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Any 'normal' jiu jitsu practitioners here?
6 year(s) ago • 1474 views • 60 replies
TPBlack beltVerified
6 year(s) ago
Most injuries I see do happen in comp class during the last weeks where people spar hard and the goal is to build up conditioning & also train tired.
A remarkable number of my own injuries have occured in the crazy scrambles that often happen in competition matches. (If one compares the number of my comp matches vs. just regular sparring rounds.)
A remarkable number of my own injuries have occured in the crazy scrambles that often happen in competition matches. (If one compares the number of my comp matches vs. just regular sparring rounds.)
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
The worst injuries I've seen just happened while people were rolling and one of them either does something careless or when ego's flare up and reckless abandonment enters the match. Of course I've seen people break their ankle just walking so what am I talking about. Lol
RLPurple beltVerified
6 year(s) ago
I train 3 maybe 4 times a week just for the fun part. Never thought I would compete but had my first competition last weekend. Will continue training for the fun part of it, the social aspect and maybe throw in a competition every now and then just for the fun of it too.
Every time I travel I try to find a traveller friendly gym to do a class.
Every time I travel I try to find a traveller friendly gym to do a class.
MWBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
I rarely compete, and I'm a real-estate appraiser by day. I also own a gym, but we have a long way to go before I'm able to quit my day job and teach/train full time. A normal day is up at 4:45am to teach a 6am class, work all day, back to the gym at 5pm and teach until 8:30pm. I go to open mats on the weekends to try to train for myself a little, but I've accepted the fact that I'll never be a great competitor.
BTPurple beltVerified
6 year(s) ago
By 'normal' I mean everyday working stiff schmoe's like myself who don't compete but train regularly for fun/health/friends/self defence/etc? Where my Normies at? :D
I'm 42 and have three jobs, so I would like to train 5-6 times a week but 2-4 is all I can manage...
and I'm picking up minor chronic injuries like they are going out of fashion.
So I guess I train, but definitely not for health reasons ;)
and I'm picking up minor chronic injuries like they are going out of fashion.
So I guess I train, but definitely not for health reasons ;)
AMBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
Wow, great to see so many working stiffs w/ families that still make time to train on the regular. Much respect to you (and to the others that do this as a job).
MMBlack belt 2nd degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
100% "normal". 47 years old. Love to compete but have a poor competition record, lol. Train 4-5 days per week, but not like a beast because the body won't take that anymore (did decades of karate and competitions before BJJ - lots of miles on my joints). Have a wife, kids, full time job, and play guitar in a local band. BJJ is life, but not my whole life.
Good thread topic! I think too often the world champs get all the credit, and are the yardstick by which people measure their BJJ. That would be like expecting a guy who plays pickup basketball on the weekends to give Michael Jordan a run for his money. Not fair to him, and dismissive of his love for the game despite his time/age limitations.
Mike
Good thread topic! I think too often the world champs get all the credit, and are the yardstick by which people measure their BJJ. That would be like expecting a guy who plays pickup basketball on the weekends to give Michael Jordan a run for his money. Not fair to him, and dismissive of his love for the game despite his time/age limitations.
Mike
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
AMBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
100% 'normal'. 47 years old. Love to compete but have a poor competition record, lol. Train 4-5 days per week, but not like a beast because the body won't take that anymore (did decades of karate and competitions before BJJ - lots of miles on my joints). Have a wife, kids, full time job, and play guitar in a local band. BJJ is life, but not my whole life. Good thread topic! I think too often the world champs get all the credit, and are the yardstick by which people measure their BJJ. That would be like expecting a guy who plays pickup basketball on the weekends to give Michael Jordan a run for his money. Not fair to him, and dismissive of his love for the game despite his time/age limitations. Mike
Just checked your profile and I see you're in MI! Same here (Ann Arbor area).
That's awesome you got belts from Ryan and Tyrone. I currently train under Dorrian Robinson (one of Tyrone's black belts).
Do you know Dan Smith from Kaizen? We came up through the ranks together. :)
That's awesome you got belts from Ryan and Tyrone. I currently train under Dorrian Robinson (one of Tyrone's black belts).
Do you know Dan Smith from Kaizen? We came up through the ranks together. :)
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
Good thread topic! I think too often the world champs get all the credit, and are the yardstick by which people measure their BJJ. That would be like expecting a guy who plays pickup basketball on the weekends to give Michael Jordan a run for his money. Not fair to him, and dismissive of his love for the game despite his time/age limitations.
Good statement and I agree with this as well.
MMBlack belt 2nd degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
Just checked your profile and I see you're in MI! Same here (Ann Arbor area). That's awesome you got belts from Ryan and Tyrone. I currently train under Dorrian Robinson (one of Tyrone's black belts). Do you know Dan Smith from Kaizen? We came up through the ranks together. :)
Sweet! I love Dorian! Tell him I said hello!
And I’m also friends with Dan Smith from Kaizen. He’s a great guy and his jiu jitsu is legit.
And I’m also friends with Dan Smith from Kaizen. He’s a great guy and his jiu jitsu is legit.
AMBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
Sweet! I love Dorian! Tell him I said hello! And I’m also friends with Dan Smith from Kaizen. He’s a great guy and his jiu jitsu is legit.
That's awesome! Small world! lol
I will tell him for sure!
I will tell him for sure!
RMBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
Yeah - I'm a 'regular' working guy.
I have a job in IT, own part of a Jiu Jitsu Academy, invest in real estate and have an internet retail business.
Don't get to compete much and haven't yet at black belt. The last comp I did was as a brown belt.
I have a job in IT, own part of a Jiu Jitsu Academy, invest in real estate and have an internet retail business.
Don't get to compete much and haven't yet at black belt. The last comp I did was as a brown belt.
PHBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
I am a full-time educator. I have always found it difficult to find time to train for competitions, especially since there are so few in Wyoming. I am fortunate enough to have found a great Judo club when I moved to Lander, WY which is a town of only 7,000 people. We are now a nonprofit martial arts academy and we teach both Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. BJJ has always been more about personal growth for me. Once I earned my brown belt, my focus shifted to bettering my community, which is why we offer our classes free of charge.
SBBlue beltVerified
6 year(s) ago
I'm a "normal" guy. I play BJJ 2-3 times per week. I competed once, had mixed feeling about it. I don't think I'll do it again. I like to test /push myself whenever I get the chance to, and I don't need the possibility of getting a medal to do that. Rolling with classmates is good enough for me.
TPBlack beltVerified
6 year(s) ago
Once I earned my brown belt, my focus shifted to bettering my community, which is why we offer our classes free of charge.
Awesome!
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
We are now a nonprofit martial arts academy and we teach both Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. BJJ has always been more about personal growth for me. Once I earned my brown belt, my focus shifted to bettering my community, which is why we offer our classes free of charge.
That is amazing!
VCBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
I am a full-time educator. I have always found it difficult to find time to train for competitions, especially since there are so few in Wyoming. I am fortunate enough to have found a great Judo club when I moved to Lander, WY which is a town of only 7,000 people. We are now a nonprofit martial arts academy and we teach both Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. BJJ has always been more about personal growth for me. Once I earned my brown belt, my focus shifted to bettering my community, which is why we offer our classes free of charge.
Good on you!
ADPurple beltVerified
6 year(s) ago
Same as a lot of people here. I used to put a ton of pressure on myself because I wanted to train 4 times a week, but in reality, I can't. It takes a toll on my body, my relationships with my wife and friends, and even my work. I decided last summer to stop putting so much pressure on myself, and even to have an off season once a year after reading a lot of articles on injuries. I feel much more healthy mentally and physically, I enjoy training a lot more. Ideally I'd love to push myself and compete maybe once a year, but this year it doesn't look like I'll be able to and it's fine.
JSPurple beltVerified
6 year(s) ago
I was an active competitor, up until ~3yrs ago. Despite working 3 jobs (only had to support myself, no family), I still managed to make 12 classes a week, and 3 open mats.
3yrs ago I accepted a new job, left the other 3 behind, left the gym I was at, and moved 1,500 miles. Now, I work 50-60hrs a week, plus being on call after hours (can be called back in at any time of the day/night, including weekends), and am lucky if I get to train once a week with a small team of good people.
Probably not "normal" anymore, just swung from one extreme to the other.
3yrs ago I accepted a new job, left the other 3 behind, left the gym I was at, and moved 1,500 miles. Now, I work 50-60hrs a week, plus being on call after hours (can be called back in at any time of the day/night, including weekends), and am lucky if I get to train once a week with a small team of good people.
Probably not "normal" anymore, just swung from one extreme to the other.
ALBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
I'm 50 years old, teach 4 days a week, sometimes train as just a student with my instructor when time and energy allows for the 4 hour round-trip drive. I'm at stay at home Dad who runs 2 part time businesses of my own and periodically has a part-time day job when the kids are in school. While I am looking at possibly doing a few more competitions this year, it's more for the motivation that competition brings me to get in shape and work my fitness more consistently.... I really could care less about competition at this point from an ego or "need to win" standpoint. I consider myself to be a normal "hobbyist" who has about 15 students who are mostly normal "hobbyists."
MJBlue beltVerified
6 year(s) ago
Nurse anesthesiologist here. Am i charge of my own schedule at work but if they make a switch and schedules me to work when I have an opportunity to do BJJ, I go absolutely mental... Trains 3-4 times a week, brings girlfriend and 8 months old son to the training and my daughter aswell... Life kinda circulates around Bjj and I´m beginning to suspect that the universe revolves around our dojo...Not quite sure, but everything alse ouside of the dojo seems to fade away. The tricky part is making the most of the time whilst waiting for the gis to dry. I use to spend that time preparing for kids class which i have for two hours a week... yeah, life changed when I came in contact with these wonderful three letters - BJJ.
TCBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
FOMO
Is it just me who gets frustrated when I see my buddies rolling at noon and I'm stuck on the job? Jealous maybe? Idk
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
6 year(s) ago
Is it just me who gets frustrated when I see my buddies rolling at noon and I'm stuck on the job? Jealous maybe? Idk
I get that way too but knowing I am supporting my wife and kids makes me feel better. Most of those guys I know that can do that really have no one to worry about but themselves. That's ok
CBBrown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
By 'normal' I mean everyday working stiff schmoe's like myself who don't compete but train regularly for fun/health/friends/self defence/etc? Where my Normies at? :D
I think I fit in this category. I have a 9:00 to 5:00 Office Job, a wife, love cooking and am doing an IT Security degree in my spare time for fun (I bore easily).
Having said that, I am fortunate to have a job that allows me a lot of flexibility in my workday, my wife and I neither have nor ever want children, so my free time is a lot higher than people who have kids to raise, and my wife also has a lot of hobbies, so I get to train a bit more than the "normal" family men and women I know. Let's me train BJJ about 6 times a week and also hit the weights 5 to 6 times a week (40 minute sessions only) and compete about once a month.
I'm not a BJJ professional, and not only never will be, but have no wish to either. I have a great job and like having a steady and reliable income and going on vacation in off the wall places and finding BJJ gyms there to train at.
Having said that, I am fortunate to have a job that allows me a lot of flexibility in my workday, my wife and I neither have nor ever want children, so my free time is a lot higher than people who have kids to raise, and my wife also has a lot of hobbies, so I get to train a bit more than the "normal" family men and women I know. Let's me train BJJ about 6 times a week and also hit the weights 5 to 6 times a week (40 minute sessions only) and compete about once a month.
I'm not a BJJ professional, and not only never will be, but have no wish to either. I have a great job and like having a steady and reliable income and going on vacation in off the wall places and finding BJJ gyms there to train at.
ATBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
Normal here
Train 5-6x a week
I still suck
Ossss
Train 5-6x a week
I still suck
Ossss
BJBlue beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
No interest in competition. I train twice a week right now due to the pandemic. Three times if one of the ladies wants to join me for open mat.
Pretty sure I've never been accused of being "normal" though!
Pretty sure I've never been accused of being "normal" though!
JABlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
Great replies from everyone. As I was spot checking profiles out of curiosity, I was getting mainly ones with pics from high profile tournaments, victory hand raises, podium pics, etc. I started wondering if this site was mainly geared for competitors. lol Glad to see it's a mix.
I competed alot before my knee blow out (meniscus surgery after 10 years of martial arts - Kenpo karate & judo ) - but I enjoy training 3 -4 days a week, teaching the kid's and sparring what and when I can.
At 46 my body isn't bouncing back the way it used to, and comps just aren't that fun for me. I'm glad this martial art allows for all sorts of expression and for folks who have different paths....
At 46 my body isn't bouncing back the way it used to, and comps just aren't that fun for me. I'm glad this martial art allows for all sorts of expression and for folks who have different paths....
THBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I would never consider myself normal but I mostly fit into this category. I work as an art teacher during the day and mostly get beat up on the mats at night. I’ve trained 6 1/2 years and I have only competed 6 times. I do enjoy competing but with a job and a family I don’t feel as though I’m giving the competition my full attention. When I compete I want to look back and win or lose knowing that I have given it my best. This helps me mentally to know that my struggles are not from lack of preparation but rather from lack of knowledge/skill. Mostly my training is just for fun/mental health/fitness.
ECPurple beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
Only thing normal at 47 and doing BJJ is pain
