Harness Your Aggressive Side in BJJ Like a Spartan King
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- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2024
- In today's BJJ Q&A video I answer a question from Matt who says he fails to turn up the intensity in BJJ training and gets beat by people who aren’t as large, athletic or technical experienced as him.
He wants to be nice to his training partners in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and has trouble tapping into the tougher side of himself. He also feels bad applying knee on belly or heavy pressure to people.
He’s a BJJ Blue Belt now and becoming more aggressive has been one of his main focuses since White Belt.
So I share some ideas to hopefully help him with his aggression dilemma. If you're in a similar situation then I hope it helps you too.
-Chewy
P.S If you'd like to check out the Gates of Fir book I mentioned then click the link below:
amzn.to/3oD6mYg
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I needed this like you would not believe. I was incredibly passive as a kid and still am as an adult. I notice that when my partner is transitioning to a new position, my mindset is to just let them get the position and defend from there instead of using aggression to challenge them and force a scramble. In effect, I have to unlearn 30-odd years of mental conditioning from myself and others. Not an easy task but at least now I have a starting point. Thanks!
Bro, I can relate completely! Learning how and when to apply necessary force is a real struggle for me as well. I've never really fought as a kid and when I had to be aggressive as an adult, I went too far, so those events made me even more passive and submissive, in life in general. That's one of the reasons I started BJJ a week ago, to regain control of my capabilities and stand my ground if necessary. Keep it up!
I'm the same way! We got this!
Same!!! Until this video I felt like I will always be hopeless at BJJ. I’m so happy to hear I’m not alone in this
I have this exact issue! Did you get any progress?
“The most dangerous guy in the room is usually the most quiet”
Ryan Hall is smiling somewhere
Topuria is smiling even harder.
Adjusting my aggressivness when rolling is actually one of the hardest things to me.. I think I worry too much about hurting my partners or myself when I roll too aggressive
I also need to learn how to deal with really aggressive and rough opponents that go really hard, that's when I pull guard a lot of times and try to tire them out before I start my own attacks 😩
when they get aggresive i start to get as well
same as you , i always very quiete, very quiete roll with the flow, when they wakeup the demon within .... it turn into mma very fast ..
@@twinsunpredator7998 I’m with you there too lol I match energy almost always but I start out almost timid so if anyone matches my energy it’s usually a slow paced bout. I wish I could dive all in instead of caring too much about my partner lol
@@rkoistheman i reckon we got the right mind set , care about your partner , flow , cause one day , when you won't have to care about your partner , you ll be able to do the move with extreme brutality
i think about my hips throw , i have use it on real aggression outside the gym ....
control is fundamental , look rda last fight on the weekend . pure control
I fight fire with fire I'm an idiot. They go hard I go just as hard back. Sometimes people don't realize their own strength, I'm 130 lbs btw.
Damn I'm exactly the same
Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.
I don't really have a concept of what a gardener does in a war. Constructing camouflage for artillery and vehicles out of branches?
This was my problem as well since I'm a bigger guy and didn't want to hurt people. Well, I found some guys who train hard that helped me bring it out. To add to what Chewy said, harness it because you're going to need when you get you advanced belt(s)... Stay strong brother!
Im the same way. Just started trying to be aggressive in my rolls.
Same here. I am big and naturally strong. I’m a purple belt but I am happy to hear this out there in the ether because I think about it all the time. I train at a nice guy gym… and I’m older, so not trying to hurt anyone or (more importantly MYSELF) is my top priority. Knowing when to turn it on is hard. The concept of moving with purpose is big too - I still find myself moving to positions around the head to slowly, which gives opp too much time to defend and the sub % drops dramatically.
I’m 6’4, 340lbs. Can say rolling with smaller people made me super technical from not trying to hurt them
Same man....same... big guys unite lol
@@ganja4229 damn, that is next level big!
This is the perfect video at the perfect time for me. I got my blue belt yesterday and my coach has been telling me for a couple weeks now I’m too nice in the gym and I need to be more aggressive or assertive. Thank you for what you do. You’re always a big help.
I’m with Matt. I’m non-aggressive. I started my journey with some bigger than me boys and got comfy being uncomfortable. Now I play mostly defense and or I shut down any opponents attempts. But once in dominant position I struggle with setting of submissions. I’m approaching the blue belt level and this is going to be a problem for me.
Hahahahaha I need a compilation of Chewy saying “Ambalance” cracks me up every time
It distracts me so I have to stop.
@@Chewjitsu literally every class i go too a damn ambulance goes flying by the dojo and everytime i say to myself "ambalance"
Thank you ChewJitsu for addressing this situation a lot of us face. Sometimes we don't want to be "That Guy" you hear people frown upon in the gym as being "Too Aggressive."
So I try to make it a point to submit slowly and with absolute control to prove to my training partner I'm not trying to hurt them, and that I submitted them with technique and gave them a good amount of time to break out of the submission.
No one wants to be the bad guy in the gym, so thank you for addressing this for the rest of us having this problem, so we can try to find our balance✌
If you're new to bjj, you shouldn't be worried at all. Others should tell you if you're going to hard for them or doing something dangerous.
Saw the title and felt DIRECTLY attacked. Thanks for the video!
😂 why attacked?
Love the idea. I’ve had a few times when my inner aggression makes it’s way onto the mat and it’s helped me push boundaries of what I can do. There are times though I am hesitant to release this aggression for fear I will go past what I can control.
That was powerful. This was such great information.
I just had my best tournament experience so far this weekend, finally tapping into my aggressive side. I still lost, I made some mistakes but I was pushing the pace and had a clear and driven mindset. I couldn’t be happier because that’s been my biggest shortcoming with competition.
Soul sucking knee on belly. This hits home with me.
Gates of Fire is one of three books I suggest every man reads. This is a lesson well adapted, Chewy.
YES. Been struggling with this lately. I used to be aggressive as a kid, but as I’ve gotten older my passivity is to prevent injuries, both my own and my partners’. I’ve realized that when I roll I wait for my partner to give me an opportunity instead of just taking it. I’ve been building up the mentality of taking instead of waiting. It’s been helpful but the fear of injury is still there. Great video and advice.
Awesome lesson, always motivating me before training! Big hug from Brazil!
Thanks. Good job of putting in to words some deep, archetypal truths that in my 2nd year jiu-jitsu is teaching me about the warrior within.
This is so helpful to watch. Seeing that others have the same issue is also pretty empowering. I'm a white belt and I got pummeled all through practice yesterday. But I feel as though I gave up opportunities because I didn't want to do something wrong and hurt anyone. I've really only been able to get aggressive when I'm angry, which rarely happens. I'll be spending more time trying to focus on relaxed assertiveness to improve my mental game.
This was a great video and I absolutely needed to hear that since I struggle with aggressiveness and am a blue belt as well. The Leonidas analogy was awesome and I’m gonna remember that when I’m going to train next. Leave the good guy at the door let the warrior side loose.
Wow That was the most though provoking video on RUclips.
I am prety much that blue belt but I never thought of asking that question.
Thank you for the video
Great conversation. Aggression does not fully define one person and presenting the view of when to turn it "on" and "off" is a fundamental skill we all need in life. Thanks for the coaching. Explore that side safely and with people you trust
This video is seriously gospel for me. Especially at the end. Thank you!
I had genuine aggression and anger issues as a young man. Therapy, meditation, and martial arts saved me from myself... The analogy I like to use is now I see my inner demon as on a chain... Tamed and only allowed to act when I will it so. My rage never left me, I simply tamed it to be a tool, vs. letting it make me a monster. This took years... I hope this gives someone inspiration to develop self control and accept their lower nature as an aspect of their human journey 🙏🏼
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you for that analogy
Cringy things white belts say ^^
@@Y0kzuna At 41, happily married, great kids, home owner, excellent career, half way through my blue belt in bjj, holding black and brown belts in several other arts... What's cringe about the TRUTH? The mats and results don't lie... cringe indeed... Work on yourself more kiddo, and sh*t talk others less... Best of luck in life. If I can make it, anyone can...
I've been meditating for a while and that's not how it feels like for me at all. It's more like anger and aggression being uprooted. Made void. Trying to be aggressive on command feels contrived. I get angry when something doesn't go my way of course, I'm not an arhat, but not for long enough to actually carry it on the matts. Like, I'd actually have to be slighted and then go fight my opponent in the competition 10 seconds afterwards for that to work.
Thank you so much Chewy for putting this into perspective for me. 🖤
Honestly this is something I've had to work hard on. I like to play chill and technical, and my coach pushed me to continue that but ALSO fight for every point, position, submission, etc. It's been cool because I knew I could go from 0-70%, now I know I can go from 0-110% and still be technical. Learning to match intensity is a cool part of the game.
If you are not the finest guy in the game, certainly you are one of them!
Thank you so much for your vídeos, and PLEASE keep up this beautiful work Chew!
As a 270lbs blue belt this is one of my biggest adjustments to train, thank you for helping us find a way to overcome this mental block
I'm a pretty big guy. 6'1" and float around 295lb. I have had at least four people in the last month Yell me I am to nice while rolling! This is a mental battle for sure. Slowly I have been overcoming this. It is totally OK to use this side of you rolling! Hang in there and keep at it! You and your traing partners are there to train for the same reasons! Keep that in mind.
Great point. Find the people that want to go hard. And no, the dude/chick that is 100 pounds lighter than someone massive, doesn’t want to go hard. That old dude that has 30 years on someone, doesn’t want to go hard. Go hard against people that want to and are capable of going hard. There is a difference between being aggressive and going hard, and rolling with no regard to the consequences to your partners’ bodies of being aggressive.
I have this problem. I am always way too passive and worried that I may hurt someone and don't commit to my moves sometimes. I will definitely continue to work on this. Thanks for the video
Im a very new white belt in Bjj I’m not aggressive but I’m learning a lot from this channel. Also since I have martial arts experience the egos are out there and there is always people that want to hurt you. This is why people thought I knew Bjj. I learned watching a calm guy in RUclips competing that you have to add aggression when needed and must turn into beasts and control it.
Very helpful mindset, thank you bro!
Did anyone else find the example of people "fighting in grocery stores" funny or is it just me? LMAO
I really needed this. Thank you.
I really needed to hear this. Thank you!
Ha! The first four years of my bjj journey summed up in 10 minutes!
I think it's the aggressive side that fueled my motivation to face my fears and push my limits. I'm not a very aggressive person, quite the opposite, but it has helped me grow and get to know myself better. I used to really struggle with people being in my space, and also being very claustrophobic. 3 years later, blue belt.
I read Gates of Fire years ago. Thanks for the reminder. That book has some brutal parts on it.
I needed this, thank you!
Great post!
Needed to hear this!
Great video
as the person who is the "sorry" guy, i appreciate this. ive wanted to work on being assertive too.
As a WB under one year, I’ve assume the calm “monk like” demeanour was part of the point? But I relate to this video a lot! As a 36 year old, I definitely find that young 20 year olds are full of this and you can’t just let them handle you.
Thanks for this, and all your videos!
I needed this.
dude, i swear every video i've watched from chewy, an ambulance passes by.
Thank you for addressing that, I've had a problem with that cuz I've always associated aggression with anger and I don't want to be angry when I roll. I don't have a problem rolling with very aggressive partners but I don't really want to up my aggression in turn.
Wow that's very helpful I struggle with this as well
I’ve gotten to blue belt like this and the aggression is great if you can channel it
Great advice!
I found the book you mentioned, and I will read it when I can. I also have some things I need to work on in life, both for me as me, and me as a future educator of people in special education education. If I ever start jujitsu, I hope it will help.
this is great stuff, thank you
Beautiful beastly advise
One of your best videos and very profound. I'm a history nerd also and recommend looking into the "American Battlefield Trust". Great organization that preserves history.
I’ll check it out.
HAIL! GATES OF FIRE is an excellent book! I highly recommend. I have the audio book. It's very well read.
If the term aggressive gives you the image of someone going wild and being rough and acting like a UFC/Sponsorship contract is on the line, then think of it as being proactive and initiating your techniques and playing your game vs being reactive and defensive the entire time. This may help put you in the right mindset so that you can improve in your technical skills and more easily transition to competition mode.
Thank you for this I’m a blue belt as well that has the same issue
Love this! Thanks for sharing…. I’m like the guy from your vid… only I struggle with using assertiveness cuz I’m half the size of most of my partners and I’m afraid that if I get too rough, or simply roll like they roll with me, it’ll come back to bite me. I have been learning tho that I’ve got to aggressively take steps to get on top first or I just get smashed the whole time. It’s a process:)
i'm not a blue belt yet. but i feel that way too. i deal with it differently, tho. i just dont mind losing in training. kinda. sometimes my partner is spazzing and wins because of that. but i feel that is better for me to be in that calm state when im rolling, because i have to rely even more on technique to get that sweet sweet win. in the long term, losing can be very productive. and also... i gas out quickly if i dont do that lol
but i agree that when the short term is more important, aggressiveness is needed.
Love that book! Polynikes!
As someone who used to struggle with being aggressive, I found that what I learned was being dominant was the answer. Humans exist in hierarchies and when we aren't aggressive enough, I feel it's often because we feel we are at a lower rung in the hierarchy and we are giving in to those "above" us. For me, it wasn't until I decided that I could take that top spot in the hierarchy that things started to change. For a while I told myself that if other people were willing to be aggressive to me, then I should be able to do it to them. But to be honest that wasn't enough. I had to become fully determined to winning and deciding that I deserved the top spot in the hierarchy. And I think this is really where you learn how to be aggressive while still being in control of it, because nobody gets to the top by being a dick, it happens when you are a good and strong and assertive and dominant and competent person. So you are essentially just trying to be the best version of yourself, but in doing so you decide that you are going to win and be the best, that you are capable and willing to take the highest spot in the dominance hierarchy. I think thats really the mindset, that nobody ever just gives you anything, you have to take it.
I like to avoid the term "aggression" because that is consistent with recklessness -- or an extreme and unjustifiable imposition of risk of harm. Instead, I like to think in terms of a reluctance to try to "impose one's will" on another person. This reluctance might be traced to risk aversion but it ultimately becomes self-defeating. The risk aversion goes like this: If I go on the attack (e.g., try a sweep, commit to a lapel grip, etc. etc.), then I may fail to secure the grip or position, or I may get hurt when the other person reacts, or I might hurt the other person. The result is that the other person, who throws caution to the wind, ends up securing their grip or sweep. Although the risks identified by your risk-averse side are all real, it's important to remember that, as long as you're still doing jiu jitsu, they don't go away. It is an illusion to think otherwise. So might as well try to impose your will.
Nice.. love this
I'm the same as the person who asked that question, the only difference is I'm extremely dominant in sparring but my defense is mediocre, so i intentionally put my self in bad situation just to get better in defense (blue belt 3 strips), thank you coach for bringing that oss.
This video probably helped a lot more people than you intended. Me included ❤
WOW!!! It is comforting to see that even seasoned dudes like Chewy get a gi-burn every once in a while!
For sure. I am but a man. And Gi burn gets us all sometimes.
I remember when I was an early blue belt & the brown belt I was rolling with was especially agressive but not in an unkind way. For instance grabbing my belt & posting up with his forearm in my neck. He taught me two counters to make that position untenable for him & that really impressed me. He was just doing his thing. It made me a better person in there. I realised you can be aggressive & kind at the same time. BTW I have a Tattoo of Zeph Zero's character, Spartan Buddha on my calf. Both sides must be integrated.
Man…. Your too nice is my nick name 🤣
Saving this!
It's good to know I'm not the only one with this issue.
Chewy knows best. I’m athletic as shit, strong, wrestling background and extremely passive. I’ve noticed more and more how much pressure I let off in the room and it’s always translated into competition both wrestling and Jiujitsu. I know I can. But it’s sleepy 😂
You learn this idea pretty well when you compete. I'l roll with alot of people who aren't as good as me, and they'll say, "Hey, I think I did pretty good against you, I almost had you, etc." and I'll often just kinda go with it to be nice and supportive (because I really don't get anything out of smashing people anymore. I'm 150lbs and I can smash most dudes who are bigger than me at this point), but I can definitely tap that competitive part of me in a moment's notice. I wouldn't say I coast anymore, I just emphasize fighting the technique than the actual person when I roll.
I play water polo and my biggest struggle is not being aggressive enough. I am planning on take jujitsu lessons to build my confidence with physical contact and bring my aggression to play
Thank you for making this video… this is my problem in training… I train without being aggressive…… By aggressive I mean the intensity is mediocre. It really became a problem when I signed up for a tournament and in the match I just could not get my aggressive side up… I wanted to continue rolling at that mediocre pace…. I suppose there is no other way to become better than actually doing it in practice… I guess I have to find training partners who are ok being aggressive with
Very good 🙏
I feel like Matt trains in Rhode Island. If it’s you, your a low key beast.
Passive blue belt is a real problem I’m dealing with man. I got a tournament in like 3 weeks and I’m trying to get out of this damn rut. I know I need to wake the hell up and get after it.
To piggyback off of this I feel like I’m somewhere in the same space. I was an aggressive wrestler white belt and took a few years away came back a little older and a little more out of shape and as a blue belt now, I find myself going too light out of fear of injury and trying to keep it smooth.
This is 100% me. I'm a 48yo blue belt and I have an aggression problem - I don't have any. I'm incredibly conflict averse. When I go hard at people bigger or better than me, I just seem to spend more energy getting tapped out. But I also don't want to beat up on the people I should be beating.
Thank you
I went from being the smallest person in the gym and being able to grind into people free of worry as a white belt to a middle-sized blue and purple belt as well as being one of the more experienced people on our mats.
I did feel like I was almost being a bully if I was putting too much pressure on people, they were around my size and I was better than them, no need to squish them as well right? So I gradually shifted to more focusing on finding perfect frames on bottom and only using bodyweight on top, and it has made jiu jitsu so much more effortless. Now I can roll with the newer people and totally smother their movement while floating lightly on top of them or sweep them so softly they don't even know what happened.
If you have anyone in your gym who's bigger or better than you, go at it! They can take it.
It's hard to discern the difference between disengaging one's aggression vs remaining calm and focused in intense situations. This is why we roll, to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
It's like learning to take your foot off the gas in a muscle car vs trading in the muscle car and buying a prius because you can't stop getting speeding tickets.
Harnessed aggression requires attention and restraint... It requires effort. It requires being diligent, disciplined, and being alert/engaged. It requires balance. And balance requires constant micro-adjustments... Such is life.
Before I joined bjj I had no fight experience other than a couple fights are parties I got in so it was very hard for me to be explosive qnd aggressive cause I just wasn't use to it after 2 weeks I'm beginning to feel that animal when I'm rolling and actually applying what I've learned and it makes me feel more confident in going harder.
Chewy as a newly promoted blue I just said last night I think I’m going the wrong direction, I’m gonna give this a shot and see how it goes cause i too have been beaten or should have gotten the better of someone and couldn’t
I've got some years of experience, yet after a long break, I'm now the new guy at a new-to-me school. I'm trying my hardest to be very passive until they get to know me, and then I'd like to turn it up a little. This means lower ranks will sometimes get me in defense mode, and lots of guys want to test me out too since I'm new with a colored belt. Once the mat rust is wears off, I plan to bring out some assertion.
That's actually one point I always get complements for in bjj cause I transitioned from muay thai to mma. I already know what it feels like to get a good punch, so I always try to be less aggressive with people who are less athletic and skillfull always depends on the other person of he is fine with going hard etc. Most higher belts tell me to go harder from time to time and are always surprised how much I can control myself and how explosive I can be :D
I know this is off topic, but can I compliment the sound quality for a second? Seems like the quality sounds better since the last gym rant video you’ve posted.
Feels, I just started, too gentle, I have karate background so learning super fast but don't put things on hard enough.
This video hits me right in the feels. I'm a giant teddy bear and I know I need to be more aggressive.
Im so laid back when i roll because i never wanted to be the spaz that i constantly get myself in trouble, bad positions etc. So ive also had to learn to be more aggressive since ive gotten my blue a few months ago
Be flexible. Be easily movable. Roll with heavy guys.
Interesting video, I'm the same way...I'm too chill hahaha I feel like I'm afraid to hurt people. I don't mind when people fuck me up though, I tell them I'm not in any pain though.
Btw this Matt guy is extremely similar to myself. As a white belt, the higher belts would completely smash me. I told myself I wouldn’t be like that when I was in that position. As a third degree blue, sometimes I get beat by lower belts because I am being too nice. I need to remember that aggression and remember that it’s alright to use it.
Brand new white belt here 👋
I have only had 1 class so far and instantly found this... my first day I didn't know anybody at the gym so I was partnered with the other person who was left out. She was about 120lbs max, and just as inexperienced as me. I felt terrible practicing with her because I didn't know how hard to go, but I was also just faking it and letting her pass positions with no resistance, which isn't going to help her much in the long run.
I do judo but my problem to a T..I am not a competitive or aggressive guy but I like the process.
I just got my blue belt, but I had the same issue. I was letting new guys get the better of me. A few months ago I said you know what, I’m going to stop being a B**ch. After that I started winning my rolls and my rolls after getting my blue belt have been some of my best rolls ever.
I sometimes go aggressively, sometimes I take it very easy and play passively. It depends on how tired/worn out I am and who I'm going against. That said, given the right circumstances the switch almost flips automatically. Nothing gets me moving as much as that new guy I've been taking it easy on elbowing me in the face.
I have this same problem, when I roll with newer people who aren’t as big strong or experienced I can’t help but take it easy. I know it affects my progress
I think it's also worth pointing out that for a newer person, they probably aren't confident in their ability to be aggressive and also safe and in control, especially if they've experienced rolls with other new people who are aggressive and feel unsafe.
im not a blue belt yet but im sure this will help
Im in the opposite boat. Gi wears me out like no other and in no gi I can go for days.
Lol Chewy it's funny you prefer NoGi because I do as well but that's because I think it's less exhausting/suffocating. 😅