine in some yoga..... your joints, muscles and tendons will thank you for it 🙂
Great video! I'm a purple belt that's began teaching fairly recently. The part about having go to's from every major position is something I did at blue and still have it saved in the notes of my phone as "The purple belt plan" hahah
Enjoying the journey is so important. If I could go back 14 years - I would have really listened when my first coach said leave your ego at the door. Trying to win every single round (ego) has held me back so much! Thanks for sharing awesome video!
Thanks Peter! The more I think about it, the more I think that a big part of the value of positional sparring and the games that are getting more and more popular in BJJ is that they don't feel so win/lose - you can experiment with the stuff you do without feeling like your ego's taking a beating when you tap. Hope you check out some of my other BJJ stuff!
i really appreciate this video- i have been a blue belt forever and i feel like its majorly because i dont like watching instructionals enough and due to language barriers have rarely gotten close enough with my training partners to do positional sparring
First time viewer here. Thanks for confirming just about all the pieces I was putting together without realizing why. I especially love the music/chunking analogy with regard to why it’s important to do positional training, and why concepts > moves.
Been training for 12 years and needed 11 to earn my Black Belt. Looking out for your training partners is the best piece of advice I would give to my younger self. It comes back in numerous ways and really helps to build trust throughout your gym.
The last point about just enjoying the journey is very important. It's not like you reach a state of nirvana when you get your black belt. That's a lot of people get the blue belt blues. I'm a brown belt right now. It will probably be another 3 years until black belt. But I don't care too much. I just enjoy rolling and learning things now.
Me too....I am a Brown Belt and I don't feel like I really enjoyed Blue and Purple enough. I am now at a point I really don't even care about the belt other than it keeps my gi closed.
I am a giant fan of positional sparring in my classes. 1 minute rounds with one partner staying in place and the other moving each minute.... after a while, have them swap places so that the other half of the class gets practice from the position you were working on. This is especially amazing for practicing escapes. If someone escapes they restart. If it advances to a worse position or a sub they restart. The point is to get in lots of reps for the position being trained with lots of different training partners (themselves with different levels of skill and physical attributes). Its great because now they get actual guaranteed live sparring practice opportunities with what you just taught which might not happen in a regular roll.
Me too! We call it specific training and it is fun.............I am one of the older guys on the mat and 1st point takedowns are not my favorite, but I think of it as street fight and that helps.
There's definitely a lot to love about it: the art and problem solving is part of what's so much fun (and it's helpful that it also teaches you a valuable skill)
Thanks Joel. Great perspective! I'm a Gracie BJJ Combatives belt (think: between White and Blue), and I couldn't agree more about enjoying the journey. The joy for me is found in the small incremental improvements that you notice yourself making (as if by osmosis). i.e. your instincts/reflexes are a little bit sharper, so maybe you avoid getting triangled or arm-barred again. I get my a s s handed to me in sparring on a daily basis, but every time I successfully avoid a cross-collar choke or even get someone back into my guard, that's a victory! That's a win, for me, and IMVHO, success is all about stacking little wins on a daily basis. I get smoked and smashed *a lot* - don't get me wrong - but if I find myself doing something successfully on autopilot that I had to think about before, I feel good. That said, we may disagree about "just showing up". Maybe that rationale works for me because I am still at such an early phase in my journey (as I said before, not even a blue belt, yet). But I think "just showing up" is rule number one. Show up - do the work - learn and grow (hopefully aided by some sort of active reflection). Yours warmly.... 🙂
I'm on my journey as a jujitsu white belt on the cusp of getting my blue belt so far it's been awesome just enjoying the ride and not trying to chase belts
That's cool - really, the belts don't do anything, and if your knowledge and skills are there it doesn't matter what you're wearing. Good that you're enjoying it!
This is the only video of its type I've shared with all my BJJ students. Very good advice, nicely put together. Great Job Joel. I certainly wish I'd known all of the above when I started which sounds about the same time you did.
Great video. No matter how long have been doing and teaching Jiu-Jitsu, I always seem to learn something. I really appreciated your concept over quantity principle. Great stuff
I almost passed by this video. Then I reminded myself that I have 8 minutes to listen to a guy summarize his 15 years on the mat. Thanks for the video. I definitely need to whip out some paper and write instead of winging it as often as I do.
Awesome video Joel. 8 years in and relishing the new "awakenings" whenever they come. Took me 8 years to realise that positional sparring is absolutely amazing for really ingraining the learning.
I just started jiu-jitsu and have attended one class. This is really awesome to know from the get. I have anxiety as a rulex and the low stakes of positional sparring suit me just fine lol. Lose? Whatever, you have another go right away.
Roger’s podcast with lex was great!! Same as the danaher ones all very informative. I’ve just got back on the mat from a year off and I’m a 1 stripe blue atm, gonna take John advice and constantly put myself in bad positions!
I’m doing jujitsu as well. It’s really cool but also we did something fun yesterday and it was so much fun testing day. I’m going to get my second stripe.
The 1st principle of just keep showing up applies the most. None of the other lessons have a chance to take root if you're not attending class regularly. I know I'm stating the obvious but I just want to point out that everyone goes through a slump where they feel they aren't improving but you have to ride it out if for no other reason but to prevent yourself from loosing skills and getting rusty (time off for injuries aside). I've trained at gyms where the white belts think that because they are paying for classes that the Black Belts (and sometimes Brown Belts) OWE them their time. I tell them there is a different fee structure if you expect private lessons all the time. Lastly though, sometimes instructors forget that their students are paying customers and there are other choices of gyms out there.
Instructionals, positional sparring and giving yourself a curriculum a.k.a. start with positional escapes, move onto guard retention, move on to our passing, move onto submission systems bar, triangle back, etc.
I'm a bit of a unicorn I think, a white belt who's been training legit 10 years (started in 2011 so not counting breaks). I agree with everything in this video. Indeed positional rounds are the fastest way to improve, but sadly most gyms don't do them enough. On the bright side, I'm succeeding at task #7, which I guess is the most important one.
Do one on one training if ur able to do so. It will make things a whole lot faster in ur progression. But enjoy the journey like the gentleman suggests.
That's completely true, I play piano for about 4 to 5 years, and it works just like that, I have to play a chunk of a piece more than about 25 times just to get used to it, so I can create muscle memory.
Only just found your channel Joel, buzzing! Don’t know if you remember me, but used to love your sessions / chat when you coached at Wave BJJ in West London (where I still train 💪🏼) I’ll enjoy watching your content on here now 🙌🏼
I think GRIPS are extremely important. I’m a white belt and realizing I don’t know why I’m taking grips or when where why and how to apply grips to accomplish what I want.
Completely agree, grips are very important, and often underrated. I didn't include them here because they're probably a level up (or down?) from point #2 - when you realise that you don't know what to do in a position, you need one simple go-to strategy. For instance, around purple belt, when I was doing a lot of judo, I realised that I knew a lot of throws but had no way to set them up with grips - I got Jimmy Pedro's Grip Like A World Champion (strong recommend) and that really helped me form a strategy. On the ground, I think Ryan Hall's Guard Passing is excellent at showing the basics of gi grip breaking, but grabbing a higher grade and asking some simple questions can also help!
Hi Joel I have watched all your videos and they are all awesome with great lessons. I am 40 and always wanted to do Ju-jitsu but feel like I might be passed it. I also play piano and can 100% agree practice makes perfect even if it just a little each day. Any advice on an older guy who has never done martial arts getting into Ju-jitsu? 🙏
Dont let age determine what you like, you are alive and that is all that counts for. I am 38 and i started back in December after years of not training. I also do it because my boys do wrestling, one a freshman and the other one trains as a first grader and i have to set that example. If they suffer, daddy will suffer.
Hey Charlie, glad you're into it. 40 isn't too old at all - I know a bunch of guys who've got into it at that age and they're all solid at it a year or two on. You're not going to win worlds but you can turn yourself into a savage compared to 98% of people in the world.
Hi Joel thank for the reply. I’m definitely going to join a local gym and just accept that I’m going to get smashed by most people in there but in a year or two I’ll be a much better version of myself. I recently learnt Beethoven moonlight Sonata (1st movement) and I thought to myself a person who has never played piano must listen and think ‘that’s awesome’ but they don’t know that it will take me years to perfect the timings, key pressure etc to really do it justice. I suppose it’s the same principle for most stuff like ju-jitsu. In the gym I will always be learning, perfecting and getting smashed in the process but to the regular human being on the street I would be a savage if ever needed. I have two young kids and part of my reasons is that if I ever needed to throw down to protect them I would have the skill set to do it. Hope it never comes to that but hope for the best prepare for the worst is what comes to mind. Keep doing the videos they bring a lot of value and inspiration 🥋🎼🎹🤹♀️🧗🏋️
The positional sparring I learn most from...but I'm ok with it because I go to other classes that are just pure rolling. Doing it every class would be rough. Our professor has us talk to our partner through positional sparring sometimes....Like, pause....where do you feel vulnerable right now. Basically letting each other know where we feel weak in those moments to capitalize on that position in live rolls.
Personally I’m a big fan of positional sparring, working from bad positions and transitional/scrambling training. I get the belt pursuit but that isn’t really what makes you good. You know you’re good when people are asking you why something isn’t working or why they can’t do X on you. That’s to me the most growth times.
20 years of steady training, 3years of testing, failed the first 2 years. But, a Royce Gracie Black Belt, versed in all the self defense street techniques, weapons disarming, Vale tudo, and sport.
Love this video. Would actually mix three of your points together, progressive resistance positional sparring to work the fundamentals of each position has been so helpful to me. Where the partner starts at 10% and let’s you work the basics of a position through to transitions and slowly turns up the heat the better you get.
The greatest problem of BJJ is the lack of a coherent pathway. In every aspect, there is no coherent pathway, syllabus, or plan. We have in my gym, really no plan. I agree with you.
I think that each individual takes the given information and has a form thier own coherent plan along the way. So many variables make jui jitsu an individual journey done as a group.
I think it's good for individual academies to develop their own syllabus up to blue (or maybe purple) so that beginners can understand what gaps they have, and what moves they need to learn to have a basic game from every position. Some gyms are starting to do it, but it'll take a while to catch on I think.
That's only be possible for people, who don't compete, anyways. If bjj schools just all started following a certain progression, they'd be beaten by other schools who counter what the students have learned till that point.
This was an excellent video. Thanks for sharing. Can you elaborate on the principles over moves point? What are the principles a white belt should focus on?
Thanks Joseph. There are principles for every position, of course (Danaher has them in every DVD) - but these are the 3 broadest ones that I try to get across to white belts as early as possible: 1. ELBOWS IN Tonnes of attacks - armbars, kimuras, omoplatas, arm triangles, but also stuff like duckunders to the back - rely on your opponent getting your elbow away from your body. Also, generally speaking, the closer your elbow is to your body, the stronger you are. Ryan Hall has an entire DVD set about this (the Open Elbow), but generally speaking, keeping your elbows close to your ribcage is one of the best things you can do as a white belt to get caught less (conversely, learning to get your opponent's elbows AWAY from their ribcage is a skill to start learning). 2. GETTING INSIDE POSITION Generally speaking, a lot of attacks come from inside position - standing, having your arms inside your opponent's makes it easier to throw them, and on the floor, having your feet inside the opponent's is what you need to start leglocking. People talk about getting underhooks a lot, but really the value of underhooks is that they secure you to the inside position. Starting to understand when and how to get it (eg leg pummelling, arm pummelling) is key. 3. STRUCTURE + FRAMES This is about finding places that you're resisting your opponent's force without using any strength, usually because you're using the strength of your own skeleton. A really simple example is when you're locking up a kimura from side control - the elbow of the hand you're controlling the opponent's wrist with should be flush to the ground, so the opponent can't get his elbow (ahah!) back to his side. Structure is about connecting those frames to the ground so that you can't be pressured easily. That's a very simplified explanation of some quite tricky stuff, but I hope it helps!
Nothing more tedious and time wasting than a 20 minute up and back warmup when you could be using that time to warm up and get better, left my last school because of that reason
I cannot imagine it taking anywhere close to 15 years to earn a black belt in ant martial art if you are putting in the work and time with a positive attitude ! Training 3 days a week on the matt for two hour sessions for 4-5 years should be enough to earn a black belt in any art, which is really the point that you start learning.
great video master, good job 🥇🥇🏆🏆 show series techniques 🥋🥋 leg locks, toe hold, kneebar, bow and arrow choke, back triangle, GI chokes, gogoplata from mount, guard pretty please thank you
The answer is CATCH WRESTLING 😂👍. Have a more well rounded and technical submission game (standing or grounded). BJJ is good for beginners but it holds you back Massively. I do Dragon sleepers, full nelson neck cranks, Top wristlocks. BJJ is far behind Catch Wrestling.
You’re a nerd who couldn’t hack it in bjj. All aspects of wrestling are incorporated into our training. Your just sad you get tapped repeatedly coming anywhere near a Jiu Jitsu guy.
Yes! We had a few wrestlers on my team and one guy was a national champ out of West Point. I learned so much from him..........not to mention they never give up! hahahaha!
I want to start my jiu-jitsu jorney this week at the age of 24, no sport/athletic background whatsover. I'm worried about getting "seriously" injured in the long run, I want jiu-jitsu to be my thing. Apart from doing warm-up and cool downs, and tapping early and often. What are some tips you can to avoid from getting seriously injured?
Lift weights, try to control your ego (e.g. it's OK if you loose to a 16 y.o. guy several times in a row), don't go in adrenaline mode (control your ego!), and choose partners carefully. Better to roll with more experienced ones. Don't rush. Don't try to compensate your lack of technique with speed.
1. If you dont work on your flexibility, its gonna suck. 2. If you dont work on your core strength, its going to suck. 3. Its going to hurt anyways. 4. If you never get injured youre not trying hard enough. 5. It will be some of the best training for self defense there is. Not because of the technique, but the discipline and how they teach you to work a human body like a rubiks cube.
Yes 15 years if you half ass it. Like anything else, if you are committed, and work hard, that 15 years =10. If you have talent, plus devote the time 15=5. There are many variables.
Do they have a test for each belt when your ready for it?? Or do they just give it too you once youve payed enuff money over time??? Because weather your a Purple belt or White,,i can garantee that a tecnuique you learn one week you wont remember it 4 months down the line as you learn different stuff each week right??
How you get belts is a whole other thing. It's very rare for schools to test: you spar every session, so it's fairly simply for a good teacher to watch your progress and understand when you're ready for each belt (competition purple belts will tap out a lot of people, but that doesn't mean they're technically ready for purple). And yes, it's easy to forget stuff - but part of the process is finding what works for you, repeating it a lot, and constantly fine tuning it
@@JoelSnape1 That makes alot if sense now...Also is there any reason why some Bjj gyms have rock hard matts like Concreate which ultimaltly hurts your joints and others have softer matts which feel better for rolling???
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My biggest lesson from Jujitsu so far is that too many Jujitsu nerds neglect the athletic/strength aspect. Winning in grappling has a hell of a lot to do with strength and good cardio. It's not just about how fast you think or how many techniques you have memorised. If you don't believe me then take a few months off just to improve how much you can get bench and squat and see what happens the next time you spar. Jujitsu people hate to hear that but it's true.
As a smaller guy, I know this well.
I compete in the ultra heavy weight category and getting my squat to 365lbs made way able to compete there otherwise I’d be bullied by the strength of these guys
Exactly. Like yes if some dude who has no jiu-jitsu experience goes against a weaker black belt he's gonna lose. But let's say one guy is very strong and a brown belt, and he goes up against a weaker and smaller brown belt, then you can really tell what difference strength makes.
@@Itz_Elite_Gaming depends on the attribute disparity. If it’s very large indeed experience may not even matter at all. There's a video online of a power lifter sparring with a BJJ guy and he wipes the floor with him just by doing a few simple wrestling holds.
Who knew being big and strong would help in fighting
I got my brown belt 2 weeks ago after almost 13 years of mat time. Have had 2 surgeries in that time as well. I started this journey at the age of 34 and I'm damn proud of myself!
Keep pounding brother
You're an inspiration
What were the surgeries for? BJJ or something else?
@@apoplecticangel2832 Yea, shoulder and knee. The shoulder (The sinew that's connecting bicep to shoulder was torn) got damaged coz my arm was stuck some form of lasso and I had monentum forward so the angle of the lasso got weird.
Knee literally exploded, it's called an Unhappy Triad and I got swept from a standing postition.
@@oldtimerbjj damn that sucks. Any advice on how to avoid injuries like that? I just started my bjj journey I’m trying to be safe and avoid major injuries
2 stripe brown belt here; I've been training for 11 years now and my personal advice to all of my fellow BJJ mat rats is to look out for your training partner! Tap early and tap often. Don't let your ego get in the way. It's not worth getting injured because you didn't want to tap. Also, keep your fingernails and toenails trimmed and your gis clean. Clorox laundry sanitizer additive works great to keep your gi free of odor causing bacteria. My favorite detergent specifically for white gis is Arm and Hammer plus Oxy with a purple cap. For my blue gis I use Cheer, Persil or Gain plus Clorox laundry sanitizer. If you have a Sam's Club membership their Member's Mark brand makes good detergent too. Lysol makes a laundry sanitizer as well but IMO Clorox is the better one. Hope this helps. BIG OSS!
Glad you mentioned toe nails. I have a gross big toe nail shaped scar on my leg from somebody who didn't cut theirs
@@amandah5478 Damn that's crazy. I remember one time about 6 years ago I was visiting a gym in Austin because that's where my sister lives and this dude's gi was so dirty it was YELLOW. And of course he'd pick me to roll with but man that experience was horrible. After training rounds that day I shot straight back to my sister's house and put all my stuff to wash immediately. If I ever come across someone like that again I will REFUSE to roll/train with that person.
@@josemartin1727 eww. That's a bit grim. I would do the same. I really struggle with refusing to train with people. Glad you're able to.
Any Advice for a 17yr old about to start BJJ on Monday? Should I know techniques beforehand or should I go there clueless? Should I use my strength completely to avoid getting manhandled or should I focus on technique?
@@NickHalden-by8ui I'm only a white belt, but I would say go in and just listen to what your professor tells you. Be respectful of your partner, you don't want to injure them. Leave any ego at the door. You're going to suck and lose no matter how strong you are . Be clean.
I love bjj and im sure you will too.
I was a blue belt forever. I just couldn’t get to my purple belt break through. Finally about a year ago, I started specifically rolling with lower level ranks and started putting myself in really bad spots, working out then putting myself right back into the same bad spot. So I hate drilling, but I found that this could be my drilling with actual resistance. I started with (1) strip white belts and eventually worked up to (2) stripped blue belts. This got me better and better. Eventually I not only was escaping but during the escapes I was setting up submissions during the reversal or transition. I got my purple belt over a month ago now. I am confident in almost every position now. My guard passing is probably my weakest area at the moment but I’m starting to do the same things. It’s definitely getting better.
This is the way. I think I slowed my progress for a while by JUST rolling with higher grades, so that even when I was doing technically the right escapes, but not *perfectly*, I still didn't get the correct feedback that they were correcet (if that makes sense). Keep going!
@@JoelSnape1 yeah, I am hitting things on mid level brown belts pretty regularly. Kimora trap to back take the other day. He definitely wasn’t expecting it.
I appreciate the advice. I’m a three stripe blue belt trying to put all the pieces together. Hardest thing is figure out what I should be working on. I know I need better consistent escapes and a couple more combo attacks.
4 year blue belt here 😊 I don't feel I'm ready to move on until I'm consistently beating people at tournaments and I am almost there! That is the only time I will feel personally that I am ready for a purple belt. I dont want to feel like I don't deserve my belt again like getting my blue belt.
@@bryceolsen3527 the first 2 weeks I got my purple I was called out by these young guys. I’m 43, 5’5”, and 165lbs. These guys were 25 ish, 5’8”-6’, 185-200lb (2-4) blue belts. One guy I rolled with for 3 rds without stopping, and eventually I caught his back and put a rear naked choke on him, second guys I had to put down sooner and they put it on me. I submitted both of them with in the roll. All no gi rolls. None of these guys were holding back on me ether. If I had any reservations on me being a purple belt, that went away after these rolls. Same within the unspoken pecking order at the 3 gym I train at. I am not a competitor I might start competing eventually but right now I’m good.
I've been training for 13 years. It took me 12 years to get my black belt. I feel like the learning never stops. You have to continue to do new things and evolve especially when you train with the same training partners who catch on to your moves. I used to compete a lot at blue and purple belt, but now as a black belt, I'm just chill and have fun. I hope to continue to train, stay healthy and continue to evolve my game as I get older. The fun is the growth. There's no limit to it.
Yeah, and the game keeps evolving too - some of the stuff being brought in from wrestling is completely changing what I thought was best practice. And yes, the journey is the fun. Thanks for the comment, Nicole! Glad you found the channel.
i absolutely love positional sparring. put yourself in a bad position. start there and fight your way out. the way you handle adversity is everything.
After a person learns the basics of all your points, enjoying the journey is the most important, I think. Especially Blue and Purple! After that Black Belt has been wrapped around your waist, you hug and thank your professor and give your speech to the class, you have the rest of your life to enjoy! Not that you cannot learn more or different aspects, but it is just not the same.
Into my second month of BJJ so this awesome video came at the perfect time 😊 thank you Joel! I'll get started on that notebook
Ah that's amazing Ally! Where are you training?
@@JoelSnape1 combat sports academy in strood 😀
Thank you Joel. I have a goals list and a notebook for study but I love the new goals you suggested for jiu-jitsu. I'm one month in. (71 and gettin' after it.)
71! Respect to you, Patricia, that's absolutely fantastic. Best of luck, and let me know if I can ever help out (not sure how, but I'll try!)
Still going strong 😂
The tip about position sparring was great. Definitely implementing this with my training partners. Appreciate it, Joel!
Glad it's helpful! And yeah, it really does work. Not just side/mount etc either - try it from positions like knee shield, X-guard, starting in trap triangle etc
Been training since ‘04
Got the Brown Belt 2 years ago
Uncertain when and if I’ll ever get the Black Belt
There’s still a ton to learn, a ton
Props to this dude
Thanks Doc! Hopefully you'll get there eventually, but if not you'll still have the skills (I still have a ton to learn)
I'm nearly a year in of no gi. Here is a smart tip that no one has ever mentioned: Shower prior to class and put on LOTION on your skin well, especially your knees and elbows!! It helps tremendously on the severity of mat burn!!!
Is this comp legal!?
@Joel Snape I didn't say grease up lol I said lotion up, so your dry skin doesn't burn off
I think you just want to be extra slippery on the mat! hahahaha!
I've been at this for 23 years and I think everything in this video is solid advice.
Thanks for saying! BTW I LOVE your channel name
@@JoelSnape1 thank you. At some point I’m going to start uploading Jiu-jitsu related videos to my dedicated school channel.
Great video. Thank you for sharing. I’ve just started my journey in BBJ at the young age of 45. 🙏😁
I'm in my mid forties and still rolling as well, ALWAYS do your stretches and maybe combine in some yoga..... your joints, muscles and tendons will thank you for it 🙂
@@soulsurfer639 thank you for the recommendations. Much appreciated 👍
Good stuff, Rich! Keep training, and look after yourself - injuries come easy when you're older (I know this from experience) but you'll get there.
@@JoelSnape1 thank you Joel. I’m with you. The strange thing is I feel fitter at 45 year old then ever before.
Started at 33 I'm 34
Great video! I'm a purple belt that's began teaching fairly recently. The part about having go to's from every major position is something I did at blue and still have it saved in the notes of my phone as "The purple belt plan" hahah
Hahaha, it might not surprise you to learn that I did exactly the same thing, right down to calling it The Purple Belt plan
Enjoying the journey is so important. If I could go back 14 years - I would have really listened when my first coach said leave your ego at the door. Trying to win every single round (ego) has held me back so much! Thanks for sharing awesome video!
Thanks Peter! The more I think about it, the more I think that a big part of the value of positional sparring and the games that are getting more and more popular in BJJ is that they don't feel so win/lose - you can experiment with the stuff you do without feeling like your ego's taking a beating when you tap. Hope you check out some of my other BJJ stuff!
35 year old no stripe white belt here. Been at for about 5 months now. I'm lucky enough to get to train with my brother. This video was awesome. 🤙
Update I just got my first stripe today.
@Valhalla Personal Defense Solutions Well done mate!
i really appreciate this video- i have been a blue belt forever and i feel like its majorly because i dont like watching instructionals enough and due to language barriers have rarely gotten close enough with my training partners to do positional sparring
Just started last week. Great video thank you
Agree on every point! Nice to hear you talk about jiujitsu mate 💪
Hey Jon! Great to hear from you! If you're ever near Bath hit me up for some rolls/beers!
First time viewer here. Thanks for confirming just about all the pieces I was putting together without realizing why. I especially love the music/chunking analogy with regard to why it’s important to do positional training, and why concepts > moves.
Glad it makes sense, Jesse. Keep training!
I'm very new to Jiu-Jitsu and this is around the realm I am thinking in. Thanks.
Beautiful tips. As a white belt with 8 months in BJJ this was very inspirational
Great to hear!
Been training for 12 years and needed 11 to earn my Black Belt. Looking out for your training partners is the best piece of advice I would give to my younger self. It comes back in numerous ways and really helps to build trust throughout your gym.
This is great advice, strongly agree. Congrats on the BB!
The last point about just enjoying the journey is very important. It's not like you reach a state of nirvana when you get your black belt. That's a lot of people get the blue belt blues. I'm a brown belt right now. It will probably be another 3 years until black belt. But I don't care too much. I just enjoy rolling and learning things now.
Me too....I am a Brown Belt and I don't feel like I really enjoyed Blue and Purple enough. I am now at a point I really don't even care about the belt other than it keeps my gi closed.
I am a giant fan of positional sparring in my classes. 1 minute rounds with one partner staying in place and the other moving each minute.... after a while, have them swap places so that the other half of the class gets practice from the position you were working on. This is especially amazing for practicing escapes. If someone escapes they restart. If it advances to a worse position or a sub they restart. The point is to get in lots of reps for the position being trained with lots of different training partners (themselves with different levels of skill and physical attributes). Its great because now they get actual guaranteed live sparring practice opportunities with what you just taught which might not happen in a regular roll.
Yes! We used to do this in my old academy a ton, great practice (while the technique's fresh in your mind).
Me too! We call it specific training and it is fun.............I am one of the older guys on the mat and 1st point takedowns are not my favorite, but I think of it as street fight and that helps.
Brilliant
Thank you. My love for Jiu Jitsu is the art and the philosophy aspects. Not into rolling hard like crazy.
There's definitely a lot to love about it: the art and problem solving is part of what's so much fun (and it's helpful that it also teaches you a valuable skill)
Philosophy?
Thanks Joel. Great perspective! I'm a Gracie BJJ Combatives belt (think: between White and Blue), and I couldn't agree more about enjoying the journey. The joy for me is found in the small incremental improvements that you notice yourself making (as if by osmosis). i.e. your instincts/reflexes are a little bit sharper, so maybe you avoid getting triangled or arm-barred again. I get my a s s handed to me in sparring on a daily basis, but every time I successfully avoid a cross-collar choke or even get someone back into my guard, that's a victory! That's a win, for me, and IMVHO, success is all about stacking little wins on a daily basis. I get smoked and smashed *a lot* - don't get me wrong - but if I find myself doing something successfully on autopilot that I had to think about before, I feel good. That said, we may disagree about "just showing up". Maybe that rationale works for me because I am still at such an early phase in my journey (as I said before, not even a blue belt, yet). But I think "just showing up" is rule number one. Show up - do the work - learn and grow (hopefully aided by some sort of active reflection). Yours warmly.... 🙂
I'm on my journey as a jujitsu white belt on the cusp of getting my blue belt so far it's been awesome just enjoying the ride and not trying to chase belts
That's cool - really, the belts don't do anything, and if your knowledge and skills are there it doesn't matter what you're wearing. Good that you're enjoying it!
still training?
@@hubriswonk yes
Sou do Brasil/Amazonas, gostei demais do seu conteúdo, oss.
Ive seen many great videos on lessons and principles for learning BJJ but this may be the best one!
This is the only video of its type I've shared with all my BJJ students. Very good advice, nicely put together. Great Job Joel. I certainly wish I'd known all of the above when I started which sounds about the same time you did.
Thanks Alex! This is high praise.
Great video. No matter how long have been doing and teaching Jiu-Jitsu, I always seem to learn something. I really appreciated your concept over quantity principle. Great stuff
Thanks Joel, I've been training BJJ for about a year and this is good perspective to help me in the next phase. Thanks for the vid
Glad it's helpful, Peter. Good luck with your training
Still training?
@@hubriswonk Sure am
I almost passed by this video. Then I reminded myself that I have 8 minutes to listen to a guy summarize his 15 years on the mat. Thanks for the video. I definitely need to whip out some paper and write instead of winging it as often as I do.
No problem, and thanks for watching - I've learned a lot from other BBs, so glad I can contribute!
Awesome video Joel. 8 years in and relishing the new "awakenings" whenever they come. Took me 8 years to realise that positional sparring is absolutely amazing for really ingraining the learning.
Nice to hear from you man! Yeah, I can't say enough about it. The other stuff is more fun, but it's not what makes you great at it.
Great video. The 3 principles you listed were the exact 3 that clicked when I made the jump from blue to purple.
YES Pieman
Yaay, someone speaking English finally pronounced the r in a gracie first name!!! That alone deserves 1,000 thumbs up
😂
I just started jiu-jitsu and have attended one class. This is really awesome to know from the get. I have anxiety as a rulex and the low stakes of positional sparring suit me just fine lol. Lose? Whatever, you have another go right away.
Awesome video! Love the mountain analogy at the end. ❤
Thank you a lot for all of your advices, keep rolling 🤙
Roger’s podcast with lex was great!! Same as the danaher ones all very informative. I’ve just got back on the mat from a year off and I’m a 1 stripe blue atm, gonna take John advice and constantly put myself in bad positions!
Good stuff, Shane. Not always bad positions, though! It's crucial to have good escapes, but positional sparring from good spots can help you out too.
Great video! Very useful info for beginner’s 👏
Amazing tips! Tip #6 is pure gold!
Thanks for this Joel! The grapplers appreciate it
Nice, Diego. Hope it's useful
I’m doing jujitsu as well. It’s really cool but also we did something fun yesterday and it was so much fun testing day. I’m going to get my second stripe.
Small tip for filming bro, put your camera on EL (exposure lock) to avoid the light flickering you can see in the intro :)
Ah thanks, I had no idea this was a thing (but it makes sense!)
@@JoelSnape1 Thank you for the great content! Really helping me out starting my bjj journey :)
The 1st principle of just keep showing up applies the most. None of the other lessons have a chance to take root if you're not attending class regularly. I know I'm stating the obvious but I just want to point out that everyone goes through a slump where they feel they aren't improving but you have to ride it out if for no other reason but to prevent yourself from loosing skills and getting rusty (time off for injuries aside).
I've trained at gyms where the white belts think that because they are paying for classes that the Black Belts (and sometimes Brown Belts) OWE them their time. I tell them there is a different fee structure if you expect private lessons all the time. Lastly though, sometimes instructors forget that their students are paying customers and there are other choices of gyms out there.
Yeah, it's definitely important to show up - but not enough!
I see that Musashi novel in the background. Awesome book!
It really is! If you know, you know.
Instructionals, positional sparring and giving yourself a curriculum a.k.a. start with positional escapes, move onto guard retention, move on to our passing, move onto submission systems bar, triangle back, etc.
Brill vid. Good man 💪🏻
I'm a bit of a unicorn I think, a white belt who's been training legit 10 years (started in 2011 so not counting breaks). I agree with everything in this video. Indeed positional rounds are the fastest way to improve, but sadly most gyms don't do them enough. On the bright side, I'm succeeding at task #7, which I guess is the most important one.
That was really helpful. Thanks man
Glad you enjoyed it!
Do one on one training if ur able to do so. It will make things a whole lot faster in ur progression. But enjoy the journey like the gentleman suggests.
Great advice🙌
That's completely true, I play piano for about 4 to 5 years, and it works just like that, I have to play a chunk of a piece more than about 25 times just to get used to it, so I can create muscle memory.
I would agree I’m at 15 years too in my journey 🥋
Great over all advice.
Thank you!
Agree with it all 100%. Good info
Much appreciated, Jerry.
Yeah principles are huge!
Thanks pal. Great video.
Thanks man!
Only just found your channel Joel, buzzing! Don’t know if you remember me, but used to love your sessions / chat when you coached at Wave BJJ in West London (where I still train 💪🏼)
I’ll enjoy watching your content on here now 🙌🏼
Good advice. Enjoy the journey. Success always! Dr D
This is spot on
Thanks Daniel!
@@JoelSnape1 if you ever visit NYC or Long Island and need training reach out.
Principloate are not necessarily better then drilling the submissions, for everybody. The best is if you do both.
I think GRIPS are extremely important. I’m a white belt and realizing I don’t know why I’m taking grips or when where why and how to apply grips to accomplish what I want.
Completely agree, grips are very important, and often underrated. I didn't include them here because they're probably a level up (or down?) from point #2 - when you realise that you don't know what to do in a position, you need one simple go-to strategy.
For instance, around purple belt, when I was doing a lot of judo, I realised that I knew a lot of throws but had no way to set them up with grips - I got Jimmy Pedro's Grip Like A World Champion (strong recommend) and that really helped me form a strategy. On the ground, I think Ryan Hall's Guard Passing is excellent at showing the basics of gi grip breaking, but grabbing a higher grade and asking some simple questions can also help!
Love the Creed t-shirt
Thanks man! I'm glad someone noticed! 😅
@@JoelSnape1 Creed is the movie that made me want to get into fighting, there's no way I could've not seen it😅
Great video 🙏🏾
Thanks Terrence!
great advice brother thank you
No problem, my friend
Hi Joel I have watched all your videos and they are all awesome with great lessons. I am 40 and always wanted to do Ju-jitsu but feel like I might be passed it. I also play piano and can 100% agree practice makes perfect even if it just a little each day.
Any advice on an older guy who has never done martial arts getting into Ju-jitsu?
🙏
Dont let age determine what you like, you are alive and that is all that counts for. I am 38 and i started back in December after years of not training. I also do it because my boys do wrestling, one a freshman and the other one trains as a first grader and i have to set that example. If they suffer, daddy will suffer.
Hey Charlie, glad you're into it. 40 isn't too old at all - I know a bunch of guys who've got into it at that age and they're all solid at it a year or two on. You're not going to win worlds but you can turn yourself into a savage compared to 98% of people in the world.
Hi Joel thank for the reply. I’m definitely going to join a local gym and just accept that I’m going to get smashed by most people in there but in a year or two I’ll be a much better version of myself.
I recently learnt Beethoven moonlight Sonata (1st movement) and I thought to myself a person who has never played piano must listen and think ‘that’s awesome’ but they don’t know that it will take me years to perfect the timings, key pressure etc to really do it justice. I suppose it’s the same principle for most stuff like ju-jitsu. In the gym I will always be learning, perfecting and getting smashed in the process but to the regular human being on the street I would be a savage if ever needed. I have two young kids and part of my reasons is that if I ever needed to throw down to protect them I would have the skill set to do it. Hope it never comes to that but hope for the best prepare for the worst is what comes to mind.
Keep doing the videos they bring a lot of value and inspiration 🥋🎼🎹🤹♀️🧗🏋️
I am 54 and have just started. It is fun! Enjoy the ride!
I had no idea you trained BJJ. Very cool
Thanks Adrian!
The positional sparring I learn most from...but I'm ok with it because I go to other classes that are just pure rolling. Doing it every class would be rough. Our professor has us talk to our partner through positional sparring sometimes....Like, pause....where do you feel vulnerable right now. Basically letting each other know where we feel weak in those moments to capitalize on that position in live rolls.
Ah yeah, I only do it for 1-2 rounds - everyone still gets to try plenty of sparring!
I'm a judo coach and everything you said could be applied to what I've seen over 18 years. The style is different but the methods are very similar.
What an ending quote ...!
Personally I’m a big fan of positional sparring, working from bad positions and transitional/scrambling training. I get the belt pursuit but that isn’t really what makes you good. You know you’re good when people are asking you why something isn’t working or why they can’t do X on you. That’s to me the most growth times.
Hi mate, big fan of your uncle, Severus
20 years of steady training, 3years of testing, failed the first 2 years. But, a Royce Gracie Black Belt, versed in all the self defense street techniques, weapons disarming, Vale tudo, and sport.
Cheers!!
Thank you for the help.
Love this video. Would actually mix three of your points together, progressive resistance positional sparring to work the fundamentals of each position has been so helpful to me. Where the partner starts at 10% and let’s you work the basics of a position through to transitions and slowly turns up the heat the better you get.
Yes, this is the way!
The greatest problem of BJJ is the lack of a coherent pathway. In every aspect, there is no coherent pathway, syllabus, or plan. We have in my gym, really no plan. I agree with you.
I think that each individual takes the given information and has a form thier own coherent plan along the way. So many variables make jui jitsu an individual journey done as a group.
I think it's good for individual academies to develop their own syllabus up to blue (or maybe purple) so that beginners can understand what gaps they have, and what moves they need to learn to have a basic game from every position. Some gyms are starting to do it, but it'll take a while to catch on I think.
That's only be possible for people, who don't compete, anyways. If bjj schools just all started following a certain progression, they'd be beaten by other schools who counter what the students have learned till that point.
I got my purple belt in 2 years. And my black 20 years letter. My coach went to prison LOL but when he got out, we rolled and I got the black belt 🥋
This was an excellent video. Thanks for sharing. Can you elaborate on the principles over moves point? What are the principles a white belt should focus on?
Thanks Joseph. There are principles for every position, of course (Danaher has them in every DVD) - but these are the 3 broadest ones that I try to get across to white belts as early as possible:
1. ELBOWS IN
Tonnes of attacks - armbars, kimuras, omoplatas, arm triangles, but also stuff like duckunders to the back - rely on your opponent getting your elbow away from your body. Also, generally speaking, the closer your elbow is to your body, the stronger you are. Ryan Hall has an entire DVD set about this (the Open Elbow), but generally speaking, keeping your elbows close to your ribcage is one of the best things you can do as a white belt to get caught less (conversely, learning to get your opponent's elbows AWAY from their ribcage is a skill to start learning).
2. GETTING INSIDE POSITION
Generally speaking, a lot of attacks come from inside position - standing, having your arms inside your opponent's makes it easier to throw them, and on the floor, having your feet inside the opponent's is what you need to start leglocking. People talk about getting underhooks a lot, but really the value of underhooks is that they secure you to the inside position. Starting to understand when and how to get it (eg leg pummelling, arm pummelling) is key.
3. STRUCTURE + FRAMES
This is about finding places that you're resisting your opponent's force without using any strength, usually because you're using the strength of your own skeleton. A really simple example is when you're locking up a kimura from side control - the elbow of the hand you're controlling the opponent's wrist with should be flush to the ground, so the opponent can't get his elbow (ahah!) back to his side. Structure is about connecting those frames to the ground so that you can't be pressured easily.
That's a very simplified explanation of some quite tricky stuff, but I hope it helps!
@@JoelSnape1 Thank you so much for the detailed reply. This is super helpful. Keep up the great content.
Thank you!
You're very welcome, Alex!
Great advice
It blows my mind why positional sparring isn’t used almost every class I just don’t get it.
(Skip warmups add positional rounds IMHO)
Strongly agree (though I think specific warmup drills can be super helpful sometimes)
Nothing more tedious and time wasting than a 20 minute up and back warmup when you could be using that time to warm up and get better, left my last school because of that reason
This is very true 😀😃
I cannot imagine it taking anywhere close to 15 years to earn a black belt in ant martial art if you are putting in the work and time with a positive attitude ! Training 3 days a week on the matt for two hour sessions for 4-5 years should be enough to earn a black belt in any art, which is really the point that you start learning.
great video master, good job 🥇🥇🏆🏆
show series techniques 🥋🥋
leg locks, toe hold, kneebar, bow and arrow choke, back triangle, GI chokes, gogoplata from mount, guard
pretty please thank you
Ah there are a lot of people more qualified than me to do this sort of instructional content - I really recommend checking out Ryan Hall if you can!
The answer is CATCH WRESTLING 😂👍. Have a more well rounded and technical submission game (standing or grounded). BJJ is good for beginners but it holds you back Massively. I do Dragon sleepers, full nelson neck cranks, Top wristlocks. BJJ is far behind Catch Wrestling.
You’re a nerd who couldn’t hack it in bjj. All aspects of wrestling are incorporated into our training. Your just sad you get tapped repeatedly coming anywhere near a Jiu Jitsu guy.
Yes! We had a few wrestlers on my team and one guy was a national champ out of West Point. I learned so much from him..........not to mention they never give up! hahahaha!
One thing I wish I knew sooner - your guard is a lot better when you’re not flat on your back.
This translates a lot to capoeira, obrigado!!
Nice! I've got a lot of love for Capoeira too
I want to start my jiu-jitsu jorney this week at the age of 24, no sport/athletic background whatsover. I'm worried about getting "seriously" injured in the long run, I want jiu-jitsu to be my thing. Apart from doing warm-up and cool downs, and tapping early and often. What are some tips you can to avoid from getting seriously injured?
Lift weights, try to control your ego (e.g. it's OK if you loose to a 16 y.o. guy several times in a row), don't go in adrenaline mode (control your ego!), and choose partners carefully. Better to roll with more experienced ones. Don't rush. Don't try to compensate your lack of technique with speed.
1. If you dont work on your flexibility, its gonna suck. 2. If you dont work on your core strength, its going to suck. 3. Its going to hurt anyways. 4. If you never get injured youre not trying hard enough. 5. It will be some of the best training for self defense there is. Not because of the technique, but the discipline and how they teach you to work a human body like a rubiks cube.
Like the video, i just think the background music should be a little quiter
Noted - I always struggle with how loud to make it, so this is great feedback, thanks
I love positional sparring and love starting on the bottom.
It's the way forward for sure.
Yes 15 years if you half ass it. Like anything else, if you are committed, and work hard, that 15 years =10. If you have talent, plus devote the time 15=5. There are many variables.
Do they have a test for each belt when your ready for it?? Or do they just give it too you once youve payed enuff money over time???
Because weather your a Purple belt or White,,i can garantee that a tecnuique you learn one week you wont remember it 4 months down the line as you learn different stuff each week right??
How you get belts is a whole other thing. It's very rare for schools to test: you spar every session, so it's fairly simply for a good teacher to watch your progress and understand when you're ready for each belt (competition purple belts will tap out a lot of people, but that doesn't mean they're technically ready for purple). And yes, it's easy to forget stuff - but part of the process is finding what works for you, repeating it a lot, and constantly fine tuning it
@@JoelSnape1 That makes alot if sense now...Also is there any reason why some Bjj gyms have rock hard matts like Concreate which ultimaltly hurts your joints and others have softer matts which feel better for rolling???
Thank you
No problem, my man