Do you know anyone that turns up to training and then doesn’t think about bjj until the next session?
They’re a couple of clumsy questions but what I’m getting at is I don’t know anyone like that. Everyone watches instructionals or matches etc.
It’s like bjj attracts (or retains) the obsessed.
A few of my buddies are like that. They are blue belts and late 30s/early 40s with families. The only videos they watch are the short ones on YouTube, usually just the ones I send them via text.
Absolutely. Especially where I was teaching before. We had a lot of students that didn’t “follow” BJJ in any way. I’d mention famous people or famous events and they had no idea what I was talking about.
Where I teach now, half the cIass (tiny cIass) are amateur MMA fighters and they don’t follow much BJJ either. They do follow MMA though.
Yeah, like shen said, depends on the gym though, I think the sport gyms have a higher level of that like you said, but a lot of gyms that have MMA, kickboxing and traditional MA mix, so a good amount of the students don’t care about BJJ names or learning different techniques, more like traditional MA where you just know about what’s going on during class then forget about it lol
BJJ names as in the stars, I get blank stares when bringing up Marcelo or whoever sometimes
I watch a lot of instructionals, but I have no knowledge at all of competitive BJJ. The closest I get is watching highlights now and then.
Also, sport BJJ stars change so quickly.
Students are always coming and going and if a guy has been training, say, 4 years, --even if he is super into BJJ-- it’s rare he would know who anyone from 10 years ago is.
The majority of my gym probably don’t watch any BJJ matches, they’re more in to MMA. There’s a couple of geeks who’ll watch Polaris, SUG and Grapplefest but you’d struggle to find anyone with a FloGrappling account.
The instructor and a few of the higher grades will watch instructonials but a lot of the other guys aren’t interested and just turn up and train.
I have trained since 1998 and I haven’t followed bjj from 99 forward.
Yeah, I train bjj at an old school mma gym. Most guys don't watch anything or know anything about sport bjj. They just roll really hard with mostly "basic" techniques. Most of them have no idea how the point system works.
I'm a black belt and think watching sport Bjj is worse than watching paint dry. It is the most boring thing ever. Only time I watch is if it is a friend competing. I get bored watching instructionals too so I don't watch those either. I love watching mma though.
Sober -I'm a black belt and think watching sport Bjj is worse than watching paint dry. It is the most boring thing ever. Only time I watch is if it is a friend competing. I get bored watching instructionals too so I don't watch those either. I love watching mma though.
SAME.
I'll watch the rare match if someone flags something of interest in it, but I really can't find myself interested otherwise.
Sober -I'm a black belt and think watching sport Bjj is worse than watching paint dry. It is the most boring thing ever. Only time I watch is if it is a friend competing. I get bored watching instructionals too so I don't watch those either. I love watching mma though.
Agreed
Black belt here too. Sport BJJ has always bored me to death, unless it is someone I personally know, or know beforehand that it's a good match.
Like I keep tabs on champions or top athletes to a degree, but to watch matches...nah. I'd rather do other stuff.
I’ll join the chorus, too…
I know there are tons of people who live & breathe sport BJJ --and that’s great if they like it-- but it has gotten too “out there” for me; too removed from fighting for me to enjoy it.
People say ‘it’s evolving’ but evolving into WHAT exactly? That’s the issue.
Students spend so much time perfecting skills that have little or no applicability to fighting. Personally, I didn’t get into martial arts, so I could master martial arts skills that have no applicability to the real world.
–And, like many of you, I didn’t change, the BJJ world changed.
I started in the mid-90s. Every cIass wasn’t “survival school” or anything, BUT punches were discussed and people would often ask, “How do you use this on the street?”. Now, in many BJJ cIasses, only a noob or weirdo would ask such questions.
I know, I’m old.
shen -I’ll join the chorus, too…
I know there are tons of people who live & breathe sport BJJ --and that’s great if they like it-- but it has gotten too “out there” for me; too removed from fighting for me to enjoy it.
People say ‘it’s evolving’ but evolving into WHAT exactly? That’s the issue.
Students spend so much time perfecting skills that have little or no applicability to fighting. Personally, I didn’t get into martial arts, so I could master martial arts skills that have no applicability to the real world.
–And, like many of you, I didn’t change, the BJJ world changed.
I started in the mid-90s. Every cIass wasn’t “survival school” or anything, BUT punches were discussed and people would often ask, “How do you use this on the street?”. Now, in many BJJ cIasses, only a noob or weirdo would ask such questions.
I know, I’m old.
Maybe its naive or ignorant of me, but I am genuinely surprised by your response. I probably shouldnt be though since I know you are heavily informed, involved, and educated with various martial arts and defense systems.
^
Really???
I prefer the philosophy of playing the game, as much as possible, with “real” techniques. Yes, I COULD do a trick with my lapel to counter your guard pass, but I don’t want to get used to relying on stuff which can’t exist --or just is a bad idea-- in a real fight.
That is what I PERSONALLY like.
Sport BJJ makes us treat all techniques as equal; a sweep is a sweep and a sub is a sub. We stop distinguishing between a technique that could work well in a real fight and a technique that would literally be impossible or a very bad idea, in a fight.
I know a LOT of people feel the opposite or have different takes on this stuff. That’s truly fine with me. People should do whatever flavor of BJJ they like.
shen -I’ll join the chorus, too…
I know there are tons of people who live & breathe sport BJJ --and that’s great if they like it-- but it has gotten too “out there” for me; too removed from fighting for me to enjoy it.
People say ‘it’s evolving’ but evolving into WHAT exactly? That’s the issue.
Students spend so much time perfecting skills that have little or no applicability to fighting. Personally, I didn’t get into martial arts, so I could master martial arts skills that have no applicability to the real world.
–And, like many of you, I didn’t change, the BJJ world changed.
I started in the mid-90s. Every cIass wasn’t “survival school” or anything, BUT punches were discussed and people would often ask, “How do you use this on the street?”. Now, in many BJJ cIasses, only a noob or weirdo would ask such questions.
I know, I’m old.
HERE-HERE!
Red Stuff - Do you know anyone that turns up to training and then doesn't think about bjj until the next session?They’re a couple of clumsy questions but what I’m getting at is I don’t know anyone like that. Everyone watches instructionals or matches etc.
It’s like bjj attracts (or retains) the obsessed.
i only watch something someone sends me or maybe something posted on forum…but usually wont watch the whole thing. I had to force myself to watch the whole jones/ishii vid and that was damn short.
I dont even know the names of many techniques that people are talking about. I dont even know the point system
shen - ^Really???
I prefer the philosophy of playing the game, as much as possible, with “real” techniques. Yes, I COULD do a trick with my lapel to counter your guard pass, but I don’t want to get used to relying on stuff which can’t exist --or just is a bad idea-- in a real fight.
That is what I PERSONALLY like.
Sport BJJ makes us treat all techniques as equal; a sweep is a sweep and a sub is a sub. We stop distinguishing between a technique that could work well in a real fight and a technique that would literally be impossible or a very bad idea, in a fight.
I know a LOT of people feel the opposite or have different takes on this stuff. That’s truly fine with me. People should do whatever flavor of BJJ they like.
100%
I know folks who enjoy fancy games, using "tricky" things that look like gimmicks to me. It's not my flavor, but I'm not here to tell them how to enjoy this. As long as they're being a good partner and training safely, I won't intercede.
Sometimes I think about dabbling in one of the newfangled bits, just to see if I'd find some aspect of it useful (or to develop enough awareness to defend it). But mostly I too am interested in core pieces that are functional across platforms - gi, no gi, Judo, MMA, self-defense, etc.