Welcome to the Weekly Fix! The Newsletter full of all the helpful info to improve your Jiu-jitsu. This week we look closer at how you can really improve your BJJ learning experience with 'The Formula'. On top of that we give you a solid serve of OSSomeness for a better body and a great weekend.

1.  The Formula for BJJ improvement: Don't just show up!
2. Technique of the week:  Tight Hips Remedy Routine.( Click the image.)
3. Community Spotlight: The staunchest White belt.
4. Training Top Tip: Being Early is a Blackbelt move.

The Formula for BJJ Improvement

Student - “How do I get better at BJJ?”

Coach- “Just keep showing up!”

This answer is not as helpful as it seems. It is true that in order to improve at any skill you need consistent practice but learning new skills and your ability to retain new information will vary between individuals. In order to get better answers we need to ask better questions!

There are the extremes of “Porrada” train as hard as you can everyday if not twice a day plus drilling of course.

Then we have the other end of the spectrum which is the person who shows up when ever it fits in between work, study, social life, 1-2 times per week, no preparation “ Just keep showing up.”

Maybe you are somewhere in the middle: keen to improve, training 2-3 times per week, sneaking in an open mat every chance you get but still not getting the BJJ gains you truly desire.

Total training volume (total sessions completed in a month) is a good baseline to know if an individual is showing enough up to improve but this doesn’t indicate 2 key elements-

1. Technical development.
2. Physical & Mental Preparation.

These are the major contributing factors to Jiu-jitsu session QUALITY. Endless, repetitive, practice of poor technique only further ingrains bad habits and actually slows BJJ development.

IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR BJJ LEARNING

1. Have a Plan for your Jiu-jitsu:

Even if you have only just begun your journey, come to class with a plan for what you are going to work on. If you are unsure of what you need to work on ask your coach. You can’t control what technique or position that might be taught that day but by virtue of setting your goal for the session eg. Perform a particular sweep, don’t get submitted or successfully use a certain submission on “Craig”. Setting your intention before class is key to you improving your BJJ abilities.

2. Be Ready to work:

+ Be Hydrated. Drink at least 750ml of water the hour before training

+Be Early. Arrive 15-20 mins before class to warm up your body and address any specific stiffness or tightness issues you have to avoid injury

+Be Fuelled. Make sure you have had a light snack 60 – 80 mins before training so your blood sugar levels don’t bottom out while rolling.

+Be strong. Lifting weights to address imbalances, rehab injuries and generally making yourself more resilient is one of the best things you can do off the mat to make sure you have a better time when rolling.

+ Be Calm. Doing breath work and visualising yourself performing BJJ techniques before class can help to settle nerves and anxiety that can occur before any Jiu-jitsu class. (Particularly hard comp rounds.)

Just showing up isn’t good enough. We understand that just getting to class, battling life’s chaos is a real challenge. This fight becomes dramatically harder when you are not prepared.

To pursue the path of BJJ awesomeness which is one of the hardest and most worthwhile things you can choose to do, you need to show up prepared, in order to get the most out of it.

Happy rolling Bulletproof Fam.

MICHAEL  ARCHER

Academy: DC JIU-JITSU (Vic).                                                              Started BJJ: 2019                                                                                      Rank: White belt

My martial arts journey started back in 1999 in Kyokushin Karate I earned the rank of Nidan , I've competed in a European championship in Warsaw Poland , a world tournament and various state and national competitions.

During my Karate years I used to cross train in Muay Thai , I found a love for it , continued training but found that I was drawn to coaching and holding pads. I concentrated on holding mitts for fighters , I've helped coached state , national champions , travelled all over the world and work with fighters from the UFC , Bellator , Invicta , One championship and lots of Professional fighters here in Australia.

I found a love for Jiujitsu once I started concentrating being in the Gi on the matts . It's definitely the most challenging martial art I've ever done and I truly believe that's what draws me to Jiujitsu. It's humbling on those matts and under the guidance of Daniel Cherubin Jiujitsu it has transformed me and made me a better person in life. I actually have a few good friends at the Academy who are higher ranks Black , brown, purple, blue who enjoy giving me Hell but I'm sure as time goes on I'd be happy to repay the favour through hard work and dedication. I'm grateful for their guidance on my journey.

I'm also Grateful for the Team at Bulletproof for Bjj whom I call friends, they have helped me keep my 40 year old body strong and in shape for Jiu-jitsu The program has been a God send for me especially dealing with old school injuries over the years I haven't felt this good in years! I appreciate the wealth of knowledge Joey and JT share I can't thank them enough. OSS

BEING EARLY IS A BLACKBELT MOVE:

There is always a discussion around keeping a white belt mind, a life learner's mentality. ( A white belt's mind is a chaotic place) Though staying curious and open minded is helpful for learning new things, skills are only acquired through routine. Like any thing in your life the more you pay attention, increase your awareness, the more you will observe and ultimately absorb.

Arriving early is the habits of an expert. A Black belt move to be exact. You don't need to wear the belt to behave like a champion, those behaviours need to be present in order for the belt to be realised. Now this is not some imaginary, spiritualism hokey-pokey. If you really want to improve at something the energy and respect you give to it will dictate your outcomes.

If you are constantly late to work, appointments, social events, you are letting everyone know how much you really care through your actions. Every action you take is a vote. You either vote for lazy, inconsistent, white belt you OR you vote for prepared, persistent, blackbelt you. Whoever gets the most votes wins the election to be you!

Your life is the culmination of your choices and this is reflected in your Jiu-jitsu progression. Vote for the better Blackbelt you and arrive to class early, the carry over to the rest of your life will be surprising.