The Biggest Myth In BJJ
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- čas přidán 19. 12. 2023
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VIDEO DESCRIPTION
In this video, Rick Ellis discusses the biggest myth in BJJ: That you don’t need strength.
Well said sir. You only need to roll once with someone with extreme strength, or flexibility to see the massive difference it makes. Your body is your weapon. Of course the quality of your weapon matters.
"the quality of your weapon matters" ....... That's what she said
@@tinkywinky3680ha!
I'm an old guy who's been training martial arts for a long time. I'm going to go out on a short limb and say being strong is better for life in general than not being strong. It's already well documented by science that people who do strength training function much better as they transition into their senior years than those who don't train. It's also cumulative in that the longer you go without hard exercise the worse off you're going to be, especially if you have other bad habits. When my dad was in his late 50's I helped him move from his small apartment to another city. He couldn't move things for more than a few minutes at a time before he had to take a break. He died barely after his 70th birthday.
My opinion on this has changed in the decade I've been training BJJ. I'm a smaller guy, and have always struggled with bigger opponents. The first truth I had to accept was that strength is real, and I had to temper my expectations. The second was that strength is not a guarantee, and that right choices can enable a weaker person to beat a stronger person. The third was that building the attributes is inevitable for growth, but IMO only after the learning curve flattens out. Too many people fall down the weight lifting and juicing rabbit hole looking for a "cheat code". They are trying to double their strength, when they could more easily multiply their technique by 10.
I can say as a purple belt (M/5'3"/140lbs), size and strength absolutely matter. It can be a real ego check when I struggle to work my game against a 200lb 19 year old who's played varsity football for 4 years, just due to their strength and athleticism.
That, and your comment about red-lining as a smaller guy is 100% spot on. It's probably been the reason I've been injured far more than my training partners... I'm not talking injuries due to submissions even, just wear and tear injuries from going hard disproportionately from my larger training partners.
I will say, I very likely will always have a firmer grasp on why techniques do/don't work than someone who has 100lbs on me ever could. There's a sensitivity to the subtlety behind my movements that larger practitioners likely won't ever have.
That’s because he doesn’t know he’s doing jiu Jitsu. He’s still playing football.
Very true, all my injuries last year came from bigger guys (220lb and over) as I have to over load to defend. Which tendons don’t like.
Tend to roll less with big guys my level (blue) or below. Higher belts tend to dial it back on the maximum force used
Retired exercise physiologist here with a purple belt. The primary mistake people make is assuming that strength is its own attribute. It is not. It is the single physical foundation on which all other athletic attributes are built. You CANNOT express flexibility, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, speed, balance, agility, coordination, power, or reaction time without sufficient strength to do so.
There's a weird double standard we have in Jiu Jitsu. As a muscular guy myself (5'7", 230 lbs, 12% body fat) I am CONSTANTLY getting the whole "you're so strong" thing, and I know a lot of the rest of you do, too. But in my six years of training I have NEVER heard anyone tell a little guy to cut back on the speed, agility, or mobility. It's UNDERSTOOD that if you have those things, you're going to use them. But when it comes to strength and power everyone expects you NOT to use them.
I am not - REPEAT, AM NOT - making excuses for spazzy idiots with a lack of technicality. Personally, I set my throttle at about 25% and NEVER let anyone push me past it during normal training. I'm definitely practicing what I preach when it comes to not letting physicality get in the way of good technique.
But it's really unfair to ask a particular segment of the academy (the stronger guys who strength train) to divest themselves of their chief advantage while simultaneously encouraging everyone else to lean into their advantages. Massive double standard.
I appreciate this comment. I have only trained for about a year but by far the spazzy guys, even ones with good technique, have been the biggest cause of elbows to the jaw, kicks to the groin, a poked eyeball, etc. the strong dudes, sure they sometimes can get away with using poor technique and still gain advantage, but it doesn’t result in cuts and black eyes like the spazzes. Despite this, the stronger guys are constantly told to go lighter and the spazzes are even encouraged to keep doing their thing.
I agree with you, but strength is unique compared to other attributes (that you argue need a baseline attribute of strength). If two rugby players practice BJJ, and one spars at 25% and REALLY focused on using the best technique, while the other one goes 80% and just gets used to grabbing smaller people's arms and pushing them down for Americana in the most inefficient way possible, then the first guy is going to absolutely OBLITERATE the second guy if they were to spar one another. Big people, for their own good, need to realize that strength does work against them. Not when sparring smaller people, but when they go up against some like Gordon Ryan who is a beast but focused 100% of technical mastery. And he's actually a great example of this, just demolishing bigger guys all the time. And when you watch him spar with small guys at New Wave, it looks so elegant and so smooth, and that's because he's literally going like 5% and knows exactly what he's doing.
As someone who grappled at 145 for years and now 165, I have had tons of people say I'm only able to do things because of flexibility, mobile and speed. It's not true because my technique is on point and I'm able to survive against big guys who pin me down with their sheer size.
To say it's a double standard isn't exactly true, but I get what you are saying.
I appreciate this as a strong grappler myself . I’m 5’6 and 210 and definitely work on using technique with strength.
Strength in combat sports is like eye sight to a sharp shooter can’t shoot what you can’t see and in BJJ you can’t submit what you can’t control
This is great! Thank you so much. Strength training isn’t just for strength. As a middle age individual, I need it for injury prevention, core development, and even stamina. Technique is definitely the priority, but I wouldn’t hold off on strength training until later belts.
Thank you for making this video.
As a 41yo F/5'2"/110lbs purple belt, there are techniques I struggle to execute that others can do with ease because they're 180+ lbs and much stronger. It gets really frustrating and definitely makes me doubt myself. It's not just about 'leverage and timing' as others would say.
In my humble opinion as a purple belt, of average weight (170lbs) and above average height (6ft), there is never “too much strength,” ever. There is simply strength applied with no technique, all the way up to strength applied with maximum technique.
Love your content ,I’m a
48 y/o 3 stripe blue belt .
I struggled in the beginning on the amount of strength to use. Not being too loose and certainly not being to rigid, constantly staining as if I’m trying to lift a car . For me Ive learned to use less strength while on the move searching for my desired position ,I’m more fluid. Then once in a stable position I apply my strength. Like a timer on a bomb. Tik Tik Tik Tik boom 💥 😂
hi, im new. and what to start. what should i do or look out for. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this subject. I came into BJJ as a weight lifter and trying to find the balance has been tricky. It is certainly an advantage to be strong and I think if you want to be a top practitioner of BJJ, having strength is extremely important to take on bigger opponents.
67 yo blue belt. Been training for two years and 9 months. In my experience additional strength, mobility and flexibility training have mitigated, and assisted in my injury prevention/recovery. I've also learned to "listen" to my body and rest when needed.
Congrats, my brother. I'm 67 as well and about to restart BJJ after a two year layoff because of a rotator cuff tear and surgery.
@@southtxguitarist8926 Good fortune on your return!👍
Absolutely agree you you. I know exactly who you’re talking about and took his advice. A year into that advice, I switched it up, and my Jiu Jitsu grew twice as fast. Im 52 and working out kept me from getting so sore and allowed my body to recover so much faster.
The people that complain about a guy or girl winning because they are stronger, don't like to acknowledge the fact that the effort and discipline needed to build strength takes a massive amount of work. It's the same thing with cardio.
I lifted weights my entire life and I was pretty strong for my 5’5 135lb. smaller frame. I however stopped lifting back in 2018 in belief that I didn’t need it for BJJ. Throughout the years I lost more and more strength and vitality. In the end, I realized that being weaker serves me absolutely no purpose! I am now slowly trying to build my strength and power back up at 44 years old and I regret ever stopping for more rolling.
I also believe that strength helps reduce injuries on the mat!
1 million percent on point Professor!
Man, I love your videos.
Recently, one of my instructors asked if I grew up playing sports. Nope, I’ve been lifting in my garage since 2014.
Strength and conditioning are great, but you have better awareness of your body and learn new skills faster when you’re stronger.
Excellent and honest summary. I started my training with an old school instructor (amazing technique for sure) but I noticed the lack of conditioning and constant “redlining” leading to injury in those dudes, many of whom hobble around like old men
Strength does things like having your opponent force themselves into a triangle while trying to break guard. Nightmare 280 pound rugby player.
Thanks for the great advice
Excellent point.
Great video
I like the adage, “The more strength you use the less jujitsu you learn.”
Perfect technique is mostly a myth, perfect timimg with sloppy technique, Beats perfect technique at the wrong time or imperfect time.
Brilliant 👍
Well said. I've often posited that gyms should line up the entire class by the sum of their deadlift, squat and bench and then pair people off to understand what difference technique makes.
Please go over the topic of grip fighting. I believe that grip is one of the few skills of applications that benefits from superior strength in bjj. Most of the time, if someone is stronger in grip and knows how to grip fight, they will win majority
Strength and size are physical benefits. Being fast is a physical benefit . Flexibility is a physical benefit . Yes you should not solely rely on just your physical attributes to maximize your game, but it is almost impossible to completely shut your own physical advantages down. You must learn how to use your athletic advantages without relying on them to help you master the techniques that will help you improve your Jiu Jitsu.
I heard the same garbage 20 years ago when I started Karate. I even believed if for a year or two until I decided to start lifting weights anyway and after 6-8 weeks of lifting consistently and doing karate on alternate days, I noticed a BIG increase in speed, power, and explosiveness in my karate techniques. I definitely believe the same applies to BJJ or any other style of martial arts.
This either or idea needs to die. Good martial artists should do BOTH their martial arts AND lift weights. Also cardio is important too.
I enjoyed this video and you've probably answered this before but what age range is considered "old guy" jujitsu?
Some old school guys who did not advocate strength training Actually did a lot of strength training by doing calisthenics 20-30 minutes as a warmup for their bjj class. Ever thought about that?
Absolutely! Bodyweight exercises can be incredibly effective at improving strength.
I am "the strong guy" in our gym. 250lb powerlifter. But older and trash cardio. Hehe
Outside of the coach or any other black belt, I never use more than about 10%.
My athleticism is piss poor, so part of that is just energy management, but the other side of that is that I know I'm not the strongest guy out there. Eventually, I'm going to meet someone stronger (and I already do now and again) and I am going to need that technique.
So I roll with as little strength as possible to achieve the outcome of the roll I want.
If I want to let the other person have fun or learn, I'll let them do what they want and just defend.
If I want to have a nice flow roll, I'll do that or deliberately slow the pace so I can pay attention to details.
If I want to have a rowdy roll, I will usually under-power until I give him the tap and then start again, making sure he's OK to increase power.
I learned this method from a 10p brown belt and I've found it is a good way to avoid problems and ensure that everyone leaves the mats with a smile on their face.
I recently had a newbie crank really hard on me (people seem to think they need to do that when facing a big guy) and had that little light bulb go off in my head marked "at all times, keep yourself safe" as he was cinching in a horrendous choke and ending up reefing on my teeth, so I had to unleash a bit up to 30%.
I felt like I let my ego get away a bit, which I kind of regret since it was only his 3rd class. I didn't want to let him reinforce his behavior with a tap (because you know he's going to feel like "ooh I just tapped this big guy who is more experience"), right after I told him "I will relax, and let you practice the class technique". But in retrospect, I should probably have been a bit more in control.
Poor guy ended up getting smeshed pretty hard, but in the end, he had a great time and we did a couple more rolls later that were productive.
I feel like if it had been later in the day, it would have been harder to resolve the issue in a way that left him feeling happy and having learned some good stuff.
But put me in front of a black belt and I'm pretty helpless. Even half my size.
That's what I would like to achieve. I would like to get good enough that I could roll with someone twice my size and still be calm and controlled.
I'm often inspired by smaller guys who can do this to me.
Aside from strength, what about size? Should size not matter at all? Or is bigger always better? Or maybe size only matters up to a point?
And back to strength, what about the specifics like power vs endurance, speed vs conditioning, etc?
In my opinion, all of the above matters, but only up to a point. Technique, timing, experience and how recently you've been practicing matter more beyond that.
I think those who say don’t use strength just don’t know how to express what they mean. Which should be to use the right kind of strength at the right time.
Ex: under mount trap and roll using a very strong grip on the wrist and triceps and a strong bridge is considered good technique. I.e. strength / force applied at the correct time.
Conversely pushing straight up against the opponent’s chest even if it’s using less strength is wrong. And you will be told to stop using strength to escape. Not because it’s the amount of force being applied but it’s the wrong time and place to apply it.
I agree that physical attributes (not just strength) matter in any physical activity, and they do give natural advantages in those areas. However, I'm very light and not very strong. I find that for my level, and for those smaller practitioners at their level, that they generally have better technique, and this is logical. When you're smaller you HAVE to do everything properly. How you place your weight, how you wedge, how you use all 5 of your "hands" and the path that you choose throughout your roll has to be spot on. Furthermore, when I watch professional women's divisions (women that spar with mostly men when not in competition) are incredible. Then I watch someone like Nicky or Cyborg... not so impressive, at least, comparatively. When you can't get away with using strength, you HAVE to learn as close to perfect technique as possible, and that's where I think that sentiment comes from, from whatever black belt you were talking about.
Of course, everyone (especially me) should be doing flexibility training and strength training of some sort to augment BJJ.
Ehh to some extent...gordon ryan stronger than most but has the most and fundamental game ...
What about the misconception of what the letters atand for?
Without Knowledge, Skill cannot be focused. Without Skill, Strength cannot be brought to bear and without Strength, Knowledge may not be applied.
Alexander the Great
I’m 140lb male blue belt 5’8” training 5 years 3x a week
I feel like if I don’t start lifting weights I’ll never get my purple belt. If I can add 10-15lbs(muscle & fat) I think it will really help me
It’s the same with us stand up fighters too. I’ve heard this myth for over 30 years now.
Those Okinawan Karate guys don’t carry around those big clay pots with their fingers for fun.
You need strength for stand up. So yeah, we get the same myth as you guys.
People often forget that combat sports are just that, sports. What other sport is filled with people who don’t do S&C?
I have never done BJJ. I have trained in other martial arts in my younger years. I did JKD for a while. One of our most advanced students was really good. He was very good but very small and not very physically strong. He had a lot of endurance but no muscular strength at all. I was in very good shape muscle wise. He was a much more advanced student than me but in one of our sparring sessions I got him in a hold ( thru some level of luck) and he could not break out of cause he simply did not have the strength. With his ability and if he had been more my strength and size he would have easily kicked my ass. Other times I sparred him he won by points. Strength and size matters but so does technique. There is reasons that fighting has weight classes. Yet how come mma fighters don’t have the physique of a pro body builder?? It’s definitely a balancing act. Too much muscle slows u down and gasses u out. Not enough strength will work against u too
This is so ineffective in the street!! lets say that 2 or 3 guys are trying to assalt you. What are you going to do? Ask each one to stand in line in order to fight you!! Effective fighting is taking down your opponent with one strike and being able to fight anyone one else trying to attack you!!
If you need strength to do “jiu jitsu” then you’re not doing jiu jitsu. Leverage doesn’t work without some degree of strength but just straight muscling in training is at best wrestling. At that point its about who is the better athlete or taking the PEDs.
Controlled strength is a technique
As a bigger "stronger" guy that trains, I hear all the time that you shouldn't use strength. I have never heard you shouldn't use youth, athleticism, or speed, and those are akin to strength in that they are something that some people have and others do not. I agree that it shouldn't always be about one or the other but somewhere in the middle, however, it is a bit hypocritical to not compare the two.
Did you say "ONLY 3 or 4 times per week?!" 😅
Its 50 50 technique and physical
I hate the stigma, of dont use strength, okay then you cant use your speed, or flexibility or mobility lol it makes no sense
The The Biggest Myth In BJJ is that BJJ works.
Yet getting really muscle bound will also make u slower. It will make u less flexible and also decrease your endurance cause that muscle is using up your oxygen. In the striking arts being muscle bound is kinda frowned upon. It slows u up. Yet BJJ is a grappling art. You’re locking up against someone and struggling against them. It’s a different dynamic. But I would also assume speed is a factor in BJJ. Yet if an incredible BJJ expert ran across a 1000 lb grizzly bear and got into a fight with the bear the bear would win. The bear would win on the basis of strength and no BJJ training. I have trained other martial arts but never BJJ. In other striking arts I have trained being too muscular was frowned upon. I think it’s a balancing act. You definitely need technique but strength does add too fighting and self defense
Bjj is like anything. Your body is what you make of it, built how you make it, whether you are aware of it or not. Your game doesnt work against what someone else built? Figure it out. Dont make excuses. Learn from it.
It's not a myth, it's a flat out lie.
NOONE has said that strength is not a factor. What was said, that just strength only vs much weaker BJJ practitioner has no factor.
Bruce Lee said. "Water can flow or it can crash, be water my friend". Jiu Jitsu is the same thing. Be like water.
Given enough strength, it will overcome any technique........yeah but what about....blah, blah, blah.....and I say it wasn't enough strength.
Even when I don’t need much strength I still go full force just because I want so . If you can’t deal with it probably you should try ping pong
Then you're a shitty training partner. Not understanding that you have to dial it back sometimes is selfish, dangerous, and irresponsible.
I dont care about others and weaklings never made nobody better@@southtxguitarist8926
Wrong. The biggest myth is that it isnt gay
Haha!
Made me lol in RL. 😂😂😂
Actually, the biggest myth in BJJ is that it is Brazilian!
correct! Nevermind Maeda & his links to Japan, The Gracie Clan are Scottish, Period.
@@dmtboke
Interesting. I did not know that.
@@dmtboke Like every country in the Americas (and Caribean) Brazil is largely populated by people who moved there from other regions of the world. I'm not an expert on the Gracies, but a history page on a BJJ school site said that George Gracie moved from Scotland to Brazil in 1801. Carlos and Helio were the great grandsons of George and started the Gracie Academy in 1925, one hundred twenty-four years after the patriarch relocated. I supposedly have Scottish ancestry and I even lived in Scotland for a year, but it would be nonsensical to call me Scottish, 'cause I ain't. Neither were the founders of Gracie jiu-jitsu.
It's Brazilian. It's a hybrid art based on judo and catch wrestling, developed in Brazil. It's like saying Karate isn't Japanese because its origins are supposedly in China, then Okinawa (which wasn't technically part of Japan). While we're on the subject, Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do, two of the most common Korean martial arts, are heavily based on Shotokan Karate. We can nitpick on these discrepancies all day, but at some point I think you have to acknowledge that when something flourishes in its transplanted place it becomes part of that place and can be named as such.