I am continually seeing more opportunities both when I roll and when I watch other folks roll. In the last year, I have come up with many submissions I had never seen anyone else do, and new ways of addressing old problems. I am consistently finding more efficient and less athletic ways to create openings and finish moves. I am also learning more deeply from my black belt training partners.

I started out doing deep half (I blame Jeff Glovers instructional) and moved on from there to 5050 and a heavy focus on inversions (yup, Ryan Hall…) and after that it turned to a more spider/dlr heavy game in my later days at blue and purple belt… towards the end of purple I had shifted focus to nogi and worked basic wrestling and leglocks, I have been a brown belt six years and my focus at the moment is a top concentrated game where I try to improve my wrestling (nogi) and not give away good positions without a good reason….

My game and approach changed a lot since I first started grappling in 2010.

First I only trained no Gi and it was more an add on to my self defense training and stand up training, cause I lacked ground fighting.

As I got deeper into the rabbit hole over the years, starting to learn in the Gi since 2013, too, it was lots of basic BJJ stuff, self defense and rolling often more playfully.

After changing affiliations and teachers in 2018, my style got more „ old school“ heavy top game and pressure game based, way deeper into fundamentals again and way more control, instead of „jumping“ around, which in generell suited me better the older I got (almost 47 now).

Also way more takedown, clinch and wrestling since changing affiliation and teacher 2018.

Main things that have changed is I'm older, lazier and it takes a lot to get me to spar with somebody I don't know. ;)

I've also gained flab and lost hair, though on the plus side that probably made my side control heavier (pizza training). :D

My approach to jiujitsu has changed drastically since training under Chris Paines.

It’s like I’ve unlocked a cheat code with the way we use a conceptual approach to training rather than individual technique, rinse and repeat.

Also, although I’m only 36yo, my body is battle tested and I’m feeling old. So I don’t roll as much as I used to, especially with the young, strong, athletic competitors at the gym. I leave that to them to battle it out 😂