Why Most Hobbyists Never Improve (Training 2x Per Week)

Speaker 1: Welcome to the Q&A episode. This is Bulletproof for BJJ. And if you've got a question you want to ask us, please go to the website and post the question, bulletproofforbjj.com, hit the podcast page and record us a voicemail because you've probably got questions about the journey that you're on, about Jujitsu, about the politics in your gym, about your strength training, any of that stuff. And there's other people out there that would benefit from us having a conversation about it. So, go and record a question. Uh, we got a few in the bank here and we've actually been getting quite a good, um, posting of questions lately. I wanted to mention to folks, we will get to it. We don't always get to it depending on how many we get at a given time. We might not get to it for a month or so, but we will get to it. So, keep them coming. First one in here is coming from James. Oh, James. Strong name. Speaker 2: Hey, this is uh in regards to your slamming. Years ago in Judo, I believe in the 60s and 70s, if someone had a Juji Gatame or straight arm lock and you lifted them above your shoulders, it was a win. So, it was actually used as a way that someone would actually let go. So, if you had locked on, you were struggling, I think that's the difference that's being missed. It would be kind of neat though in um Jujitsu competitions if they lifted them up, you know, above the shoulders, it's a win. It would stop a lot of this slamming and other stuff. Speaker 1: Hey, that's an interesting point. So that is a James is referencing an episode where we were talking about slamming. You know, should it be a thing? You know, when is it not? Blah, blah, blah. Um, that's actually quite fascinating, isn't it? I, yeah, I, I, I think so. It's great historical reference, right? But I, I remember a particular match at Worlds where someone had a locked in triangle and the person stood up. It was one of the heavyweights, you know, it could have been, I, I can't remember who it was, but they stood them up and they walked out of the ring so that it would get reset. Speaker 2: Slamming, yeah. Speaker 1: Uh-huh. But they actually got, I think they got disqualified for that. Yeah, right. And they lost the match as a result. But it's, it was a way of avoiding the submission. Yeah. You know what I mean? I mean, look, if you I reckon James is probably a strong guy. James is like, well, Do you know the amount of times I have lifted someone up? I tell you, I tell you what, I do think that the flip side of that scenario is a little bit ridiculous. The flip side of that scenario being, wherein this Jujitsu, wherein a, where, where in a competition match right now, you lock me up in a triangle. I pick you up to slam you, but then I realize I'm not allowed to slam, so then I have to place you back down. And then, and then proceed to tap. Right? Like I do, I do think in a way in and, and of course it's a sport, right? It's not combat. Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Speaker 1: Unless it's ADCC. But it still is somewhat, it is still is somewhat combative, right? And so I'm like, the fact that the person who's in the submission isn't allowed to use that, get out, it's like, no, no, you have to use only the, only these certain methods of escape. Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, uh, look, I don't think that It's it's rule, it's rule sets. Speaker 1: It is. And, and that's fine, right? We all agree to it, but I actually think that would be cool where it's like, look, if you like if they said that, if you are in guard and you put someone in a sub and they pick you up to slam you and they lift you above their shoulders, Speaker 2: You have to let go of the submission. Speaker 1: You have to let go of the sub. I actually think that's pretty cool because then it means, all right, well, if I'm locking on a triangle, I got to catch a leg. I got to stop you from standing up. And that's like, I'm like, yeah, and I actually see that as being closer to the real thing. Speaker 2: I got to catch you. Well, I got to catch a leg. Yeah, yeah. 100%. Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, I mean, I think it's, it's an interesting take. Um, yeah, it's, it's definitely from a safety perspective, it's great. Speaker 2: But who doesn't love a fucking power bomb? Speaker 1: I mean, I yeah, in the, in the elite comps, I think fucking slam away, son. I'm talking more just for like amateurs. Speaker 2: Right. Yeah, and and yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, no, I think it's a, it's a really good take, man. I think that's thanks for bringing that up. That's awesome. Speaker 1: But, you know, it is also a tough one that you're you'd have to trust the athlete, the athlete that's like, once you pick them up and get them above the shoulder, you have to not slam. You could some people would be like, you know, like it'd just be so hard to sometimes not just do that last. Speaker 2: Yeah. Or just get really tired. Accidentally fall down. Speaker 1: I mean, that's always, sorry ref, I was tired. I fell. Speaker 2: You just need a really strong ref to like spot you down. Speaker 1: Uh, next question coming in from Chad. Speaker 2: Hey fellas, this is Chad from uh, New Jersey. Um, interested in knowing some advice from you guys on how to be disciplined in your practice time on the mats. Um, I can make make it to the gym about one and a half times a week. Sometimes it's two, sometimes it's one, just cuz of current uh, life situations, got two kids under three. Um, and so I'm interested in knowing how I should be breaking up my practice. Realistically, I get in there and I just want to go full force. Uh, and compete. Really, it's a form of exercise for me. Of course. at times and so how do I stay disciplined and and practice certain things? Speaker 1: Okay. Chad has a practice, huh? He fucking. Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. Episode we just did. Speaker 1: It's a good way to think about it. Speaker 2: I think it's like anything to do with discipline, it's, you know, discipline. I I actually have I've kind of eliminated that uh, from my general, uh, thinking about human behavior. It's habit. Like at the end of the day, discipline and habit is the same thing. So, if you have the habit to just go nuts, go 100% and just go, you know, kind of balls to the wall, then that's what you're going to do every time. But if you could think about training maybe a little bit more like a meal that potentially dessert is at the end. You know, if you thought of yourself, if you treated yourself like a maybe more like a child, as you have young children, right? You got to bribe them a little bit. You're like, look, if you eat the, if you eat this, you can have the thing or if you be good, daddy will take you for ice cream. You, you can kind of play these games with yourself in terms of you're like, right, I am going to work on the thing that I suck at and I'm going to do the drill or play the game, but then I will allow myself to roll a certain amount at the end. You know, obviously you only have so much time. But I don't think that just going nuts for the whole session is necessarily the way for you to get better. Even though that might feel good. Like you say, it's a form of exercise, right? So you're trying to get the endorphins, you're trying to get this great feeling that Jujitsu gives you. But the other thing that Jujitsu can do is it can break your heart when you suck and the person who you train with all the time is getting better than you and you're not getting better, right? So, at the end of the day, learning is key, as much as the physical expression is great. I would encourage you to do the harder thing first. This is what I do in my day-to-day life, like. I don't want to do a thing. I try to put it at the front because once it's done, then the pressure's off as opposed to putting the hard thing at the end, whatever that might be. And then you can kind of provided the class structure permits it, you know, roll how you want to roll. What do you what do you think about that, Joe? Speaker 1: Yeah, I I I rate that. I think um, I think there's two sides to it. You could like take that thing of like be a little bit more structured in the training and um, you know, have an idea of what you want to work on and make sure you put some kind of intentionality into the session. But I also think that maybe just doing what you're doing for like maybe you should take the pressure off yourself and the fact because you're only getting in there one and a half times a week on average. So, you're just sort of getting by on the skin of your teeth right now. And I think that that might be okay. You got a couple young kids, it's a battle. Just getting in there and being at the gym and seeing the gang and fucking training is awesome. And maybe it's this for a year or two. And then maybe fucking, you know, then your kids will be five and then they're really going to calm down. Then they're then they're chill as fuck. No, but you know, but it changes, right? And so, and so it won't always be this way. So, you know, um, cuz that's also that whole side of being very structured about it. You could see that as one of the luxuries that comes with being able to train a lot. So, you know, there's a couple of ideas there to run with. I'd be interested to hear what works well for you, Chad. Speaker 2: Yeah, it's tough. That's the win. Not at all. You're going to take them to swimming lessons. Speaker 1: Give us a try. Chad, my favorite Chad character was fucking Van Damme Double Impact. Oh. Was it Chad and Alex? Pretty sure. Speaker 2: He's psyking me out here. Speaker 1: Dang. Fucking Double Impact was good. So good. 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You can get 15% off Sodi now when you go to their website, Sodi, that's S O D I dot com dot au, and you use the code Bulletproof15 to get 15% off. Go there now and enhance your performance and recovery. Speaker 2: Third question, Ben. Joey JT, my name is Ben. I am a long time listener, first time caller. My question is, I just moved to Italy and so I had to change gyms from where I initially started training. I am a blue belt and um, I was wondering if you guys had any advice for people who are uh, adjusting to a new gym environment from maybe where they started. How can I feel more comfortable in this new space, not really knowing anyone, going into a place where even though I do speak Italian, kind of adjusting to maybe the vocabulary of how things are done and kind of navigating the culture of a new space. Thank you. Speaker 1: Well, first piece of advice is I've been reading a book on the fucking origin of the Sicilian Mafia and brother, don't go to fucking Corleone in Sicily, all right? That's my first piece of advice. Just fuck it's a war zone, mate, you don't want to get wrapped up in that. But let's get to the real heart of your question. Speaker 2: Shout out. Don't don't start an olive oil business. Let's just say that much. Speaker 1: Actually, I really want to go to Sicily after reading this book. It sounds fucking sick. I don't think they don't usually don't take out tourists, right? Usually. Yeah, it's just how the Pasanos that get cop it. Just dropping the slang. Speaker 2: The worst. Uh, okay. I'm going to say two things here. One, obviously you've changed countries, so that's that's that's its own adjustment, right? The social aspect. And two, you've changed Jujitsu gym. So. Speaker 1: Big deal. I love Chad was from Jersey and then fucking Ben's just like taking it another degree. I'm actually going to the motherland. There it is. Jersey Jujitsu. Uh, no, as somebody who I I always struggled to fit in socially. So what I would do is I would study the people who I felt were doing it really well, whether they were the funny person or the popular person, whatever it might be, I'd be like, what are they doing? So I would analyze the hell out of that and then for myself be like, okay, how can I be a bit more like them? I think you can look in any relationship or any environment where there's people who there's power dynamics, right? There's the favorite, there's the the good-looking one who everybody secretly envies or very publicly envies or loves. You know, there's the there's the phenom, there's always these different archetypes of people in a gym. But I think you need allies, so I think definitely make a friend, that will always help you because then you've got someone else looking out for you and they can give you some tips. And then the second thing is be very, um, if you can, and it's not always the way, try to form a relationship with the coach. Like make let them know that you really care about Jujitsu and you're really trying to do your best to be a part of the place. I think as soon as you show that, the coach is going to be much more forgiving for any social indiscretions, you know, you show you've got a good heart and you show you care about the thing, that's important. So I think get an ally and then also just, you know, show your good character to the coach if you can. Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm making friends, man, that's fucking it's all about that, I reckon. Like, you know, in agreement with what you said. Uh, I remember when I trained at the Carlson Gracie Academy in Rio. It was the, it was, and I think I was in Rio for, I don't know, five weeks or something. And that academy became my home base. I competed once, once, yeah, under that, under that academy and, you know, trained there every day, sort of five days a week for, you know, whatever, like four weeks kind of thing. Um, and I I can remember distinctly like, you know, it was very confrontational when I first got there. People were suspicious of me. Um, the other sort of, I was a blue belt at the time, other blue belts were really fucking like, who's this fucking guy? Yeah, it was just another gringo on the mats, you know. And and I and the coach was putting me in situations. He wanted to test me a bit, so he put me in some situations and they'd have a laugh or whatever. Speaker 2: Did you get a Carlson Gracie tattoo with the the two pitbull dogs running at each other? It's a fucking sick logo that was, isn't it? It's great. Yeah, yeah. Locked you in a cage with a fucking pitbull. Covered you in chicken blood and. Speaker 1: Um, just test this guy. But so, but then I remember we competed, did the competition, and then we, and then I went out and got hammered with a bunch of the guys and we had a sick night. And then we were just fucking homies after. You know? And it totally changed, it totally changed the vibe with the, with those guys. Um, and I think that it's just, you know, like one thing that we're not aware of, especially when you live in a place where a lot of tourists visit. So like Sydney, a lot of tourists come through. Um, Italy, going to have a lot of tourists, right? Fucking Rio, a lot of tourists, Copacabana. When you train at a gym that's in a tourist dense area, it's very transient, a lot of people come and go. So the locals tend not to make relationships very easily with because like you're going to be here for maybe one, maybe you're just here today and they'll never see you again. Or maybe you're here a couple weeks. It's like not worth investing any time in. So I think that there's that little barrier to get past, which, I mean, even if you're only there for a short while, it's um, people don't we don't make friendships based on what's the duration of this friendship going to be. So sometimes it's just about like going that extra little bit of distance to befriend someone, going out for a coffee after training or whatever. Yeah. Um, slice of pizza. Yeah, right? Yeah. Um, but especially if you're like, if you've established like if you're living there, if you've moved to this town, then it's like, let people know of that. Like, hey, you know, like fucking get in, get in with someone and Yeah, like I think that'll really change the thing cuz yeah, people are mindful of that. Um, but also it's like everyone's busy, right? And everyone's just showing up to training and we just lean into our clicks. And if there's someone there that they that they probably think, maybe they think you don't speak Italian or that whatever, it's just going to be a little bit of hard work to then maybe that means they don't talk to you, but you can just fucking short circuit that whole thing by like, hey, man, what's going on? Let's fucking Let's grab a fucking breadstick. What's going down? Speaker 2: Great. They do. Yeah. Break your bread. Get a muster. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Speaker 1: It takes, it takes a bit of courage. Speaker 2: Actually, there's a, there's a little, there's a technique. It's a, who was it? Famous American, Lincoln, I believe. I think they call it the Lincoln effect. It's a, it's a, kind of trick of psychology where you would think that to make friends with people, you would do favors for them. But actually the trick is to get them to do a favor for you. Because even if just it could just be something small. The trick of the psychology is they have to um, retrospectively reason to themselves why they did something for you and it's because they like you. Even if they don't actually like you. And he did this to Lincoln did this to kind of trick one of his political rivals to because he had a favorite book. And so Lincoln said, oh, I would like to borrow that favorite book of yours because I am interested in this thing you care about. The guy was like, oh, I don't know about that. And he's like, no, man, I'd like and so the guy was like, lent him the book and as a result, he was actually able to kind of turn him around. So it sounds strange, but it is actually very effective that if you're trying to make friends with somebody, ask them for a small favor. And this will actually, uh, get them a bit closer. Speaker 1: How about that? Just a thought. Trick of the psychology there. Um, I got a bonus question today from me. I wanted to fucking I wanted to. Speaker 2: What? He's going to I said to Joe. Speaker 1: I'm recording it live here on my show. How many questions? Three questions. Speaker 2: Bring up the website. Speaker 1: No, no, no, I wanted it was just it was I wanted to add a thing. Um, I want to talk about the fucking Artos situation. I want to just address that for our listeners. Because if you're anywhere on the internet, you've heard about this fucking this this this fucking empire of an academy is crumbling. Andre Galvao has been accused of some shocking allegations in regards to sexual abuse of minors as well as, you know, non-minors. Like just total fucking bin fire the whole thing. Seems to have been handled very badly. Coaches left, whole shit, right? Sparked a lot of uh, a lot of discussion in the game, a lot of a bit of a me too moment for Jujitsu, right? Where a lot of women are sharing their experiences of abuse. And the reason I wanted to JT and I spoke about it a couple weeks, a few weeks ago once this when it sort of first blew up. And what we arrived at was like, what can we say about this that is not going to just sound generic and like exactly like anyone else that's half decent as a human is going to say, which is we condemn this kind of behavior. It's fucked up. Jujitsu has a problem. Women need to be respected. You know, like and what can we do, right? So, um, we don't we don't we don't just want to jump on that bandwagon. We want to speak with someone who actually has like, uh, like knowledge of these structures and of this topic. We want to talk to someone who is maybe a specialist in the area of sexual abuse, who knows the Jujitsu world and is is in this universe of ours. Um, so if you are that person or you know someone, can you put us in touch because we'd love to have them on the podcast. We'd love to have a really constructive conversation about it because we of course feel this thing of like, it's awful, uh, and all women in Jujitsu are affected by this and um, we want to do whatever we can to try and make it so this isn't a fucking thing that, you know, women have to deal with anymore in this in this game of ours. Um, so yeah, if you've got someone or if you know someone, please put us in touch, that'd be sick. Speaker 2: Okay. Of course. Oh, everyone's leaving this. 100%. Totally. Speaker 1: You can reach out to us on Instagram or you can email me JT@bulletproofforbjj.com. Uh, we'd love to have the conversation because we want to have a constructive, helpful discourse about this because, you know, it's can't can't go on the way it is. Yeah. Um, guys, thank you for the questions today. I think it might have been three from three US. Speaker 2: Uh, Italy. Speaker 1: Well, he wasn't Italian. No. No, he I don't think he was Italian. But it sounds like he might be coming from the US, right? Possibly, I don't know, but yeah. Fucking US still out here. Where's the rest where are the Euros? Where are the fucking South Americans? You know what I'd fucking love? Where's my sauces? I would fucking love a question in Portuguese. That would be super fun and then we got to try and decipher it. Guys, just if you do that, just keep it fucking like like keep it like grade one or kindergarten type language, right? So do we just have to trade off our terrible Portuguese to work out what's going on or are we going to Google Translate? Well, I think we should we should make a commitment to try and just figure it out between the two of us. That'd be fucking sick. But anyway, keen to hear from all of you guys. Go to bulletproofforbjj.com, hit the podcast page and record us a voicemail. We'll get you on an upcoming episode. Love you guys. Speaker 2: Basic. Speaker 1: Salute.